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A rAinbow of colourful Accessories come to the rescue of this dAted rentAl property, the Abode of A home-bAsed online retAiler.

shopowner with stylerima srivastava, who lives with her husband, young son and a pet dog

her shopshiva designs

where home isA two-storey house in the bukit timah area

size4,500sqf (built in)

text mAvis Ang photography tAn wei te art direction Kristy QuAh

shopping

special

colourcentral

rima srivastava and her husband took a long time searching for the right house. when she first saw their current two-storey home from the outside, her first thoughts were: “oh gosh, really?” it had been left vacant for some time, and looked dreary. but things took a swift turn when she stepped foot in it. “there isn’t a dark corner within, and it has some lovely vintage details,” says rima, who fell in love with the space.

the expat couple decided to rent the space from its owners, and gave them their word that they would respect the home’s existing features. built in the 1960s, the five-bedroom home still has its original retro door and window grilles, decorative floor tiles, mosaics and vintage pendant lights – all of which rima was adamant on keeping. “i already loved its entire feel, so i thought i would just modernise it with some cosmetic changes,” she says.

the first move was to throw on a fresh coat of white paint. that was the undisputed choice of colour for the walls, as rima wanted to fill the space with the items she imports for her retail business shiva designs – and the majority of them are bursting with colour. she mainly retails her curated selection of handcrafted homeware, apparel and jewellery through shivadesignsbespoke.com, but she also welcomes customers to her home, where she has a showroom on the second floor. “in a home setting, they can see what they can do with the products. we’ll also chat over coffee, and many customers become friends,” says the affable entrepreneur, who also designs her own line of homeware.

shiva designs, rima’s online retail store, gets an entire bedroom solely devoted to a showcase of its items. opposite rima at the stairwell, which remains well-lit thanks to its perforated wall.

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with the idea of housing the business in her home, rima created vignettes around the space, combining items from her store and furniture from her former accommodation. when visitors enter the property, they are first treated to a collection of playful porcelain wall art by Australian artist Jai vasicek at the front porch. but rima’s eclectic taste is best characterised by the living area, which has an unexpected yet refreshing medley of antiques, mid-century modern furniture, Asian-inspired art and neon-tinted contemporary accessories.

having moved from a small condominium unit, rima is continually inspired by her sprawling new home, and sees a lot of potential in it. “now that i have so much wall space, i’m thinking of bringing in more art,” she says with a twinkle in her eye. the double-height stairwell is currently dominated by two abstract pieces by singapore-based Australian artist melanie mccollin-walker, and accompanied by a typographic map of london by punyo sakharet.

living in a property steeped with historical elements has encouraged her to seek out and represent local artists who articulate singapore’s culture in their works. blessed with an expansive porch that faces a lovely lush garden, rima plans to host more events with other entrepreneurs. “it’s such a great space. we’re surrounded by greenery, and it’s just so peaceful out here,” she says with pride.

my house is a reflection of my store. Artists and designers like bonnie & neil, Zaishu and Jai vasicek, who create beautiful furnishings and homeware, help me enhance my home and inspire me.

above retro, classical and contemporary styles are matched well here. far left cheerful art by christy wellington, aptly paired with bold textiles and cushions from bonnie & neil. left the house is peppered with invigorating accessories.

rima’s charming style is reflected in this set-up featuring a tibetan chest, an antique stool and an art piece by melanie mccollin-walker. below the in-house showroom features bonnie & neil table runners and porcelain tableware by samantha robinson.

rima’s shopping sources

originals – “i love its antique indian furniture pieces. they go beautifully with my retro modern aesthetic.”

lorgan’s – “retro furniture with beautiful craftsmanship.”

Just Anthony – “we have some wonderful chinese antiques from this treasure trove. i find that its pieces blend very well with the modern feel of my house.”

hermon & hermon – “we bought some beautiful furniture and lamps from this store in melbourne.”