Tell us a bit about yourself.
I grew up in the idyllic countryside of East Sussex in England, and went on to work in London as an interiors stylist and magazine editor. On a trip to Asia during the 2008 recession, I stopped in Singapore to see a good school friend and basically never returned to the UK!
I've lived here for almost 15 years, and I founded E&A Interiors (eandainteriors.com) ten years ago. Besides completing projects in Bali, Sri Lanka and Singapore last year, we also launched our little shop, Elkie's Edit, in Tiong Bahru, as a homewares extension of E&A. This year, we're working on a lovely black-and-white, a shophouse and some exciting overseas projects.
What was your vision for Braganza House – and why Sri Lanka?
After I moved to Singapore, I would meet my mother somewhere in Asia every Christmas – such as Bali or India. From 2011, we settled on Sri Lanka as the perfect place for these annual gettogethers.
On a three-week trip around the island, we fell in love with the stunning southern beaches of Talpe and historic Galle Fort. I would take any opportunity to go back for long weekends – given how near it is to Singapore – and it started to become a special place to me.
I sold my London flat in 2013 and decided to build my own home. As expats in Singapore, we all long to live in our own places rather than renting – and as an interior designer, my dream was always to design and build my own home, like I do for our clients. This was my opportunity to create something truly personal and reflective of my design ethos.
This story is from the February 2023 edition of Expat Living Singapore.
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This story is from the February 2023 edition of Expat Living Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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