Couple turns old Everton Road shophouse into stunning home

It was first a sausage factory. Then it became a photography studio and post-production office, then went unoccupied for a while before Matthew Elton and his partner Mark spotted the "For Lease" sign and turned it into a stunning shophouse that they call home now.

"We've been here for just over a year. We moved to the shophouse in May of 2014. Before that we were staying in a condo, which was very boring," says Matthew.

Condo living didn't suit these Western expats who wanted to live like the locals. "If you are going to live in someone else's country, you have to get down and meet people. When I was living in the condo, I didn't even know the people living on our floor. Our place could've been anywhere. If you are going to live in someone else's country, you have to explore and integrate," says Matthew.

And what could be more Singaporean than settling down in an old shophouse?

Renovation Details

Type of property: Shophouse | Total space: 5,500 square ft. | Duration of renovation: One month | Cost of renovation: $65,000

This article was first published in Cromly