Modern Mix

Austrian expat STEFAN, and YEE HUI from Singapore, met through work colleagues back in 2004; they married two years later, and now have two gorgeous children, Lara and Lukas. They also have a lovely home: a condo apartment in Bukit Panjang, which they totally renovated.

- Rebecca Bisset

Stefan Winkler arrived in Singapore 13 years ago for what he thought would be about three months – and he just never left. He was working in Switzerland previously, and the couple still go to Europe about twice a year. Yee Hui studied German for her O Levels, which is unusual in Singapore, so she must have had an inkling that she might need it in the future! Remarkably, she also manages to do at least one international marathon a year. It’s no mean feat for a working mum with two fairly young children, and she trains by waking at 5am and running before work. (Wish I had that discipline!)

The couple decided to buy a place a few years ago, and although it took them a while to find the right one and to do a complete renovation, they’re very happy with their modern and quite minimalist conversion. The apartment they ended up choosing, Cashew Heights Condo, was built in 1990, so it’s larger than the more recent builds; but they also knocked down walls and opened it up, making it feel even more spacious.