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Living in the Past and Present

A 1920s shophouse celebrates heritage while catering to a modern lifestyle.

DEPENDING ON WHERE you're facing, Kenneth Kan and his wife Mei Ling either live in an old house or a new one. The reality - it's a mix of both.

From the front, their home - a shophouse off River Valley Road - shows its vintage as a 1920s-era building complete with a pitched roof, timber French windows, decorative motifs and a forecourt.

Behind, it's a different story - an uber-modern glass-enclosed box in a stepped formation, a 2019 addition to the home.

The couple, who both work in asset management, love shophouses for different reasons. Mrs Kan grew up living in one, while Mr Kan says that he has always wanted to transform an old property into a modern one. "I'm inspired by my time in Hong Kong,...

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