Moving to a Sentosa home

After a short stint in a busier corner of Singapore, KATARINA DAMREE and family decided on a slice of island life instead, with a move to a Sentosa home.

About their Sentosa home

Who lives here: Katarina, Nizar, Aden, Leila
Where is it: Marina Collection, Sentosa
Type of property: Condo

Tell us a little about yourself.

We’re a culturally blended family – I’m Korean-American from all over the US, but mainly California. My husband is French-Mauritian from Paris. We met while both living in NYC and now have two children, ages three and five. Since getting married in NYC in 2016, we’ve lived in London, Oslo and now Singapore, and have moved house a total of six times. We’ve been busy and have gotten used to setting up a home quickly!

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

The first thing on our agenda upon arriving last year was finding a place to call home, choose schools for the kids, and find a helper (as a mom of young children, this was one of the reasons why I agreed to move to Singapore!). My husband’s job had already started upon arrival so there was no time to waste.

We stayed in a serviced apartment in River Valley during this time as it wasn’t too far from a friend’s house. However, coming from sleepy Oslo, we were a bit shell-shocked with the high-rise life and frenetic pace of bustling Singapore. I initially had trouble sleeping as there was so much urban energy everywhere; I knew I needed a calmer environment in the long run.

What properties did you look at?

In our second week, we drove around neighbourhoods like Serangoon and the Botanic Gardens, but Sentosa had always been a target for me even before moving. It just sounded so good: ocean, boats, jungle and close to the CBD.

Our Sentosa condo was the fourth place we saw, and we just fell in love as soon as we entered the space. With the views of nature and water, abundant natural light, modern design, and calm walkability of the neighbourhood, while still being accessible to everything Singapore has to offer, it just felt like we had found a gem. We finally moved in last October.

What were the first things you bought when you got here?

We moved with all of our furniture from Oslo, which filled a big, old Norwegian farmhouse. A lot of it felt too “hygge” and odd for a modern condo by the beach. Initially it was less about buying new things and more about editing, like what to put in storage and what to give away.

Next, I wanted to infuse some tropical and warm weather themes throughout the home. I love the colour and natural vitality that plants bring to a space so I bought some large tropical indoor plants like Bird of Paradise and Yellow Palm from IKEA and outdoor plants including hot pink Bougainvillea from Khai Seng Garden (one of the most beautiful nurseries to get lost in).

I then framed a series of beautiful, vintage-looking tropical fruit postcards bought from the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum and made a tidy gallery wall above the couch leading to the pool. The combination of vintage fruit postcards, classic European furniture and tropical plants create a bit of old English colonial feel.

Did you have a specific interior design concept in mind?

I wanted a blend of clean lines, tropical feels and mementos from our experiences around the world. I studied interior design and feng shui a few years back and it has played a major role in how I think about designing living spaces. I strive for a feeling of calm (I used mostly light, pastel colours for a soft palette), easy flow (I’m an anticlutter advocate), well-positioned furniture for comfort and functionality, and inspiring healthy living (from plants, natural light, and natural materials where possible).

Being a young family and hosting a lot of playdates at home, I always try to make sure the kids have enough places to run wild and do their thing while the adults can also hide away, exercise or socialise as needed. It’s all about the right balance but ultimately making a place where our family or our guests feel comfortable to be in.

What have been your best furniture or home décor buys?

I visited the Island Living warehouse early into moving in and fell in love with practically everything there. I bought multiple statement pieces for different parts of the home. Favourites include an extra-large standing pedestal for the kitchen island which I fill weekly with a load of tropical fruit, onions and garlic (I’m a nutrition & wellness coach, after all!). It acts as a colourful focal point of the kitchen. I also have a number of large, bleached white pottery vases that remind my husband of Ancient Greece, which he studied in college.

Finally, for years I had my eyes on the Andalucia Paloma rug from Weaver Green, a green textile company from the UK and Australia where everything is made from plastic bottles. Moving to Sentosa finally gave me a reason to buy it – it’s a piece every guest seems to comment on.

What do you love most about your Sentosa home?

The view of the sailboats, the blue ocean and the tropical greenery around never gets old.

Tell us some pros and cons of living on Sentosa.

It’s really a special place and I’ve never seen anything like it before anywhere else.

As an expat, you immediately join a like-minded community of others who have made Singapore their home. People are open to meet and make friends, which has been nice to experience. If you love exercising outdoors, Sentosa is definitely the place for you: cycling, running, walking, swimming, yoga, Pilates, weightlifting bootcamps; whatever you like to do outside, you’ll find it here. You really don’t have to leave on the weekends because it’s so chill and pleasant!

On the flipside, because it’s such easy living, it’s also easy to get stuck in Sentosa and never leave! We always try to remember to get off the island every weekend and see what else Singapore has to offer. I also feel Sentosa’s food scene is a bit underwhelming, which is odd for Singapore where food is an obsession. For example, the quality of restaurants in general could be much better, and there isn’t a simple food court or bakery to grab a quick bite of lunch. I would love if Scoop Wholefoods or Little Farms would open in Sentosa (hint, hint!) as at the moment we have only two small grocery stores to choose from.

What work are you doing in Singapore?

I’m launching two things I’m very passionate about. The first is my Family Nutrition & Wellness Coaching business called The Dwellness (Instagram: @the_ dwellness), where I help parents, helpers and children fall in love with healthy food habits (meal planning, food shopping, cooking) and create overall wellness at home. The second is The Baby Carrot Cooking Club at Etonhouse Sentosa, a nutrition cooking class for young children, who learn about healthy food, how to make it, and how to eat it!

Name some of your best regional holidays so far.

We’re just starting to travel internationally as a family since we’ve spent most of our time in Singapore getting settled. But we recently visited the Margaret River region of Western Australia and were blown away with the nature and how family-friendly it was. It’s the first wine region I’ve seen where most wineries have some sort of good entertainment for kids like playgrounds, games and colouring books.

While we’re living in Asia, we’re prioritising visiting family in South Korea and Mauritius for our next trips.

Katarina’s Recommendations

Furniture & Décor

• Island Living | islandliving.sg
• Weaver Green | weavergreen.com
• Bolia | bolia.com/en-sg
• Loaf | loaf.com
• IKEA | ikea.com.sg (for indoor plants)
• Khai Seng Garden | everview.sg (for outdoor plants)

Schools

• La Petite Ecole Singapore | lpesingapore.com/en
• International French School | ifs.edu.sg
• Etonhouse International Sentosa | info.etonhouse.edu.sg

Doctors & Dentists

• Dr Leo Hamilton, Children’s Clinic International | ccintl.sg
• DP Dental | dpdental.com

Hair & Fashion

• Hera Hair Beauty, Sentosa | herabeauty.sg
• Anna Avuziak | project-stylista.com | 8790 5527 (“an amazing, local stylist who helps me edit and style my wardrobe”)

Sentosa Restaurants, Cafés & Bars

• MIYOSHI by Fat Cow (Japanese) | miyoshi.sg
• SHAAN (Indian) | shaan.sg
• Common Man Coffee Roasters Quayside Isle (coffee and brunch) | commonmancoffeeroasters.com
• WOK15 Kitchen (dim sum) | one15marina.com/dining/wok-15-kitchen

Airlines & Hotels

• Singapore Airlines | singaporeair.com
• W Hotel Sentosa Cove | marriott.com/en-us/hotels/sinwh-wsingapore-sentosa-cove/overview

Things to Do in SG

• Tanjong Beach (“a chill beach in Sentosa”)
• Fort Siloso (“for WWII history lovers”)
• MacRitchie Reservoir (“for tropical hiking”)
• Singapore Zoo (“for endless fun with the kids”)

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

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