A Black and White Colonial Detached House in Medway Park

ANNA LAYARD of A Raft of Otters and Layard Interiors dreamt of living in a piece of Singaporean history. And the dream came true with a move to this black-and-white detached house in Medway Park colonial estate!

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m originally from the UK, but moved to Sydney with my husband Jim, in 1997. We had 11 happy years there, became citizens and moved to Singapore in early 2009. We have three children: Harry (21) at Sydney University, Grace (19) at Manchester University, and our Singapore baby Evie (13), along with Scruff, a Labradoodle, who turns 12 this month! I’m an art historian by training but fell into home and interiors and set up Layard Interiors in 2019, combining my love of travel, art and design.

Where did you first live when you came to Singapore and why?

When we arrived, we moved into One Chatsworth, off Grange Road. We loved the proximity to Orchard, the size, the fact that it was an older building, and the split-level apartment that allowed us to still go upstairs to bed! As an art lover I also enjoyed having lots of wall space to display our growing collection of Asian art.

After three years, we moved to the townhouses at Ridgewood Condominium. It was a lovely community with great facilities on site and a playground outside for our then 18-month-old. It gave the kids great freedom, and we created lifelong friendships. Sadly, that house was sold, and we moved around the corner to Holland Grove View.

Whilst we loved the location and being close to UWCSEA Dover, a friend, Louise Hill, was moving to Medway Park and let us know that quite a few houses were up for rent. We saw 16 Maidstone Road and instantly fell in love. The kids loved it too. Not only was it a short walk to school, but, at that stage, it had a zip-line from one end of the garden to the other! 16 Maidstone is now the home we’ve lived in the longest. It’s truly the place that I feel my kids have grown up in. It has a great happy energy, and a fantastic supportive, friendly community.

I adore our garden and the wildlife we see. We spend most of our time outside here.

What are some of your top nonnegotiable with a home?

We made the decision to go car-free a few years ago, and since I don’t drive, proximity to school and public transport was a priority. We wanted a home that the kids could bring their friends to, and we love entertaining, so having a garden and pool was a huge bonus.

Did you always have your eye on a black-and-white home, or was it a happy coincidence that you ended up in one?

It was always a dream to have space and a garden, and to have the chance to live in a piece of Singapore’s rich history.

What do you love about your current house and living in Medway Park?

I love the connection to Singapore and British history. The house was built in the 1920s; our road and others in the area take their names from towns in Kent – Medway Park was named after the River Medway. Around the corner in NUS there are two segments of the Berlin Wall, donated to Singapore in 2015 to signify 50 years of diplomatic relations between Germany and Singapore.

We love the large open spaces surrounding us, and the walks we can take Scruff on easily from here, from West Coast Park, to the park connector and the disused golf course next door.

Is there a place in your Medway Park home where you love to spend time?

We spend most of our time outside. The dining room table (which is also my desk) is outside, and it’s very peaceful. I adore the yellow and blue kingfishers and general wildlife – we’ve seen hornbills, civets, wild roosters, otters, monkeys, monitor lizards and the odd snake, and of course lots of squirrels that drive Scruff mad!

What have been your best furniture or home décor buys?

Our home is an eclectic mix of treasures found and sourced over the years, and everything has significance and meaning. From our travels to the people we’ve met, each piece has a story. I adore my bone-inlay bedside tables custom-made by The House of Lili. And we recently won a Heveya mattress in an Expat Living competition – if you’ve never tried their mattresses, they are heaven! I wish we’d upgraded years ago.

If we’d known that we would stay in this house as long as we have, I would have modernised the bathrooms.

Any advice for newcomers when finding a home or decorating it?

Don’t rush into filling your space. There are simple things you can do to make a rented space feel like home and add personality. Think about the style of your home and your lifestyle. Your space should reflect who you are. For instance, we wanted to honour Maidstone’s history, so we opted for teak and rattan furniture to evoke a bygone era. Multilevel lighting is important and changing lampshades and adding dimmer switches make a huge difference.

I’ve used mirrors to open spaces, and simple jute rugs to break up the vast expanse of white tiles. For a pop of colour and personality, I’ve turned to soft furnishings from places like Hankie Pankie Home and Mrs Bennet. I’m not green-fingered, and we don’t have air-conditioning downstairs, so Silk Flowers Singapore is my go-to for lifelike options that bring the beauty of the outdoors inside; I often mix them with real ones to bulk out arrangements – easy, cost-effective and simple.

What are your favourite regional holidays, and what’s on your bucket list?

Cambodia, Indonesia (Yogyakarta and Borobudur) and Vietnam (Sapa and Hoi An). We also recently went on a Seabourn Cruise from Singapore to Hong Kong with my in-laws, which was a spectacular way to get a taste of the region. On my bucket list are Laos and Bhutan – and, further afield, Peru; the previous residents of 16 Maidstone, Caroline and Hermann Van der Bake, own an ecoresort, Las Qolqas (lasqolqas.com), and it’s my dream to visit it!

black-and-white house in Medway Park dining

Anna Layard Interiors and a raft of otters

A colonial detached house in Medway Park.

Anna’s Recommendations

Interior Designer

Kinjelo Interiors (“Lesley was instrumental in helping me style our home using our existing items and giving it a more cohesive look!”) | kinjelointeriors.com

Gift Stores

A Raft of Otters | araftofotters.com
Brisa | IG: brisa.singapore

Furniture & Homeware

Art

Lou Lauwerys | loulauwerys.com
By Fable | byfable.com
Louise Hill | louise-hill-design.com
Art Porters Gallery | artporters.com

Schools

UWCSEA (“a unique school with a focus on social responsibility that we love”) | uwcsea.edu.sg

Doctors & Dentists

Silver Cross Holland Village (24hrs) | healthwaymedical.com/clinics/silver-cross-medical-holland
Camden Medical (Dr Emily Kara) | camden.com.sg
Jo Brownlow Holistic Health | jobrownlow.com
Dental Essence (Dr Andrew & Dr Gareth) | dentalessence.com.sg
The Orthodontic Clinic Geraldine Lee | orthodontic-clinic.sg

Hair & Fashion

Love Hair SG | lovehairsg.com
The Tangerine Road | thetangerineroad.com
Mo Maya | itsmomaya.com
She Creates Stories | shecreatesstories.com

Restaurants, Cafés & Bars

Lavo | lavosingapore.com
North Miznon Singapore | northmiznonsg.com
Din Tai Fung | dintaifung.com.sg
Caffeine Xpress (“William makes the best coffee in Holland Village”) | caffeine-xpress.com

Exercise

UBX in Holland Village | ubxtraining.com/gym/HollandVillage

Airlines

Singapore Airlines | singaporeair.com
Qatar (“I love their ‘Education Above All’ program where they match all funds donated on board”) | qatarairways.com

Walks & Things to Do in SG

Botanic Gardens
Thaipusam Festival
Beach day at Tanjong Beach Club | tanjongbeachclub.com
Boat trips on “Aquaholic”
Batam spa day at Tempat Senang | tempatsenang.com

This article first appeared in the May 2024 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe, so you never miss a copy!

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