IKEA HACK - RIBBA FRAMES

Creating beautiful things doesn't mean you have to spend a whole lot of money. No, I never believed in that. Link

KUS

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HOME REJUVENATED!

Happiness is contagious. The idiosyncratic, playful spirit in this home evolved from a fun design process I had with the happily newly-married couple. And my, what fun we had indeed!

Entryway - before

Entryway - after

Here, we had wanted to prove that colors can't clash and a space can still look chic even when it is bursting with multiple colors. To visualize the scheme, think vibrant and decadent.

Living area - before

Living area - after


Bedroom corridor - before

Bedroom corridor - after

Yes, it is also very much about self-indulgence - a space that's comfy but filled with stuff that has meaning to you. Personal style should make you happy and happiness is chic.

Kitchen - before

Kitchen - after


Master bedroom - before

Master bedroom - after

Study room - before

Study room - after

From the boutique hotel-inspired rooms to the rejuvenated contemporary kitchen, every corner seeks to be smile-inducing.


Stan

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TRANSIT CHAIRS BY BORIS BALLY

Well known American artist Boris Bally’s Transit Chairs are both witty and innovative. The transformation of recycled street signs celebrate a raw American street-aesthetic.

Stan

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IN MEMORY OF

This has nothing to do with interior design.

I was ploughing through the stack of past project documents this afternoon when I chanced upon this file from almost 2 years back. The client in this case is an old lady, the mum of another client of mine.

Patient and soft-spoken, Auntie (that's how I addressed her) lives alone in the flat, even when her daughter had wanted her to stay with her family. But for some reasons unknown, I never quite figured why she wasn't keen to move in with them.

You see, the lady wasn't exactly in the best state of health back then. My memory tells me she's always looking terribly pale. There was once when she felt so weak halfway through our discussion she had to stop temporarily to ease her panting. Regardless of that, she loves to joke and would often share little anecdotes about herself with me. She never had any negative things to say - unlike so many of us - and would always indulge the workers with nice food and drinks she prepared during the renovation process. Without a doubt, the workers can't dislike such a lovely old lady.

Two days ago, I met the daughter on the streets and was told that her mum passed away shortly after she (finally) moved in with her 3 months ago...

In our line, it's not only about creating beautiful things and making money. It's more importantly about striking up genuine friendships, regardless of age. I'm sure Auntie would have much more stories to share with me if she were still around, but whatever stories she had shared with me will provide me with the inspiration to live life better.

R.I.P


Stan

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3D FARMVILLE CARPET BY FLORIAN PUCHER

Florian Pucher's carpet is a Farmville-inspired rug which can easily pass off as an abstract piece of accessory in the home. Link

Stan

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AT WAR WITH THE COOKIE CUTTER HOMES

Cookie cutter design. Ah, that favorite topic between me and my very close client-friend.

I was sitting at the clinic this morning when I picked up a home decor magazine which I have never ever read (and it's supposed to be one of the more popular local design magazines around). Flipping through the pages, I must say I'm so not very inspired.

Now I'm not saying the homes KNQ Associates create are better. I have my fair share of designers who I admire, but those homes featured in the magazines, ahem, bore me to tears. More often than not, the case-studies read more like glorified advertisements for the design firms which did up these seemingly mass-produced apartments than an in-depth story about the occupant's distinct personality. And the more I flipped through, the more I find some of the homes starting to resemble one another, ha!

Sad but true.

Obviously, there must be buyers. People embrace the cookie-cutter concept because of cost savings and shorter turnaround. Theoretically, any discounts are passed on to the customer and hence the consumer can obtain 'more house' for his or her dollar. The only problem with this approach is that homes lose their uniqueness.

Most consumers do not have sufficient knowledge about interior design matters and have difficulties conceiving something which they have never seen before. Hence perception and availability in the mass market shape the purchasing decisions. And often times, in the quest for huge cost savings and bargains, individuality is being compromised.

I remember with bemusement somebody telling me this a while ago, "You don't really have to spend too much time designing something very different for me. Give me something that looks like this house in the magazine. Oh ya, many other companies I approached offered free basins for all the bathrooms, free air-con system for the whole house..."

Seriously, do I look like an air-con salesman? I can die laughing.

Stan

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LIVE IN STYLE - THE WAY I KNOW IT

By that post title, I'm not telling you to ditch everything in your house and start getting new branded furniture or renovating your home to look like a palace.

Style is not a price (no, it has absolutely nothing to do with the amount of money you have in your bank). It is an attitude. And it can be developed, even by someone unschooled in design and the decorative arts. Get inspired by people with good taste, but find things that work for you. What works for your lifestyle? That’s a huge part of what encompasses your own personal style. The examples we see on The Selby tells us a home doesn't really need to look perfect to the outside world, as long as it's perfect in the occupant's own eyes.

Style is usually expressed through fashion as we all know it. But it's as easily expressed through the way one lives. It's one part self-knowledge and one part self-confidence. When you feel good about incorporating beautiful elements you love inside your home, your home will - trust me - naturally look good. Style is self-knowledge applied selectively to our material world.

Forget trends. Treat design magazines (and even this blog) merely as references - style is in the dweller himself or herself.

I never understand why some home owners tell me they want me to re-create for them an interior space which they see on Home Rejuvenation or XYZ magazine. Style is about individuality - it exemplifies the fact that we are all different, an expression of one's spirit. Why would I want to create the same look for two totally different individuals?

Stan

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ALFA TILES FROM MADE A MANO

These tiles are special. Each individual piece comes with an alphabet on it. Have fun.

KUS

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A WAR LOST, SIGH...

It's a funny phenomenon. Recently, a client had wanted me to help her find a new sofa for her living room, which we had rejuvenated not too long ago. The new settee finally came after weeks and weeks of anticipation. But that's when the troubles really begin. She now finds the existing coffee table, the rug and the dining set looking too crummy - even when I told her these decade old solid teak pieces look perfectly alright in the house - and wanted to replace these as well.

Call it the Diderot effect. In case you don't know what it means, Wikipedia defines it as "a social phenomenon related to goods that form culturally defined groups that are considered cohesive". If you get a new piece of furniture, everything else might start looking pretty tired suddenly.

The story of Diderot, the French philosopher, rings true in the modern context especially. A poor Diderot was given a beautiful silk smoking jacket by his wealthy patron one day and started to find everything else he had unacceptable from then on. Systematically, as Diderot made more money, he began replacing everything in his apartment until all his possessions matched the quality of that silk smoking jacket.

I'm in a business selling style. My studio does not sell furniture. We're not selling lamps. Our ultimate product is essentially a dwelling designed to fit the requirements and tastes of the occupants. Honestly, I feel knowing more about your personal style is more important than following trends or fads. In a way, that could be the antidote to counteract the dreaded Diderot effect.

In the case of my client, there's nothing wrong with those remaining solid wood furniture. In fact, each individual piece has so much character to it, and she even told me how much she loved the set when she first bought it. But obviously the marketers and media are doing a better job than me - the furniture are set to go.

If only she had placed more emphasis on her own personal style this time round, and not lead a lifestyle imposed onto her by decor magazines. Sigh...

Stan

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SPACE LOVES THE BLUES

Lately I’ve developed a rather unexpected liking for the blues. You know I'm not talking about a certain musical genre. And I'm not feeling depressed either. But I truly have a feel for blue these days, evidently shown through the pops of this calming color that show up in every other proposal I've been working on these past weeks.

A cobalt immediately draws one's eyes with its vibrancy. A teal reminds me of the ocean. A Prussian blue is somber and matured, infusing a sense of tranquility to any space that is decorated in this tone. To me, no other color than blue does a better job at making one feel at ease.

I'm sure these gorgeous images do a better job convincing you why blue is your best color choice much better than any of my incessant ramblings...

Farrow & Ball

H Hotel

Country Living

Jackson Clements Burrows

Robert M. Swedroe

Stan

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APOLLO LAMP BY ROMY KUHNE

Apollo lamp is an unapologizing industrial-looking lamp made of faceted triangular metal parts held together by screws and bolts.

Yes, it's as raw as it can be... Link


Stan

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CALENDAR SCARF BY PATRICK FREY

I'm usually not a big fan of wall calendars, but this one really got me intrigued. Looking like a scarf, one simply pulls off the yarn to reflect passing dates. Link

But, ahem, English please...


Stan

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RED NEST BY PAUL COUDAMY

As part of the renovation of a 23 square-metre Paris apartment, French designer Paul Coudamy created Red Nest, which comprises a red bookshelf that slides to reveal or conceal the sleeping area, workspace and dressing room according to the user's needs.




KUS

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TRAME BY INGA SEMPE

French designer Inga Sempé just sent in images of Trame, a mirror system she designed for Domestic. Made from self-adhesive PMMA, the reflections may not be what you might be expecting from a typical functional mirror, but the end result is definitely interesting enough to enthrall.

KUS

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