Innehållsförteckning för June 2021 från Home Journal

Just before the pandemic struck, I was in London for a short stay. Overwhelmed by all the ornate structures and decorative façades that lined the streets, it was a humble Japanese Zen-filled enclave tucked away inside Holland Park that left the deepest imprint. At first, I failed to notice its name – Kyoto Garden (it is subtly inscribed in a stele by the entrance) – because of its shrubs and water features. The winding stone pathway, surrounded by crisp birdsong and trees, was dotted with empty spaces where a pair of peacocks were roaming free. This calming experience is courtesy in parts to a traditional Japanese aesthetic philosophy called “MA”, which insists upon leaving a void, or a space, between two things – be it an object, a space, or…

Bring the many shades of summer into your home with crisp colour schemes that will give your living space a cheerful and seasonal update. From out on the patio to indoor furniture, we’ve rounded up an assortment of inspiring pieces in vibrant hues that’ll kick off summer in style.…

It’s a common enough dream for many city dwellers: having a dynamic, lush garden space to call your own where you can enjoy a cup of tea in fresh air, or simply sit back and relax on a sun lounge. For the occupants of this three-storey dwelling at Helene Court in Deep Water Bay, which comes with a 1,500 square-foot backyard and generous terrace overlooking the lush greenery of Shouson Hill, it’s not a dream, but a daily routine should they want it. “The garden is a breath of fresh air, and a view to contemplate,” says Lo Eli, co-founder of S.Lo Studio. Designed by Lo Eli and Sabrina Ettedgui from S.Lo Studio, the ample outdoor space is divided into two areas – an idyllic backyard widely left unfurnished to…

Tucked away in Tamboré, an upscale neighbourhood in the city of São Paulo, lies the house of renowned journalist Monica Salgado. Having just left an apartment in search of a bigger space that would allow her to feel liberated and connected with nature, the 730m² rustic property with a wide natural landscape was a perfect fit. The only thing left to do was to make the place her own. To achieve this, she got back in touch with architect Ana Rozenblit, of Spaço Interior, who also renovated the apartment she used to live in. “Monica is a person with a lot of personality, who has a very vintage décor profile. Over time (she) has been modernised, but without losing the romanticism of her essence,” Rozenblit says. “Her request was to…

Tell us what a typical day for you is like, and perhaps how this has changed in the past few years? I’ll start with when I first started the company. This was in 2017 July, just under four years ago, and there was only four of us, so it was truly a start-up. It was really interesting because we did everything, whether it was finding the right property to acquire, raising capital, doing the design, preparing for operations, managing renovations and the leasing – we all tried to contribute in whatever we felt the company needed at the time. So it was all a bit crazy and our concept was a relatively new one – no one was doing rental housing the way we wanted to do. And when we…

LOCATION: Elizabeth Bay, Australia Residential Munro House pays homage to Elizabeth Bay’s grand architectural legacy. Curated by PBD Architects and Mim Design, Munro House sits in dialogue with its art deco neighbours through a curvaceous façade, generous proportions and use of natural materials. Located on Greenknowe Avenue, Munro House, developed by the emerging integrated property group Top Spring Australia, is poised to be a new icon in the prime locale of Sydney. Positioned in the cultural heart of the capital between Potts Point, Rushcutters Bay and Woolloomooloo, the property is surrounded by a range of lifestyle destinations, providing its discerning residents all this highly coveted suburb has to offer. On Munro House’s doorstep is a myriad of designer boutiques and a world-class European-style café, bar and fine-dining restaurant. The property…

LOCATION: Hong Kong Residential Located in the heart of Kwun Tong, Grand Central, by Sino Land and China Estates Holdings, is set to become a new landmark in Hong Kong’s upcoming CBD. As part of the Kwun Tong Town Centre redevelopment project, Grand Central, providing a total of 1,999 residential units, sits stop of the newly opened shopping mall Yue Man Square and a public transport interchange. Inspired by the Royal Botanic Gardens in London, the elegant residents’ lobbies of Grand Central are designed as glassed cases to blend in with the outdoor landscape. As a salubrious living area, the development features a fully equipped clubhouse consisting of two wings with an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, grand house (function room), the woods (children’s play area), wellness centre, yoga room…

AHEAD OF THE CURVE Perrotin Hong Kong is presenting “Spectrum”, the solo exhibition by New York-based artist Josh Sperling, which will run until 12 June. Featuring a selection of new sculptural paintings in various forms and placements, the artist expands his dynamic practice of defying conventional art-making by going beyond the canvas, and, instead, conceptualising abstract pieces that suggest movement and natural phenomena. perrotin.com URBAN UTOPIA Pamper yourself at the first Alila-branded hotel in China slated to debut in 2023. Located in the Jing’an District, Shanghai, the 188-room hotel will include a rooftop Chinese restaurant, tea bar, and a landscaped garden. Featuring natural materials, earth tones and charming city views, the spacious studios and suites will offer a relaxing and nature-infused luxury retreat in the heart of the bustling metropolis.…

Hailed as an “insane boutique hotel” by the Robb Report magazine, the Kruger Shalati Train on the Bridge is an innovative safari lodge suspended above the crocodile-infested Selati River on the edge of the Kruger National Park with jaw-dropping views. The 1950s era SA Railways train has been reimagined and repurposed as a luxury hotel. Now permanently stationed on the historically rich Selati Bridge, it pays homage to bygone explorers who occupied the same spot in the 1920s. It’s a feat of engineering and a uniquely African experience, a global-first fused with cutting-edge design, luxury and a spectacular nod to a glamorous era of travel. The train takes its name from Shalati, one of the first female warrior chiefs of the small Tebula clan, part of the Tsonga tribe, who…

There is a term that almost every surfer knows, which was coined in the South African coastal town of Cape St Francis: “The perfect wave.” The classic 1966 surf film The Endless Summer followed two American surfers around the world in their quest to find every surfer’s holy grail. They found it in Cape St Francis, peeling away endlessly along a deserted strip of paradisiacal beach in the Eastern Cape. A voice-over by awestruck narrator and filmmaker Bruce Brown intones over the 16mm hand-held camera footage: “I couldn’t help but think of the hundreds of years these waves must have been breaking here. But until this day, no one had ever ridden one.” Since then, Cape St Francis’s waves haven’t been neglected, and the town has grown to become more…

Most city dwellers long for a serene sanctuary where they can break away from one act of life and replace it with another in a bustling metropolis. For Vincent, a business owner based in Bangkok, such a place constitutes an essential part of the quality of life. On the look out for a new house that answered his party lifestyle, and a place of respite which he doesn’t have to share with other residents, he commissioned Ayutt and Associates design (AAd) to develop the Interlude House: an oasis to live in within the ever-bustling city of Bangkok. “Interlude is a house designed not as the main act, but for the essential little moments in between,” notes Ayutt Mahasom, the lead designer of the project. “The client wanted a home that…

LOCATION: Singapore Condominium Shun Tak Holdings, a leading real estate developer in Hong Kong and Macau, is launching a luxury condominium at Park Nova in prime District 10, as part of the group’s expansion of its Asia portfolio in Singapore. It will offer 54 exclusive freehold residences ranging from 1,432 to 5,899 square-feet in size. At the helm of the design team is PLP Architecture, a London-based award-winning architectural firm, which has devised a dynamic Biophilic design for the development. Each level of the structure will have verdant communal planters that create the visual effect of a lush vertical garden, seamlessly integrating the development’s lush surroundings with the infrastructure. Each unit’s interior will be complete with premium finishes on the floors, walls and ceilings. The kitchen and bathroom will be…

There’s something about the space. There’s something about the way the sun drapes light and shadow over it, imbuing it with life. There’s also something about the quietness of its materiality, making it inviting, as though saying “come, but take your time”. Come when you are ready to come home. Because home is what it is, this space – that of AMOMA Hiroo in Tokyo – the residential project debuted by Fuin in January. Though amongst universities, museums, foreign embassies, and restaurants that sparkle with Michelin stars, AMOMA Hiroo is a world of its own, a getaway amid the cosmopolis. And it’s all thanks to its space. “Our homes are our foundation,” says Luke Fehon, founder of Fuin. “The people who inhabit them, and the space itself, is a comfort,…

In the coastal village of Canggu in Bali, Indonesia, expatriate Spanish architect couple Beatriz Alejandre and Nacho Atienza of Biombo Architects created Cala Saona – a gorgeous villa home for themselves and their two young children. Surrounded by lush paddy fields, the 5,382 square-foot villa is set on a 7,535 square-foot sloping plot that faces the west to capture the best views of the sunset. “Because the house is located on a naturally sloping parcel, we could do away with the perimeter walls that typically surround the front and side of Bali properties. This really magnifies the views,” says Alejandre who created an architecture with three levels – a semi-subterranean level for guests, an upper level where the family’s bedrooms are located, and a ground level with expansive terraces and…

Our journey to our weekend destination takes us over the scenic Franschhoek Pass to our first stop, the lovely seaside town of Hermanus. Here we have a relaxed stroll and sample delicious West Cape mussels accompanied by a sip of local wine overlooking the ocean. The next stop is the charming village of Stanford, so quaint with its boutique shops, cafés, and restaurants, it’s always a joy to visit. Eager to get to our destination, we take a right at the bottom of the village into the Walker Bay Nature Reserve. Our sense of anticipation builds as we look out for the gate with its wavy metal line above – the discreet marker that you have arrived. From here, a narrow winding road leads through a forest that bursts open…

LOCATION: Paradise Island, The Bahamas Villa House Located at the easternmost tip of Paradise Island at the world-renowned Ocean Club Estates, one of the newest luxury developments in the Bahamas, Elisium is a colonial-style canal-front mansion that commands almost a full acre of beach. The US$32 million newly constructed villa is outfitted with nine-bedroom suites, 11-full bathrooms and three half-bathrooms. Its residents can revel in a private beach and a private dock situated in the protected Ocean Club Estates’ marina basin. Offering 20,000 square-feet of living space sprawling three floors, there is an elevator servicing all the floors. The villa houses a formal family sitting room with three full floor-to-ceiling windows, complete with a chandelier adorning the 28 foot-high coffered ceiling. One can enjoy meals at the family kitchen with…

LOCATION: Acton, London Residential Acton, the large residential suburb in West London, is increasingly being favoured by home buyers thanks to its planned £26 billion transformation. Following the announcement of the 1,600-acre Park Royal regeneration site as part of a 30-year vision for a new cosmopolitan corner of London, Barratt London’s Western Circus is one of the first available developments to buy in Acton, slated for completion from February 2022. The wider 1,600-acre regeneration master plan is the largest of its kind in the UK. By 2050, 40,000 new homes will be created, alongside a new high street, two major campuses for Imperial College and London’s only high-speed transport interchange where HS2 meets Crossrail. When Crossrail is completed in 2022, it will take only nine minutes to travel from Acton…