We invite ourselves over to the house of interior designer and mother-of three Hege Torgersen, to find out how she’s created her ideal family abode on Sentosa.
Who lives here: Norwegian Hege, her husband, and their three children, Cecilia (15), Amelia (13) and Nicholas (10).
Size of home: Three stories, five bedrooms
Style of home: “I’d say it’s almost resort style, but with a mix of older pieces. I like to keep my own style simple rather than messy.”
Hege and her husband started their Singapore life together in 2000, initially living centrally in St Martin’s Drive. They then purchased a house on University Road near the Botanic Gardens, before selling up and buying their first home on Sentosa. “As soon as Sentosa opened up we came here. We were one of the first families to live here and we honestly haven’t looked back. Nothing beats that Friday afternoon feeling of coming home across the water; I love it.”
After three years in their first house on Ocean Drive, they decided to sell up and move again, to this larger property just down the road. “What I love with this house is that it grows with us; it’s easily adaptable. It’s not really that big, but it’s very well done.”
Although she studied bio-technology, Hege’s career in Singapore took a somewhat different direction. Looking for help to finish off the design and styling of her University Road house, a friend recommended she get in touch with Nikki Hunt, partner at Design Intervention. With a keen eye for design, and looking for a job that afforded her time for both a career and a family, Hege then began assisting Design Intervention with projects.
Design Intervention has had a hand in the look of each of Hege’s subsequent family homes, including this one. “They don’t just design a house; they make a home,” she says. “Also, they don’t do what everyone else is doing; they’re distinctive, and they put their souls into their work.”
Sentosa Style
Moving to this current home, Hege was keen to work around the furniture she already had. “In the previous house we went all out, even matching the tables to go with the sofa. When we bought this place, and it was much bigger, I decided to see how we lived in it first before designing it inside and out.”
Hege added pops of colour in each room, such as pink cushions or a vibrant chair, and she felt it was important to ensure the rooms could be easily downscaled and neutralised, particularly as she enjoys regularly changing up the design and style. “To make a place feel bigger you need to add contrast to it, not make it neutral and plain, otherwise the mess will stand out; but it’s also important to make sure you can downscale easily if you know you’ll want to change the style over time.”
Asked where she spends most of her time, Hege jokes that it’s in the car, “driving the children around.” In the house, she says they spend a lot of time outside on the decked area, in the living area or in the kitchen. “When we moved in, the kitchen wasn’t a room with a heart, but adding a central unit has made such a difference.”
Apart from all the extra-curricular activities the children are involved in, Hege admits they are very much homebodies. “We go out for lunch on a Saturday, but to be honest we also love to stay at home.” And with such a beautiful home, why wouldn’t you?
Hege’s Recommendations
Leisure
The Big Blow #02-21 Cluny Court 501 Bukit Timah Road 6465 4836 | thebigblow.com
Carolyn Strover photography carolynstrover@gmail.com carolynstrover.com
Fisk Seafood Bar and Market 30 Stevens Road, #01-01 6732 0711 | fisk.com.sg
Hera Hair Salon #01-20 Quayside Isle 31 Ocean Way Sentosa Cove 6268 8949 | herabeauty.sg
JH Kim Taekwondo (“my children do competitive taekwondo and we love this new school”) 27 West Coast Highway, #01-14/15/16/17 6255 2363 | jhkim-singapore.com
The Vagabond Club 39 Syed Alwi Road 6291 6677 | hotelvagabondsingapore.com
Home
Design Intervention 75E Loewen Road 6506 0920 | designintervention.com.sg
Flower Addict 9859 7127 | floweraddict.com
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY MICHAEL BERNABE | HOME PHOTOGRAPHY JO ANN GAMELO-BERNABE
Want more home inspiration? See our home decor section!
Embrace the blues with these cool pieces
Where to buy a sofa in Singapore
This article first appeared in the February 2018 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase a copy or subscribe so you never miss an issue!
