SquareRooms May 2019 [Preview]

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KITCHENS STUNNING INSPIRATION AND PRACTICAL IDEAS TO HELP YOU REALISE YOUR MASTERCHEF MOMENTS

The best appliances and tools for home chefs

KITCHEN TRENDS

MAY 2019

ISSUE 169 S$5.50/RM10

The hottest looks for the cooking zone

LAYOUT DESIGN

A guide to figuring out the most efficient kitchen plan

COOK TO IMPRESS

Stylish tools to impress at your next dinner party

HOTNEWS

AU S T R I A

SUPERIOR CRAFTSMANSHIP

Created in collaboration with the world’s leading design stars like Ron Arad, Daniel Libeskind and Barbara Barry, Atelier Swarovski Home presents a new collection of accessories that have been inspired by the use of crystal as a creative material and aims to combine innovative design and superior craftsmanship in unique expressions of crystal artistry. Alongside the designer pieces is the debut in-house collection, which showcases Swarovski’s 120-year heritage of crystal creativity and craftsmanship through a wide range of home decor pieces such as scented candles and vases. www.atelierswarovski.com

P O RT U G A L

HOME COUTURE Specialising in upholstery, Domkapa is a recognised brand that has been producing quality furniture and upholstery items for more than 10 years. Their latest collection, Capital, presents home owners with a selection of upholstery items which taps on bold design elements as their main source of inspiration. Through the combined use of gold metals, glossy lacquered woods, high quality velvets and linen fabrics helps, the pieces adopt a very well-defined style that instantly stands out in any home setting.www.domkapa.pt

S O U T H KO R E A

STYLE MEETS FUNCTION Planned and designed by world-class designer Stefano Giovannoni comes LG Objet, a range of home appliances that functions as furniture as well as effortlessly blend in with the overall style of a home through the use of materials such as wood and steel. Unlike other series from the major appliance brand, this new collection allows homeowners to customise their home appliances based off their preferences, which will offer an unprecedented level of interior furnishing to best fit their private space. www.lg.com

16 MAY

THE BIG

RENOVATION PROJECT

LIVING ROOM

Amidst a sea of calm greys and cosy wooden shades, the living space is the perfect spot for lounging with its tranquil ambience.

HOME REVEALED! Ever wondered how a renovation is planned and executed? SquareRooms is collaborating with Gain City for the Big Renovation Project, where we are giving you an inside look at three home renovations from start to finish. The second home that we are featuring is a three-room resale HDB flat in Marine Drive belonging to film director Randy Ang and singer Ling Kai. The couple worked with interior design firm Rezt & Relax to create a cosy, boldy-coloured abode that perfectly reflects their personalities.

HOTFADS

2

1

wood INTENTIONS

10

3

Add a natural touch to your interiors with these ligneous picks TEXT & COORDINATION Jolene Limuco

9

4

6 8

5 7

26 MAY

1. Latch coffee table, from $1,824 at Danish Design Co 2. Natural Japanese Hiba wood stool, from $499 at atomi 3. White wood dining chair, $1,600 at atomi 4. ÖVERALLT three-piece serving set, $34.90 at IKEA 5. Save sideboard, from $2,566 at Danish Design Co 6. Ladder, $195 at BoConcept 7. Soborg dining chair, from $821 at Danish Design Co 8. Acacia wood sculpture, $85 at BoConcept 9. Living dish, $47 at BoConcept 10. Striped handbag, $59.90 at Zara

WHAT ARE THE MATERIALS BEST SUITED FOR YOUR HOME? GET SOLUTIONS

IMAGE COURTESY OF THE MONOCOT STUDIO

WWW.SQUAREROOMS.COM.SG

IMAGE COURTESY OF PERGO

IMAGE COURTESY OF HAFARY

COMPARING KITCHEN BACKSPLASH MATERIALS: WHAT’S YOUR IDEAL TYPE?

YOUR GUIDE TO CHOOSING SURFACE MATERIALS FOR BEAUTIFUL AND PRACTICAL BATHROOM

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RECOMMENDED FLOORING MATERIALS FOR EACH PART OF YOUR HOME

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STYLE

KITCHEN LOOK BOOK IT’S BEEN SAID THAT FUNCTIONALITY IS NUMBER ONE IN KITCHEN DESIGN. BUT THE KITCHEN IS NOT ONLY A SPACE FOR CHORES. THIS YEAR’S LATEST STYLES MIGHT JUST GET YOU IN THE MOOD FOR CREATIVE COOKING

DESIGN BY FREE SPACE INTENT

TEXT Rossara Jamil

30 MAY

COLOUR CONTRAST If you’re looking for something a little different, one of the biggest trends for the year is to bring colour into the kitchen.

The all-white trend has dominated kitchen design for years.

Now, it’s all about colours – and bold ones at that too.

DESIGN BY JOEY KHU INTERIOR DESIGN

PATTERNS GALORE Want to update your kitchen without going for an overhaul? Consider replacing or overlaying your backsplash with colourful tiles.

Patterned tiles jazz up understated finishes like woodgrains and neutral colours.

IMAGE COURTESY OF HAFARY

IMAGE COURTESY OF RICE FIELDS

BRIGHT IDEA Bring in the cheer to your kitchen with bright hues! This kitchen sports blue wall tiles and ups the ante with red appliances. It’s easy to go overboard when embracing colours though. We love how this kitchen balances the whole look with pared-down cabinets in white.

IN THE PINK Colour can affect our moods and emotions more than we think. Pink is a great colour to bring into the kitchen for its nurturing and joyful feel. Soft, matte finishes evoke a calm ambience. On the other hand, a strong, glossy sheen like the one on these blush-coloured tiles evokes a vibrant and creative vibe. Pink pops when matched with black, white or grey. For the adventurous, consider pink with colours like red, purple, yellow and blue.

MAY 31

SHOP

TABLE MANNERS LET YOUR INNER HOST SHINE WITH THESE SLEEK ACCOUTREMENTS THAT WILL IMPRESS EVEN THE MOST DISCERNING OF GUESTS ART DIRECTION & STYLING Leyna Poh PHOTOGRAPHY Lim Minglong

TIME FOR TEA Turn on the charm at the table with stone-effect teatime accessories that will warm your soul.

(Clockwise from left) Speckle jug, $49 at Maissone. Stelton Theo teapot, $170, Stelton Collar milk jug, $89, and Stelton Theo tea cup and coaster, $42, all at bibliotek. KRUSTAD side plate, $7.90, and GODDAG placemat, $3.90, both at IKEA. Gold fork, $2.90 at Robinsons.

40 MAY

BREAKFAST CLUB Start your day right with hearty breakfasts served on pastel and monochrome tableware.

(Clockwise from left) Large speckle serving platter, $99, Talo dip bowl, $15, and Menu bottle grinder, $139, all at Maissone. Stelton EM77 vacuum jug, $119, at bibliotek. KALASMAT serving bowl, $4.90, and KRUSTAD plate, $9.90, both at IKEA. applicata Funghi grinder, $89, at bibliotek. Silver fork, $4.40, and gold spoon, $2.90, both at Robinsons.

MAY 41

SQUAREROOMS AWARDS

KITCHEN EDITION

After calling for nominations, testing out products and assessing them for efficiency, we have found the most useful and efficient cooking appliances for the second-edition of the SquareRooms Awards: Kitchen Edition. From smart refrigerators and flexible hobs to stylishly designed cooker hoods and statement-making kettles, these tools and appliances are perfect for the modern homeowner.

Here are this year’s winning products.

44 MAY

BEST

Coffee Maker Nespresso Essenza Mini machine and Aeroccino milk frother bundle As the smallest Nespresso machine, the Nespresso Essenza Mini machine and Aeroccino milk frother bundle is perfect for compact kitchens and pantries. The Aeroccino features an automatic system to prepare hot or cold milk with a touch of a button, allowing you to create your perfect cup of coffee in no time at all. $238 at Nespresso boutiques and online at www.nespresso.com/sg

BEST

Multicooker Philips HD2145 All In One Multicooker Save time in the kitchen with this efficient multicooker. Thanks to a dual control system, this nifty appliance is able to cook different ingredients under accurate control of pressure and temperature. $469 at COURTS

BEST

BEST

Toaster Bodum Bistro Toaster If you’re picky about how crisp your toast should be, this appliance is for you. With adjustable browning and temperature settings, as well as a defrost and cancel button, this toaster is great for customising your breakfast sandwich just how you like it. $99 at major department stores

Side-by-Side Refrigerator Samsung Family Hub The advent of smart homes means that everyone is looking to stay connected, and we think Samsung’s Family Hub refrigerator will be able to do just that. Working as the central command station in the kitchen, you will be able to monitor the home through the Full HD LCD screen and access the Internet all while preparing meals. $7,499 at major home appliance stores

MAY 45

SURFACE

BEYOND THE SURFACE KITCHEN SURFACES SHOULD BE RESILIENT ENOUGH TO WITHSTAND ALL THE HARD KNOCKS THEY ENDURE. HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE CHOOSING WHICH SURFACES TO INSTALL

DESIGN BY STUDIO FORTYFOUR

TEXT Jolene Limuco

Countertops This is where you do most of the prep work in the kitchen. And because it is subject to high pressure and high heat, choosing a countertop material that is durable and scratchresistant is crucial.

56 MAY

KOMPACPLUS This popular countertop material is made with paper pulp soaked with resins. Multiple layers are then set across each stratum to reinforce the panels. The 6mm-thick panel is then treated under high heat and pressure to fuse each layer into one solid piece. This high-tech process ensures that KompacPlus panels are highly durable and resistant to heat, scratches and pressure. What makes it appealing to design-savvy homeowners is that it looks just like real wood and comes in a variety of textures, patterns and tones to suit any interior style.

PHOTO BY +TONGTONG

DESIGN BY THE SCIENTIST

STAINLESS STEEL Easy to clean and heat-resistant, stainless steel is the material of choice in most professional kitchens. Essentially a steel alloy that includes chromium, this material is resistant to corrosion too, making it highly durable and long lasting. However, it is susceptible to scratches, dents and stains so if having a pristine kitchen is important to you, this is not the material to go for.

NATURAL STONE As its name suggests, natural stone countertops are fashioned from raw materials like marble, quartzite and granite. No two slabs of natural stone surfaces are alike – with their unique veining, patterns and colour, natural stone countertops are prized for their elegant and sophisticated looks. As natural stones are not as durable as engineered quartz, periodic sealing to prolong their lifespan is required to maintain them.

IMAGE COURTESY OF SILESTONE

IMAGE COURTESY OF SILESTONE

DESIGN BY MESH WERK STUDIO

ENGINEERED QUARTZ Made from a composite of quartz chips, polymer resins and pigment, engineered quartz is one of the hardest and most durable materials for kitchen surfaces. It is a popular option for modern homeowners for many of reasons: it is easy to maintain, scratch-, stain- and heatresistant, and it comes in a variety of colours, textures and designs that emulate natural stone.

SOLID SURFACE This affordable countertop material is made of acrylic, polyester, epoxy and bauxite. Its formula allows it to emulate a variety of materials, such as wood and stone, all while being low maintenance. Even though solid surface countertops are easy-to-clean, note that they are still susceptible to scratches and discolouration due to high heat.

MAY 57

SPACES

shades

OF GREY

An uncluttered appearance and an abundance of cool colourways account for the signature style of this twobedroom apartment TEXT Germaine Cheah PHOTOS DISTINCTidENTITY

AT A GLANCE

SPACE

2-bedroom condominium unit

LOCATION

Mountbatten Road

RENO PERIOD

7 weeks

HOME TO

1 adult

60 MAY

LIVING ROOM

By keeping the space free from built-ins and having the walls painted over in two tones of grey, the living room evokes the ambience of an art gallery, effectively allowing the owner’s collection of colourful art pieces to stand out.

MAY 61

SPACES

personal

TOUCH A house only feels like home when it bears and reflects the unique facets of its owners’ personality and penchants TEXT Fidz Azmin PHOTOS Prozfile

AT A GLANCE

SPACE

6-bedroom cluster house

LOCATION

Richards Avenue

RENO PERIOD

10 weeks

HOME TO

2 adults, 2 teenagers

68 MAY

LIVING ROOM

It was important for homeowner Kelvin to have a dedicated altar in the living hall. To ensure this dais blended harmoniously with the room’s decor, Cadine built a perch to display religious objects. She also crafted the cabinet beneath the altar with a unique wood strip design to keep gazes distracted.

MAY 69

SPACES

fresh

TRADITIONS Reviving existing design elements with modern innovations, this resale landed house is a celebration of old meets new TEXT Disa Tan PHOTOS D’Marvel Scale

AT A GLANCE

SPACE

Two-storey terrace house

LOCATION

Bukit Timah

RENO PERIOD

4 months

HOME TO

2 adults, 1 child

76 MAY

LIVING ROOM

Stripping off the white plaster wall revealed the original brickwork and that became a beguiling feature wall for the living area.

MAY 77

SPACES

balance in

HARMONY Against copious amounts of natural light, a stunning combination of light wood variants and breezy blue shades come together to create a comfortable haven for two TEXT Germaine Cheah PHOTOS Adroit Interior Design

AT A GLANCE

SPACE

5-room HDB unit

LOCATION

Sumang Lane

RENO PERIOD

8 weeks

HOME TO

2 adults

84 MAY

I

n the world of interior design, colour plays a vital role. Whether in warm or cool tones, colours evoke different emotions in us. For this reason, a successful interior design relies heavily on the ability to use colours to invoke the right mood in the right space, as well as look pleasing to the eye when viewed at as a whole.

Case in point: this four-room HDB apartment located in Punggol that was designed by Kandy Tan from Adroit Interior Design.

Clean and minimalist with a dash of whimsical creativity, this home features plenty of blue and white tones – the former injecting a sense of serenity and peace into the space while the latter keeps the ambience fresh. This is then complemented by wood vinyl flooring, which is overlaid through the entire apartment, creating a more expansive look.

Within the communal areas, the interior is a visual layering of spaces, where different sections of the home flow into each other seamlessly. This is all attributed to the tearing down of the partition wall that once separated the living room and kitchen. By doing so, the couple is able to move through these spaces

BAR COUNTER (above)

The occupants’ primary dining zone is kept simple with a custom-made table and accompanying bar stools.

Made from quartz countertops and a laminated plywood base, the table adds an air of sophistication to the space.

E N T R Y W AY (right)

A full-height storage cabinet along the entryway serves as a landing spot for the occupants’ shoes, complete with a recessed niche at the bottom that provides easy access to their daily wearables.

MAY 85

SHORTCUT

LIVING LUSH Create a sense of wellbeing at home with your very own coterie of plants IMAGE COURTESY OF Ferm Living

We all know that having plants in the home can reap numerous benefits – they have positive effects on the mood and some species even have the ability to purify the air. Aesthetically, green leaves and their organic shapes offer texture and the occasional splash of colour, which makes them perfect accessories for the home. If you do not have a balcony at home, it is still possible to cultivate a mini garden. Elevated or wall-hung plant boxes are perfect for odd corners. You can even prop some plants on windowsills. Just remember to place them near a light source and water them frequently.

104 MAY