Santa will no doubt relish his visit to the festively adorned home of DANIELLE FALB SEDLAK and family, who welcomed us into their Stevens Road apartment for a chat. Read on to find out more about them and take a look around their place!
Tell us a bit about yourself and your Singapore journey so far.
We’re an American family of five, with three kiddos aged 11, 10 and 5. We’ve been in Singapore for a year and a half – our kids go to SAS and we live in the Orchard area. We love living in a much busier area where we can shop, eat and explore. We don’t have a ton of amenities in the building, because it’s a smaller property, but we live so close to restaurants, shops and the American Club, we really don’t need much!
We’re also taking as much advantage as we can to travel to cities and countries nearby to give our family as many experiences and the chance to learn about various cultures as possible while we’re living abroad.
We love your home! Tell us more about it.
Our home is a great apartment off Stevens Road. It has four bedrooms and a playroom for the kids to share, and it was recently renovated so there is an updated kitchen and an open concept. We loved how much space it gave us, especially with all of the closet and storage space. We’re used to quite a large home back in Texas, so we were worried we wouldn’t find a space that didn’t feel too cramped, especially with my mother joining us. This apartment is great for that! Lots of space for the kids and a few balconies to keep the sun and breeze in.
Where do you source your furniture and décor?
We have a mixture of furniture that we brought from home and furniture that was already in the apartment; then we have bought various pieces from Castlery, antique shops and Tanglin boutiques. For décor, I relied heavily on large family photos and pieces I’ve found during our travels.
What are three of your favourite items in the house?
During the holidays, they are my cardinal ornaments that I purchased after my father passed away – they remind me he’s always with us. Our holiday dinnerware is also something I adore as it’s only used once a year and it reminds me of our family celebrating together. Finally, our annual Christmas card that I frame each year – these are usually funny and silly and it makes me smile looking through all the years.
My favourite items not during the holidays are all the candid photos of my kids, my windowed closet with all my favourite accessories on display, and our foyer sofas where we’ve spent many a night conversing with friends over wine.
Your Stevens Road apartment looks incredibly festive! Tell us more about your decorating for Christmas.
I love a traditional Christmas with eggnog and snow, but because it’s so warm here, I tried to capture that same idea with a modern tweak. A lot of our trees were brought along with us, and I have added touches of modern décor like mirror balls and velvet ornaments. I keep the kids’ tree with traditional ornaments they have made throughout the years, and I added a Barbie tree in my daughter’s room. I wanted to feel like walking into a winter wonderland, even if it’s still hot and humid outside.
When it comes to Christmas trees, are you in the real or fake camp and why?
I love a real tree, but here in Singapore it’s not that easy. Instead, I stick with real wreaths to give that smell and the authenticity; I’m able to keep them watered and semi-fresh before they dry out. If it wasn’t so warm here, I would definitely get at least one real tree.
What do you love about Christmas?
What’s not to love about Christmas!? First, for our family, it’s a great day to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus. Second, it’s a time of family and friends and just an overall spirit of happiness and joy that this time brings. And finally, I love seeing the spirit of Christmas through the eyes of my kids where magic and innocence are still so cherished.
What would be your ideal Christmas?
It would be much like our traditional Christmas: a holiday party with friends to kick off the season and a cookie exchange; having the kids make and send Christmas lists to Santa, while we build gingerbread houses; hosting a large Christmas Eve dinner with our family where we do poppers and think about Christmases of the past – our favourite memories, childhood stories, favourite toys. And then waking up too early in the morning for coffees, and then mimosas, and making the kids wait to see what Santa brought once we get settled.
It would be perfect if there was also a slow continuous snowfall on Christmas Eve that continued throughout the night and the morning of Christmas day, so a fire would always be lit and the hot chocolate ready.
Do you follow any special Christmas traditions?
Our traditions are usually having a nice homemade dinner on Christmas Eve after we go to church. We’re then allowed to open one gift each before we head to bed.
My husband and I also started a tradition where we spend one evening or day shopping together without the kids. Afterwards, we have a nice date with dinner and drinks at a restaurant near the shopping centre. It’s a great way to take time to reconnect during this hectic time, with just the two of us.
Who do you usually spend Christmas Day with, and where?
Santa always comes to our house, so it’s been important to have Christmas at our home. This has always been the tradition even when we lived closer to family. In the past, we would go to a family member’s house for Christmas dinner or we would have our friends come spend the day with us, with mimosas and swimming.
Favourite thing about Singapore?
The safety for my kids, all the new, amazing friendships I have made, and the travel we get to experience in the region.
Speaking of travel, got any trips on your bucket list?
Maldives and Greece!
What do you all do for fun?
We’re a family of sports lovers, so you will usually find us at some field throughout the week. We also enjoy exploring the city, finding the best restaurants or bars, and taking the kids to different parts of the island we wouldn’t find anywhere else.
Dani’s Recommendations
- Furniture & Décor: Castlery | castlery.com
- Schools: Singapore American School (SAS) | sas.edu.sg
- Doctors: IMC Camden | imc-healthcare.com
- Clothes: “I do a lot of online shopping but the ZARAs here are amazing; and there are lots of places in 313 Somerset.” zara.com/sg | 313somerset.com.sg
- Restaurants, Cafés &, Bars: “Too many to choose!”
- Airlines: Singapore Airlines | singaporeair.com
- Hotels: Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts | shangri-la.com
- Things to Do in Singapore: Sailing lessons, Singapore Botanic Gardens walks, Christmas lights down Orchard, Lau Pa Sat, Dempsey for Greek, tapas, wine, shopping, pickleball, sound baths
This story on a Stevens Road apartment first appeared in the December 2024 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe so you never miss a copy!
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