'First mother's sacrifice': Rebecca Lim reveals matrimonial home built in 1930s, converts walk-in wardrobe to nursery

You can plan all you want, but you never know what comes next in life.

Local actress Rebecca Lim showcased her first matrimonial home with husband Matthew Webster in a recent YouTube video by CNA Lifestyle, and she revealed how they had to make changes to one of her rooms because of their soon-to-arrive baby.

"We didn't expect the baby to come so soon. This space was originally supposed to be my walk-in wardrobe, my dream. But first mother's sacrifice, it's now my baby's room," the 37-year-old laughed.

Besides the wardrobe lining the walls, the nursery consists of one circular crib and an empty diaper trolley.

Linked to the nursery is the spacious master bedroom, a space that's "precious" to Rebecca as it's where she has her me-time.

"Sometimes I just lie in bed and I think to myself, 'Wow, my dream of having my very first home after working for so many years has finally come true,'" she remarked.

Contrasting the neutral colours in the room is the green stained glass above the patterned window grilles and wooden panels, all of which are original features of the 90-year-old house.

The room's high ceiling - lined with rattan roof panels as a throwback to the 1920s and 1930s - allowed for a mezzanine floor to be built in.

A black spiral staircase leads up to Webster's office, where he does his work and "stores all his loves".

Music instruments and Star Wars' Stormtrooper displays could be seen around the office, and Rebecca joked: "I just realised there's not a picture of me in sight but it's okay."

The 'heart of the home'

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The living room, which Rebecca refers to as the "heart of the home" has neutral tones similar to the previous rooms, with a long cream sofa that matches the colour of the walls.

"The layout of the house is long but it's not as wide," she continued, adding that she and Webster roped in an architect friend to "maximise the space".

Facing the sofa are dark wooden shelves filled with books and ornaments.

"This is a part of the living room that I really love because it showcases both of our very distinct personalities," she shared.

One of her favourite decorations is a painting by local actor Chen Xi of how the exterior of the house looked before its renovation.

"We wanted this picture to be encapsulated and to be kept in memory so that we remember what the house actually looked like before all the renovation was done," she added.

Rebecca and Webster also made a "conscious effort" to preserve as much of the heritage of the original house as possible.

The wooden front door, window grilles and even the stairs leading up to the second floor of the house are original and unchanged.

"There's a lot of imperfections on the stairs but we feel like they really add character to the house, and as you can hear… it's the sound of the old stairs. I promise you it's not because I gained 20kg through this pregnancy," she smiled.

Above the stairs is her long line of trophies, a deliberate choice that serves as a reminder for Rebecca: "It reminds me about my philosophy towards work which is one step at a time and each step has to bring you to greater heights."

The kitchen

At the centre of the large kitchen is a long island, something Rebecca always wanted.

Installed under the island are the "hidden" appliances - a washing machine, dryer and dishwasher.

It gets even classier in the dining room.

Initially an open area, the couple decided to cover the space up to create a dining room with a "semi indoor-outdoor" feel.

A long and narrow eight-seater dining table stretches across the room, with a nine metre-tall glass door providing an outdoor view.

Blinds were installed for sunny days.

Cracking another joke, Rebecca quipped: "On days where it gets a bit too hot, I can protect my skin as well."

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syarifahsn@asiaone.com