Before & After: In Singapore, a Historic Shophouse Springs to Life With an Indoor Tree

Luo Jingmei
·2 min read

Asolidplan turns a dark and dated dwelling into a light and bright family home with Scandinavian vibes.

A Solid Plan turned this dark and dated Singapore shophouse into a light and bright family home with Scandinavian vibes.
A Solid Plan turned this dark and dated Singapore shophouse into a light and bright family home with Scandinavian vibes.

Built from the early 1800s to the mid-1900s, shophouses used to be abundant in Singapore. These long, narrow terrace houses often feature ornate facades, louvered windows, and internal courtyards that suit the region’s tropical weather.

Singapore’s rapid urbanization led to many shophouses being razed, until authorities started conserving them in the late 1980s—and today, these heritage buildings are in high demand. In the Joo Chiat enclave, east of the city center, rows of shophouses create a quaint and beautiful streetscape.

Shuwen and Kelvin found their perfect home in one of these dwellings, where they now live with their two young boys. "Owning a shophouse is akin to guarding a part of Singapore’s heritage," says Kelvin. "Its conservation status means that our children and grandchildren will always be able to return to it, and identify it as part of their lived history."

Shuwen says that Kelvin first suggested purchasing one of the historic homes. "I started liking shophouses after we viewed one that was on sale in 2018," she says. "It was really old and not refurbished, so I got to see the original open courtyard and wooden staircase inside, and I felt that these features added to the home’s character."

Before: Exterior

Before: The former facade had maroon walls and black transoms.
Before: The former facade had maroon walls and black transoms.

After: Exterior

After: "I think the design on the facade of our shophouse suits us. We tend to prefer simple and understated designs," says Kelvin on the shophouse's facade that is less elaborate than some others in the area.
After: "I think the design on the facade of our shophouse suits us. We tend to prefer simple and understated designs," says Kelvin on the shophouse's facade that is less elaborate than some others in the area.
After: The architect painted the formerly maroon exterior white, giving it a calming demeanour.
After: The architect painted the formerly maroon exterior white, giving it a calming demeanour.

See the full story on Dwell.com: Before & After: In Singapore, a Historic Shophouse Springs to Life With an Indoor Tree
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