Stylish Homes:
A slice of European summer in
Watten Estate
Fresh and crisp
A respite for a balmy Singapore afternoon lies within the walls of this Franco-American home. Mollie Jean De Dieu resides with her husband and two toddlers in the leafy neighbourhood of Watten Estate, a stroll from the Botanic Gardens and five minutes away from establishments such as Swiss Butchery, The Cheese Artisans and Crown Bakery, which she frequents. After living in Hong Kong and Sai Kung for the past decade, Jean De Dieu and co. relocated to Singapore in May 2015 with her ancestral treasures in tow.
One such marvel is a 1972 painting of her mother by Margaret Trwin, which hangs by the stairwell. "I get to see my mother every day when coming down the stairs," she shares. "I also find her gaze incredibly strong and honest in this painting. It serves as a reminder to me that beauty, honesty, integrity and fierceness can all coincide together!" As you make your way past the sun-drenched patio, living and dining room, the staircase leads you upstairs but not before a brief pause to admire her sister-in-law's painting, as well as the aforementioned portrait of her mother.
At her 11th year working for French accessories brand Longchamp, the general manager's interior design tastes is a reflection of the brand's aesthetic. Unafraid of colour and embodying the femininity, freshness and elegance of the quintessential woman on the go, Longchamp's identity is interwoven in the snippets of stories she chooses to display throughout her two-storey bungalow. Helping Jean De Dieu tell her story is Leila Rossi, an interior designer whom she fondly refers to as the best kept secret in town. Rossi was introduced to her by the owner of Bungalow 55, a home decor store she frequents in Cluny Court.
At her 11th year working for French accessories brand Longchamp, the general manager's interior design tastes is a reflection of the brand's aesthetic. Unafraid of colour and embodying the femininity, freshness and elegance of the quintessential woman on the go, Longchamp's identity is interwoven in the snippets of stories she chooses to display throughout her two-storey bungalow. Helping Jean De Dieu tell her story is Leila Rossi, an interior designer whom she fondly refers to as the best kept secret in town. Rossi was introduced to her by the owner of Bungalow 55, a home decor store she frequents in Cluny Court.
Greece and the French Riviera were locales that were undoubtedly on the duo's moodboard. Fresh indigo blues mingle with the crisp whites in textiles throughout the home, while the shells on the grainy wooden table evoke an affinity with the seaside. Nature's abundance don't only frame the outdoors — inside, fauna is present in framed drawings and specimens apart from potted plants. You could also call Jean De Dieu's home a mini aviary of sorts. Like a playful exercise of Where's Wally, a wooden, hand-painted rooster sits by her kitchen top, while another serves as the central character in her kitchen clock. Before you pick up a must-read on healthy escapes or Gwyneth Paltrow's guide to a good life from the side table in the living room, you'll spot a porcelain bird keeping you company.
Mollie Jean De Dieu
An enviable candle collection: Scents from Dyptique (Baies and Feu de Bois are favourites) and Lafco New York
Louis' star-themed space shows off his collection of cars and dinosaurs in his star-themed room. Both rooms feature tailor-made cabinets from The Red Cabinet in Hong Kong
Mia's artwork is seen in her light pink and grey-hued room, with a tent as her go-to hiding place
Spot the Louvre and Tower of Nesle in this antique piece by Jean De Dieu's father,
showing Paris in the 1650's
"Being Italian and a world traveller herself, she understood my Franco-American side perfectly," says Jean De Dieu. "She's also a perfectionist and I love that about her…it takes one to know one!"
Leila Rossi and Mollie Jean De Dieu
