• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Go to Expat Living Hong Kong
Get our Newsletter

Lifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living HomepageLifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living

Moving to Singapore and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Singapore.

Login Pelcro Shop

Menu
  • Living in Singapore
      • Living here
      • Neighbourhood Guides
      • Schools
      • Property
      • Work & Finance
      • For Guys
      • Environment
      • Readers’ Choice Awards
        • estate planning for americans 529 College Savings PlansUS Estate Planning with the 529 College Savings Plans
        • Rachel’s peaceful semi-detached house in Singapore
        • Design Orchard Singapore Fashion council activationExperience and shop Singapore brands at Design Orchard
        • Singapore History – Trivia & Things!
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things to do
      • EL Events
      • Calendar
      • Competitions
      • Noticeboard
        • Singapore Chinese Cultural CentreWhat’s on this week and beyond
        • What we are listening to: Great podcasts, Music and more!
        • Great books: What to read this month
        • What to watch (or not!): Netflix series, TV and movies
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Enrichment
      • Kids Things To Do
      • Mums & Babies
      • Schools
      • Tots & Toddlers
      • Tweens & Teens
        • co-curricular activitiesAustralian International School turns 30: new facilities & more!
        • Portrait photography in Singapore: the best studios in town
        • Fabulous Father’s Day Present Ideas & Things to Do
        • character developmentAuthentic American education at XCL American Academy
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Home Decor
      • Readers’ Homes
      • Furniture
        • woody antique house artefactsAsian antiques, artefacts & outdoor furniture at Woody’s
        • Which florist in Singapore has a house on Duchess Avenue?
        • Home News: New furniture, home décor & services
        • Fabulous dinnerware, crockery and tableware in Singapore!
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Australasia
      • Rest Of The World
        • Holiday in Thailand resort on the beachTwo destinations for a holiday in Thailand
        • Travel News & Hotel Deals
        • Things to do in Dubai with familyHave some fun at one of the best hotels in Dubai
        • Beach holiday resortsFancy a long weekend getaway at a beach resort?
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Asian Cuisine
      • Western Cuisine
      • Bars & Clubs
      • Groceries & Speciality Services
      • Recipes & Classes
        • COL new restaurantHot new restaurant COL is a warehouse wonder
        • New Nibbles: Foodie news!
        • Hydration: Drinking water for good health
        • 16 of the best breakfast spots in Singapore!
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
        • afternoon teaWhat to wear for afternoon tea in Singapore
        • Design Orchard Singapore Fashion council activationExperience and shop Singapore brands at Design Orchard
        • Where to buy buy essential oils in Singapore
        • anti-frizz hair treatmentFrizzy hair treatments – from keratin to hair botox!
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Dental
      • Fitness
      • Medical
      • Wellness
        • Where to buy buy essential oils in Singapore
        • Health News: What’s up!
        • candles in singapore with essential oilsCandles with essential oils – the perfect gift!
        • Top personal trainers in Singapore
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • PRINT MAGAZINE
    • DIGITAL MAGAZINE
    • Close

Contemporary cool meets heritage home in River Valley shophouse

26th November 2018 by Amy Brook-Partridge 4 Min Read

https://expatliving.sg/river-valley-shophouse-singapore/

Find out why this couple moved from Singapore’s East to buy their gorgeous River Valley shophouse.

Who lives here: Belgians Jonathan Roelandts and Katrien Bollen, their 17-month old son Louis, and helper Rose.
Size and type of home: Four-storey, three-bedroom heritage house that they purchased three years ago.
Style of home: Contemporary combined with the original elements of a shophouse.

River Valley Shophouse

I ’d coveted this property many years ago, when I first arrived in Singapore. Our first two years here saw us live in a condo overlooking this particular row of shophouses – three of them to be exact, attached to a small condo just off Mohamed Sultan Road. Walking down the road with my little girl in her buggy, I’d slow down as we passed this house with its high gates, and I’d try to get a peek in to see what it looked like on the inside; now, finally, I get my chance.

Its owners, Jonathan Roelandts and Katrien Bollen, run Soul & Tables (formerly Ethnicraft Online) in Singapore, Jonathan as its managing director, and Katrien as its marketing director, alongside her other job, a full-time position with Google. The couple purchased the property three years ago, having lived in the East for the majority of their eight years here. “We’d always lived in condos,” explains Katrien, “and although you can have nice furniture in condo apartments, and try to dress them up in the way you want, they can miss the mark when it comes to adding your own character. We really like a modern touch on an authentic style, and we felt we could bring that to life here.”

River Valley Shophouse

“We’re far more used to living in houses than one storey units,” continues Jonathan, “and ultimately we always wanted to come back to a more central location.” Finding the house on Property Guru, the couple almost immediately fell in love with it. “We visited it out of curiosity at first, as it was a little over our budget, but once we’d seen it we decided to make an offer pretty much there and then,” says Jonathan.

The house was tenanted for the first two years following its purchase. “This was ideal, to be honest, as it gave us time to think about what we wanted to do with it. Then, when the lease was up, we had two months of renovation before we moved in,” says Katrien, who also happened to be seven months pregnant at the time.

River Valley Shophouse

The Works

As the house is a heritage building, there are plenty of retained elements such as the lattice-work above the windows and doors; however, the downstairs flooring, lighting, kitchen and all the bathrooms were completely renovated. “We actually met our contractor by chance, while we were shopping for tiles. He was good, very responsive, and went that extra mile for us. He was also very conscious that Katrien was pregnant so he made sure the works got done in time.”

The couple brought only one suitcase with them when they moved from Belgium in 2010, so all the furniture in this house has been purchased during their Singapore stay, much of it from Ethnicraft Online. “This house is different from our previous homes in that we used to have teak Ethnicraft pieces, but this space suits oak better as it’s lighter,” says Katrien. She points to the coffee table and sideboard in the living room as examples, and there are many more to be seen throughout the house.

River Valley Shophouse
The oak Madra bed from Ethnicraft Online can be seen in the master bedroom.

For accessories, Katrien is a keen online shopper, favouring sites such as Etsy, Cluster-Cluster and 3LittlePicks. There are also plenty of pieces picked up from their travels, as well as soft furnishings from The Grey House and outdoor furniture from Fermob, two brands that Ethnicraft now stocks as well. “We bring these pieces in because we like them ourselves – we’re our own target market,” says Jonathan.

Aside from the property’s interior, the couple also love the exterior, including the amenities on its doorstep. “We rarely use the car as a family now, because everything can be done on foot. Louis’s preschool will be within walking distance, and we love going for coffee, brunch or dinner nearby,” says Katrien. “We have lots of friends in the area, and on the weekends we often sit out the front, and people walk by and say hi. Some look in, but we don’t mind,” she adds. (Having been one of those nosy people many years ago, I’m glad I’ve finally managed to get an official invite to see the place for myself!)

River Valley Shophouse
The kitchen cabinets were custom made, to work with the difficult configuration of the space

How the business began

The concept of an online furniture store was sparked when we found it challenging to find great-looking, high-end yet affordable furniture in Singapore that was immediately available when we moved here. It was brought to fruition with Ethnicraft, a reputed solid wood furniture manufacturer that produces sustainable, contemporary and high-quality furniture pieces. In 2012, Ethnicraft Online (now Soul & Tables) made its entrance into Singapore, as the first online branch of the international furniture brand. We offer functional, beautiful and eco-friendly solid wood furnishings, such as the contemporary teak and oak collection, the playful Universo Positivo series, vintage-inspired Mr Marius range and sophisticated Notre Monde collection.

River Valley Shophouse

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

Home

Sout & Tables #02-01 and #02-03 Tan Boon Liat Building, 315 Outram Road 9272 1545 | soulandtables.com.sg

Heavenly Homespace (contractor) #01-06 LHK 2 Building 76 Playfair Road 6282 0880 | heavenlyhomespace.com.sg

River Valley Shophouse

Drinks

Potato Head 36 Keong Saik Road 6327 1939 | ptthead.com

Super Loco #01-13 The Quayside 60 Robertson Quay 6235 8900 | super-loco.com/robertsonquay

Brunch Common Man Coffee Roasters 22 Martin Road, #01-00 6836 4695 | commonmancoffeeroasters.com

Kith Café #01-28 Watermark @ Robertson Quay 7 Rodyk Street 6341 9407 | kith.com.sg

River Valley Shophouse
Bloomingville accessories can be
seen on the kitchen
wall shelf.

Dinner

Bakalaki 3 Seng Poh Road 6836 3688 | bakalaki.com

Cicheti 52 Kandahar Street 6292 5012 | cicheti.com

Don Ho Social Kitchen & Bar 1 Keong Saik Road The Working Capitol Building 6223 5001 | don-ho.com

Kilo 66 Kampong Bugis 6467 3987 | kilokitchen.com

River Valley Shophouse
River Valley Shophouse
River Valley Shophouse
River Valley Shophouse
The freestanding bath in Louis’s bathroom is from Luma; it can also come off its stand and sit on the floor as the baby gets older and more mobile.
River Valley Shophouse
Louis’s changing table is from Ethnicraft Online, the accessories gifts from friends.
River Valley Shophouse

Leisure

“We love biking along the river to Kallang Riverside, walking in the Botanic Gardens or taking a short break to Bali.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATIE MARTIN-SPERRY

See inside more Readers’ Homes!

Why these empty nesters love life in Ardmore

Resort style features in chic Sentosa home

This article first appeared in the April 2018 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase a copy or subscribe so you never miss an issue!

Get the latest events, stories and special offers sent to your inbox
Get the latest events, stories and special offers sent to your inbox

Categories: Homes Readers Homes Tags: Ethnicraft Online Home Decor Readers Homes River Valley

Amy Brook-Partridge

Amy has two kids, one dog and one husband - although she'd love to have more than one (dog, that is). She's mad about F45 training, running and playing Gaelic football, when she isn't injured or drinking a little too much wine.

You May Also Like

Which florist in Singapore has a house on Duchess Avenue?

woody antique house artefacts

Asian antiques, artefacts & outdoor furniture at Woody’s

artworks in Singapore

4 Amazing Local Artists

Primary Sidebar

  • Competitions
  • Noticeboard
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy

© 2023 Expat Living Singapore, All Rights Reserved.