Innehållsförteckning för August 2020 från Home & Decor

14-days Stay-Home Notice WHAT Online exhibition WHEN Now till Aug 26, 2020 WHERE www.artsy.net/show/instinc-14-daysstay-home-notice Local artist-run institution INSTINC presents online exhibition 14-days Stay Home Notice, bringing together the emotional perspectives, stories, and explorations of 14 isolated local and international artists. The artworks, created in their home studios, touch on the themes of physical isolation, solidarity during the current crisis and the impact of Covid-19. Twenty-five per cent of the sales proceeds will be donated to the Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organisation.…

Sunseekers holidaying in Japan now have a new destination to visit, and it’s tucked away in the picturesque Okinawa Kaigan Quasi-National Park. Named Halekulani – aptly translated as “house befitting heaven” in Hawaiian – the hotel is a twin of its sister establishment in Waikiki, also created by New York-based studio Champalimaud Design. The design features an open-plan layout to bring in the beauty of the surroundings, including communal areas that open out directly onto a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean. This breathtaking sight is what guests are greeted with when they step into one of the hotel’s two lobbies. Whether it’s the one in the Beachfront Wing or the other in the Sunset Wing, both offer the same expansive panoramic view. The design of the lobby is also…

One would be forgiven to think that a paramedic turned professional cleaning company owner must have been obsessed with cleanliness since childhood. But not Johnson Zhuo. “I was always called the “dirty boy” of the family in my primary school days by my mum!” he shares. In his secondary school days, Johnson’s younger brother caught the chickenpox that led to his family home being thoroughly wiped down and disinfected. He has associated cleanliness with safety and protection ever since. The increase of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Singapore in 2014 made him notice a gap in Singapore’s cleaning industry so he started this professional cleaning and disinfecting company he called Dream Sparkle. HOW HAS DREAM SPARKLE EVOLVED? It started with four people. Today, we have over a hundred…

This month, we will not be celebrating Singapore’s independence the usual way. Instead of putting a pause on celebrations, the organisers have been more creative with commemorating the most important day of our nation’s 55th birthday, bringing us all together to celebrate National Day online. In a way, this is just one instance of how we have adjusted to life in a “new normal”. COVID-19: A MERCILESS TEACHER Across the globe, many have been subject to Covid-19’s wrath. From our informal poll of the local design community, the top three impacts felt were, unsurprisingly, cancelled contracts, the reduced market demand for design work and challenges in business development. However, many also said they have experienced accelerated innovation and digital transformation. To quote a well-known local creative director, who recently participated…

WHO LIVES HERE A married couple in their 40s and their 13-year-old HOME A five-room HDB apartment in Tampines SIZE 1,200 sq ft It is not uncommon for homeowners to make an about-face in their interior design tastes. This tendency is usually most noticeable in brand-new spaces, so it was not surprising that Regina Ng and her husband Goh decided to try a completely different look for their new place in Tampines. While their former home was colourful and vintage-inspired, their new one sports a monochromatic palette filled with classically inspired features. So different were these styles that “even the tableware we brought over from our old home did not match the decor in our current space”, Regina quips. One element did remain the same, however, and that was the…

Nothing expresses warmth and timelessness like wood. And furniture made of it can last for generations. Since wood comes from trees and trees need space to grow, you don’t necessarily think of Singapore as a timber producer. But Singapore does produce tree logs, albeit unintentionally. However, these are cut fresh and so have limited peak times before they rot. They are usually byproducts of our insatiable developments and city-in-a-garden vision, with parks built all over the island and connected by a network to create one large, lush garden. Local timbers are resilient tropical hardwoods to boot, and include angsana, tembusu, rain tree and African mahogany. But, being a thoroughly urban city, Singapore has a preference for importing wood and lacks infrastructure to process tree logs into usable forms. As a…

Sleek and Contemporary Fans of Australian design brand King Living can now look forward to three new highly anticipated products in its reopened Kallang showroom. The modular Hugo sofa offers flexibility and smart storage solutions. The slim legs of the Bellaire sofa create the illusion of hovering above the ground while the Issho Dining Table’s sculptural aesthetic adds elegance to any dining room. These new products can also be viewed in King Living’s virtual showroom. For more information, visit www.kingliving.com.sg. Technology Meets Art LG Signature has teamed up with rising digital artists Santi Zoraidez, Peter Tarka and Andreas Wannerstedt to reinterpret the elegance of its luxury products in their visual language that should echo the brand’s core philosophy of “Art Inspires Technology, Technology Completes Art”. Each has produced exclusive artworks,…

Being at the top of the list for such a long time implies excellence, but applies pressure, too. This is something Chef-owner Rene Redzepi, at the helm of Noma, understands all too well. For several years in a row, his two-Michelin-star establishment was named best restaurant in the world, attracting foodies from all over the globe to Copenhagen despite a reservation waiting list of several months. With such a huge success, resting on his laurels could have satisfied Rene. Instead, to continue striving toward perfection, he took a big risk: In February 2017, the chef closed the restaurant, announcing that it will reopen about one year later in new facilities, in a new location and, of course, with a new menu. Open once more, the restaurant is now located on…

WHO LIVES HERE A couple and their three children HOME A semi-detached place off Holland Road SIZE 3,700 sq ft (land area); 3,300 sq ft (built-up area) Stepping into this light-filled home with open spaces and a lofty feel, it is hard to imagine that it used to be dark and oppressive. The original interior was very compartmentalised, the ceiling was low and the natural light coming in from the small windows was limited. When the homeowner and her husband, both medical doctors, purchased this home in 2017, they envisioned a hygge home with a comfortable conviviality for them and their three children. “We wanted an inviting place where we could make memories as a family and entertain our friends.” The challenging task of transforming the home fell on the…

I am scheduled to begin a month-long assignment in Morocco on 5 March. Amidst the growing global alarm over Covid-19, my brother strenuously urged against travel. He warns, “By 15 March this will explode, there will be a pandemic, airports will shut, flights will be cancelled, you will be stranded- maybe for months. Don’t travel!” My 72-year-old mother, who has medical complications, is meant to travel with me and she is violently opposed to the trip. However, Morocco’s grandest ultra-luxe resorts, which I am on assignment to review, assure that Morocco is perfectly safe. The travel industry, including tour operators and the airline we are booked on, urges that if all travel writers stopped travelling and the media announced advisories against travel, tourism would collapse with terrible economic repercussions. So,…

WHO LIVES HERE A couple with their three children and a domestic helper HOME Four-room HDB executive flat in Serangoon SIZE 1,650 sq ft Clean-lined and with just enough eclectic details to embody warmth and character, this 27-year-old HDB executive flat is both beautiful and pragmatic. Its residents, a family of five and a domestic helper, connected with interior designer Rey Tan of Erstudio to craft a home that is modern and bright, while playing a practical role in day-to-day living. Their top priority: plenty of storage, especially multipurpose units as well as a bookcase. The $128,000 redesign involved demolishing several walls to allow more natural light inside and an open-plan living zone for dining, cooking and hosting loved ones, and plenty of room for the kids to play. The…

WHO LIVES HERE A family of five HOME A three-bedroom condominium in River Valley SIZE 1,442 sq ft This apartment in River Valley is the holiday home for a family of five. The homeowner’s business requires him to travel from their permanent residence in Hong Kong to the US once every few months. His wife and three children sometimes accompany him on these trips, which usually include a stopover in Singapore, where the family would stay for a week or so each time. He wanted this home away from home to be a cosy getaway with all the comforts and luxury details of a hotel suite and a personal space for each family member. Responding to his brief, Darrion Loo, an associate designer at Helen & Woods, set out what…

PICTURE PERFECT BenQ’s portable GS2 wireless projector is set to upgrade your Netflix binge or console gaming sessions. It comes in a sleek cube-shaped design and supports both wireless and wired devices. Beaming images up to 80 inches with a vivid LED light display, it automatically senses ambient light and adjusts its brightness. Kid-friendly features are available too, like a Parental Timer that manages usage time, and eye-protection sensors that turn it off when children get in front of the device. The GS2 wireless portable projector retails at $849 (before GST), available exclusively at the BenQ Store on Lazada. TRACK & RECORD Step up the security of your premises with the EZVIZ C6T wireless IP indoor camera. Promising full HD quality videos, the camera can pan and tilt, presenting a…

“The way our cityscape is designed pretty much reflects the Singapore style - how everything is neatly packed together in a cohesive collage of new and old. We are great at creating futuristic looks, but also good at conserving iconic and historically important structures, and if you dig into the details, you’ll find a mosaic of uniquely-shaped tiles representing all its citizens.” Young Lim, editor-in-chief “Singapore architecture has evolved so much from its original colonial influence and developed its own unique style. We can see there’s more environmental awareness in both architecture and design, and green buildings are gaining popularity, like Park Royal Pickering which I love. Singapore’s definitely emerging as a model for sustainable design in Asia.” Nonie Chen, senior art director “When I think of Singapore style, I…