Bespoke Childhood House Portrait

A childhood house portrait filled with memories of a Singapore home

Commissioned for a mother’s Christmas present, this piece centred on bringing back memories of a much-loved home in Singapore.

Bespoke illustration of a Singapore home hanging above a wooden table.

I met S through Instagram and at a local event; a casual comment about an interest in prints of Singapore creating an instant connection. Having spent a large chunk of my childhood in the country, I love hearing stories of other people’s time there, whether as home or a holiday.

As we swapped stories of happy childhood memories, S enquired about creating a one-off piece of her childhood home for her mum who had spent most of her life in Singapore.

Working from a selection of photos that S sent, I chose to base the illustration on an angle that would create a striking piece with a tropical feel.

Detail of the roof and trees in the house portrait commission.

Colours & details

Her mother’s favourite colour was green, and her current home was full of Asian inspired pieces with a lot of dark wood and red. I combined shades of green - from turquoise and teals to lime - with accents of deep red to echo the lush, green nature of Singapore as well as reference other colours in the home.

The photos showed an array of plants outside the house, especially palms. Combining stripes and shapes in reds, grass greens and lime brings the print to life, making it feel homely.