AT HOME WITH MY FATHER: The Aussie House
By Jamie Nonis
Growing up in Bendigo, a country town north-west of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia was “fantastic” says Dr Gary Tho, owner and principal chiropractor at ChiroWorks in Singapore.
The family of five lived in a 5-bedroom house on a one-acre plot of land, with two living areas, a dining area, kitchen and double-car garage.
Gary with his whole family at their country townhouse
His father was a “handyman kind of guy” and some of his fondest memories of his dad are of the latter building things. “We needed a bench to put our shoes in and he made a little bench. We also had toy guns made of wood. He even dug a hole and created a pond and put fish in it,” shares Gary.
Adds the 32-year-old: “I’ve always wanted to have a garage like his. It was more of a man shed; it was so big you could put everything in it. Besides lawnmowers, there were all these power tools and hammers and screwdrivers hanging on the wall.”
Gary on his day out with the siblings
The middle child with an elder sister and younger brother, Gary spent most of his days outdoors. “We’d have the best fun weeding, mowing the lawn, digging up and planting ferns together. The rocks we used in the house and garden were volcanic rocks; we got in the car and drove for hours and would end up in the middle of nowhere where there would be these massive rocks we then lugged home,” Gary recalls.
When not immersed in nature, the family would have singalong sessions indoors with dad on the guitar.
Interestingly, Gary has parlayed some of these early experiences into his current life and lifestyle in Singapore. We may not have the luxury of such a vast amount of space living on this island but the Singapore Permanent Resident has attempted to recreate the earthy, outdoorsy feel in his newly renovated apartment in Sherwood Towers condominium in Bukit Timah.
The 700 sq ft studio apartment was turned into a 2-bedder with an industrial feel with concrete floors for the common areas and wood laminate flooring in the bedrooms, all accented by lots of wood finishes.
Gary with his daughter at their living room cum playroom
“We’ve created an open space where the living area becomes a massive playroom for my daughter. Her cabinets are the only things that don’t have a wood feel. They’re white laminate so she can draw on it with no problem,” says Gary.
The space is designed for freedom of expression, as Gary and his wife Seven encourage a lot of painting and drawing activities with little Leisabelle, who’s almost 3.
Music is as important for the doting dad and his daughter, as it was for Gary and his own dad growing up. In fact, Gary and Seven, who has taught the violin, piano and drums for over 12 years, run another business, Gary and Seven Family Music Together, which offers the research-based, internationally-recognised “Music Together” programme from the US that supports and fosters parent-child relationships and family bonding.
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