Four years after their wedding, events manager Jesslyn Ho accompanied her husband to India, where he had been posted for his work. The couple furnished their home with pieces of furniture acquired there, such as a vintage-looking Indian rosewood mirror embellished with elephants and Winsor armchairs with classic forms. When they returned to Singapore, they brought these pieces back for their new home in a shophouse. Her parents had acquired the historic building to live out their retired years, living on the ground storey and renting the units above. When they invited Ho and her husband to move into the upper storey, she readily agreed, enamoured by the idea of having privacy with a separate entrance yet still being close to family, whom she had missed while away.
This convenience was timely as the couple had recently welcomed a baby girl, Riley, and her parents could pop in easily to help out. The timelessness and age-worn qualities of the shophouse was appealing in its contrast to Ho’s nomadic life. Her childhood saw her moving homes frequently in Singapore and Sydney where her family lived for a time.
“Having had to live abroad, I’ve had to make do with an idea of home wherever I happen to be and however long. The shophouse, with its history and character, imbues a sense of permanence that I otherwise don’t get to enjoy. If my husband, daughter and I continue to move between countries, it’s nice to know that there’s a home waiting for us in Singapore that will be unchanged,” says Ho.
This story is from the January/February 2023 edition of Vogue Singapore.
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This story is from the January/February 2023 edition of Vogue Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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