Indholdsfortegnelse for November 2018 i Home & Decor

Vases, bowls, book holders and trays made of the most exquisite materials make up Greg Natale’s latest accessories collection. Each piece is fashioned by hand, in a design language that best tells the character and beauty of materials such as robust stone, veined marble, and intricate dyed pen shell. The award-winning Australian designer created this 50-piece collection in hopes that it will be passed down as heirlooms and bring joy to its owners. The collection retails from $280. Buy it on www.gregnatale.com .…

Lights, furniture, action! That’s what you can expect at #TBLblockparty, taking place at Tan Boon Liat Building on Nov 24 and 25. This event, of which Home & Decor is the official design media partner, showcases design and furniture shops coming together to celebrate form, function and festivities with mini markets, pop-ups, design talks, workshops and exclusive in-store deals at over 25 showrooms, across 15 storeys. Truly a one-stop shop for furniture and furnishing needs, and more, Tan Boon Liat Building is home to a variety of interior design-related stores that offer a myriad options, regardless of the interior style you’re seeking for your home. Furnish a rustic-inspired space with pieces in natural materials like wood and wicker; then complement the look with a touch of luxury with an ornate…

Preparing a full line-up of dishes for your family may not only be mentally stressful, it can also cause you to run around the kitchen to make use of various appliances. Traditional appliances, such as the hob and oven, are used for specific cooking methods and, while they remain essentials, there is a new crop of appliances that offer a surprising variety of cooking programs to help you put your meals together in a convenient and fuss-free way. On top of that, innovative kitchen appliance makers are adding cool design aesthetics to their appliances, providing you form and function in one smart appliance. One such handy appliance is Brandt’s new Combi Microwave oven, which can be built into kitchens stylishly without taking up much space. Made in France, this tool…

Prime by Dada Some of the main Prime design ideas are glass doors for wall units and a Wing system with tapered aluminium shelves. Dada also showcased a kitchen setup with a glossy lacquered wall unit in grey natural Billiemi stone from Sicily. With glass shelves, lighting is a key feature of the system, and the illumination of every shelf is bound to make the kitchen a showstopper in open-plan homes. Available at P5. Ceramic by Next125 German kitchen brand Next125 adopts the values of Bauhaus, creating streamlined, functional kitchens crafted with state-of-the-art industrial production. The NX 950 kitchen sports a counter surface with a new version the Ceramic marble grigio effect. The handleless and flush integration brings a monolithic look to the freestanding cooking area and tall unit. Aside…

A clean home is a top priority for those who take pride in the appearance of their dwellings, and also for parents protecting the health of their family. However, the way you clean your home could actually be affecting the air quality indoors. The wiping and sweeping of surfaces causes dust particles or pollutants to be lifted into the air where you inhale them, and some cleaning products contain ingredients that, while effective in keeping your tiles sparkly white, may leave behind harmful gases. Other less obvious sources include harmful nitrogen dioxide that is released into the air during daily chores like cooking over a gas hob, as well as the formaldehyde and benzene that are a component in cigarette smoke, deodorants and even some candles. In fact, some of…

Unlike typical intermediate terrace houses that often have dark, gloomy interiors as natural light is unable to penetrate the home, this three-storey house in Serangoon Garden is welcoming, spacious, brightly lit and full of greenery – thanks to clever strategies that were put in place, following a collaboration between Produce Workshop and Ta.le Architects. As homeowners Chris Chen and Hartina Yeo have two children – a four-year-old daughter and two-year-old son – and are staying with two elderly parents, they needed space to cater to the family’s needs. This led to their decision to upsize from an apartment to a terrace house. Engaging the help of architects and designers from the two firms, additions and alterations were made to the existing structure of the newly bought home, to ensure more…

Spread out over the ground level with a private swimming pool and yard is this condominium unit, and those expansive outdoor spaces were what attracted the homeowners. The couple enjoy gardening and had the luxury of a large garden in their previous penthouse so they wanted to maintain that. They also love the fact that it has an abundance of natural light. For Lin Weizhang, principal of Superfat Designs, his design proposal was a response to those specific attributes of the property and the needs of the homeowners. “We do not believe in design concepts. We synthesise the owners’ requirements with our design aesthetics to deliver a home that suits their needs,” he emphasises. While many homes have an overarching design concept that ties the whole look together, in this…

Most of us have seen green walls adorning external spaces, but what about green walls within the home, such as in the living room or foyer? The idea is catching on here, and not simply because green walls are a pleasant visual feature. “Green wall systems can help homeowners maximise their vertical space, while freeing up horizontal space for other uses,” says Veera Sekaran, founder and managing director of urban greenery company Greenology. “A small green wall of 1m by 2m can hold up to 60 plants – a number nigh impossible to have on the floor of a regular-sized balcony.” Over the next few pages, we take a look at how green walls can be incorporated into the various spaces of your home.…

WILD COAST TENTED LODGE This lodge in Yala National Park, Sri Lanka, is made up of 28 cocoon-like camps, some of which are located near watering holes. Here, you might even spot a privy herd of bathing elephants. No luck? Drive farther into Yala National Park, where there are 44 different mammals (like jackals and sloth bears) and 300 types of birds. The camps feature bamboo-woven roofs, leather chairs and freestanding copper bathtubs, and the sea breeze will surely lull you into a relaxing afternoon nap. You might want to stay awake, though, if you don’t want to miss the rare glimpse of a leopard. Remember to bring your binoculars. Wild Coast Tented Lodge is part of the Mr & Mrs Smith portfolio of luxury hotels. Check it out at…

The word “effortless” comes to mind as soon as you lay eyes on this generously proportioned extendable table, designed by Italian design maestro Claudio Bellini for furniture brand MDF Italia. It’s composed of two slender aluminium frames that act as support for the wafer-thin (well, almost) top. Delicate as it may seem, this table is robust in construction yet blessed with a perceived weightlessness that is seldom seen in furniture designs. For the modern minimalist, this table embraces everything you desire about the lightness of being. The Axy table retails for $9,650 and is available from P5 Studio. Visit #01-08 Henderson Industrial Park, 213 Henderson Road, or www.p5.com.sg .…

Known for his fluid and minimalist designs, renowned French designer Philippe Starck has released the Sant’ Agostino tile collection, which embodies his unique design language. The collection comprises pieces of various textures and colours that, when put together, create a subtle yet understated pattern that draws the eye. Its flexibility in design allows you to be as creative as you like with your surfaces. Sant’ Agostino tile collection retails at Rice, #01-03, 213 Henderson Road, www.rice-fields.com .…

Smeg X Dolce&Gabbana’s hottest kitchen collection has landed on our shores. This collaboration symbolises the marriage between high fashion and design for the home, with the launch of appliances including a kettle, toaster and juicer. Dressed in Sicilian folk art-inspired paintings, each product design flaunts vibrant colours with motifs of fruit, floral and fauna, as well as architecture of Southern Italy. Smeg X Dolce&Gabbana kettle, toaster and juicer are priced at $798 each, at Tangs and Harvey Norman Millenia Walk.…

Over 600 premium residences integrated with a mall, with the convenience of public transport literally at the doorstep – that describes The Woodleigh Residences, but this is no ordinary condominium project. A joint venture between Japanese property developer Kajima Development and Singapore Press Holdings, the residences and the mall will be the first private residential-cum-retail project in the new Bidadari estate. Sprawled over a land area of 25,400 sqm, they will welcome residents and shoppers in the later part of 2022 with an abundance of greenery, complete with the Alkaff Lake. Located at the junction of Upper Serangoon and Upper Aljunied Road, the “heartbeat” of the Bidadari Estate Master Plan will also have a 6,000 sqm community club, and a neighbourhood police centre. “The Bidadari Park is a main feature…

Offices of bespoke tailors, as well as clubs and cultural spots. The missing ingredient in this assortment that makes up Telok Ayer? A community club. In comes Telok Ayer Arts Club, which opened in August. Owned by home-grown hospitality group The Supermarket Company, the club was designed to emulate a multi-purpose neighbourhood community centre. It was created to reshape how the public, including white-collar workers in that area, experience art, and therefore offers an atmosphere that is unlike stuffy “white cube” galleries. All are welcome to create, partake of and browse the artistic endeavours showcased here. Art and music play equal roles in creating an immersive environment, and artists are encouraged to use the space in any way. As for visitors, they can check out (and buy) art pieces, as…

Time spent volunteering with Touch Home Care under Touch Community Services opened Kevin Chiam’s eyes to the world of the frail elderly, a number of whom are visually impaired. “It’s a cause close to my heart as I grew up with my grandmother. I’ve always been comfortable around seniors,” says the 26-year-old industrial design graduate from National University of Singapore. “Through the home visits and interaction, I came to realise that many of the elderly are blind or partially blind, and most struggle with chores, especially in the kitchen.” That set Kevin thinking and devising ways on how to make day-to-day living “easier” for the visually impaired, a thesis project-turned-labour of love. The result was Folks, a kitchenware trio (knife, chopping board and teaspoon) that snagged the top prize at…

Renovating the home can be a daunting and stressful process. So, when it comes to shopping for furniture and furnishings to dress up your space, make the experience as enjoyable, and as efficient, as possible. It will be helpful to visit one-stop shops that stock products from more than one category, as well as offer a wide variety of options and designs to suit your home. As one of the largest furniture stores in town, Homes65’s 53,000 sqf four-storey showroom offers exquisite furniture, furnishings, home accessories and lifestyle goods sourced from leading brands around the world. From high-quality sofas, bed frames, dining sets and even outdoor furniture options, you will be spoilt for choice with designs ranging from minimalist to opulent styles. There are even customisable options for selected models,…

When homeowner Tony Tan first met Tommy Lai from TLDesigns, he gave a very clear brief: a modern interior that’s luxurious yet understated, with a hint of “Asian-ness” to reflect his Peranakan roots. As an avid art collector, the banker asked for as many blank walls as possible so he could hang up his art pieces, with a well-planned lighting scheme designed to showcase them. “Although the unit was well-maintained, I wanted some massive changes – to create an open-concept kitchen and an open-concept study that is versatile enough to serve as a guest room,” Tony adds. To achieve the client’s requirements, Tommy reconfigured some of the spaces within the unit, starting with the existing study adjacent to the main entrance, which has been converted into a wet kitchen and…

SHO BEAUTIFUL Unlike bulky incliners of the past, Sho is a modern Cellini seat with a slender frame that will blend in with other sleek contemporary furniture pieces. It is clad in genuine cowhide leather and features an adjustable headrest. This incliner mechanism allows the seat, backrest and leg support to move forward –instead of a traditional recliner which slides backwards – thus freeing up space in the living room. You can choose from a living room set of one-, two-or three-seaters. Sho is available at Cellini, #01-05 Furniture Gallery at Space @ Tampines, tel: 6385-3481, www.cellini.com.sg . DIVIDE AND CONQUER Divide living area from dining room or create privacy without the need for walls, with the Straits Screen Divider. Designed by Aartical, an in-house brand by…

It was legendary fashion icon Coco Chanel who said: “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” While her tip was in reference to the amount of jewellery and accessories one has on the body, the same rule can be applied to home styling. When it comes to interior decorating, there’s a fine line between elegance and extravagance, and it’s one that many fail to tread successfully. All too often, we see instances of a beautifully designed home being laid to waste, simply because of its horrible interior styling. Most of the time, it’s the result of an overzealous homeowner or stylist, who went overboard with playing up several big ideas and themes at the same time. Imagine walking into a room filled with…

Less is More The region’s first exhibition on Minimalism is landing on our shores. In a collaboration between National Gallery Singapore and Artscience Museum, “Minimalism: Space. Light. Object” will showcase over 130 works, exploring the history and legacy of the art movement. Featuring a range of art mediums from painting to sculpture as well as works by some of the most significant artists of the past 70 years, the exhibition traces the development of Minimalist art and ideas from the 1950s to today. Minimalism: Space. Light. Object runs from Nov 16 to April 14. Speak Out Danish luxury audio brand Bang & Olufsen’s high quality speakers Beosound 1 and Beosound 2 now feature Google Assistant. Built with Google’s voice assistant expertise, the speakers offer sound excellence, superior quality, sleek design,…

Special occasions and family gatherings are not complete without good music, and half the work is done when you pick a soundbar that projects music the way it is intended to be heard. The Bose Soundbar 700 delivers both detail and depth for music and television. The proprietary Adaptiq technology also allows the soundbar to acoustically calibrate in relation to its surroundings; microphones will “listen” to the sound in the room before adjusting the speakers accordingly. Changed your furniture arrangement? Simply recalibrate. The soundbar is clad in a metal grille and tempered glass top, and connects to Amazon Alexa, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The Bose Soundbar 700 retails for $1,199 at authorised Bose dealers. Visit www.bose.sg  for more information.…

CHOPPING BOARD Comes with a side tray that pegs freely to its sides. The tray acts as an extension of the hand to gather ingredients, and helps the user to scoop up contents. TEASPOON An integrated float rises as liquids are added into a vessel. Tactile feedback of the float coming into contact with the user’s fingers lets the person know when the glass is near-full. KNIFE To address the problem of odd-shaped ingredients and poor hand posture, the knife features a retractable guard that guides the fingers during the cutting process.…

TREND 1 Rethink the layout DISAPPEARING ACT The closed-up kitchen space is disappearing. The movement is not new, having made waves since its beginnings in 2016. This movement is not geared towards removing the functionality of the kitchen; rather, it is the act of recreating and rethinking the space. It is very much the natural result of an ongoing march in the direction of minimalism, and also of the gradual integration of the kitchen into the general living space. Leicht demonstrated its interpretation of the “disappearing kitchen” with its “room in a room” concept, which sees the kitchen seamlessly integrated into an open-concept living space, with fittings and furnishings providing functions which are not entirely kitchen-centric. TREND 2 Customisable solutions SLEEK MINIMALISM A move towards a less obvious kitchen space…

Born in Paris and raised in London with a master’s degree in architecture from Columbia University, Alizee Brion’s multifarious experiences have led her to the helm of her own international architectural and interior design studio, Light On White. Now based in Miami, Alizee truly believes a home is about the individuals who reside in it. With the Atlantic Ocean as its backdrop, her home was not in its current state when she first encountered it. “When I bought the apartment, the interiors were very outdated, from the ’80s,” she remembers. “However, I saw the potential, with the beautiful views and generously proportioned spaces. The only challenge for the renovation was the low ceiling, but, with some clever reconfiguration of the AC ducts and overhead lighting, we were able to reduce…

Weather in Singapore can get unpredictable at times; it can be sunny one moment and rainy another, especially during the approaching monsoon season towards the end of the year, when rainfall increases. During those months, you might face the issue of laundry not drying as quickly as you’d like. This is especially problematic if you do not have space in your home for both a washer and dryer. Fret not, Samsung’s QuickDrive washer dryer will come in handy. Compared to other conventional models, the QuickDrive washer dryer takes only half the time required for a wash cycle. It can reduce energy consumption by up to 20 per cent, without compromising on cleaning performance.1 This is achieved with the innovative Q-Drum, which comprises a main drum and backplate that rotates independently…

A 732sqf apartment may seem compact for some families, but for homeowners Celine Goh and her husband, they knew they wanted to transform their matrimonial home from a three-room flat to a one-bedroom unit with an open-concept design, in a departure from the conventional layout of shoebox apartments. The lady of the house, who is the general manager of premium piano company Steinway Gallery Singapore, had a clear vision of what she wanted: a cosy, sensuous, character-filled – yet subtly dramatic – space in which the couple can spend quality time. She engaged interior designer Ivan Lin of Aart Boxx Interior to assist with the execution of the interior design works, while also actively offering her input in design and styling. She even commissioned Thai artist Zhang Sitthi to create…

With its signature large furniture pieces and ornate mouldings, the classic Victorian interior style would look a little out of place in most smaller Singapore homes. However, in this two-bedroom condominium apartment designed by Tammy Tay from ImagineSK66, the elegance of Victorian interiors matches well with the cosy space. Keeping in mind that the homeowners are a young couple starting a family, Tammy made it a priority to design storage that could also sport Victorian-style elements which the homeowners favoured, as well as stick to the $30,000 budget. In the dining room, the built-in seater was paired with a plush tufted feature wall; its full-height dimensions create a sense of grandeur and the illusion of higher ceilings. Wainscoting elements, such as those framing the living room mirror and shoe cabinet,…

Sarah Wigglesworth Architects PROJECT: Mellor Primary School, the United Kingdom The goal, for Sarah Wigglesworth Architects, was to bring nature even closer to the pupils of Mellor Primary School. It was extremely crucial for the firm to create a conducive learning environment at the school, which is not just about computers and endless days spent toiling behind desks. The school considers learning and playing outdoors extremely important, as part of its pupils’ curricula. Extension and remodelling works were required to complement the school’s natural surroundings, as well. The updated school sports features such as new toilets and a library, an additional classroom with a great view, an extended hall for performances, a raised deck for outdoor lessons, tree canopies, and outdoor facilities to accommodate the ever-growing number of pupils. The…