SHORTLIST
LIVING
As a place to relax, socialise and entertain, today’s living room is a dynamic and ever-evolving space, and without a doubt one of the most important zones in the home. TEXT JANICE SEOW
A matter of utility Designed by renowned Shanghai-based studio Neri&Hu for Stellar Works, Utility Sofa Three Sides is a durable and comfortable piece of furniture with a sophisticated take on the industrial aesthetic. The solid wood base of the upholstered sofa lends warmth and an added sense of sturdiness to the piece. Utility Sofa Three Sides from Stella Works is available at P5 Studio, www.p5studio.com.sg
Simple lines Instead of a built-in TV console, consider a furniture piece that you can move around as you like. The Universo Positivo Monolit TV Cupboard is a perfect design for modern living spaces. It’s a simple but distinct piece thanks to the contrasting characteristics of wood and metal framing. It also features flip down doors.
New retro Retro is witnessing a revival, but its modern representation isn’t about garishly busy prints; it is something more sophisticated. The Retro Remix collection by Murals Wallpaper embraces new nostalgia with statement-making, colour-blocking mural designs in contemporary shades of rosy pink, matt navy, chalky pastels and velvety tones with a powdery finish.
Illuminating terrazzo Terrazzo is seeing a resurgence, and it’s no longer just for floors. In its experiments with terrazzo, the folks from Bentu have created a diverse home furnishings collection for modern times. Their 02 wall sconce is a case in point. Made of concrete and ceramic waste, the lamp is a beautiful piece of design that transforms surface material into functional art.
available at Ethicraft Online,
Retro Remix collection is available at Murals
02 lamp from Bentu is available at Meraki
www.ethnicraft-online.com.sg
Wallpaper, www.muralswallpaper.com
Decoration, www.merakidecoration.com
Monolit TV Cupboard from Universo Positivo is
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SHORTLIST
Nesting tables are great for modern living spaces – especially compact apartments. Pull them out or tuck them in as the need arises.
A sofa that sings Technology is changing and enhancing all aspects of our lives, including the way we lounge. The Live sofa from Divanidea comes with an optional Bluetooth audio system and music amplification so you don’t miss out on your favourite music. The feather-filled back cushions, and seat cushions with different density non-deforming polyurethane foam ensure comfort. Leather and fully removable fabric slipcovers are available. Granboda nest of tables are available Live sofa from Divanidea is available at Prestige Furniture, www.prestigefurniture.com.sg
Grey attraction Oki Sato, founder of Japanese design studio Nendo, is known for infusing minimalist forms with memory-arousing details, and for his use of soft, friendly shapes. His NJP lamp for Louis Poulsen in 2015 exemplified this approach with a familiar, chimney-shaped head design. Available in floor, table and two wall lamp versions, the product has now been expanded from black and white options to include an elegant Light Alu Grey edition. The lamp features built-in LED technology and is capable of spreading its glare-free light over a large area. The flexible head and arms offer great flexibility and make it easy to find the ideal position.
at Ikea, www.ikea.com.sg
Dip coffee tables are available at Commune, www.thecommunelife.com
Formiche tables from B&B Italia are available at Space Furniture,
The NJP collection is available at Louis Poulsen, www.louispoulsen.com 22 | LOOKBOXLIVING.COM.SG
www.spacefurniture.com.sg
SHORTLIST
DINING
The modern-day dining room is often not just a space to gather as a family for meals, but also an area for entertaining, and even a place to work. TEXT JANICE SEOW
Solid as wood The dining table is more often than not the centrepiece of the dining room. Apart from choosing one that’s easy to clean and hardy enough to withstand the rigours of daily use, it’s important to pick a piece that will make a beautiful statement in your space. Made of high quality American walnut timber, the King Living Aspen dining table bears a warm and minimalist aesthetic that fits into most modern-day interiors. It is also durable and easy to care for. Aspen dining table is available at King Living, www.kingliving.com.sg
All lit up Add elegance and colour into your dining space with these MOM lamps. Designed by Umberto Asnago for Penta, the pendants are made of borosilicate glass and can be grouped together to create different arrangements. The colouring (achieved with a particular oxidising process), and smooth, rounded corners allude to the idea of precious stones. The lamps have a soft and tactile surface, thanks to the matt finishing.
Screen time A screen is a great option for those who want an open-plan home, but still desire some degree of privacy between the dining and living area. Function and art come together in this Orient Screen by Hong Kong-based studio The Fabrick Lab. Made in collaboration with craftswomen, the shapes in this screen’s laser cut fabric are derived from traditional Guizhou prints.
MOM lamp from Penta is available at Studio216,
Orient Screen from The Fabrick Lab is
www.studio216.co
available at Wright & Smith, www.wrightandsmith.com
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SHORTLIST
On the move (Right) Many regard Move as iconic Danish designer Verner Panton’s (1926 – 1998) favourite table, given that he designed it specifically for his own studio. It was where he worked as well as ate, and he used to move it around for different purposes. In that same spirit, Verpan has launched Move as a multi-functional table for modern times. It now comes with rotating casters for easy movement, and has a tabletop made of linoleum, which does not change colour and is fingerprint-resistant. Its size also makes it practical both as a work desk and dining table. Move table from Verpan is available at Space Furniture, www.spacefurniture.com.sg
Sitting on concrete More and more design brands are finding fresh and creative ways to expand the uses of concrete in the home. Bentu and its Concrete series of lamps, furniture, accessories and tiles is a case in point. To retain the unique texture of the material, no resin is added to the pieces. The minimalist designs, such as Chair H (featured here) beautifully encapsulate the pure, clean and strong essence of concrete.
A side of luxury A sideboard is a worthy investment if you have the space for it. You can store and have easy access to your dinnerware, and it also gives you added room to display ornaments and personal items. The Relate sideboard from Actus Häuse is a contemporary design that brings a touch of luxury and elegance to the home. It comes with plenty of storage space and even features leather-laid drawers. Available in mahogany and oak.
Chair H from Bentu is available at Meraki
Relate sideboard is available at Actus Häuse
Decoration, www.merakidecoration.com
by Atomi, www.atomi-jp.com/actushause LOOKBOXLIVING.COM.SG | 25
WINNER, LOOKBOX DESIGN AWARDS 2017
IN PROFILE: UPSTAIRS We speak with Upstairs, the recipient of the Interior Design Firm of the Year award at the inaugural Lookbox Design Awards 2017, about their approach to design. TEXT REDZMAN RAHMAT PROFILE AND STUDIO PHOTOS WINSTON CHUANG PROJECT IMAGES COURTESY OF UPSTAIRS
(From left) Lisa Lim, Senior Creative and Communications; Eric Lee, CEO; Dennis Cheok, Creative Director; Chong Xiao Ren, Senior Creative; Bertrand Koh, CFO; and Rey Carillo, Technical Specialist 42 | LOOKBOXLIVING.COM.SG
Meet Upstairs, a dynamic interior design studio that has been steadily making an impact in Singapore’s design scene in recent years. What started out as a one-man studio in 2010 has now flourished into an award-winning boutique design firm with a varied portfolio that includes both residential and commercial projects. The core team is made of five ‘hybrid creatives’, each of whom is heavily involved in every step of the creative process. Led by Creative Director Dennis Cheok, Upstairs takes a unique approach to each design project that it’s hired to do. Dennis describes it as a collaborative process that’s bolstered by constant communication between designer and client. “We listen a lot, and thereafter, we extract and edit a coherent story that forms the backbone of each project,” he says. “What I especially love about this process is that we really come to know each client at a personal level, and by the end of the project, we end up becoming friends.” The last couple of years have been eventful. Apart from completing several stand-out interior design works (as seen over the next few pages), Upstairs was awarded Interior Design Firm of the Year, Most Dramatic Transformation, Excellence in Innovation
SPOTLIGHT
“We listen a lot, and thereafter, we extract and edit a coherent story that forms the backbone of each project.” – Dennis Cheok, Creative Director, Upstairs
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SPOTLIGHT
HERE ARE SOME OF THE COMMON SY M BO L S YO U M IG H T C O M E AC ROS S W H E N S T U DY I N G Y O U R F L O O R P L A N :
PHOTO MINDANDI/ FREEPIK
ALL LAID OUT The first step to a well-organised and efficient spatial configuration is to understand the floor plan of your home.
Normal wall (can be removed with HDB’s approval)
Structural wall (cannot be removed)
Swing door
Foldable door
TEXT REDZMAN RAHMAT
The floor plan can be a tricky document to understand. After all, what do you make of all the lines, shapes and unfamiliar icons? To wrap your head around it, you need to first understand that this blueprint is a top-down view of your home, drawn to scale, and includes the walls, doors and windows. Each line, whether in dots or dashes, has a specific meaning that can help you understand the space better. When reading a floor plan, it’s good to start from the main entrance. Imagine yourself walking through the home, and envisioning where the doors and windows are. It might also help if you rotate the floor plan as you move through the rooms, to give yourself a sense of perspective. 52 | LOOKBOXLIVING.COM.SG
Sliding door
Sliding window
Casement window
After
Bedroom
C A S E S T U DY #1
Lakeview Apartment by The Design Abode Images courtesy of The Design Abode
In this newly privatised HUDC flat, design studio The Design Abode reworked the floor plan and reconfigured the rooms to make it more suitable for modern day living. The biggest concern about this home lies in its original layout. The living room has a prime view of the adjacent MacRitchie Reservoir and its surrounding greenery. However, the dining room, which is the other communal space, faces the opposite side.
Before
Walk-in wardrobe
Master bathroom
Master bedroom Bathroom
Bedroom
Bathroom
Dining
Master bedroom
Bedroom
Dining
Bedroom Kitchen
Kitchen Living
Living
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SPOTLIGHT
The Design Abode decided to make some major changes to the spatial configuration, giving priority to the communal areas and paying attention to the inherent flow of space. In one of the major changes, the dining room was swapped with one of the bedrooms, ensuring that its new location affords it a view to the reservoir outside. The result is a joint space between the living and dining rooms, with a panoramic view of the reservoir. Several quality of life changes helped to make this home more fluid and space efficient. For example, the kitchen entrance now opens out to the living room. With this new floor plan, there is a more coherent flow from the kitchen to the living room, dining room and eventually, to the bedrooms. www.thedesignabode.com 54 | LOOKBOXLIVING.COM.SG
SPOTLIGHT
MAP OUT WHERE TO PL AC E YO U R FURNITURE Floor plans will clearly indicate where your doors and windows are. This helps you plan how you move from room to room, and more importantly, how and where to place your furniture. For example, it might seem like a good idea to build a shelf next to your bedroom door. But a look at your floor plan will tell you that you won’t be able to fully open the door with the shelf in the way.
(Facing page, top) The space where the dining room sits used to be a bedroom. The designers knocked away the dividing wall to make way for a shared living and dining space. (Facing page, bottom) Another structural column stands next to the window between the living and dining room. The designers incorporated it into the design by introducing a built-in lounge. (Top left and right) By extending the wall, the designers were able to build a walk-in wardrobe and vanity counter. (Right) Removing a wall in the living room left a structural column in clear view in front of the kitchen. This obstacle has been turned into a kitchen serving counter that stands subtly between the living and dining room. LOOKBOXLIVING.COM.SG | 55
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STYLE KIT
THE BLACK CRIB Driven by a love for black and a desire for a home where they can completely chill out, the owners of this HDB flat have created a dark and moody-looking pad that perfectly expresses their personality and style. TEXT JANICE SEOW PHOTOGRAPHY WONG WEILIANG ART DIRECTION BETTY WONG & SITI NURFAIZAH
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I N D E TA I L Home: 5-room HDB BTO flat | Floor area: 1,220sqft | Who lives here: Married couple Sherlynn and Brandon, and their two dogs | Where: Bukit Batok | Reno cost: $100,000
(Above) Cove lighting brings emphasis to the framed, elevated living area. The wall panelling in this space, along with the kitchen-dining island and the dresser in the master bedroom are made of Fenix NTM from EDL. The couple chose this material for its nanotechnology (it’s able to thermally heal micro-scratches), its durability, easy maintenance and beautiful matt look. (Facing page) This flat is completely built for entertaining. Apart from the open-concept kitchen/dining space, an odd corner has been turned into a sleek bar area. 72 | LOOKBOXLIVING.COM.SG
M
ost people would baulk at the idea of an all-black home, but not so the young married couple living in this 5-room flat; for them, going with such an unapologetically dark colour scheme was a most natural move. “I like black,” says wife Sherlynn with a laugh. “I wanted the space to be very studio-like, and a bit like a bachelor’s pad with a masculine vibe.” Thankfully, her husband Brandon shares very similar tastes. “I’m a monochrome guy myself!” he chimes in. Making that transition from the bright outdoors to the dark, enveloping coolness of this HDB flat quite takes one’s breath away. The eyes require a little time to adjust, but the experience is an entirely pleasant one – like entering a hushed, chill-out zone. The fact that Sherlynn runs her own interior design outfit Millimeters Studio, and had previously worked for a large design firm where she dealt with hospitality projects overseas probably also played a part in helping her enforce the moody scheme with such confidence. The entire communal zone (kitchen, and living and dining area) is wrapped primarily in black. Complementing shades come in the form of ash
STYLE KIT
D E S I G N N OT E S (Right) A pegboard wall is a great way to display items as it gives you the flexibility to move things around. This one conceals the door to the bomb shelter. It’s made of black-stained birch wood, and the laser cut slots allow the homeowners to move the hooks and shelves around however they like. (Far right) Stainless steel surfaces help to brighten a dark kitchen. The material is forgiving and easy to maintain, and in this instance, works well with the home’s modern, urban scheme.
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brown HERF flooring, grey accent walls, and an array of stylish home accessories, artwork, and personal paraphernalia in green, white, silver, gold, and even neon. It’s evident that black is the canvas on which the couple imprint their personal style. For example, the custom pegboard wall located near the main entrance not only hides the door of the bomb shelter, but also allows the couple to display objects and move them around as they like. “I wanted to be able to personalise this area, and especially at Christmas or special occasions, I’ll take the opportunity to change things around,” says Sherlynn. The walls of the kitchen and service yard have been removed to create a spacious, open-concept kitchen that transitions seamlessly into the dining and living area. “My husband loves to cook, and we both
also love to host,” says Sherlynn, explaining the move. By opening up the space, Sherlynn was also able to design a cooking-dining island where the couple and their family and friends could gather for meals or simply hang out while food is being prepared. Open compartments for their dogs’ toilet and feeding bowls have also been thoughtfully integrated into the kitchen cabinetry and island respectively. Further in, the living area sits on a framed, elevated platform, and from its vantage point on the 25th floor, enjoys panoramic views of the city skyline. Sherlynn shares that the idea of ‘framing’ the view essentially served as the starting point for her design, and adds, “I decided to raise up this space because I wanted to highlight the entire scene.” This ‘frame’ is surrounded by LED cove lighting, which underscores the design detail while also functioning as a night light. Sherlynn custom designed many of the furniture pieces herself, such as the bar counter and liquor display unit, the island table, and the shelving unit in the reading corner. All these pieces display a consistent design language with their sleek black framing and metal details fitting in beautifully with the flat’s modern, urban vibes. Many of these designs are also loose pieces that can be moved around should the couple have a desire to rearrange their space. The passageway leading to the sleeping quarters is lit by architectural outdoor wall sconces that can be angled to create different atmospheric moods. The dark palette continues all the way through to the master bedroom, which has been merged with another common bedroom to create a larger room that’s now able to comfortably accommodate a kingsized bed and a study cum wardrobe area. The work and rest zones are separated by a clear glass divider which maintains the sense of spaciousness whilst also ensuring privacy. And demonstrating once again the idea of ‘framing’ the views, Sherlynn has designed the bed to sit directly facing the stretch of bedroom windows. She adds, “We also like the idea of having an ‘island bed’ so that the dogs can roam freely around us!” For Sherlynn and Brandon, this house has turned out completely as they had envisioned – it’s a chill-out sanctuary where they can relax, take in the view, and enjoy the company of those closest to them.
Millimeters Studio www.millimeters.com.sg
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