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Home » Homes » Tatty Marsh scoop: Inside the owner’s stunning home

Tatty Marsh scoop: Inside the owner’s stunning home

27th December 2017 by Michaela Bisset 5 Min Read

https://expatliving.sg/tatty-marsh-singapore-victoria-currie/

This is Expat Living’s second visit to the home of VICTORIA CURRIE. The first was in early 2011 when the family had been in Singapore for just 18 months, and Victoria’s home décor store Tatty Marsh was up and running in Tanglin Mall. Fast forward six years, and the family are about to move, both out and away, while the store is staying put. We find out from Victoria what the future holds, while having a snoop around her gorgeous home.

Tatty Marsh
The sofa is David’s favourite, and according to Victoria they could never sell it, although they do plan on holding an open house in June to sell a lot of their other furniture

Who lives here: Victoria Currie and her husband David, sons Charlie (12) and George (11), and dogs Delilah and Tealy.

Size of home: Two-storey, three-bedroom house off Stevens Road.

Style of home: Calming, with plenty of blues, greys and washed wood.

Victoria’s favourite things: “My hunter wellies, my paint-splattered Levi’s and my waterproof fleece – all for when I’m standing in the middle of a field or building site when I’m back in the UK for property development.

My visit to Victoria’s home begins as most of my showcase visits seem to nowadays: with an enthusiastic canine welcome. First up is nine-month-old puppy Delilah who scampers towards me, and then there’s 15-year-old Tealy who greets me from afar with a woof. Victoria is on the terrace, which is where we spend the morning, as she brings me up to speed with the past six years.

Tatty Marsh
Tatty Marsh
“My needs are simple: lilies, quilted toilet rolls, Red Bull, valet parking and a Land Rover – oh, and diamonds!”
Tatty Marsh
Victoria (as the Queen!) used the “FACE in HOLE” app to mock up plenty of fun pictures for her birthday party.
Tatty Marsh
Tatty Marsh
Victoria had this portrait of the boys made in Vietnam. “You send them a photo, and they paint it in oil.” The frame cost $190, the print $100.
Tatty Marsh
This side table, as well as many of the chairs, lamps and other pieces around the house, is available from Tatty Marsh.
Tatty Marsh
Although the boys share a room, one of them often ends up in the guest room because the internet connection is better there.
Tatty Marsh
Tatty Marsh
Victoria collects pictures of royalty, which she picks up from eBay; you can find them hidden all around the house.
Tatty Marsh
The sofa is David’s favourite, and according to Victoria they could never sell it, although they do plan on holding an open house in June to sell a lot of their other furniture
Tatty Marsh
Tatty Marsh
Tatty Marsh
Tatty Marsh
Tatty Marsh
This word-search print, which Victoria put together herself, has 72 different words relating to Singapore, England and Hong Kong. “I think it’s fascinating to do your own art. I had a graphic designer pull this together for around $30, and the framing was $130.”
Tatty Marsh
Tatty Marsh
Tatty Marsh
Tatty Marsh

The house is by no means new, and the family have had to endure many issues on account of its age – most recently a power surge that shorted all of their electrical equipment. They’re thousands of dollars down as a result, with little likelihood of recouping their money. Still, Victoria is pragmatic, and it’s not long before we’re discussing her business instead: she has just signed another four-year lease at Tanglin Mall.

This is coupled with the family decision to downsize, as Charlie and George will be starting boarding school in the UK after the summer. “The plan is that the kids move to school while we get shot of the house in August, and we then move to a two-bedder in the Tanglin Park area, paying no more than $3,500 a month. David (who works in shipping) will stay here, and I’ll go back and forth between here and the UK, as Tatty Marsh goes on.”

Tatty Marsh has continued to turn a profit, says Victoria, despite some difficult times in the home décor industry of late. “It’s a lot more work than it was at the beginning, but although customers are no longer buying quantity, they’re buying quality.”

She has also come up with a new service for customers, putting together certain pieces from the shop as a package, plus giving them advice on placement and design. “It’s like a quick makeover service, using a rug, cushions, a mirror or table lamps. I also help with advice on framers or decorators, to put some colour on the walls. Though these are simple things, sometimes people really do need help.”

Tatty Marsh
Although the boys share a room, one of them often ends up in the guest room because the internet connection is better there.

In fact, helping people, especially newcomers, is something Victoria feels particularly strongly about. She emphasises how easy it is to find people to reupholster furniture, frame pictures, make prints, spray paint furniture, even make wallpaper, and how cost-effective this can be. At the same time, she points out that some of these things can just as well be DIY.

“I’ve made my own prints; I painted my bed white the other day, and I painted the wall. I’m of the mind-set you might as well do it yourself and do it properly!”

When it comes to buying home furniture and décor, she admits that things do cost more in Singapore. “If you’re here for two years or less, then maybe don’t invest, but if you’re here for longer you just have to learn to shop wisely. You can’t live here like a student forever. So yes, buy from IKEA; there’s nothing wrong with that – just mix it in with other pieces.”

Bits on the side

Clearly a grafter, Victoria was living on her own by the age of 16, studied architecture and furniture design in East London, and then enrolled in a pub management course. “I loved every second of it, even though it was hard work and long, long hours. You really learn about people’s behaviour and how to look after yourself.”

Tatty Marsh
Victoria painted the bed, the wall and corner cabinet, while the chairs were recently reupholstered. “The rugs, which we sell in the shop, are my favourite things right now – they’re made in Turkey, they’re stain an fade-resistant, shed proof,and fully bound so they’re heavy and sit properly on the floor.”

Then followed a career as an estate agent. She purchased her first house at the age of 23, married David at 25, and owned three UK properties at 26. Now she has turned her hand to property development in the Cotswolds. “I really love it; I get great joy from turning a lump of coal into a diamond!” Speaking of diamonds, there’s also her “hobby”: purchasing second-hand gems and having them reset by Mr Koh, in Far East Plaza. “The stones are good; it’s just the settings that are out of date. I don’t spend more than around $1,000 to get something remade.”

As we finish up our chat, Victoria starts musing about plans to end up in one of her Cotswolds properties and take it easy for a while. Then she looks at me and laughs – which tells me she knows this just isn’t true

RECOMMENDATIONS

Tatty Marsh
“My needs are simple: lilies, quilted toilet rolls, Red Bull, valet parking and a Land Rover – oh, and diamonds!”

Home

Carmelites (“contact Ben for picture framing”) #02-08 Bukit Timah Plaza 1 Jalan Anak Bukit 6468 9343

Dulux dulux.sg (“go online to get your paints mixed”)

Fabric.com (“you choose your fabric and they ship it”)

HA Gallery Oil Paintings hagallery@fpt.vn | hagallery-vietnam.com

Mr Koh Jewellery #03-10 Far East Shopping Centre 545 Orchard Road 6738 9571

Signarama Novena (“contact Eugene to create large format prints, wallpaper or to print large photos”) 6353 9018

Tatty Marsh (“particular favourites right now are the oversized rugs by Highgate Rug Company and the Earl Grey Home outdoor cushions”) #02-07 Tanglin Mall 163 Tanglin Mall 6887 4225 | tattymarsh.com

Tatty Marsh
This side table, as well as many of the chairs, lamps and other pieces around the house, is available from Tatty Marsh.

 

Living

Cold Storage Jelita (“it’s open 24 hours – this is where I ended up when I had a cupcake emergency the night before one of my son’s birthdays!”) 293 Holland Road

House of AnLi (“for good coffee”) #03-17 Tanglin Mall 163 Tanglin Road 6235 3851 | houseofanli.com

 

Like this? Read more at our Home section.

This article first appeared in the June 2017 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase a copy or subscribe so you never miss an issue!

Categories: Home Decor Homes Living in Singapore Readers Homes Tags: Home Homes Decor Interiors Shopping Singapore Home Accessories Tanglin Mall Tatty Marsh

Michaela Bisset

Michaela is the youngest member of the Expat Living team and therefore the best one. She's London born but Singapore grown. Third culture kid. She’s always on the lookout for the best drinking deals and latest vegetarian bites.

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