Singapore Colonial Style
INTERIORS OF BLACK AND WHITE HOUSES
Singapore Colonial Style is a contemporary coffee table book, celebrating Singapore’s classic ‘black and white’ architecture. Beautifully illustrated with stunning photographs, 23 of these iconic buildings, many still private residences, are showcased. The houses were built between 1898 and 1941 in what is known as the ‘Tropical Tudorbethan’ style. This refers to the whimsical and nostalgic ‘Arts & Crafts’ designs of the early 20th century imposed on the traditional Anglo-Malay villa layout.
Singapore Colonial Style
£25.00 + postage.
Singapore Colonial Style invites you into remarkable private and commercial interiors rarely seen. Richly describing the history, design and individual charm of each property, the book explores the influence Anglo-Indian and Malay architecture had on colonial Singapore and how the tropics determined the style, now known as Tropical Tudorbethan.
While authors Charles and Luli Orchard were living in a black and white house in Singapore, they began to wonder why their home, opposite the University of Singapore’s playing fields and next to the Botanic Gardens, was built. They questioned who would have lived in it back then, when pioneers were forging a life for themselves in the steamy tropics of Singapore. So, Luli and Charles began their research and decided to publish the findings in this book.
The introduction by renowned architectural historian Dr. Julian Davison gives a brutally accurate and humorous brief history of the period. Beautiful commissioned images by internationally-acclaimed photographer Michael Freeman, give an unseen glimpse into how their owners live today. Contemporary European designs are blended seamlessly with classical Asian artefacts, providing the reader with a historically accurate resource of ideas for modern living.
“What a fabulous book! Like cutting a slice through old Singapore; so very evocative, and so full of intrigue, too.”
“What a fabulous book! Like cutting a slice through old Singapore; so very evocative, and so full of intrigue, too.”
MELINDA STEVENS – EDITOR- IN-CHIEF
CONDE NAST TRAVELLER UK AND USA
The Authors
LULI ORCHARD
Luli Orchard has been the Fashion Editor of the Saturday Telegraph Magazine and in ‘recent years’ worked for Tatler, Condé Nast Traveller and Porter Magazine. For the last 15 years, Luli has lived in Bali with her husband Charles and their three children Inigo, Savannah and Ottilie. As well as working in design, she has been committed to visiting foreigners serving life and death sentences inside various prisons in Indonesia. Luli drives a tuk-tuk and has two Bali street dogs called Pantai and Shiver.
CHARLES ORCHARD
Charles Orchard has spent the last 30+ years living and working in Asia. He has a company, iBal Designs, specializing in design, art and furniture manufacturing. He has published 10 books on various Asian countries and luxury home interiors. He was the publisher for the Royal Geographical Society Magazine and has always been an avid traveler and style aficionado.
MICHAEL FREEMAN
One of the world’s most widely published photographers, Michael Freeman has had a 40-year career of principally documentary travel reportage. He has been published in almost all major publications worldwide, including Time-Life, GEO and the Smithsonian magazine, for whom he has shot more than 40 stories. He has published 138 books, with 4 million copies sold, including 70 on the craft of photography, published in 27 languages.
JULIAN DAVISON
Julian is the son of an architect and grew up in Singapore and Malaysia. He resides in Singapore where he is a freelance writer and editor. His best-selling book on the history of the ‘Singapore Shophouses’, was published in December 2010.