SquareRooms January 2021 [Preview]

HOPEFUL HUES

How to decorate with Pantone's colours of the year

NEW BEGINNINGS Practical tips and lively colour combos for a happier 2021

JAN 2021 ISSUE 188 S$5.50/RM10

DECLUTTERING 101 A simple guide to decluttering even the messiest of spaces

ASTROLOGY AT HOME How astrology can help you during your home reno —and how it can’t!

INSPIRATION KIT

New beginnings LOOKING TO START THE NEW YEAR WITH POSITIVE ENERGY? OUR TOP TIPS AND LIVELY COLOUR COMBOS ARE SURE TO GET YOU ON THE RIGHT TRACK FOR A HAPPIER 2021

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text DEBORAH JANE GOON

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Happy habits

10 ways to start the new year on a positive note Declutter and simplify

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on page 30!

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Recycle and repurpose

If you haven’t already started recycling, now is the perfect time to jump on the bandwagon to help save our planet.

The great thing about recycling is that you can empower yourself to do the right thing and once you get the hang of it, you’ll see how rewarding it can feel to know your waste isn’t all going to the landfill.

One of the easiest ways to start recycling is to kit out your space with appropriate bins so rubbish and recycling don’t get mixed up. It’s also a great way to teach kids to be responsible for their usage and actions. If you have any unused appliances or homewares around the house, now is also a good time to repurpose or rehome these instead of throwing them out.

Go green

Even if you don’t have a green thumb or a large garden, there are heaps of fuss-free indoor plants that you can adopt into your home. Plants not only add a touch of nature but they help to clean the air quality indoors and are great tools for practising mindfulness. Start with one or two highly recommended varieties, such as a money plant, peace lily or succulent, and always follow watering and sunlight instructions. Once you’re more confident, add on to your plant collection and consider growing some edible greens as well.

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Most people have at least one junk drawer, cupboard or (if you’re like us) a room full of items you hardly use. In order to make way for a positive start this year, now is the best time to dig in and declutter everything in that drawer, cupboard or store room that you haven’t used in the last one or two years. In the words of Marie Kondo, “if it doesn’t spark joy, get rid of it.”

You’ll appreciate having space for the more Tip For more important things in life, like entertaining friends, decluttering tips, playing with your kids and fur babies, hanging out check out our with family and working out at home. dos and don’ts

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INSPIRATION KIT

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Get organised

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After you’ve decluttered and given away anything that you haven’t used for the last couple of years, it’s time to get organised. Always remember: planning is the key to staying organised. When it comes to your wardrobe, coordinate items by colour and use storage baskets and organisers for that showroom feel.

Start small by tackling things room by room or alternatively go by category. Don’t try and do it all at once. Little by little, you’ll get things done.

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If you haven’t already heard, you shouldn’t be using harsh chemicals in your home, on your body and definitely not to clean your clothes or space with. It’s so easy to forget that the health of your home can affect your physical health as well. Besides implementing a good home cleaning regime, opt for non-toxic home cleaning products too, which are safer for the whole family and also better for the environment.

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Leave chemicals behind

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6. Dress your walls

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Whether you’re into art or framed family photos, this is the year to really get creative with your walls. What’s the point of framed art that just sits on the floor and collects dust! Create a wall full of art or your very own photo wall with all of your precious family snaps, be it baby’s first smile or that one family photo where everyone was actually looking and smiling in the right direction. Life is uncertain, so it’s definitely time to surround yourself with memories and beauty.

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INSPIRATION KIT

Decluttering

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A SIMPLE GUIDE TO DECLUTTERING EVEN THE MESSIEST OF SPACES text CHEW HUI LING

Decluttering your home is no easy feat. To help you get your space in order, here’s a simple and painless guide to tackling clutter effectively in each area of the house.

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entryway

Imagine stepping into someone’s home and the first thing you’re greeted with is the ugly sight of shoes everywhere. An overly cluttered entryway not only gives your guests a poor first impression, but it may also pose a safety hazard, especially if there are young children around. Get rid of old pairs of shoes that you no longer love and keep the ones that you wear often. If you prefer them out of sight, a shoe cabinet is a classic option that will keep your footwear neatly tucked away. Shoe stackers also make for handy extra storage!

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Clear out the entryway

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Quick Starter Tips Read these KonMari-approved tips to get started on your decluttering journey!

Curb the paper mess You’d be surprised at how quickly old mail can pile up at the door.

For those of you who don’t usually clear out the junk mail, you may find your home getting increasingly cluttered with stacks of letters, bills and receipts. Consider getting a desk or file organiser to keep your items sorted, then get into the habit of recycling all of the unwanted paperwork as soon as it arrives (remember to shred any personal documents before recycling!). If all else fails, going paperless is your next best bet.

1 Always start small so that it’s more manageable. Set out by prioritising a portion of the room as part of a larger goal of organising the entire living space before moving on to tackle the bigger tasks that may require more effort.

2 Decluttering takes a lot of discipline, so be sure to stick to a schedule. Focus on one task a day and set a timer for 10 to 15 minutes to ensure that you complete it. Having a designated member of the family to take charge of the overall decisionmaking will help to keep things on track.

3 Make an effort to create a routine and stick to it. Establish the habit of practising daily decluttering for parts of the house that get easily cluttered. It’s also advisable to do a deep-clean every few months in order to keep your home in tip-top shape!

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living

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Keep the decor simple

Having ample storage is essential when it comes to decluttering. Besides open shelving, concealed built-ins are also a great way to hide any bulky clutter, such as your home entertainment system and gaming equipment, in a truly seamless manner. Built-ins are sleeker and have a more streamlined appearance that won’t disrupt the overall flow of your home. The best part? They can be customised just the way you want it.

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IMAGE COURTESY OF MR SHOPPER STUDIO

Incorporate built-in storage

The living room is usually a space for entertaining, so keep things simple by paring it down to just the essentials. A little bit of reorganisation will help to refine the overall aesthetic and make the space a lot more functional.

Clear out any unnecessary items that are cluttering up the area and replace them with an artwork or two that inspires you.

Remember that, at the end of the day, your home should still represent who you are.

INSPIRATION

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KIT

kitchen

Detox your fridge

Read the labels Ah, the good old-fashioned label. For those who are constantly misplacing things, this is one decluttering must-have to include in your list. Labelling the things in your pantry allows you to categorise your items in a clear and orderly fashion so you’ll always know where everything is at a glance. Just remember to return the items to where they belong once you’re done with them!

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Guilty of stockpiling leftovers in the fridge? You may want to do an inventory check every six months to see if there are any items that have expired or gone bad and toss them out immediately. A nifty idea is to record down what you store in the fridge after every grocery run; this will help you to keep track of the contents and ensure that your food remains fresh for consumption. Don’t forget to give your refrigerator shelves a quick wipedown to get rid of any hardened spills!

Free up countertop space If you don’t have the luxury of a huge kitchen, the lack of countertop space can be a struggle. From excessive dinnerware to underutilised gadgets, it’s easy to accumulate things that you don’t really need in the kitchen, taking up precious workspace. Store kitchen tools that are barely used inside your cupboards and leave bulkier appliances like rice cookers and microwaves out in the open so they’re more accessible. Got duplicate utensils lying around? Pass them on to friends or family who may have a better use for them.

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HOME INSPO

Cool expansions Space Maisonet te Location Potong Pasir Reno Period 24 weeks

In the hands of Versify Studio, this two-storey maisonette was transformed into a commodious, bright and well-ventilated “house in the sky”

Home To A married couple

Tex t M I C H E L E KO H M O R O L LO A d d i t i o n a l t ex t YA I Z A C A N O P O L I

When Versify Studio architects Alan Lau and Vivian Johnny set out to refurbish this 36-year-old twostorey maisonette in Potong Pasir, they saw it as an opportunity to apply tropical living design principles to enhance the look and feel of the space. “Cities and towns used to have distinct architectural characteristics that responded to their local climates and cultures.

Now, however, many cities look like what Rem Koolhaas refers to as ‘the generic city’,” Lau comments.

After studying buildings in Singapore and around Southeast Asia, the two architects discovered that tropical-style heritage buildings often include passive cooling features, such as verandahs and lightcoloured walls and ceilings, which encourage better air circulation and cooling within the surroundings, reducing the need for air-conditioning. Employing these elements, they turned this Potong Pasir maisonette into a 1,776 sq ft home with a layout that is as spacious and lofty as that of a landed house. The research and design process alone took 12 weeks to complete, the architects dedicating themselves

completely to the home’s transformation.

Once the renovation kicked off, the pair started by removing all of the original walls and sliding doors along the balcony and corridors of the unit, as well as the façade windows to create two semi-outdoor verandahs that now flank the maisonette. The kitchen wall was replaced with sliding glass doors to establish better visual connectivity and cross-ventilation between the kitchen and the living and dining areas. “We used subtraction as a strategy for the design of the house, removing unnecessary walls and windows to help increase natural ventilation and bring daylight deep into the spaces,” says Johnny. “Windows were removed to transform enclosed corridors and balconies into semioutdoor verandahs, where one is protected but never separated from the outside.”

A monochromatic colour scheme allows for increased adaptability, so the living areas can be used for various functions, such as a tea party or art gallery if the homeowners so choose. The walls and underbelly of the house were painted grey and modern furniture

Photos VERSIFY STUDIO

pieces from Louis Poulsen, Moooi, Fameg and Vitra were incorporated to create a sleek, minimalist decor concept. Dark-coloured beams were used to create the illusion of an uplifted “house in the sky.”

“We were working with an unfurnished, 36-yearold apartment where the built elements weren’t property aligned or were starting to deteriorate,” Lau says. “We had to be on-site almost daily to supervise and address multiple unforeseen issues. We paid special attention to proportions and ensured they were followed. At times, we had to recalculate to ensure that our design intentions were achieved.”

One major benefit of the renovation? Thanks to the cooling features implemented by the two architects, the costs of the owners’ electricity bills from air-conditioning have been halved; the maisonette’s indoor temperature is now about two degrees lower than the temperature in neighbouring units in the same estate. With a brand new look, a more pleasant living environment and lower costs to worry about, it’s safe to say that the hard work the two architects put into this project ultimately paid off.

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HOME INSPO

Living area A monochromatic colour scheme increases the multifunctionality of the living areas, while a neutral rug and wood-look sofa frame add some warmth to the black-and-white space.

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Below Designer lamp

Breaking up the common areas is the iconic Horse Lamp by designer Front from Moooi.

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Dining area The dining area is seamlessly connected to the living area and kitchen and clad in the same monochromatic tones as the rest of the house.

HOME INSPO

Atrium From the open-plan dining area, a double-volume atrium with a staircase leads up to the bedrooms.

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HOME INSPO

Full circle Space 4-room BTO flat Location Bedok North Reno Period 11 weeks Home To A married couple

Though an undeniably common experience for first-time homeowners, the apprehension when designing and renovating one’s own home is hardly ever mentioned. Despite their creative licenses as advertising professionals, the married couple residing in this BTO flat remained undecided between an industrial and a Scandinavian aesthetic for their first home. With such a tricky situation on their hands, it was crucial to find a reliable design consultant for advice. Thankfully, designer Ka from Blend by ImC stepped up to meet the homeowners’ expectations.

Noting their aversion to wood textures, a key element in the Scandinavian look, Ka nudged the couple to embrace the alternative option for their 1,011 sq ft home. An industrial aesthetic would also better complement their desired features highlighted in the moodboard they provided, including a hole-inthe-wall design, reminiscent of those found in some HDB void decks.

This feature was incorporated into a false wall that now separates the entrance from the dining space, creating both a privacy screen and a more clearly delineated entrance foyer with this

The circuit breaker may have interrupted the renovation process, but a nimble client and design team made sure that the owners got their dream home on time.

Text I S A B E L L E TOW

Photos BLEND BY IMC

masterstroke. The structure was built using plywood and finished with cement screed for that raw industrial vibe.

For greater functionality, the narrow side of the false wall was kept exposed and sectioned into open niches for the couple to showcase their favourite keepsakes.

As their dining area enjoys a wealth of natural light due to its large windows, the couple wanted to make the most of this space. Using wood-look tiles to segregate the overall area into two distinct zones, an indoor “balcony” was carved out below the windows, a space that now accommodates a mini indoor garden as well as casual lounging. The designer also fitted it out with a long plywood plank, reinforced with mild-steel legs, to act as a bench for work, gardening and even daydreaming.

Originally the third bedroom in the apartment, the present living area had its walls hacked to make way for a shared space. The homeowners initially thought that they would require a conventional TV console, but after finding their relative lack of AV equipment, Ka realised that a less bulky one would do the trick. The resulting console is as bare-bones as it gets: wall-mounted shelves finished with wood-look laminates and contrasted with a centrallyfitted black box with wire mesh detailing.

In the kitchen, a dusky charcoal tone was chosen for the cabinetry, complemented by a dark grey backsplash and countertop. These pared-down backdrop tones allow bold kitchen appliances, accessories and even lush family meals to really pop.

Last but certainly not least, the bedroom incorporates a luscious feature wall that invokes a soothing ambience for a good night’s rest.

A custom colour was mixed on-site to achieve the deep blue-grey tone that complements both the flooring and dark cabinetry finish. The handles on the wardrobe doors were adjusted to a comfortable height for the missus, who has a petite frame.

The renovation was already underway when the announcement of circuit breaker measures forced it to cease. After receiving official approval to resume works later in June, the owners, along with Ka and the contractors, communicated through a combination of Zoom calls, WhatsApp texts and site visits to pick up where they had left off. Despite the interruption, the couple was able to move into their new home this August, after a cumulative 11-week-long renovation period.

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Entrance foyer Black porcelain tiles in the entrance foyer contrast with the grey tones used throughout the rest of the house. All of the tiles were sourced from Soon Bee Huat.

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HOME INSPO

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Above

Hole-in-the-wall To adapt the hole-in-thewall feature to a domestic setting, the empty space was fitted with a wooden display strip.

Left

Dining area Track lights and exposed electrical trunking are some subtle details that allude to the home’s industrial inspiration.

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Living area A minimalist, bare-bones design for the TV console reduces clutter in the living room.

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IMAGE COURTESY OF STRING FURNITURE

EPILOGUE

M O D U L A R M O M E N TS Instead of limiting your home design to a fixed set-up that becomes difficult to change further down the line, fit out your space with handy modular furniture. Whether it’s a sofa, a wardrobe or a storage unit, modular furniture makes it easy to switch things up in order to suit your changing needs.

Modular sofas can be assembled in various configurations, making them particularly versatile, while modular storage units often come with movable shelves and “string systems”—ideal for maximising space in smaller homes!

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