SquareRooms July issue [Preview]

INTERIOR S

.

IDEA S

.

www.squarerooms.com.sg

cool tools

art of zen

at home with

Kitchen and utility room must-haves for the starter home

Turn your bathroom into a sanctuary

Take a peek inside radio DJ Jamie Yeo’s home

S O L U TION S

go for bold Statement-making interior trends to know now

JUL 2016

ISSUE 135 S$5.50/RM10

SquareRooms online

Looking for interior decor ideas for your new home on the go?

Visit SquareRooms online for your daily dose of interior ideas, decor inspiration, practical solutions and hot buys.

www.squarerooms.com.sg 12 JUL

www.squarerooms.com.sg

What is your new scandi style?

How hipster is your home?

Take this quiz to find out if your home is hipster, mainstream or just not cool enough.

Scandi-dandy or Swede-chic?

Take this quiz to find out which Scandinavian camp you belong to.

quiz

Discover your personal interior decorating style with our fun and interactive quizzes

What is your dream kitchen?

What is your interior design style?

Find out if your ideal interior decorating style is minimalist, contemporary, Scandinavian or eclectic.

Sleek and modern or rustic and warm? This quiz will help you figure out your ideal kitchen.

Can’t wait to determine your true interior decor style? Go to the Quiz section on www.squarerooms.com.sg now to find out!

Get connected today!

@SquareRoomsMag

SquareRooms

Get your digital copy!

Download your favourite issues anywhere on the go!

HOTnews

I ta ly

huts in a home Palafitt is a hut-shaped cupboard designed by Marcantonio Raimondi Malerba for Seletti. Perfect for homeowners looking to imbue their home with a rustic-chic look, this refined piece has a unique profile that is both sculptural and elegant. Stow away your favourite tableware in style with this cupboard, which offers great storage and display solutions. Our favourite feature is the magnetic little birds that inject instant charm by bringing nature into homes.

For more information, visit www.marama.it

United Kingdom

london lovin’

Denmark

set in oak

By Lassen’s award-winning frame storage solution is now available in smoked oak, a colour and material that works well with Scandinavian design. Set in classic dark tones with black metal edges, this collection of cube-inspired furniture is sure to add warmth and elegance to any space. It is available in multiple boxes of varying sizes that can be hung on the wall or placed on the floor, table or shelf.

It can even stand alone as art. For more information, visit www.bylassen.com

14 JUL

Quirky furniture brand Moooi, known for its daring and playful designs, has reopened its London store just north of buzzy Soho. The neighbourhood has always been a focal point of for design lovers and the literati, so the store’s new address is definitely in good company, what with the proliferation of world-class restaurants, galleries and hotels situated just steps away. Inside, the showroom and brand store displays a stunning collection of signature carpets, iconic lamps and other provocative furniture, making it a shopping destination for design-savvy visitors and locals alike. For more information, visit www.moooi.com

Au s t r a l i a

chockfull of colour Homeowners with a

penchant for prints, patterns and colour can take delight in Arro Home’s newest collection. Featuring playful prints, geometric patterns and bold colour combinations, the soft furnishings and home decor accessories are sure to add cheer to your living room and bedroom. From rugs and throws to glassware and storage baskets, the Australian brand’s latest collection is the modern answer to a cosy home. For more information, visit www.arrohome.com

United Kingdom

s p e c t r u m p l ay As part of project Spectra during Milan Design Week 2016, Kukka Studio and designer Rona Meyuchas-Koblenz created the ABCD and O tables.

Inspired by reflection and refraction, the tables are designed to create a dialogue between two materials by manipulating the effect of environment on the object. The 12-mm white quartz slabs are made of reclaimed materials and highly-resistant diachroic glass.

The result? A shimmering piece of furniture that displays light waves in almost every colour of the spectrum — including red, green, magenta and cyan. For more information, visit www.kukka.co.uk

P o rt u g a l

b o l d ly c h i c Furniture maker Brabbu’s new Bold Collection is a contemporary interpretation of stories from nature.

Inspired by mid-century forms and exotic lands, the six piece collection features unique silhouettes and detailing that give a fresh spin to furniture. The Rukay Armchair in particular, pays homage to the Rukai people’s special technique for cloth-making and dying. The velvet armchair also recognises the needs of modern homeowners with a structure that brings comfort and firmness to the body. For more information, visit www.brabbu.com

JUL 15

sensationalS

K E Y FA C T S DESIGN STYLE

Beast & Butterflies on the ground floor is the hotel’s socialising hotspot.

Avant-garde and contemporary INTERIOR DESIGNER

Philippe Starck ROOM TYPES

The Nice Room, The Nicer Room, The Big Room, The Bigger Room FACILITIES

Two meeting rooms, gym, outdoor lap pool and in-house restaurant, Beast & Butterflies

self check-in lobby. While this feature makes it sound like the ideal hotel for introverts, take note that M Social was designed for mingling. That’s why you will find plenty of communal spaces – such as long tables and benches – for socialising.

The fact that everything has been carefully styled also means that almost every corner of the achingly hip hotel is Instagrammable.

Light-filled and airy meeting rooms that can spark out-of-the-box thinking.

38 JUL

This is Starck’s second completed hotel in Singapore – the other being The South Beach along Beach Road. While The South Beach is a sophisticated design haven, M Social is more informal but no less stunning. Think of it as the younger sibling of the towering downtown hotel. Boasting a plugged-in persona, the hotel embraces technology to the fullest where each

The hotel’s 31m swimming pool.

it features a double-volume layout that comes complete with a mezzanine.

The comfortable rooms may prevent guests from stepping out, but the hotel’s socialising hotspot is their in-house restaurant, Beast & Butterflies. Decked out in Starck’s signature avant-garde style, the 175-seater bar and dining room is arranged with furniture, decor and fixtures created by the designer. Selfrespecting design enthusiasts will even spot a couple of iconic pieces – like the National Library floor lamp and the Hudson bar stool.

M Social Hotel 90 Robertson Quay tel: 6664 8888 www.msocial.com.sg

The Big Room is a loft-inspired space outfitted in chic furnishings.

room comes with a smartphone with unlimited data usage and pre-loaded with a city guide.

There are four categories of room types, The Nice Room, The Nicer Room, The Big Room and The Bigger Room. The Nice Room features bare concrete walls and mirrored surfaces, both of which are Starck’s signature. But nothing compares to the piece de resistance in the 19-square metre room – a remarkable 4.1m-high pitched ceiling that creates a spacious vibe in an otherwise cosy room. The Big Room bears similar resemblance to The Nice Room only that

The Nicer Room comes with an outdoor terrace.

JUL 39

SIMPLE

Instant Stonework Who needs customised stone overlays or granite slabs when you can achieve the stone-veneer look instantly with textured spray paint?

TEXT Lee Kai Lin Craftwork & Art direction Neo Aik Sing & Linda Setiono Photography Wong Weiliang Shot on location BoConcept

40 JUL

WHAT’S IN A FRAME Jazz up a plain photo frame with a few coats of Krylon Stone Fine Texture Pebble spray. Not only does the paint add a beautiful earthy outline to your pictures – it gives the frame an interesting texture that’s going to make it hard to just look, and not touch.

ROCK CLOCK We removed all the numbers and front glass from the face of this clock to complement the au naturel look and we couldn’t be more satisfied. Tip: Tape down the hands of the clock so you can avoid the hassle of removing them before spray-painting.

Featuring (from left) Vila candlestick, $95, Victorian cat sculpture, $80, tealight holder, $10 and Lugano sideboard, $1,895 at BoConcept.

JUL 41

Shop

Chinois

chic Add an oriental flair to your interior with these beautiful gems Illustrations Musingcats ART DIRECTION & sourcing Neo Aik Sing

Curvy beauties Nothing says class more than the distinctive blue and white of fine china. Prop these curvaceous vases around the living and dining areas for a dose of elegance.

From left Bowerbird handcrafted ceramic vase, $358.45 at Tangs at Tang Plaza, Ming-style ginger jar, $150 at FairPrice Antiques, and traditional porcelain vase from Jingdezhen, $100 at FairPrice Antiques.

46 JUL

C l a s s i c a l ly bold Antiques have a knack for making a home feel luxurious and expensive.

These choice picks are timeless and tasteful.

Clockwise from top Carved jade coin in green, $400, ceramic horse, $65, and antique sideboard from the Shanxi region, $1,300 at FairPrice Antiques.

JUL 47

Savvy

tools of the trade Essential kitchen and utility room equipment to get your home in working order Text Jolene Limuco & Sharon Salim

Refrigerators Samsung RT6000 Refrigerator with Twin Cooling Plus Technology, $1,399, available at major electronics and home appliance stores

Imagine being able to convert your freezer into a refrigerator whenever you need to. Or switching off a section of your refrigerator completely when you are on vacation. You can do all that and more with the Samsung RT6000 Refrigerator. This range of top-mounted freezer-refrigerators come equipped with the Korean brand’s unique Twin Cooling Plus technology where two independent evaporators produce two separate airflows in the fridge and freezer. With the two compartments in the smart appliance being able to can switch between five modes to suit your particular needs, it can help you keep food fresh for longer as it ensures that a humidity level of up to 70 per cent is maintained all while helping you conserve energy.

50 JUL

LG GS-L6012PZ Veyron 6 Side-by-Side Refrigerator, $2,649, available at major electronics and home appliance stores

Available in premium metal finish or black stainless steel that is fingerprint- and scratch-resistant, the LG GS-L6012PZ has been designed with contemporary homes in mind. The side-by-side refrigerator boasts 600 litres of capacity thanks to its space-saving frame and slim insulation technology, which provides homeowners enormous food storage potential.

The redesigned Door-in-Door compartment has a trimmed doorframe that increases the compartment size by 9 per cent, which means that users now have a wider view of the contents stored inside. What’s more, users can keep foods fresher for longer thanks to LG’s improved NatureFRESH system that maintains optimal humidity and temperature levels, while circulating purified air throughout the refrigerator.

Hitachi R-S42EMS Refrigerator, $2,599, available

at major electronics and home appliance stores

Hitachi R-F73000XS Refrigerator, $6,099, available at major electronics and home appliance stores This large refrigerator has a three-layer freezer that allows you to categorise your food items neatly — thin food items, small items in airtight boxes and large frozen items including a whole large pizza. It also comes with two temperature zones: a -1 degree Celsius setting for meat, fish and their processed equivalents, and a 1 degree Celsius setting for food with more moisture content like vegetables and yoghurt.

Another new arrival from Hitachi, this beauty features a mouldproof door gasket and triple power deodorisation for powerful antibacterial and anti-mould function.

It also comes with an advanced flexible Vacuum Insulation Panel (VIP) to provide better insulation and refrigerant valve control to prevent overheating.

JUL 51

Style

Tri factor There are three main tile designs in this kitchen and each has a role to play.

Peranakan-style tiles demarcate the freestanding island counter from the main kitchen counters, which are helmed by a honeycomb-tiled backsplash. Neutralising all these strong motifs are the wide floor tiles in cement screed style.

1 T i l e s

Design by FSI

Beautiful and resilient room-transforming applications.

Bold & beautiful High impact feature wall and flooring treatments to set your home apart from the ordinary TEXT Disa Tan

56 JUL

Pretty as a picture With its hardwearing nature, tiles are mostly used in horizontal applications or in the wet zones like the kitchen and bathroom. Now, imagine it as a work of art. This is definitely what tile perfection looks like where you can admire every detail upfront. Digital Art Mix patterned tiles, $9.45 psf, from Hafary

Mono magic Monochromes like black-andwhite stripes or checks will always render a very strong look, and when applied in the living area, it can exude a sassy sixties vibe. The glossy finish further adds a glamorous and spaceenlarging effect. Deco Black &

Deco White patterned tiles, $4.10 psf, from Hafary

JUL 57

Style

62 JUL

Design by Joey Khu

Inner beauty The natural beauty of this veneer backdrop speaks for itself by illuminating the study with a sense of sophistication. These woodgrain strips are further highlighted by the streamlined line-up of the white shelving.

Less is more An overkill of busy-looking wallpaper can cramp your home’s style and most of all, make it look cluttered. It’s best to identity areas you want to highlight and then wallpaper that part of the wall with the bolder prints.

4 W a l l p a p e r Punchy, patterned brilliance to pile on the visual drama.

Faux bricks Brick walls have become quite the go-to style in recent years but if you are looking for something less permanent, wallpaper would be your best bet. Installation would be more straightforward and removal will also cost less when you want to swap it for another style.

Images courtesy of BEMZ

tip!

Keep bold patterns as accents and feature walls, and opt for simpler designs if you’re looking to cover the whole room.

That being said, don’t be afraid to experiment with wallpaper!

JUL 63

Style+

Speaking of St yle Introducing bold pieces that tell a story is the secret to a strong interior.

We suss out statement-making furniture and accessories

DOUBLE BRASS WALL HANGING $158 at Stylodeco

LAKOTA PILLOW $32 at Cluster-Cluster

TEXT & COORDINATION Rossara Jamil

HALLE SIDE TABLE $469 at HomesToLife

L I V I N G CHAIR WITH BIRD/ FLOWER FABRIC $995 at Belouk

CUPID COFFEE TABLE $549 at Castlery

64 JUL

R O O M

Visitors spend the most time in your living room, so make a strong design statement with these stylish pieces.

CAJA RACK $508 at Kuhl Home

MOOOI CELESTIAL RUG $4,690 at Space Furniture BRASS DECORATIVE INSECTS $48 each at Stylodeco

TIDELLI LOUNGE CHAIR $4,995 at Edit Lifestyle

PORRO BALANCING BOXES POA at Dream

VENUS COFFEE TABLE WITH MARBLE TOP from $880 at King Living

AURA SOFA $2,799 at Kuhl Home

JUL 65

Spaces

Overall

Radio DJ Jamie Yeo’s walk-up apartment in Clementi is a Scandinavian-themed haven that reflects the homeowner’s easygoing personality. With its pine wood-effect engineered wood flooring, white and grey colour scheme and plush furnishings, the home feels cosy and welcoming. Jamie says, “I love my house. I come home a lot. I don’t go out much because I want to be at home.

It’s my Zen place.”

72 JUL

personal haven

Television host and radio personality Jamie Yeo lives in a light-filled and cosy home that reflects her easygoing nature Text Jolene Limuco PHOTOs Wong Weiliang

JUL 73

Spaces

TV CONSOLE AND STORAGE (above)

White bricks make up the wall which hosts the TV console. These are real bricks but at half the thickness so it takes up less space.

Next to it is a custom-built storage fixture which hides the washing machine and offers clever pull-out compartments for easy access.

84 JUL

Such is the living area that resides on a raised platform made of wood pallets. “Wood pallets add character to a space,” says Carmen. “I also didn’t like conventional raised platforms as they are comparatively more permanent in nature and predictable in terms of aesthetics.”

The wall treatment for this cosy nook’s focal point is an unusual black brick wall; a less common feature as compared to red or white brick walls. While the homeowners and Carmen did consider having this recessed brick wall painted white, the decision to go with bold black stuck when they saw the visuals. The classic

contrast of one black brick wall against a crisp white backdrop, as well as a white brick wall on the other side, definitely offers a lot more visual interest than swathing everything in one neutral tone.

This urban loft style is also translated to the common bathroom next to it. Just that it wasn’t a common bathroom to start with, it was actually attached to the lower level bedroom. Carmen had the room hacked away to enlarge the living area.

She adds, “We sealed up the attached bathroom entrance to free up usable space in this new extension.” The newly configured entrance is now

COMMON B AT H R O O M (left)

Mosaic tiles create a striking runway along the bathroom wall and floor. The posh contrast is made even more apparent by the neutral black wall tiles that clad both sides.

JUL 85

Spaces

Overall

Interior designer, Terence Neo, of Eightytwo reveals that this home takes its cues from the subtle “chodo-yoi” style that Japanese retailer Muji is known for. The style is based on a design philosophy that means “just right”. Coupled with the two underlying tenets of Scandinavian design, namely minimalism and functionality, the result is an elegant and restful home that the homeowners can retreat to at the end of a day.

98 JUL

nordic Hush

Comprising a blend of Japanese and Scandinavian design styles, this condominium unit is a quietly elegant home for a couple

Petir Road

3-bedroom condo unit

Home to 2 adults

Text Stanley Lim PHOTOs Eightytwo

budget

6 weeks reno period

$50K

1,160 sqf

JUL 99

Spaces

l i v i n g r oo m (below)

A palette of cool colours, consisting of white, grey and black, imbues the living room with a calming atmosphere, while the rest of the space has been adorned with eye-catching installations, such as a CraftStone brick wall and HERF vinyl flooring that help to brighten up the surroundings and distinguish it from run-of-the-mill designs.

A

t first glance, this love nest in Petir Road imbues a sense of serenity thanks to its subdued colour palette and minimal furnishings. The couple engaged boutique interior design practice Eightytwo to create this humble yet stylish home, which takes its cues from the subtle “chodo-yoi” style that Japanese retailer Muji is known for.

Design director of Eightytwo, Terence Neo, explains that “chodo-yoi” refers to the a design philosophy that means “just right”. The two underlying tenets of traditional Scandinavian

design, namely minimalism and functionality, also feature prominently within this 1,160-square foot apartment.

“The project brief was fairly straightforward,” Terence shares, “The owners requested for a home that is uncomplicated and capable of standing up to the test of time. That is why we opted for a masculine yet pleasing fusion of Nordic design and contemporary Japanese elements.”

This shared focus on tranquility is discernible right from the moment one steps into the living space. A predominant palette of white, grey and brown imbues the room with an airy, open

must include the windows

100 JUL

Herman Miller Nelson platform bench, retailing at Xtra Careful selection (left)

Custom furnishings that were built by Eightytwo include a shoe rack and a generously-sized television console. Just beyond the living space is the dining area furnished simply with a modest wooden table and four jet-black acrylic chairs.

Kitchen (below)

As part of the renovation, a part of a wall separating the kitchen from the rest of the communal space was partially taken down to allow more sunlight into the cooking zone.

White acrylic laminated cabinets adhere to the unsullied nature of the Nordic style, while burnished metal surfaces seen on the appliances draw a sleek contrast to the subdued palette of the concrete-effect walls.

JUL 101

Do you have a beautiful home you’re proud of?

WIN $6,000 worth of prizes more than

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY NOW!

H ME SEARCH 2016 MY

RENO

.

MY

STYLE

.

MY

HOME

HOW TO JOIN? Step 1: Go to www.squarerooms.com.sg and

register as a member. Step 2: Click on “Promo” in the menu bar and choose Home Search 2016. Step 3: Submit photos and a short description of your home. Step 4: Click submit.