Innehållsförteckning för January 2023 från Home & Decor

If 2022 was the year of recovery marked by natural colours that express our yearning for healing and the outdoors, 2023 continues this trend with confidence by infusing deliciously vibrant shades that create contrast with more muted natural palettes and lend a pop to a bolder palette. Asian brands choose rich neutrals inspired by nature and build fresher colour palettes centred around them. Meanwhile, Western brands and colour authorities take risks with a family of reds that ignite the palettes they are added to. Here we take a look at some of the prominent ones. RASPBERRY BLUSH Another prominent American paint brand, Benjamin Moore, goes sweeter and more cheerful with its chosen shade of red. Raspberry Blush 2008-30 is a delicious orange-toned pink that injects freshness into the room. The…

It’s tough times for brick-and-mortar shops. Like F&B joints, they must constantly reinvent themselves to attract a new generation of shoppers pampered by the ease of online shopping. One of Singapore’s favourite furniture shops, Journey East has navigated the turbulent waters of the retail world with aplomb. Founded in 1995 in Dempsey hill as a vintage furniture story selling retro teak pieces from the bygone era, it moved to the Tan Boon Liat Building (which has since turned into Singapore’s unofficial furniture hub) in 2008, making a name for itself for quirky vintage pieces, curated brands and a store ambassador named Ginger, a resident orange cat that delighted shoppers until his peaceful passing at the extraordinary age of 29 human years old. The 8,600 sq ft store was refurbished late…

* Lower LTV limit is applied if the loan tenure exceeds 30 years for private homes (or 25 years for HDB flats), or the loan period extends beyond the borrower’s age of 65 years As explained by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the LTV refers to ‘The maximum amount that an individual can borrow for a housing loan from a financial institution (FI) based on the loan tenure, borrower’s age, borrower’s existing loans and whether the borrower is a shell company.’ This limit (refer to table above) was first realised in a bid to curb over-borrowing from homebuyers alongside the Total Debt Servicing Ratio (TDSR), and the current LTV limit where the Option To Purchase (OTP) is granted on or after 6 July 2018. NEW LTV LIMITS FOR HDB HOUSING…

When it comes to apartments of a certain vintage, it takes discerning owners to recognise what needs to go and what to retain to suit their lifestyle and aesthetic preferences while preserving the place’s character. This was exactly the approach that 33-year-old Edward Seah and 31-year-old Joel Cheong adopted for this 37-year-old walk-up apartment. Armed with a detailed brief in the form of PowerPoint slides addressing the aesthetics and specific requirements for each area within the home, the doctor and business analyst duo reached out to Bowerman Interior Planner. “We wanted the space to have warmth, to feel lived-in without too much clutter, and to reflect our personalities. It should also be as open as possible,” say the homeowners. Among the elements that they wanted to keep were the solid…

“We immediately hit it off with Alice and Kyser,” remembers Anna Still, co-founder of Still Johnson Interiors. “They are a fun and energetic couple with a cool style.” An actor and model involved in foster care advocacy, Alice Callahan Thompson is known for her recurring roles as Jessica on Gossip Girl and guest starring roles on various shows like Law & Order, and Orange is the New Black. She’s also worked with luxury, fashion and beauty brands during her 15-year modeling career. Her husband, Kyser Thompson, is the president of a marketing consultancy. The two met in the Big Apple and lived in Brooklyn for several years, with the thought of leaving never crossing their minds. During the pandemic, the couple traveled to Alabama frequently to spend time with their…

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From partition shelves in the living room to wall niches in the bathroom, carefully thought-out storage solutions not only keep your home neat and tidy, they also maximise precious floor space. Here are some furniture and accessories that offer great storage solutions for the home. LIVING ROOM Conceal clutter and create more space in multifunctional open plan living social areas with these versatile pieces. ZONING SHELVES In open plan living areas, bookshelves and display cases can double up as partitions that separate two different functional zones such as the dining and TV area. Castlery’s Cliff Shelf, which can be set horizontally or vertically thanks to its moveable racks, is a great choice as a partition bookcase or display unit. Retails for $899, the Cliff Shelf can be purchased both at…

Stalwart Supporter The World Architecture Festival (WAF) returned after a three-year hiatus last December. Its founding partner Grohe, a global kitchen and bathroom brand now under the Lixil group, has supported the event since its inception in 2008 and will continue to do so. The 2023 edition of WAF will return to Singapore. “We are excited to increase the participation and representation of talented Asia Pacific architects and designers at WAF. The Asia Pacific region is pivoting rapidly to a post-pandemic world, and consumers are responding to trends across health & wellbeing, sustainability and urbanisation with increasing demand for multi-functional spaces for living, working and relaxation,” says Satoshi Konagai, leader at Lixil Water Technology, Asia Pacific. Visit www.lixil.com and www.worldarchitecturefestival.com for more information. A Trio of Openings Livspace, South-east Asia’s…

Launched in 2018, Sunday Bedding began as an idea for creating affordable yet high-quality bedlinen between newlyweds Alex Fan and Clara Teo. Back then, the couple operated out of their own home and a small warehouse. “When we first started Sunday Bedding online four years ago, our mission was simply to make getting a good night’s sleep less complicated, and offer well-made, well-priced sheets directly to our customers’ doorsteps,” Clara explains, “We’ve come a long way and learned a lot from our customers since then, and we know that many want to touch, feel and test the products that they would potentially be spending nearly a third of their day in. With our physical spaces, we look forward to making deeper connections with our community, and hope that all who…

Michael and Kristy Lin, a couple in their mid-30s, love New York City’s industrial lofts and wanted to bring elements of that into their first home. Michael, in particular, subscribes to the notion that “there is no perfection this side of heaven”. “I did not want finishes such as marble or parquet. My selection was based on materials that would gain patina and age with time,” says the legal professional. Located in a quiet, mature estate near Michael’s mother’s home, the nearly 50-year-old flat had not been renovated for a few decades. The couple approached Three-D Conceptwerke to overhaul its interior. The $120,000 project took about five months to complete and involved hacking most of its non-load-bearing walls and extensive layout reconfiguration. The design team considered the clients’ preference for…

“Standard, boring, and dark.” was how the team at Sponge interior design studio described the original condition of this three-bedroom HDB BTO flat in Punggol. Today, it is a cosy, light-filled home for 51-year-old assistant engineer Kim Joo Kang, his wife and their daughter that features an eye-catching black, white and neutral colour scheme that is the furthest thing from standard and boring. Kim Joo wanted to engage a design firm with more than 10 years of experience. “He wanted creative design concept ideas that are different from other homeowners,” says the Sponge team. Some of the keywords in the design brief were timeless but unique. The Sponge team used predominantly neutral colours, with black and white graphic accents for eye-popping contrast. “The design concept is clean, simple and unique,…

RUGS AND CARPETS Rugs and carpets add plushness and visual interest to your floorscape. Changing up the look and feel of your home can be inexpensive and simple. Consider the many options that don’t require a big investment of time and money. Clever solutions are within reach and can be implemented right away. We’ve selected 20 of them to help you get started. SHELVES Books, photographs, candles, mirrors and vases are only some of the various items you can use to decorate your shelves. Switch up the item placements to change the look of the space. WALLPAPERS Installing wallpaper with floral or geometric motifs in your living area is a surefire way to add some oomph. WALL COLOURS Go bold and paint a wall (or a part of it) in…

COOL OR WARM TONE? “A cool tone is generally used to give a daylight feeling and is perfect for workspaces such as a kitchen or an office, while warm lighting creates different moods and atmospheres, and even drama by contrasting the volumes, shadows and textures, in social areas,” says Roy Azar of Roy Azar Architects. “In this particular home, I chose mostly warm lighting to take advantage of the natural textures of the overall materials. I incorporated many sources of natural light thanks to large floor-to-ceiling windows and several skylights, allowing the inhabitants to perceive the hours throughout the day by observing the changes in lighting tones.” www.royazararchitects.com “At Bandido, we believe that lighting has the potential to transform any space,” say co-founders Alejandro Campos and Joel Rojas. “The right…

A sofa is one of the largest pieces of furniture in the living room, which explains why it is also the first thing visitors set their eyes on when entering the home. It also creates a communal atmosphere for guests to gather and interact. As indispensable as it may be, finding the right sofa for small apartment layouts can be a challenge. To help urban homeowners find solutions to their furniture needs, sofa expert Ashley Furniture offers a diverse range of sofa options for large and small spaces. In a small living room, consider modular or sectional pieces that can be used on its own, or combined to create a roomier seating arrangement. There are also sofas in various styles, from classic to contemporary, to match any home. Be sure…

This 42-year-old three-room HDB flat in Jalan Besar had a dark, congested interior when the homeowner bought it. A bachelor in his mid-40s. For the flat’s renovation, he engaged interior designer Joey Khu – who designed his first home – and gave him free rein in the design. Facilitating this, Joey made major alterations to the flat’s layout, opening up one bedroom to create an airy, open living-dining area and adding a wardrobe, general storage, and a kitchen made entirely of dark stained elm wood and stainless steel without inserting new partitions. The homeowner’s previous home was dominated by dark surfaces. This time Joey suggested lightening it up with metal laminates with a milled finish from Catalyste, which has a soft reflective quality. Used in the dining area, bedroom and…

With sumptuous views of the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower, and both iconic landmarks just a stone’s throw away, this four ensuite bedroom-apartment is as romantic as it gets. And nothing short of luxe too. French interior designer Stephanie Coutas of SC Editions oversaw and designed the apartment, which boasts a spacious reception and living areas, kitchen, dining area with a bar, and a wine and cigar cellar. In line with her penchant for designing plush and modern spaces, and “mixing art de vivre with culture”, Stephanie worked with a predominantly white palette, integrating the owner’s awe-inspiring collection of antiques in this project. “The Syrian cabinets were the key focus of the overall design. The pieces were gifted to the client by her father, one of the world’s…