THE BUDGET ISSUE
DOLLARS & SENSE Beautiful homes that don’t break the bank
MULTIFUNCTIONAL SPACES How to make your rooms work harder DESIGN ALTERNATIVES Affordable products that look stylishly good
SHORTLIST
Now, that’s foxy! Pedrali launched a total of seven brand new collections at Salone del Mobile. Of the selection, Patrick Norguet’s Fox armchair cuts a particularly striking figure thanks to the bold cut-outs in its shell. The polypropylene shell is available in five colourways and finished in curving ash wood. Fox is also a practical chair with its steel tube legs allowing users to stack them up when not in use.
Woven light Designed by Ferruccio Laviani, the Kabuki lamp is a peculiar woven structure inspired by lace and created via injection technology. The intricate surface results in a distinctive diffusion of light. Already available as a floor lamp, this year sees Kartell launching three new additions – the Kabuki mini, Kabuki outdoor and Kabuki suspension lamp. Kartell is carried by Space Furniture and Lifestorey www.spacefurniture.com.sg; www.lifestorey.com
Pedrali is carried by Xtra, Lifestorey, and Made & Make www.xtra.com.sg; www.lifestorey.com; www.madeandmake.sg
S I N G A P O R E TA L E N T
Olivia Lee’s Athena collection For this year’s Salone del Mobile, Olivia Lee created a collection inspired by dystopian films and science fiction, that was still relatable to the way we actually live. The Athena collection approaches the smart home concept as one that is warm, tactile and inviting, as opposed to cold and fictional. “I created a range of objects that are technological in an analogue sense. They don’t involve any electronics but they work together with the way we use social media, the way we use video calls on our phones, the way we have such an intimate relationship with our handheld devices,” said Olivia. Highlights include the Altar vanity set, which features a ring light for grooming or teleconferencing, and that also serves as a discrete photo booth; the Arena carpet, which helps to define virtual and physical space during gaming or VR use; and the Emblem wall grid system, which provides acoustic buffering and temporary seating pads for guests. www.olivia-lee.com 42 | LOOKBOXLIVING.COM.SG
SHORTLIST
DESIGN EXPERIMENT
The 3D-knitted chair With the Tent Chair prototype for Moroso, Benjamin Hubert demonstrated the possibilities of the digital knitting technique for furniture production. The seat is made with 3D-knitted recyclable nylon that’s been manufactured in a single seam-free piece, which needs no stitching or additional assembly, and minimises material wastage. While a challenge to produce and currently still a prototype, Benjamin says that “in small ways it starts to ask incremental questions around how furniture can be produced.” Moroso is carried by Xtra www.xtra.com.sg
T H E FA S H I O N W O R L D
Photographic art Milan Design Week isn’t just about furniture – leading lifestyle and fashion brands also turn up, frequently working with furniture and product designers to present truly incredible work. This year, Japanese studio Nendo and fashion house Jil Sander created the Objectextile project involving a series of patterns captured on camera using transparent boxes and different shooting methods and angles, that were then carried onto Jil Sander’s capsule collection of scarves, trainers, bags and T-shirts.
COS play One of the most instagrammable works at this year’s Fair had to be COS’s New Spring installation at Cinema Arti. Already a well-established fixture at Milan Design Week having put out awe-inspiring projects with international design personalities for several years now, COS continued its success in 2017 with an immersive, multisensory installation designed by UK-based Studio Swine. New Spring drew inspiration from Japan’s sakura festival, artisan marble columns, the curves of Milan’s lampposts, baroque Murano chandeliers, and or course, COS’s own minimalist DNA. The result was a six-metre-tall, sculptural ‘tree’ that sprouted mistfilled ‘blossom’ bubbles against a chiaroscuro-effect backdrop. The bubbles burst upon contact with skin, but remained intact upon contact with fabric.
www.nendo.jp
www.cosstores.com
www.jilsander.com
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CREATIVE COLLABORATIONS For the first time ever, furniture retailer Castlery rounded up an impressive list of award-winning international designers to collaborate on exclusive furniture collections for the Singapore market. TEXT REDZMAN RAHMAT
There is no shortage of furniture stores in Singapore but some might argue that what you see in shops these days can look rather repetitive and stale. In fact, hunting for unique, well-designed furniture always leads you to higher end brands with higher end price tags. Enter Castlery, a click-and-mortar store (existing both on- and offline) that is on the forefront of the minds of many Singaporean homeowners looking for quality and affordability. Over the course of the last year, Castlery has been working hard on its new venture – a series of collaborative furniture collections dubbed Feat. With Feat, Castlery works closely with designers from across the globe to come up with well-made, well-designed and competitively priced furniture for the Asian market. It’s a close collaboration that includes both up-and-coming and established names, all independent designers that are making waves around the world.
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SHORTLIST
Bambu Collection Castlery x Yonoh Multidisciplinary creative studio Yonoh is based in Valencia, Spain, and was set up in 2006. The studio’s design ethos emphasises the simplicity of furniture design, with original yet innovative decisions that strip away any extravagances or pretenses. Founders Clara del Portillo and Alex Selma pride themselves on their attention to detail, bringing home multiple awards over the last few years. Together with Castlery, the Spanish duo came up with the Bambu collection of furniture. “It took nine months to complete,” says Alex. The studio received an email from the Castlery team, requesting a collaboration that would introduce the studio to an Asian market. “The guidelines we were given made the entire project very interesting. It wasn’t just us working on it, but truly a collaboration of minds. We wanted to bring our ideas and aesthetics to the scene, but at the same time, set it within the confines of a Singaporean home.”
Co-founder Selma continues, “Singapore has smaller homes, and that’s something that influenced our design decisions.” Taking into account the guidelines that were presented, Clara and Alex came up with several iterations of the Bambu collection, before settling on what you see now. The Bambu collection comprises a sofa, an ottoman, an armchair and a TV console, and stays true to Yonoh’s style language. Each furniture piece is stark in its simplicity, with strong lines that outline its silhouette. Gentle curves blend seamlessly with rounded angles, seen explicitly on the sofa. “Asian influences factor quite heavily in our design,” offers Clara. “We looked at Japanese minimalism, Mediterranean designs and the spirit of Northern Europe when designing the Bambu collection. But most importantly, we looked at the foundation of Southeast Asian furniture.” As its name suggests, the Bambu collection is strongly inspired by the traditional bamboo and rattan furniture that is ubiquitous to ’70s and ’80s Singapore. Yonoh reimagined the craftmanship of bamboo furniture, but in a modernised Western setting. To achieve this, they employed the technique of solid wood steam bending. “Bamboo and rattan are both very Asian materials, so we wanted to incorporate these Eastern elements into our furniture collaboration with Castlery. You can see the influences in the details, especially in the bending of the wood frame.” LOOKBOXLIVING.COM.SG | 47
THE HOME THAT WORKS HARDER Maximising space, keeping within budget and easy maintenance are undoubtedly the top concerns for many homeowners. Designing rooms that serve more than one function may just be the best solution to balancing these priorities. TEXT SHILA NAIDU
Many homeowners desire a home that caters to the different facets of their lifestyle. By designing the rooms in their homes to be flexible and multifunctional, some savvy homeowners are able to achieve this goal. While many who live in smaller homes may view multifunctional spaces as a necessity, more people are beginning to see it as a convenient and budgetfriendly design option. Multifunctional rooms can highlight focal points of the home and influence the flow of the whole house. For instance, in a home where the living and kitchen spaces are shared, a kitchen island that doubles up as the dining table can be emphasised as the main gathering point during a dinner party. A key tip to keep in mind when planning a multipurpose room, is that you do not need to divide the space evenly between the two uses. For example, if you have a spare room that you wish to convert into a home-gym and guest room, 56 | LOOKBOXLIVING.COM.SG
decide what you will be using the space for most of the time. If you like to exercise daily but only host overnight guests occasionally, most of the space should contain your exercise equipment. A small area can be reserved for a sofa-bed and a small storage unit for your guest’s belongings. Instead of traditional room dividers, use curtains or functional furniture like a chest of drawers to separate the spaces. Multipurpose rooms are also excellent money-savers because the furniture in the room usually serve more than one purpose, leaving you with less to buy. A countertop and chair in a wardrobe room can easily be used as a workspace, so that you need not spend money on an additional desk and office chair for a dedicated study room. Likewise, if you have an ottoman at the foot of your bed, you can use it as a seat and place a folding table in front of it to create a nifty and convenient workspace whenever required.
SPOTLIGHT
Have a Long Island This ingenious design allows the living room and kitchen to form one large unobstructed space. The long table running parallel to the kitchen counter helps to elongate the room and can be used as a prep station or dining table. (Facing page) Design by Artistroom
Eat play work This living room combines the living, dining and work areas, yet appears uncluttered and spacious. By maintaining the white and brown theme throughout the room, the designers have ensured a seamless spatial flow. The benches also serve as extra seating space for guests during large gatherings.
Curtain call This 400-sqft apartment was designed with curtains to cordon off the living area from the kitchen, allowing the living room to transform into a guest room whenever family and friends come to stay. The curtain rails, which may be unsightly to some, are cleverly concealed with pelmets on the ceiling. Design by Hue D
Design by Ciseern
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DESIGN BY ARTISTROOM
DESIGN ALTERNATIVES Achieving a luxurious look for your apartment does not necessarily mean you need to rob a bank. A dab of resourcefulness goes a long way. TEXT JOSEPH LIM
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When it comes to home renovation, it often boils down to dollars and cents. But don’t let money be the issue. In fact, being resourceful has its benefits. It does not mean you have to scrimp on renovation ideas or shelve away your quest for a “luxury hotel” inspired interior. There are plenty of alternative materials for the home, and one need not necessarily look at all natural products like marble, stone, wood or copper. Today’s manufacturing processes have allowed us to attain luxury-looking materials that appear like the real thing, i.e. laminates that emulate teak grains, and synthetic surfaces that mirror marble’s alluring swirls, to name a few. Researching for alternative materials can help you shave not just hundreds, but thousands of dollars in your renovation costs. Sometimes a change to a more affordable material may even extend the lifespan of your worktop. Consider this: a solid surface kitchen top can appear like marble, whereas bona fide marble’s porous quality is a nightmare when it comes to wine and food stains! So, look at the bigger picture instead – understand that in the grand scheme of things, a sensible renovation plan is one that considers alternative materials capable of achieving the desired look. We suss out some of the best alternative solutions, materials and products so you don’t have to break a sweat.
SPOTLIGHT
THE MATERIAL WORLD Our love for precious materials derived from Mother Nature goes back to the stone ages. But if you’re a tree-hugging homeowner, selecting an alternative option that looks like stone or marble should dovetail your plans to protect the environment and save some money. How’s that for responsible home improvement!
1–2. Marvellous marble Natural and alluring – these words sum up the look of marble. While we know prices of this precious article can be astronomical, there are affordable solutions. For one, look to Lamitak’s (1) “Marmo Classico”, a laminate design that is inspired by the luxurious Calacatta marble. Alternatively, consider EDL’s range of high-pressure laminates that take its visual cues from Mother Nature’s prized marble. From the dark and sexy (2) “Nero Rosso” black marble laminate to the sublime “Royal Travertine” laminate, there’s something for every homeowner to create expensive looking surfaces without spending a bomb. 3. Stone-cold beauty Stone is another natural material that has piqued the interest of man since the early ages. Known for its rigidity and hardiness without the fuss of maintenance like that of marble, this timeless material is a must-have for homeowners looking to inject a rustic look into their home. EDL’s “Black limestone” and “Limestone” high-
pressure laminates come in black and dirty, dusty green hues respectively, and perfectly capture the material’s natural porous patterns. Just think... you don’t have to rack up your costs or arrange for the stone to be hulled up to your home!
4–5. Woodgrain wonder Who does not love the warmth of wood in the home? If you want the look of wood without harming trees, then EDL’s (4) “Legno” range of wood-like, highpressure laminates might be the way to go. Another option is (5) “Majestic Camphor” from Admira. Part of the new high-pressure laminate range known as Xtreme, it sports a refined matt surface that is resistant to fingerprints and hand-traffic grease. One of Xtreme’s features is the extreme depth of colour transparency which enhances the quality and intensity of the colours.
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7. www.eatandsip.co Bring a beach-inspired vibe to your tabletop with this series of Wave plates by designer Amelia Kingston. The gold lustre on the blue wave motifs will certainly add shine to any table setting. Wave plates, starts at $25, from Eat & Sip
8. www.etchandbolts.com Let this elegant table be the statement piece in your dining area. It is fully customisable with three marble top options and gold or black coated steel frame to choose from, so you can make your own stylish combination.
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Elona dining table, $1,899, from Etch&Bolts
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9. www.naiise.com This bespoke lamp brings all things raw and cool to your bedside. It’s a cross between a functional lamp and a concrete sculpture, with a dimmable Edison filament bulb to create the desired ambience. Madam Sculpture lamp by Concrete Everything, $150, from Naiise
10. www.vintageparloursg.com Elevate the way you serve drinks with this intricate glass decanter that exudes vintage style. You can also use it as a vase to display lovely blooms. Casablanca decanter, $38, from The Vintage Parlour
11. www.allthingsdeco.com Everyday meals can be a glamorous affair with these chic and personalised cutlery sets. Made from stainless steel, each set is engraved with your choice of words. They make for pretty housewarming gifts too. Personalised cutlery, starts at $21.90, from All Things Deco 68 | LOOKBOXLIVING.COM.SG
SPOTLIGHT
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12. www.decordinary.com Inject a playful element into your space with this whimsical wallpaper by award-winning designer Sian Zeng. It also comes in a magnetic version, transforming the wall into an interactive backdrop for your children’s magical stories.
16. www.ethnicraft-online.com.sg Cleverly designed to look like it is floating, the Burger bed creates the illusion of larger floor space while lending a streamlined, contemporary feel to your room. The teak slatted base has four adjustable positions to accommodate your mattress height.
Dino wallpaper, $130 (classic) and $512
Burger Bed, starts at $1,890 (queen size),
(magnetic) per roll, from Decordinary
from Ethnicraft Online
13. www.cluster-cluster.com Dress up your seating with a touch of shimmer and shine with these satin linen cushions. We love the subtle tie-dye design and earthy colours that evoke an island feel.
17. The M Rack’s unique grid combination allows it to be installed either vertically or horizontally whether placed against the wall or used a divider. The interlocking lines are inspired by the work of Dutch painter Piet Mondrian. Available in teak or oak.
Bermuda cushions, $38 each, from Cluster-Cluster
M Rack, starts at $1,340, from Ethnicraft Online 15
14. www.cuckoolittlelifestyle.com Not only is this handwoven hemp rug a charming addition to a child’s room, it also serves as a comfortable and safe place for your tot to romp about the floor
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Flower Weave Camelia Natural Rug by Armadillo & Co, $399, from Cuckoo 16
15. Create a cosy hangout for your kids to play, read or relax in with this beautiful cotton canopy. Hang it over a bed or anywhere in the room, and add twinkly lights for a magical mood. Canopy by Numero 74, $195, from Cuckoo LOOKBOXLIVING.COM.SG | 69
STYLE KIT
HOME FOR ENTERTAINING
A pair of jet-setting homeowners wanted a home that was not only easy to clean, but also conducive for hosting company whenever they were back in town. When they fell in love with a dining table, their designer Tommy Lai decided to build the home around it. TEXT JASMINE GOH
PHOTOGRAPHY JUSTIN LOH
ART DIRECTION BETTY WONG
I N D E TA I L Home: 5-room HDB BTO | Floor area: 1,216 sqft | Where: Clementi | Who lives here: Young professionals Dave Lua and Tan Ai Ling
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t all started with a table from Crate & Barrel. “We saw this table very early on, even before we got our keys,” says homeowner Dave Lua. “I liked it from the get-go. So when Tommy (our designer) said okay, we bought it!” Measuring 2.3 metres long, it’s no wonder that new homeowners Dave Lua and Tan Ai Ling had to get “permission” from their interior designer before they purchased the table for their 5-room HDB flat. “Because it’s really huge, Tommy had to think of ways to accommodate this furniture piece. If you don’t cater for this right at the start, then you may not be able to fit this in,” Dave explains. This gigantic table now takes pride of place in the middle of the couple’s new home. Since Dave and Ai Ling often have friends over and entertain regularly, their designer Tommy Lai decided that the dining table was best positioned as the place to gather. “They wanted to host friends, and that was more or less in line with my idea of having people gather around something,” says Tommy. “Nowadays, not many apartments can accommodate a big dining room. Having the dining table as the central piece in the home allows people to sit around to talk.” Since a large portion of the space is now allocated to the dining area, Tommy had to think about how he could design the rest of the room to fit in a sofa, TV, LOOKBOXLIVING.COM.SG | 95
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“We can fit about 10 to 11 people at this table and still be very comfortable with the space.” – Dave Lua, homeowner
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D E S I G N N OT E S Referring to the kitchen countertop made using Dekton, Tommy says, “This is by far, my favourite material to use. Surfaces, as much as possible, should be fuss free.”
Top left: Woodgrain laminates and black tiles cover the vertical surfaces of the kitchen while Dekton is used for countertops. Top right: The whisky bar is topped with aluminium coated gold and varnished to make it a hardwearing surface for bottles and glassware.
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and a whisky bar. He knew that the couple prioritised making their home conducive for hosting company and even big gatherings. In addition, the couple also enjoy having drinks with their friends and needed storage space for wine and whisky. “I have a large collection of alcohol, and wanted a place to store them,” Dave reveals. “I also wanted it to be more open.” To create the perfect whisky bar where Dave’s collection could be stored yet easily accessed, Tommy designed a pair of shelving units and positioned them within the dining area. Made of stainless steel powder coated black, these units complement the rustic lines of the dining table. The wall separating the kitchen was also hacked away to open up the space, providing the homeowners and their guests with more room to move about and mingle. The arrangement of the living room was then re-oriented so that the sofa faced the windows. Explaining this rather unconventional layout, Tommy says, “This house has a fantastic view. It’d be such a waste to orientate the room to the TV, instead of the view!” Located on the 29th floor with an unblocked view that stretches for kilometres, this flat certainly has a
STYLE KIT
This dining table from Crate & Barrel is made from repurposed wood. Each wood plank was reclaimed from telephone poles and continue to sport unique holes and knots. The table is paired with a row of five pendant lamps made of Barro Negro clay. Tommy had them directly imported from Mexico as they were of the ideal size and colour, which he had not been able to find locally.
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STYLE KIT
RESTORED WITH LOVE
Photographers Chloe and Dominic’s fondness for vintage treasures is warmly reflected in their resale flat unit designed by Third Avenue Studio, where industrial-style accents and second-hand finds conjure a worldly eclectic charm. TEXT DISA TAN
PHOTOGRAPHY JUSTIN LOH
ART DIRECTION BETTY WONG
Left: The living room is an eclectic landscape of nostalgia dotted with fascinating second-hand finds. Some notable pieces include a blanket chest found on Etsy, a round accent table from famous nightspot Phuture and a well-aged French industrial-style cast iron table which has been repurposed as a coffee table. Facing page: Standing between the front entrance and the living zone is a privacy divider made of concrete bricks. Even though the homeowners like the raw look of an exposed concrete wall, they decided to have it painted to prevent loose particles of concrete from flaking and falling all over the floor.
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I N D E TA I L Home: 5-room resale HDB flat | Where: Ubi | Floor area: 1,200 sqft | Who lives here: Photographers Chloe and Dominic
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ourcing for preloved furnishings could well be homeowner Chloe’s second forte, after her day job as a food photographer. Her first home with husband and fellow shutterbug Dominic is a cosy hodgepodge of interesting second-hand pieces. As she points out excitedly where and how she chanced upon certain noteworthy items, she reveals that her hunt for vintage furniture started long before their resale flat was even purchased. “We have our own studio and that gave us the room to store some of the furniture, which also double as props,” says Chloe. She shares that their studio actually sparked off their home’s industrial-eclectic style. In fact, senior interior designer Lawrence Tan from Third Avenue Studio was the designer who renovated their studio back in 2015, and now their home. Engaging Lawrence again was always on the cards and once the married couple obtained the floor plan of their resale flat, they called him up. It was a lengthy wait of nine months before they could take over the flat. That gave Chloe ample time to comb through garage sales and online second-hand marketplaces like eBay, Carousell and Gumtree. It was such a thrill that she declares that shopping for great deals for her home was her favourite part of the renovation. “I definitely enjoyed finding ‘treasures’ for my home,” says Chloe, beaming brightly. “Seeing our carefully curated furniture and decor pieces come together makes us swell with a sense of homeowner’s pride.” While furnishing the place is, no doubt, an exciting part of the renovation, the living space wouldn’t look this good without proper space planning. The couple made it known to Lawrence that instead of walls, they wanted steel framed glass panels to enclose their kitchen and one of the common bedrooms. Using black powder coated mount steel with a sleek one-inch frame, the designer paired these clean industrial lines with a hollow brick wall treatment for the adjoining living zone and then whitewashed most of the walls. This presents a fresh and bare visage, which falls in line with the homeowners’ desire to layer with attractive clusters of plants and old and new furnishings. The married couple’s warm hospitality does not go unnoticed, and is especially evident in the way their home has been laid out. Dominic loves cooking for his guests while Chloe enjoys playing host. Even though the kitchen is separated by glass panels from the communal spaces, it doesn’t deter guests from wandering in to interact with the home chef. With the floor area maximised with a simple but efficient galley layout, it’s pretty much an open invitation for guests to come in and mingle. While Dominic cooks up a storm, Chloe takes her entertaining outside in the dining area, which is furnished
STYLE KIT
D E S I G N N OT E S By carefully curating every single piece, this mix of old and new furnishings looks well puttogether yet fills the home with character and soul. Right: Aware that the homeowners wanted to include a Chinese medicine-style cabinet in their kitchen, the designer created an overhead storage fixture to accommodate the antique piece. It was then topped with a new resilient countertop to protect it from further wear.
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with a church pew table she found in Sydney. The second-hand 2.7-metre table is certainly different from the regular dining table, which is much broader in width. It turned out to be a great fit for the dining space, as the ‘lanky’ frame complements the flow of the available walking space. “If they had gone with a regular six-seater table, it would have cramped up the walking room,” Lawrence reveals. Chloe adds, “We had doubts initially on whether it would fit into the HDB elevator! Luckily, we called Lawrence to check, and here it is now.” Other than entertaining in the living and dining zones, Chloe is especially fond of her private lounge room, affectionately dubbed the ‘Whisky Room’. It deserves a special mention for all its cool vintage entertainment systems like the Bose 901 speaker, which is no longer in production. “I love listening to old-school jazz music on vinyl,” she says. “My favourite records have to be ‘Kind of Blue’ by Miles Davis and ‘Dave Brubeck at Storyville: 1954’ by The Dave Brubeck Quartet.” For the other common bedroom and master bedroom, there were some configuration works done
to make the space more liveable. Wedged between both rooms was a storeroom and the couple figured that they needed a larger wardrobe more than a storage space. By taking the walls down, Lawrence utilised part of the room as additional depth for the new wardrobe. It is now neatly flushed with the walls of the master bedroom while the other side of the wardrobe serves as their study room. This practical usage of space promises adaptability and only sweetens the allure of this home with its personable mix of the old and new. It’s obvious that treading on familiar ground for both homeowners and Lawrence definitely helped. Says Chloe, “It was easier working with Lawrence this time because he already understood our sense of aesthetic and lifestyle. We knew we were in safe hands and that saved us a lot of trouble and stress.”
Third Avenue Studio www.thirdavenuestudio.com.sg
“Good space planning coupled with the right materials was definitely necessary to make this old resale flat a better place to live in.” – Lawrence Tan, designer
PHOTO COURTESY OF THIRD AVENUE STUDIO
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STYLE KIT
PHOTO COURTESY OF THIRD AVENUE STUDIO
DESIGN ON A BUDGET The homeowners share how they skimped on their budget without skimping on style. HOW MUCH DID YOU SAVE ON YOUR RENOVATION? I believe I saved around 30 percent on some of my furniture and fixtures by waiting for outlet sales or buying it second hand. BESIDES SNIFFING OUT GOOD DEALS, IN WHAT OTHER AREAS DID YOU MANAGE TO CUT COSTS? Not going crazy with built-in cabinets definitely helped. It also provided us with a blank canvas to layer our furniture with. BEST BARGAIN SO FAR? My Fisher and Paykel refrigerator. I’ve saved slightly more than half the retail price by purchasing it on Carousell. BEST TIP ON HUNTING DOWN DEALS? The key is to be patient and not rush into a deal. Do your research to find out how much the item is retailing at before committing.
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