THE AESTHETIC IS ENGLISH COUNTRY HOUSE MEETS THE TROPICS, WHERE CHINTZ & RATTAN ARE BEDFELLOWS

Every room in this mock-Tudor-style home in Singapore is a riot of pattern and colour, thanks to the expertise of designer Elizabeth Hay

- CHARLOTTE LUXFORD

Relaxing on the chintz sofa in this vast living space in Singapore, you could be fooled into thinking you were sitting inside an English country home - and that is fundamentally the point. 'My clients are British, so I wanted that sense of familiarity and a home-fromhome feel,' says interior designer Elizabeth Hay.

The exterior, too, has a vague Britishness about it, with its mock-Tudor-style black-stained timber and whitewashed walls. "These historical houses really lend themselves to that classic country look for that reason, explains Elizabeth. Colloquially known as 'black-and-whites, these late 19th-century properties built during British colonial rule have an English aesthetic blended with Malay design features; wide verandas, tall shutters and a topsy-turvy layout that prioritises living spaces on the top floor.

Despite this rich history, the interiors lacked the same charm as the exterior when Elizabeth first visited. 'It was a complete blank canvas in the literal sense - white tiled floors, white walls... it all felt quite sterile. Elizabeth had previously worked with the couple and their two young children on various projects and the clients had always admired Elizabeth's own black-and-white home. "They liked my east-meetswest approach and cosy English style, Elizabeth says.