Joo Chiat’s iconic row of conservation shophouses may have turned Koon Seng Street into one of the prettiest streets in the world, but they aren’t the only heritage buildings in the ‘hood. Elsewhere in the neighbourhood sit more of these historic Peranakan houses that have retained their traditional frontages and skeletons, but which have been otherwise gutted and made over. We paid a visit to a Joo Chiat shophouse in the area,
which now belongs to a chef who serves up a Mediterranean private dining experience in what’s now his family home.
A self-designed project that took 3 years & $1m
Ex-banker and lawyer-turned private chef Al undertook the designing of the 3,000sqft shophouse, which sits on 3,490sqft of land. When he bought over the Joo Chiat shophouse, it was still essentially what it’s named for: a shop on the first floor, with bedrooms upstairs.
With the help of a contractor and architect, who undertook the technical drawings they needed to submit to the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Al transformed the shophouse into the eclectic space it is today, which embraces its Peranakan heritage.
Transforming an old shop into a kitchen & living space
Al designed the privacy screen, which was custom made in Indonesia.
The original layout of the first floor saw the staircase cut through the middle, separating the front and back areas of the shop it housed. The first thing they did in the remodelling was to align it to the length of the shophouse, which opened up the entire first floor into a single long, airy room.
A large kitchen island serves as a kitchen pass where Al’s guests can watch him prepare the meal. It sits between the living and dining spaces, so he can interact with people regardless of where they are.
Flowing organically down from the living area is the heart of this home━Al’s kitchen, which takes up the back half of the first floor, leading to a large-format dining table with an extension, seating up to 10.
Paying homage to Asia & the shophouse’s Peranakan heritage
Chinese screens hide their collection of glassware.
“Wherever you look (in the house), you should see an element that brings you back to the history of the house,” Al shares, “We wanted a modern interior that respects and tells the story of its past━that it was a Peranakan shop house.”
Visual continuity is rampant throughout the shophouse: the tiles which line the five foot way of their entrance make an appearance again in the kitchen, providing a cheerful contrast to the clean whites of the walls.
Peep the same bright yellow Peranakan-style tiles on the base of the kitchen island, and the backsplash.
You’ll also notice subtle touches of turquoise blue━the laser-cut Peranakan-style tiles which front the kitchen cabinets and the staircase railing, for example. The inspiration for this stemmed from a blanket which the couple had bought in Sri Lanka, and which makes up the second design philosophy of the house: that “you always have to have something blue in your line of sight”.
Both the blue and Peranakan elements can be found in every room of the Joo Chiat shophouse; the guest bedroom was designed around a quirky wallpaper and matching bedding set, featuring repeated prints of a porcelain soup spoon holding a yellow orchid.
Bringing light & greenery into a dark building
Beyond the dining table on the first floor lies their garden, built on a concrete platform that came with the house. Glass doors allow the light from the airwell into the home, while artificial LED grow lights help with the plants’ growth.
Opening the doors to their garden, as well as windows at the front of the home, plus the skylight upstairs, creates a natural flow of ventilation throughout the house.
For the love of books & knick-knacks
The couple’s love for reading and picking up souvenirs on their travels is evident in their home━the study features a double-volume shelf of cubicles holding books and pieces they’ve picked up over the years. Here, too, you’ll find their signature blue lining the backs of some of these cubby holes.
Japanese ema plaques, or small wooden prayer tablets, hang above the toilet bowl in one of the bathrooms.
A wall-mounted shelf in the master bedroom houses more books, with a drop-down desk.
You’ll find books even under the kitchen island.
$1m Joo Chiat conservation shophouse makeover
Buying a conservation shophouse and transforming it into a home takes time, effort, and lots of cash. This investment may not be for everyone, but you can still find ways to draw inspo from this Joo Chiat shophouse’s interpretation of Peranakan design.
For more reno content:
- $90k modern brutalist BTO reno
- HDB flat with a custom bouldering wall
- HDB maisonette that looks like a ryokan
Photos taken by: Tan Hui Xuan, Aina Izzati Bohari
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