三房式组屋改头换面 “透明”小白屋豁然开朗

Source : 《联合早报》July 18, 2009

丹戎巴葛一个空置了五年的“高龄”三房式组屋，有了锤子作魔术棒，加上白色作魔法，在半个月时间里彻底改头换面，空间豁然开朗，干净但不冷清，简约却富层次。屋主余文耀和廖逸姿受访分享装潢心得，以及改变背后的巧思。

家居空间简洁明亮，余文耀和廖逸姿越来越喜欢呆在家，享受悠闲时光。

70平方米的三房式组屋是狭隘是宽阔，完全在于设计师和屋主的巧思。走到丹戎巴葛这座三房式组屋第N层的走廊尽头，推开厚实的纯白色大门，背后的白色世界让人眼前一亮。

原有的墙壁和柱子大多打掉了，单位的空间重新规划。其中一个睡房拆了，宽阔了客厅，腾出了饭厅，加上透过窗口投射进来的自然光线，洁白的墙壁又没挂上任何画作或相片点缀，空间尤显明亮。

原来，屋主余文耀（37岁，营销经理）夫妇两年半前迁入新居时达成共识，刻意让墙壁保持素白，让小房更整洁，空间感更佳。

古早味浓郁的风扇是客厅的焦点。而卧房和客厅之间的折窗有双层帘子，明暗可随心调适。

女主人廖逸姿（32岁，公关公司60 40 communications创办人之一）说：“墙壁少了装饰，感觉地方更大，没那么杂。选用完全透明的玻璃饭桌，也是顾虑到空间有限的问题。有些人认为这样感觉很冷清，但我认为只要善于选择家具和家居用品，还是能传达温暖。像地板分为水泥地和木板，感觉就很实在而且富层次。”

千元风扇成客厅焦点

客厅和饭厅的素净不只是因为简化的线条和白得彻底的墙壁与壁橱，灯饰的选择也扮演举足轻重的角色。

没错，留意客厅，怎么看不到灯？廖逸姿随手启动了开关，温暖的灯光安静降临；原来，夫妻俩选用了隐藏式灯具，大部分的灯都躲在屋梁和桁条背后。

完全透明的饭桌增加空间感。水泥地和木板的分隔，实在且富层次。

或许正因客厅和饭厅的素净，视觉不由得被引至客厅中央的风扇。正如展示厅的素白突出了展品，古早味浓郁的风扇成了客厅的焦点。

廖逸姿说：“风扇的设计独特，让人一见钟情。正好朋友在家具店工作，我们购买时有50%折扣，这盏1000元的风扇应该是家中最昂贵的家居品之一。”

这间白色小屋，余文耀夫妇花了3万元在改造和装修上，另再添置约1万5000元的家具装饰，完成心目中的理想住所。

再循环使用“小树”“花盆”和“脚踏车”

决定在客厅一角添置胶合板（plywood）立体装饰，则是机缘巧合。看似特别订做的装饰，其实都是免费的再循环物品。

客厅一角的胶合板（plywood）立体装饰，都是免费的再循环物品，树、花盆和脚踏车摆放在一起异常和谐。

倚墙的“树”是某百货公司丢掉的装饰，由从事橱窗设计的友人找来；摆在地上的“花盆”是廖逸姿做手工用剩的物品；摆在最前方的迷你“脚踏车”，则是她过去从事活动策划时剩下的装饰。树、花盆和脚踏车，摆放在一起异常和谐，莫名其妙联想起刷白的农舍。

廖逸姿说：“这些物品没有重新油漆或加工，捡回来就这么用了。迷你‘脚踏车’很受欢迎，朋友带孩子来，小朋友都抢着要坐上去！”

家里一定要有旋转门

买下单位后，廖逸姿和余文耀把设计事务交给设计师朋友Daniel Pillai（One Design Studio创办人）。夫妻俩的要求主要是：要白，要明亮，还有要个旋转门。

余文耀笑说：“我们夫妻俩都喜欢旋转门，所以买新家时就决定，一定要有旋转门。但为什么喜欢，其实也说不出个所以然。”

木制的旋转门装在家中唯一的卧房，隔开卧房与客厅和饭厅，温婉的弧线柔美了居住空间。轻推旋转门进入卧房，确实有点梦幻的感觉。

厨房的主要设计元素定为白色和不锈钢，连冰箱都要符合主题。

余文耀透露，家里的窗口全都开着时，屋里通风，旋转门会自动慢转。想象木门随风的节奏转动，忽然想起游乐场的旋转木马——一二三慢慢转，启动了想象，也转动了美梦。

厕所透明 如厕不安全？

设计师大量使用玻璃，确实让空间更明亮，却让到访的亲友少了安全感。位于卧房的厕所完全透明，卧房和客厅之间又有透明折窗，许多亲友上门拜访，上厕所前都犹豫：客厅的客人是不是都看得到厕所的情形？

三房式组屋改头换面，设计简约却富层次。

余文耀说：“其实不必担心，厕所装了帘子，卧房和客厅之间的折窗也有双层帘子，必要时可以拉上。”

深浅双层窗帘，一拉上就完全隔绝光线，拉开又能注入明亮。只要善于选择家居品，就算在玻璃世界里，还是可以保有隐私。

特别重视厨房的设计

余文耀喜欢烹饪，更喜欢烘焙糕点，所以特别重视厨房的设计。

除了添置达专业要求的炉灶、烘炉和微波炉，家里的冰箱也是特别选购。因厨房的主要设计元素定为白色和不锈钢，所以两人首先要找的是符合主题的冰箱。好不容易找到了手把为不锈钢的白色冰箱，接着才着手选购厨房其他装置。

位于卧房的厕所完全透明，但玻璃背后装了帘子，保护玻璃世界里的隐私。

廖逸姿说：“就连杯盘碗碟，我们都尽量选用透明玻璃和不锈钢，设计越简单越好。”

厨房设计不能只是表面功夫，尤其是余文耀每周至少下厨三次，厨房的实用性更重要。两人偏爱储藏空间绰绰有余的大抽屉，但考虑到抽屉就那几个，装的东西多而重，推拉时会有碰撞杂声，所以特别在抽屉两侧装了软质配件，不管多用力开关抽屉，都不会撞出杂声。

此外，考虑到午后阳光照射进厨房，不只刺眼还闷热，所以装了百叶窗解决问题。

廖逸姿说：“厨房是我们最喜欢的地方，除了在这里吃早餐，我们有时也直接坐在地板上喝啤酒chill out，感觉很棒。”

余文耀点头：“厨房简直是我们神圣的地方。”

旋转木门隔开卧房与客厅和饭厅，温婉的弧线柔美了居住空间。

屋子明亮舒服 朋友争着买

余文耀和廖逸姿三年前结婚，现在这个单位住了两年半。朋友到他们家作客，都对明亮、设计感佳的单位赞不绝口，甚至争着买。

廖逸姿笑说：“他们都问我们什么时候要搬家，想卖房时一定要让他们知道。至今好像已经有五个人说要买了。”

不过，夫妻俩住得安心、舒适，暂无搬迁计划。加上廖逸姿刚在几个月前创办公关公司60 40 communications，目前正忙着为何耀珊策划专辑宣传事务，更不可能花时间和精神找新居。

廖逸姿说：“其实家里太舒服了，我们现在都喜欢呆在家，反而懒得出门了。”

业余园艺爱好者郭喜明 垂直花园种出大名气

Source :《联合早报》October 13, 2008

受邀成为国家公园局的技术顾问，对园艺爱好者郭喜明（46岁）来说，是一件非常荣耀的事情。

郭喜明说：“我只是一名业余园艺爱好者，不是这方面的专家，他们却这样看得起我，使我在精神上得到很大的鼓励。”

郭喜明用竹子和旧鸡蛋托盘、椰壳等循环废物，在阳台的墙上架起花架，把50盆各类植物绑在花架上，经过大约10个月的细心照顾，终于长成一片花团锦簇的花墙，没想到还得了奖。龙国雄摄影

在一家日本跨国公司上班的郭喜明，虽然不是全职的园艺专家，但他已先后获得三个园艺奖项：1998年“公寓花园比赛”第二名。今年则连中双元，获得花园节的最佳社区花园（公司机构）金奖和锦簇社区奖（阳台花园）第二奖。

园艺是郭喜明自小培养起来的爱好。小时候他住裕廊的乡村，父亲爱在屋前屋后的空地种植瓜果蔬菜。受父亲的影响，郭喜明也爱种花种菜，10年前他家的阳台花园获奖后，他对园艺的兴趣更浓了，去年还突发奇想创造出独特的垂直花园（vertical garden），并为他赢得了本年度锦簇社区奖（阳台花园）第二奖。

现在郭喜明住的私人公寓阳台面积非常小，只有以前他住过的公寓式组屋阳台的三分之一。这个阳台已经够小了，郭喜明还不能独占，那里阳光好，他得腾出空间让太太晾晒衣服，这么一来郭喜明种花的空间更局限了，过去7年来，他就只能在阳台种些盆栽。

小空间营造垂直花园

郭喜明说，爱好无法满足是非常辛苦的事，他尝试以水耕法在阳台栽种番茄、哈密瓜和菜心等，收成不错，但他还不满足，就在他不断寻思如何把家中阳台变成一个美丽花园的当儿，一堆被人废弃的竹子激发了他创意的灵感。

这个垂直花园让郭喜明受到本地与海外园艺者的注意。

他用竹子和旧鸡蛋托盘、椰壳等循环废物，在阳台的墙上架起花架，把50盆各类植物包括猪笼草、喜阴花，鹿角蕨、波士顿蕨等蕨类植物绑在花架上，经过大约10个月的细心照顾，终于长成一片花团锦簇的花墙，没想还得了奖。郭喜明心中的喜乐自不在话下。

郭喜明创造的垂直花园概念在今年的花园节展中引起了许多人的注意，一传十，十传百，不少个人、公司、学校、社区组织，甚至香港的花木保育部门都向他讨教建立垂直花园的方法，印尼一份园艺杂志也访问了他。郭喜明都乐意与他们分享自己的心得。

在园艺园林留一面墙给他

国家公园局还拨出园艺园林（Hort Park）的一面墙让郭喜明发挥垂直花园创意。郭喜明也已被委为国家公园局的一名技术顾问，专门为该局要在公共住屋走廊发展垂直花园提供技术上的协助。

他说：“独乐乐不如众乐乐。通过分享园艺知识，我得到许多鼓励，也结交了许多志同道合的朋友，这种收获就是最大的快乐，精神上也格外富足。”

除了与他人分享建立垂直花园的心得，郭喜明也在自己服务的公司成立了一个园艺小组，与30多名组员一起学习园艺，打理公司的菜园和天台花园。

郭喜明一再强调，自己不是什么园艺专家。他的园艺知识都是从书本或上网取得的，然后举一反三，一些甚至是从失败中学习的。

郭喜明的园艺知识是一点一滴的积累，他可说是一个无师自通的园艺专家，他可想过转换事业跑道，改以园艺谋生？

“没有。”他回答得很坚定：“以园艺为生不是我的宗旨，我还是比较享受那种没有秘密的分享乐趣，商业化后你就不能把心得公开了。”

郭喜明教你DIY垂直花园

郭喜明把小阳台垂直花园的建造过程拍下来。

一、选择一面合适的墙壁，最好是有排水设备的阳台。

二、选择竹子做架子。因为竹子轻、耐用，可塑性较高。

三、根据自己所需要的大小，用竹子搭建成所需要的花架，用钢丝固定。

四、选择适合的植物。日照不强的阳台选择喜阴植物；阳光充足的阳台则可栽种花卉。应选择不同形状和颜色的植物搭配，制造美感。

五、花盆应呈45度或90度倾斜，以植物不会从盆中掉落为要。花盆要用绳索或不锈钩牢固在花架上。

六、水要直接浇在花盆里，最好用压力喷水器（pressurized water sprayer）来浇花。

Old World Charm

Source : The Business Times, October 11, 2008

Decorating trends are leaning towards the stately and opulent. By Cheah Ui-Hoon

FASHION moves in cycles and it's no different when it comes to furniture and decorating style. From minimalism, we've seen eclecticism, which made way for modern baroque and now the newest style on the horizon seems to be aristocratic. Call it the democratisation of high-brow design because even the Queen of England has herself commissioned furnishings based on the Buckingham Palace, following the example of more than 30 Dukes, Earls and Lords who've given the green light for furniture companies to produce replicas of the furniture in their stately homes. Even the Russian noble houses have followed suit.

STEP BACK IN TIME
Meroni has brought in new Baroque brands lately (above and next) and the company's marketing director Cheryl Lee says Silver-leafed Baroque furniture is popular currently

If you've ever entertained notions of living like a Lord or Lady, this is certainly one way to do it - to own furniture similar to those in these stately homes or to have soft furnishings that are inspired by Buckingham Palace aesthetics. The options are wide: you could sit on a chair that the late Princess Diana used to sit on, seeing that her brother, the present Earl of Althorp has teamed up with Theodore Alexander to launch the Althorp Living Collection; or how about sleeping on a pillow with a royal crest, or lounging in a room with curtains and walls straight out of the Queen's drawing room?

A year ago, Queen Elizabeth II commissioned British designer Tricia Guild to come up with the Royal Collection Fabrics & Wallpapers inspired by the interiors and works of art of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.

It's the first licensing arrangement of this kind, so the Royal Collection - comprising three catalogues of wallpaper, curtains, and upholstery - was launched about the same time here as it was in the UK, thanks to its exclusive distributor Romanez.

While the Queen invited 40 UK interior designers to Buckingham Palace for the launch, designers here were feted to a tea party at the Tanglin Club to view the gorgeous velvets on silk, embroidered silk, jacquard woven silk damasks and flock printed wallpapers in the richest of colours like deep reds and rich emeralds, gold, cream and black. The Arundale line is inspired by the state drawing room at Windsor Castle, for example, while the Tabinet is taken from the panels that upholstered the bed in the King's bedchamber also at the castle. For something more Oriental, the Augusta range is inspired by a detail from a pair of Chinese cloisonne enamel vases in Buckingham Palace.

Even though the collection is pricier than the normal Designers Guild's range, with starting prices at $100-$200 per metre, one way to sport a royal look on the cheap is with a crested pillow which costs just slightly more than $150. 'It's a bit of royalty that you can bring into your home,' says Romanez's Jennifer Hu of the collection.

A portion of the proceeds goes toward the maintenance of the Queen's residences, as you'd find for most of the cases where the gentry give permission for their furniture to be copied.

As for the target audience, Ms Hu expects there to be interest from hotels which are renovating their suites because of the luxurious exclusivity of the soft furnishings. Otherwise for the regular fan, it can well be an armchair that they'd like to re-upholster in richer fabric. The colours are richer, she says, because they're used in homes where there's a lot of windows and light. Likewise, that's something to keep in mind when decorating your home with these fabrics.

The look seems to be in line with designers' penchant for sophistication, elegance and luxury with gold and silver and dramatic fabrics.

Royal Collection Fabrics & Wallpapers by Designers Guild

In fact, it may be time to ditch beige and simple lines as designers feel style has become very individualistic with the penchant to mix and match. 'Consumers could be leaning towards more classical furniture because they're more unique and not as common as minimalistic furniture which is very easy to copy,' says Eleanor Kor, interior consultant with Designworx.

So far, the majority of the buyers of Baker's Stately Home furniture like the range for the look and details, more than the history, points out Chikita Nathasia, the showroom manager for Baker Furnishing.

Since the launch of Baker's Stately Homes collection here earlier this year, some 70 customers have walked in to order from one and two accent pieces to whole sets to furnish their entire house.

The demand isn't as high as it is for modern classics such as the Bill Sofield range, but then again, it's expected that the market for stately furniture is more niche, given its higher price points and grander forms.

'But what we also try to do is to educate the buyer in the history behind these pieces,' says Ms Nathasia. Most of the customers tend to live in landed property, and most are also refurnishing rather than buying furniture for a newly built home, she adds. There has been one customer who bought more than $1 million worth of Stately Homes furniture and the starting prices for this collection are usually four-figure sums.

Irish Mahogany Wing Arm Chair by Baker Furnishing

Baker's Stately Homes collection are replicas of pieces specially handpicked by an English Baronet, Sir Humphry Wakefield, and popular accent pieces picked up by Singapore buyers include a commode and an 18th century Queen Anne armchair from Wollaton Hall in Yorkshire, a 19th century Regency Tub Chair from Stratfield Saye House in Reading, and an early Irish Mahogany wing arm chair from Cliveden Place, Oxfordshire.

Obviously, the high-end and branded furniture started coming to Singapore a year or two ago because of the economic boom, but with the economy taking a shelling now, would the demand for them be sustained?

Ms Nathasia notes that the people who buy Baker's furniture are quite 'settled' so even though the economy slows down, they still provide regular business.

Da Vinci Holdings's managing director Raymond Phua echoes that thought, citing consumers' need to deck out their luxury condominiums in befitting style. 'The people who buy furniture from us aren't speculators; they've bought a house to live in and they want to decorate it well.

'And you'd be surprised, that furniture brands like Theodore Alexander are quite competitively priced when compared to fashion brands like Versace and Fendi,' he says.

Theodore Alexander was founded only in 1996 by furniture designer Paul Maitland-Smith, and its variety of lines include the Althorp Living Collection and the St Petersburg Palaces collection, based on furnishings in the Pavlovsk Palace and The Hermitage.

'The St Petersburg collection has been especially well received, and they're different from American classical furniture in that they are more gilded and have more inlays,' describes Mr Phua.

Indeed one other reason to buy European furniture, if the stately furniture is a bit too high-brow for your home, is that it is perceived to be classic, timeless designs. 'Customers like the European-made furniture we bring in because they hold their value, plus their prices keep rising year by year,' says Meroni's marketing director Cheryl Lee, who adds that the company has brought in new Baroque and art deco brands lately.

Silver-leafed Baroque furniture is popular now, while art deco pieces in black and white are in, she says.

Interior designer Patty Mak sees a return to furniture that has more details and fine craftsmanship. 'Such furniture can still be modern, but the details add to a richer feel. More people are now looking for furniture they can keep for years.

The minimalist design also tends to be over-copied so very few will be able to tell what's original,' she adds. Designworx's interior consultant Eleanor Kor said that there is a move towards more traditional looking furniture now as minimalist furniture tends not to have as much character. 'But people do swing between the two extremes,' she says.

The trend might be individualistic these days, but for us common folk, it's definitely a boon to know that noble living is within reach these days.

---------------------------------------------------------

How to furnish your home with period pieces?

Patty Mak of Suying Designs

Treat these pieces as art objects. Don't try too hard to coordinate with other classical-styled furniture, but complement them with lighter tones and textures. Because this furniture has a lot of detailing and handiwork, you can give your place a contemporary look by surrounding them with refreshing or soft colours. These pieces also look good in a small apartment, if you use one or two pieces of elegant craftsmanship.

Eleanor Kor of Designworx

To mix and match classic and contemporary, pick on a unifying detail such as the timber or tone and make them compatible. There could be a detail that's echoed throughout. Look also at the scale of the furniture and the texture. Arrangement of furniture is also important, and you want to make sure the symmetry is right. Just like works of art or sculpture, when you put them together with everything else, they have to make sense. Coordinating colours also work well.

Roy Teo of Kri:eit Associates

One way to mix and match old and new is with colours. Most contemporary furniture tends to be glossy, so you can polish mahogany furniture to the same level of shine and gloss, for instance. Or put a metallic candelabra next to a period piece of furniture to balance it. You can also put some silver/metallic-toned cushions on the classic sofa; or find cushions with tassels to place on a contemporary sofa to contrast. Otherwise, stick a potted plant between the old and new and the contrast will be neutralised!

墙纸布艺韵味流转

Source : 《联合早报》September 20, 2008

这是一间擅于运用色彩、布艺与墙纸的家居设计。1200平方英尺的公寓，设计师借助色彩、布艺与墙纸的力量，分别为单位内的两间卧房，打造出属于自己的风格。

布艺、墙纸装点出的卧室

主卧室的设计特点是运用布艺，例如色彩淡雅的薄纱帘，甚或以和服挂墙，装饰出另一番风景。负责公寓设计工作的Piece of Mine室内设计师杨萍说，在卧室内设计了薄纱帘，目的是要使到卧室的气氛有所变化，营造出浪漫、有美感的氛围。

图案和花色典雅的墙纸，使整个房间的气氛在优雅之外添加了几许活泼的感觉。

近年来墙纸的款式多姿多彩，不论是在色泽或花色方面都越来越多变化，而由于墙纸本身的质地独特，也使得它较其他装饰品，别有一番韵味。

主人房之外，另一间可充作客房用的卧房，就借助了花色、图案美丽雅致的墙纸，使到整个空间有了不一样的感觉。

杨萍说，当初要装饰这间卧房时，并没有往挂画等一般人常用的材料想，无意间发现了这一款图案和花色十分典雅的墙纸，立刻想到作为装饰之用。在色彩方面，这一款交织着草绿色、柠檬黄、天空蓝与橘子色的墙纸，形成既养眼又调和的色彩混合，还有，图案上姿态优美的飞鸟，使到整个房间的气氛在优雅之外添加了几许活泼和愉快的氛围。

擅于利用凸窗

目前有许多公寓，甚或组屋都设有凸窗(Bay window）。杨萍认为，凸窗除了采光之外，如果善加利用，结合整个空间进行设计，可达到空间再塑造的效果，变化出室内的一个组成部分。

以主卧室为例，杨萍说，她特地将睡床的设计延伸到凸窗，让房中大床与凸窗打成一片，充分利用空间之下，使到主卧室看起来分外开阔。

书房中选用了一张大书桌，表面上看，只有桌前一张椅子可供读书写字，细看之下，桌子背后的凸窗铺上坐垫，桌子的高度与凸窗成比例，同一张书桌因此可以同时供两个人用。

Architects & Their Homes - Angle Management

Source : The Straits Times, Sep 13, 2008

A slanted design for architect Rene Tan's home turned the terrace house into a light-filled one

Terrace homes, with neighbours sharing common walls on either side, can be dark places as windows can be put only at the front and back.

Large floor-to-ceiling windows help to let light into Mr Tan's home. -- ST PHOTOS: NG SOR LUAN

Not so at the home of architect Rene Tan, who thought outside the box when he designed it. Light streams into his twostorey-plus-attic terrace house, thanks to an ingenious slanted design.

Rather than being a rectangular box, the house is bent at an angle, hence enabling light to enter from the side. There are fewer common walls to share as well.

To make it look brighter, the entire interior is painted in variations of white.

Mr Tan, a partner at RT+Q Architects which he founded with architect T.K. Quek, admits that he treated designing his home like an experiment, testing out unusual designs that he would normally not do for clients' homes.

'This was something more unusual,' says the Penang-born permanent resident here. 'The shape was an instinctive response to the site.'

The 44-year-old shares the threebedroom Bukit Timah home with his wife Chuah Woei Woei, a vice-president at a bank, and their four-year-old daughter, Lara.

They moved in only about two months ago, after seven months of construction. They were previously living in a shophouse in Everton Road. He declined to disclose how much he paid for the 2,300 sq ft land, plus construction.

He says the conventional way to introduce light into a terrace home is to create a courtyard. But by slanting the house, light can enter from the side. The many large floor-to-ceiling windows also allow plenty of light to enter.

'Demanding' clients at home, too

His 'experiment' also includes the interiors. Visitors are amazed by how white the home is - from the walls and ceiling to the cabinets, shelves and flooring.

'There are 20 shades of white here,' he says with a laugh.

Another experiment involved the doors for two bedrooms on the second floor - they do not have frames. 'The doors now look like part of the walls,' he says. A doorstopper prevents them from swivelling too much.

He jokes that while experimenting with the home, he also had to satisfy the desires of his two most difficult clients - his wife and daughter.

Lara wanted a swimming pool, so he created a 10m by 2m by 1m lap pool on the ground floor. Entry is via a side passageway near the living room or by opening a sliding door in the room.

Ms Chuah wanted a big kitchen and lots of storage space. She, too, got her wish: There is a dry kitchen in the dining area with a marble-top island kitchen and a spacious wet one at the home's rear.

Instead of having numerous cupboards, he created plenty of built-in storage with sliding doors throughout the home, from the kitchen to the living room to the bedrooms. Having such storage saves space and also gives the home a cleaner look.

A spiral staircase in the 3,900 sq ft home links the two floors and the attic.

Another feature that links the attic to the first floor is a three-storey-high bookcase filled with books on architecture, literature and travel books. MrTan affectionately calls it the wall of knowledge.

Although he designed his home, he does not think it is perfect. 'If I could, there would be areas I would do differently, such as building a straight staircase.'

He was juggling various other projects while building his home and says 'my own home was the most neglected job'.

Not that anyone can tell.

如何挑一张 不会让自己后悔的地毯？

Source : 《联合早报》August 23, 2008

近年，许多人都喜欢在家中摆地毯，为家居营造一种暖暖的cosy feel。问题是，市面上地毯那么多，地毯大小不同，颜色千变，图形更让人眼花缭乱。

而一张优质的地毯价格不菲，扣除装修费、添购家具及电器产品的预算后，剩下来买一张地毯的资源更有限，在这种情况下，如何挑一张不会让自己后悔的地毯？

饭厅的地毯应该容纳所有拉开的椅子。

本地室内装潢商家Molecule的总经理何耀明及销售与市场经理吴耀文给读者传授几招，让你在挑选地毯时不再不知所措，或者战战兢兢。

Molecule成立8年，原是从事室内设计的公司，后来在帮助客人寻找家居装潢时发现，本地优质地毯不容易找，公司索性从澳洲、意大利、法国、印度直接收购地毯。

谈到国人装潢新居的趋势，何耀明说，地毯确实是近年来家居装潢最不可少的一件装饰，它不但有助于为一个空间添置个性、气氛，更是表现主人性格及喜好的家居要点。

她说：“一个设计和质地优良的地毯能帮助升格一个空间的整体感和视觉效果，让地毯上的家具得到突出，看起来更活络。

如果没有这样东西，家具冷冷地摆在地上，说不定，这个空间看起来会有点赤裸的感觉，整体视觉效果就不那么完整。

大胆尝试，不寻常的地毯颜色有助于制造不一样的气氛。

如果要把一种颜色和它相关的气氛，介绍进一个空间，通过地毯就是很不错的方式。打个比方，一张具有现代感的地毯就能为你的屋子注入些许的艺术气息。

另外，地毯还有一些实际功能，它能柔化一个空间，踩踏在脚下的时候，它柔柔软软的，让人感觉舒适。它也能吸收噪音，如果地板是大理石，地毯也有保暖作用。”

1.家居的大小

一般来说，不大／长于2.7m的沙发，建议使用1.7m X 2.4m的地毯；如果是更大的家具，一张2m X 3m的地毯已绰绰有余。

茶几大小也该纳入考量范围，确保地毯、沙发和茶几间保持标准的比例。

饭厅地毯应该多大？进行简单的测试就知道，将饭桌的椅子拉开到客人使用时的距离，地毯应该容纳所有拉开的椅子。

你也可在一些比较小的空间摆地毯，例如睡床的前头或旁边，可使用比较小型（90cm x 160cm）的地毯。

褐色、桃色、土色系列的颜色，相当适合营造现代度假风情的客厅。

2.颜色

让地毯和家具的颜色对比，是突出家具的方式之一。

许多人购买地毯时会选择比较安全的褐色、肉色、白色和黑色，这些颜色和大多数家具“吵架”的机会不大，地毯和家具之间“相安无事”，便能营造整体的和谐感觉。

不过如果你够大胆，在客厅摆一张红色、蓝玉（turquoise）色或金绿色的地毯，是不错的尝试。一个不寻常的地毯颜色有助于帮助制造不一样的气氛，说不定，它也是制造话题的一个因素。

3.地毯上的花纹和图案

几何图形短毛地毯能给房间制造个性，因此一直以来深受欢迎，不过在选择这类地毯时，要照顾地毯上的图形和空间里的摆设，确保两者摆在一块协调而不撞击。如果对图形地毯不太有把握，抓住一张长毛地毯不会错。

现代主题的家居，可根据家具及房间的摆设选择地毯。

4.装潢的主题

·摩登（Modern）

建议选黑、白或综合上述两色，较能契合家里摩登而干净的线条。带点亮度的地毯，不但有3-D效果，也可以带来一种低调的奢华感。

·现代（Contemporary）

这种主题的家居装潢线条整齐利落，不容易过时，对地毯的要求不那么严苛。建议根据家具及房间的摆设选择地毯。

·乡村质朴风（Rustic）

深褐色、金、黑色比较适合这种主题的家具。经济许可的话，添一张皮革地毯也不错，斑马皮地毯就很能制造一种Safari风格。

·度假村风情（Resort）

褐色、桃色、土色系列的颜色相当适合这种主题，也有越来越多人使用长毛地毯营造现代度假风情的客厅。

·奢华／酒店风（Hotel/Luxury）

建议选一张更厚实、混合了羊毛及多元酯（polyester）的地毯，能增添整体的奢华感。

5.质地

羊毛地毯在寒冷的国家比较受欢迎，因为羊毛给人舒适的厚实感，在冷天还有助于保暖。然而羊毛地毯有个坏处，那就是羊毛会不断脱落，因此屋主必须经常花时间照顾。

在热带新加坡，一般人宁可购买多元酯地毯，原因是这种地毯不像羊毛会脱落，更容易照料，踩在脚下也比较清凉。

6.注意地毯背面的手工

购买地毯时，花点时间研究地毯背面的手工。有些地毯背面的手工过于粗糙，摆在地上有可能会刮花地面。建议选购棉制或帆布的地毯底。

7.把地毯摆在地上看

一般地毯挂起来时，看起来会比较大、比较长，因此购买地毯时，一定要要求服务人员把地毯摆在地上，这能帮助你更准确地决定地毯的合适度。

8.敏感

选择地毯时，也要考虑个人的生活方式及健康，打个比方，皮肤、呼吸管道或是鼻子特别敏感的人（如鼻窦炎患者）最好远离羊毛地毯，避免让地毯影响个人健康。


买了地毯要如何照料？

·照顾地毯不难，普通的吸尘打理方式最为恰当，不建议蒸汽吸尘，避免水分入侵。

·万一不小心将地毯弄湿，马上使用一块吸水能力强的干布，尽量把地毯里的水分吸收出来，再使用风扇把地毯吹干。一般人会用吹风筒把地毯吹干，其实不正确，因为热风或许会破坏地毯的纤维。

·如果地毯沾到咖啡或可乐，赶快用湿布抹干净。如果污渍擦不掉，这时可使用地毯清洁济清理。再不然，可把地毯送交专业的清洗专家清理。

·优质的地毯都能承受家具的重量，但为了让地毯更持久，建议定期移动家具，那家具的脚印才不会残留在地毯上。

·要让花在地毯上的钱值得，一定要好好照顾地毯，建议定期（每半年或一年）进行干洗。

The Ball Is In His Courtyard

Source : The Straits Times, August 16, 2008

Michael Ngu's home has all his favourite features, because he built it himself

Architect Michael Ngu is known for designing high-end condominiums such as Scotts 28 in Scotts Road, Cuscaden Residences in Cuscaden Road and the Cosmopolitan in Kim Seng Road.

Flanked by creepers and plants, the 8m-tall water feature in the courtyard not only cools the home, but also provides a soothing ambience to it.-- STEPHANIE YEOW/THE STRAITS TIMES

But when it comes to private homes, the president and chief executive officer of local firm Architects 61 has done only one - his own.

That home is a two-storey plus attic semi-detached house in Tanjong Katong built 10 years ago, which he and his family still live in today.

This section of the living room is where guests mingle, and it looks out to the courtyard and dining room (background).

The 52-year-old describes it as 'not outlandish, but real and practical'. It incorporates features you would normally find only in a commercial building - as befits a commercial architect - along with some distinctly personal touches.

One such personal quirk includes having a living room with a glass floor through which Mr Ngu, from the comfort of his sofa, watches koi fish in a pond.

'I would have liked to add another window (in the dining room) but couldn't because the maid's room is behind
Architect Michael Ngu on the dining room which, despite looking out onto the courtyard, tends to be dim

On the other hand, he has done away with curtains in the home, the way that commercial buildings also do not have them. Roller blinds are used instead to keep out the sun.

The five bedrooms have bay windows which look out onto the neighbourhood - an idea he says he took from the design of Scotts 28, which has the same feature and was completed in 1998.

A lounger by the side of the master bedroom lets the owner, architect Michael Ngu, take in the view of the green courtyard while bay windows look out onto the surrounds of the house.

The Kuching-born, Singapore permanent resident lives there with his homemaker wife Mei and their three daughters, aged 13 to 25.

Although the home is 10 years old, it does not look dated. The family keeps up with times by simply updating the furnishings instead of changing the structure.

A sunken bathtub in the master bedroom allows the user to climb in and out more easily than a conventional one that rests on the floor.


Building the home involved tearing down an old house on the site and constructing the new one from scratch for $650,000 inclusive of fittings, which he says was a big amount even then.

There was just one 'hitch' in the design process: His wife dislikes big spaces. 'But I'm a modern architect and I like bigger spaces,' he says.

Koi pond is indoors

Visitors will note that the result is a compromise. The 3,200 sq ft home is spacious, yet has intimate spaces.

For example, the living room is split into two areas: A bigger one just by the entrance of the home allows guests to mingle. Slightly off to this, left and up a few steps is a smaller, cosier living area.

While most owners have endless wishlists of what they want in their home, there were just two features Mr Ngu had to have: a courtyard and a koi pond.

While the 3,200 sq ft home is built mostly of wood, the staircase leading to its five bedrooms is a modern glass and steel one, a style usually found in commercial buildings.

He says he likes how some old homes have a courtyard and incorporated one in his that is the central attraction, separating the dining and living rooms.

A 8m-tall water feature stands on one side, flanked by creepers and plants that are lovingly cared for by his wife.

'The 'waterfall' not only cools the air, but the sound of water is relaxing too,' he says.

He designed the bedrooms on the second floor and attic to look into the courtyard. A piece of glass covers its top to keep out the rain, but this has been designed to allow hot air to escape, keeping the home ventilated.

As for the koi pond, most owners would site theirs outdoors in the garden but not Mr Ngu.

He says he seldom goes outdoors, so he built his pond indoors. Part of it is under a small section of the home, where the smaller living area is, with its distinctive glass viewing floor.

To give the house a more homely touch, he used timber throughout. 'Timber is seldom used in commercial residential projects,' he notes.

He adds that the wood is no ordinary wood but 'selangan batu', a type of heavy hardwood that was brought in from his late father's timberyard in Kuching. His second brother, Stephen, 53, now runs the company.

Ten containers of timber were shipped in. 'This timber is dense, doesn't shrink much and is good for both outdoors and indoors,' he explains.

While he loves his home, there are still some niggling complaints for this perfectionist: for example, the dining room.

Although the room looks out onto the courtyard, it tends to be dim. 'I would have liked to add another window but couldn't because the maid's room is behind,' he explains.

The family is very attached to the house, especially youngest daughter Francesca, 13. She once told Mr Ngu that if they ever had to move, the house should be torn down so no one else could live in it.

'I told her she cannot be so selfish,' he says with a laugh. The family, who moved to Singapore 18 years ago, are staying put.


'I would have liked to add another window (in the dining room) but couldn't because the maid's room is behind'

Architect Michael Ngu on the dining room which, despite looking out onto the courtyard, tends to be dim

Height Of Style

Source : The Straits Times, July 19 2008

It is a lofty ambition to turn a small space into a stylish one, but this loft-style apartment has done it

SMALL homes are often a hotbed of ideas in terms of creative storage and space-stretching tricks.

Indeed, it seems one can do plenty even in a 689 sq ft apartment, such as this bachelor's pad a stone's throw from Orchard Road.

Owner Lee Boon Teck, an auditor in his 30s, loves the area, and his split-level loft apartment is the perfect size and fit for him.

HIGH LIFE: A 6m-high shelf plays up the apartment's high ceiling and serves as a display space for the owner's collection of books and Coca-Cola bottles. The ladder can be swung out when he wants to climb up to reach the top shelves and tucked back neatly to one side when not in use.

However, when he bought it, he felt it had insufficient storage areas. So interior designer Allan Yong of Museum was roped in to remedy the problem and also to create a more cohesive look for the flat in a renovation that cost about $36,000.

Taking into account Mr Lee's bachelor lifestyle, Mr Yong proposed a masculine feel with dark colours and hard edges.

He built a glossy black granite platform in the living area to separate it from the open-concept kitchen provided by the developer.

A customised L-shaped sofa over the existing window ledge not only allowed him to fully maximise the limited living room space but was also a more comfortable alternative to the initial idea of lounging on floor cushions.

Being loft-style, the place boasts a dramatic 6m-high ceiling in the living room, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The bedroom on the split-level is accessible by a staircase to the side.

So what the apartment does not have in breadth, it makes up for in height.

'The ceiling height gives it excitement,' says Mr Yong. Since Mr Lee wanted a bookshelf, he designed a 6m-tall one with its own bespoke ladder.

'Some people might say it's not practical but it serves to accentuate the height of the ceiling,' says Mr Yong of the structure, which has been stained dark to match the flooring.

In addition, it provides the owner with an industrial-chic way to display his books, magazines, Coca-Cola bottle collection and travel souvenirs.

Three artworks - monochromatic Warhol-esque paintings of Elvis Presley boxing by local artist Andre Tan - lead the way up to the bedroom.

At the landing, a niche of dead space initially meant for a study has been turned into a storeroom that is closed off with a soft curtain.

A new work area was then carved out of the already small bedroom by adding a clear glass desk at the foot of the customised bed frame. As there was no space for a chair, the platform on which the bed frame sits now serves as a seat.

'This arrangement is definitely more pleasant,' says Mr Lee, who now has a view out of the window while he works, instead of a blank wall.

The space within the platform is also used for storage purposes. 'It's storage, seating and a bed frame, all in one,' says Mr Yong of the structure.

作词人小寒的寒舍 非黑即白

Source : 《联合早报》July 19, 2008

著名作词人小寒刚搬入的新家，是真正的“寒舍”——整间屋子主要采用黑白两个冷色调，营造出“森寒”效果。“寒舍”里几乎每件家具与物品都非黑即白。小寒承认，她的性格仍保有赤子般的天真，待人处事也习惯采二分法：非黑即白。

本地著名作词人小寒刚搬新家，本报记者就追上门来了。

小寒的家，简称“寒舍”应该没错。可是这个位于荷兰路一带高尚地段的公寓单位，跟一般人理解的“寒舍”可不同。它约有1200余平方英尺，前年底买入时96万8000元。小寒说，如果不是因为面积小，以及门牌号码听起来不吉利，它会像周围邻居的单位一样卖破百万元。

“寒舍”客厅的墙壁都用墙纸，一边是“女孩”的图画，设计师以小寒的女儿为蓝本，花舞蝶飞中顺着她温柔的目光看去，有高速公路、街灯和方向牌，天上乌云遮住了白云，雨点斜斜而下，小鸟纷纷归巢。（谢光凭摄）

不过这个家说“寒”也挺“寒”的。整间屋子主要采用黑白两个冷色调，营造出“森寒”效果。

小寒笑说，以前她住在盛港，家里髹上鲜艳的颜色，富乡村情调，所以这回决定以无色取代有色，换换口味。

她说：“我需要冷静，生活很多事要烦了，你不觉得我们文字工作者，情绪起伏太大了吗？”

担任科技研究所实验师超过10年的她，下个月中便辞职了，转而投身她和音乐人黄韵仁合开的“Funkie Monkies”制作室，负责掌管音乐学院和版权，闲时继续写歌。同时，她又是医生娘——老公是在私人诊所工作的医生，两人有个4岁的女儿。家庭、事业、爱好团团围绕，难怪她需要冷静。

她最近才忙完新居的装修与设计，“老公什么都没意见，只要他的东西能整整齐齐摆放就行了。”

一切遵照设计师的意思。沙发是黑的，天花板是白的，地毯是黑的，地板是白的，饭桌和椅子是黑的，烛台是白的，窗帘是黑的，橱柜是白的，墙纸则有黑的也有白的。

900元的饭桌和90元一张的椅子是分别买到的，合起来却很“速配”。（谢光凭摄）

是的，几乎每件家具与物品都非黑即白。小寒承认，她的性格仍保有赤子般的天真，待人处事也习惯采二分法：非黑即白。

客厅有两点最特别。首先是墙壁都用墙纸，一边是图画，一边是线条，活泼与严整，动感与静态，恰成鲜明对比。

图画是个女孩大头特写，花舞蝶飞中顺着她温柔的目光看去，有高速公路、街灯和方向牌，天上乌云遮住了白云，雨点斜斜而下，小鸟纷纷归巢。

这是个怎样的意境呢？

小寒笑说：“我受不了整个家充满开心欢乐的感觉。我跟设计师说，我喜欢台湾组合苏打绿的MV《小情歌》里的墙饰，他一听就明白了。然后我告诉他我想要有点忧郁和愁思，他就画出了这幅画。”

以她的女儿为蓝本的“女孩”对面是一道直线条。小寒问：“像不像以前电视节目开播前电视机的画面？”

落叶从客厅　飘进女儿房

“寒舍”客厅的另一特点是灯饰，枝形玻璃吊灯摆出无比华丽的姿态，配上一个圆形黑色灯帘，犹如一具白色玉女肉身，披上一袭黑色性感礼服。

客厅的憩息角落和摆设台巧妙利用空间。（谢光凭摄）

饭厅的吊灯比较起来简朴得多。三盏灯泡装进一个大圆桶，从透明灯罩射出来的灯光，加倍柔和。小寒说，灯罩像是蒸锅盖子，装在饭厅刚好。

看起来很贵？小寒说她找了很久才买到便宜货。客厅玻璃吊灯加灯帘约1000元，饭厅圆桶吊灯才十分之一。黑色真皮沙发老老实实没花样，却是屋里最贵的家具，要2700元。900元的饭桌和90元一张的椅子是分别买到，合起来却很“速配”。

由于厨房建得小——幸好两夫妻因为工作日夜颠倒难以天天一起进餐，平日三餐都在外面解决，也没什么用武之地，小寒把客厅一个摆设台兼橱柜善加利用，上面摆放她这几年在音乐颁奖礼上获得的奖项，还有名酒数瓶，下面则收藏碗盘碟杯。

摆设台旁边有一扇窗，可作紧急出口，平日封上不开，小寒在窗下放了一张软褥垫座，窗帘用彩结束起，很聪明地把一个不知可做什么用途的尴尬空间，转变成感觉很舒适的憩息角落。

在客厅的另一角是占去很大空间的阳台。阳台面积有近半个客厅那么大，除了一大片木地板，空秃秃一片。不喜欢花草树木的小寒选择保留它的原始与纯朴，乍看有点空，倒也与客厅的现代感形成巧妙有趣的对比。

小女孩房：不见粉红色

从客厅通往房间的走道，两旁的墙壁上也是黑白贴纸，上面尽是落叶飘飘，一直“飘”进女儿许予希的房间。环顾四壁，落叶纷纷，只有小床上的被单枕头和周围的小摆设才见淡颜粉色。和一般小女孩房里铺天盖地的粉红天悬地殊。

作风与性格率直如男生的小寒笑着解释：“我受不了粉红色，也不希望女儿太小姐脾气，她已经继承了我老公的温柔，够娇嗲了。”

窗旁摆放了个黑白键盘，是妈妈买给女儿的，却跟4岁小女孩仿佛有点格格不入。记者眼尖，发现有个五颜六色的儿童玩具键盘被黑白键盘逼退到墙角，才了解妈妈不但想及早培养女儿的音乐细胞，也想她快快成长，才会对缤纷的器材“赶尽杀绝”。小寒笑说：“不是啦，我是受不了玩具键盘尖锐的声音！”

主人房：昏暗幽雅易入梦

主人房里是另一番情境。黑漆漆的墙壁，暗红色的窗帘，仅有浴室和台灯的白微弱地反照，情调昏暗而幽雅。小寒解释，她是个不易好眠的人，所以特意营造容易入梦的环境。

褐色主人床看起来有点小，但两个人睡可以很甜蜜。这张3000元的床是小寒家最贵的家具，也是小寒最喜爱的，因为千金难买好梦。（谢光凭摄）

小寒不迷信，当初这个单位门牌有两个“4”字，她都不介意。住进来后连续发生屋子漏水、墙裂事件，跟着摔伤脚，又在台湾金曲奖落马，她都没有怪罪风水。这个本地第一个入围金曲奖最佳作词的才女，还要在这个家写出更多的好词呢！

Kitchen On Show

Source : The Straits Times, June 28 2008

Entertaining at home has moved from the living room to the kitchen, so owners are pulling out all stops to create a showpiece dry kitchen

WHEN it comes to what's cooking in kitchen designs these days, having just one kitchen doesn't cut it any more.

Home owners Lorena Chan and her civil servant husband Anthony Tan are typical of many Singaporeans nowadays. When they were redesigning their semi-detached home in MacPherson two years ago, they wanted both a wet kitchen and a dry one.

'Entertaining has moved from the living area to the kitchen, so the dry kitchen now becomes the central attraction' Mr Lim Wee Li, managing director of Kitchen Culture, an upmarket kitchen system and appliances retailer -- ST PHOTOS: SAMUEL HE

A 'wet' kitchen is a trendy way of describing the serious place where all the heavy cooking and washing is done. A 'dry' kitchen is more like a bar counter, for light cooking, and where guests can sit and chat with the chef.

Ms Chan, 35, an avid cook who whips up stir-fry dishes on weekends, says with two separate kitchens, 'cooking fumes no longer fill the living area when I cook, unlike before'.

Previously, they had just one, small kitchen.

Interior designers say the trend of having both a wet and a dry kitchen has emerged over the past five years as more Singaporeans entertain at home.

Mr Lim Wee Li, managing director of Kitchen Culture, an upmarket kitchen systems and appliances retailer, says: 'Entertaining has moved from the living area to the kitchen, so the dry kitchen now becomes the central attraction.'

Designers say that as a result, customers demand that the dry kitchen must look good as it is a showpiece where visitors gather.

Riding the trend, even property developers are now incorporating wet and dry kitchens into their projects.

City Developments Limited (CDL) group general manager Chia Ngiang Hong adds that with changing lifestyle needs, separate kitchens are increasingly commonplace in new residential developments.

CDL has incorporated such kitchens into its luxury developments including St Regis Residences, Cliveden at Grange and The Oceanfront@Sentosa Cove.

Kitchen Culture's Mr Lim says home owners opt for 'state-of-the-art cooking appliances, granite worktops and cabinets with veneer or gloss finishes instead of the usual lacquer finish'.

Just the dry kitchen alone can cost at least an extra $5,000 to $10,000 depending on the choice of materials, excluding appliances.

Ms Chan, a vice-president at a financial services company, and her husband forked out $30,000 for their dual kitchens, excluding appliances.

Their wet kitchen has a sink, a stove, an oven, a fridge and cupboards, and is separated from the dry kitchen by a glass door.

The latter, which is just by the dining area, is built on an island counter and comes with an induction cooker, a small sink for washing cups, a second fridge, a coffee-maker and two bar stools. There is also a computer there so Ms Chan can surf the Internet for recipes.

To hide the second fridge, which is visible from the living area, there is a sliding wooden panel which, when shut, becomes a feature wall.

Her husband's family has been living in the old house for 20 years. The family, including her elderly parents-in-law, sister-in-law and two young children, moved into their newly built two-storey plus attic home in March.

The new kitchen set-up was designed by Ms Sarah Tham of interior design firm Cube Associate Design.

Ms Tham says that as a dry kitchen is near the dining area, it should blend in with the rest of the home.

She says all her clients nowadays 'want a wet and dry kitchen'.

She notes that home owners are also spending more money doing up their dry kitchens rather than the wet areas. 'They spend more time in the dry kitchen so they are more willing to spend more money on it.'

For wet kitchens, practicality is the main factor in design. Wider sinks are expected for washing of big pots and pans, along with kitchen hoods that are able to quickly suck away cooking fumes.

Although wooden doors can be used to separate the two areas, interior designer Annie Tan of The Interach Design encourages the use of glass doors, saying 'you can keep the fumes enclosed, and still allow some natural light to fall in'.

Wet and dry kitchens have been incorporated into the designs of UOL's new condominium development, Breeze by the East in Upper East Coast Road, for its 40 three-bedroom units as well as 16 four-bedroom units and 18 penthouses.

It also has 14 two-bedroom units, but these have just one kitchen.

UOL's chief operating officer Liam Wee Sin says the dry kitchen is an extension of the living and dining space, noting: 'Home buyers enjoy a much larger area plus the convenience of a kitchen that is 'closer' to them.'

But while a wet and dry kitchen is on most home owners' wishlists, not everyone can have one. Ms Tan says the home must have at least 200 sq ft of kitchen space before it can be separated into two areas.

One home owner with space to spare is housewife Ruth Loh, 65. She has wet and dry kitchens in her five-room HDB flat on the 16th floor at Bedok, which she moved into in March.

She cooks mostly stir-fry dishes on weekdays for her husband, Peter, and herself in her wet kitchen. 'A smaller wet kitchen means less cleaning after cooking,' she says.

Her dry kitchen is for preparing breakfast and cutting fruit, and is her preferred part of the kitchen.

Standing at the counter, sited like her very own personal command centre, she says: 'I can stand here and look into the living area and even out to the sea.'

Living Among Birds, Trees - And Durians

Source : The Business Times, June 14, 2008

PERSONAL SPACE

It was love at first sight for David Ng when he decided to buy a house next to a garden in 2007. He and his wife Jolene have since given it a complete contemporary makeover

IT was the nice big garden behind the house that clinched the deal. And the durian tree. 'I'd spent a lot of time looking for a house with a garden - it's really difficult to find one in Singapore,' says David Ng, a financial services manager with the insurance company AIA.

Designer kitchen, bountiful tree: The kitchen of the Ngs' semi-detached house from Kitchen Culture (left) with a 4-m-long marbled countertop (next).

Within five minutes of seeing the semi-detached house in Nim Crescent, the father of three knew he wanted it. He and his wife Jolene bought the house last year and gave it a complete contemporary makeover - with the designer kitchen as the centrepiece while turning the garden into a large wooden deck.

Mr Ng, who previously lived at Kovan, counts this as the last house he will move into. Going all out to modernise the interior, he consulted three designers before choosing the one who suggested he should 'open up' the back of the house that led to the garden.

'That fit my vision perfectly,' he says. As a result, the walls of the dry kitchen were replaced with sheets of glass that provide a view of the wooden deck. The kitchen, designed by Kitchen Culture, gets extra visual mileage when Mr Ng entertains, which is often.

He chose a grey-and-white scheme for the vast kitchen space, which is dominated by a four-metre-long white marbled countertop.

It is here that five people can sit at the counter on bar-stools, while Mr Ng's two daughters get to use it for baking and simple cooking - like instant noodles - on the Kupperbusch induction hob.

The cabinet system is Hacker, with an inbuilt steam oven and oven - Mr Ng is wary of microwaves - also from Kupperbusch. His Liebherr fridge serves him well enough, as he didn't want to splurge on a Subzero.

Avid cook

Airy and spacious: (Here Onwards) Mr Ng and wife Jolene on the third-floor balcony of their four-storey house, the house's rooftop and the one-piece raintree table top where the Ngs have their meals and also entertain under the shade of the durian tree

Mr Ng doubled his original budget for the kitchen after coming across a Kitchen Culture show kitchen at a condominium development he visited. 'I just fell in love with it. I liked the clean lines,' he says. That visit converted the avid cook into a designer kitchen fan.

The man who picked up his cooking skills in the navy recalls: 'There were times when the crew banned the ship's cook from the kitchen and got me to cook for them instead.'

Mr Ng jokingly recounts how he 'ran away' from his four sisters when he was 16 to 'avoid being bullied'. He joined the navy and trained as a mechanic.

After eight years he left and went into insurance, which was so seamless a switch that he has stayed in the business ever since.

At home, it's the jovial 44-year-old - and not his wife - who dons the apron. His signature dishes include chilli crab, cheese-topped prawns made with his own cheese concoction and Assam pedas fish curry.

Mrs Ng once almost set the kitchen on fire, after which she was forbidden to cook. 'It's only David and the maid who cook in this home,' she quips, recalling the dramatic incident. Her husband was deep-frying wasabi prawns when she saw one left over in the container and dropped it into the hot oil, causing flames to burst up from the wok.

The 'real' cooking - in Chinese zi char style - is done in a wet kitchen in a corner of the yard.

The house sits on more than 3,000 sq ft of land, although Mr Ng's friends would guess that it's 5,000 sq ft because of the aura of space created.

'I like houses that have a narrower frontage and which fan out towards the back, because it gives the illusion that the land is larger,' he says.

Enough space

The four-storey house with a nicely paved rooftop yields enough space for each of the children, aged 10 to 15. They have their own bedrooms, while there is also a TV room and a study. Mr and Mrs Ng's bedroom is on the third floor, which has been turned into a master suite.

Since the garden was not big enough to fit a pool, Mr Ng created a patio just outside the master bedroom, where he put a standalone tub - just nice for a rooftop soak and a view of surrounding gardens.

Meanwhile, a minimalist and clutter-free look is achieved through cleverly designed cupboards and wardrobes with concealed shelves and desks, created by Mr Ng's interior designer Interarch.

For decoration, the Ngs bought several paintings from Vietnamese and Chinese artists. 'I have Indonesian clients who collect art, and I'm often with them when they're buying it so I had a pretty good idea of what I liked that was worth buying,' says Mr Ng, highlighting works by Wang Zixin and FengYe.

The family's favourite hangout is a long raintree table on the outdoor deck, which is beautifully shaded by a 20-plus-year-old durian tree with wide-reaching branches. Mr Ng has breakfast there while reading the papers, with dainty tailor birds, yellow orioles and even woodpeckers for company. 'We practically have all our meals outdoors and entertain here often as well,' says Mr Ng.

Stylish: The living room. A clutter-free look is achieved through cleverly designed cupboards and wardrobes with concealed shelves and desks

The 20-plus-year-old durian tree (left) with widely spread branches was practically dying when the couple bought the house, but it has been nursed back to life - and abundant fruition, with this year's bounty exceeding 100 fruit

The durian tree was practically dying when he bought the house, but he has since nursed it back to life, with bumper harvests as his reward. Mr Ng recently strung a large net under the tree, to catch this year's bounty of over 100 fruit.

The privileged few with gardens may be able to gaze at the stars from their homes. But for the Ngs, they have spent many a night lying on deck - durian-gazing. They have seen flowers blossoming and bats fluttering about to pollinate the tree. And now the gaze is one of anticipation - as the clusters of green, spiky durians hold the promise of a delicious treat.

Trunk Service

Source : The Straits Times, May 24, 2008

This award-winning home has taken a step further when it comes to bringing the outdoors indoors - it has trees inside

TREE'S COMPANY: When the gate of the tallest and most modern-looking house (below) on this stretch of the road is open, passers-by are treated to a view of trees growing inside the home up to a bedroom on the second level. Further in, the living room (above) features even more trees as well as ferns grown on the putty walls. -- PHOTOS: ALBERT LIM KS

THIS is one special tree house.

It's actually a terrace house nestling amid Orchard Road high-rises, but it's been transformed into a jungle oasis, complete with trees growing up into and out of the floor and ceilings of the kitchen and living room.

Yes, that's right - where you'd have a breakfast table and chairs, there are slender tree trunks popping up through holes in the timber floor.

Instead of wallpaper, there are real ferns. A two- storey waterfall anchors the end of the living room.

No wonder this natural wonder scooped a top prize at the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) awards announced on Wednesday.

It won a design award, and also a new prize launched this year: Best Project Below $1 Million Construction Cost.

The 230 sq m house cost just $390,000 to build in 2006. Another $100,000 was spent on greenery and interior works. A house of a similar size today would cost about $700,000.

SIA president Tai Lee Siang notes: 'It is not true that good architecture has to have a high price.'

The Architectural Design Awards - being held for the ninth time this year - are handed out once every two years to projects of architectural merit.

'Projects that contributed new ideas or expanded on existing repertoire were awarded,' says jury member and renowned architect Mok Wei Wei.

The three-storey intermediate terrace in Jalan Elok off Mount Elizabeth Road was designed by local architect Chang Yong Ter, 38.

Home owners Richard Wong and Clara Yue's brief to him was simple. 'To have as much green as possible in the home,' says Mr Wong, 41, an Australian investor who is now a permanent resident here.

The couple, who have three teenage children, say they do not like houses that are hot, so having greenery would help keep the home, which has five bedrooms and a roof garden, cool.

Squirrels and toads visit, too

And Mr Chang, who started his own firm, Chang Architects, about seven years ago, clearly rose to the challenge.

When Life! went to check out the house, it was easy to spot which one it was on the street - a canopy of trees sprouted like green plumes through concrete and glass.

At the entrance, once past the car porch, you are confounded by the sight of, not the living room, but a kitchen.

And looking out over the breakfast bar, you see eucalyptus and tower trees, as if you are in a park.

The kitchen leads to the dining room, then to the living room. Furniture may be sparse - there are just sofas and no coffee table - but as well as a waterfall, there is a shallow pond.

It is not just the family who enjoys the green oasis. Mr Wong says: 'We've seen squirrels running across the walls and toads enjoying a dip in the pond.'

Living here is much like being in a jungle. There's green everywhere.

The master bedroom on the second storey looks out onto the green wall in the living room. 'It's amazing to wake up to greenery,' says Mr Wong.

The family spends most of its time in the living room. Instead of a television set, a huge projection screen lowers from the ceiling.

'Once we heard toads croaking, and found it funny as it wasn't part of the movie we were watching,' says Ms Yue, 47, a freelance consultant.

Cool water

ARCHITECT Mr Chang reveals that his first step in designing the house was to work out where the trees would go.

As for how he hit upon living walls of ferns, he says: 'Ferns are suitable here because they do not require much sunlight.'

The ferns and trees are watered via an automatic irrigation system and require little maintenance, except for the occasional trimming.

And he notes of the living room's pond: 'Having water in the living room also cools the area.'

To encourage cross-ventilation, a light and wind channel was also created at the back of the living room, and this opens out to the back of the house.

The couple say the greenery has certainly helped in keeping the home cool.

During March when it was cooler, Ms Yue says: 'It was so chilly, I needed a jacket at night.'

Occasionally, when it pours, rain comes into the kitchen where the trees are. On a recent visit, Ms Yue's mother commented that she used to keep the rain out of her kitchen.

'She finds it unusual that we now welcome the rain to come in,' says Ms Yue.

STEPPING UP THE GREENERY: Even more plants dot the space beneath the stairs leading to the rooms on the second and third storey and the roof garden. It's a hassle to climb so many steps, but the owners have come to regard it as a form of exercise.


COOL SET-UP (above): The master bedroom looks out to the green wall while its bathroom has a view of the pebbled feature wall. The set-up enhances the area's ventilation, hence reducing the need for air-conditioning.

COOKING IN THE RAIN: The kitchen, which adjoins the car porch so that cooking fumes will not get into the living areas, has eucalyptus and tower trees. When it pours, rain seeps into the home through the holes that the trees grow through.

'She finds it unusual that we now welcome the rain to come in'
Ms Clara Yue on her mother who, after seeing her kitchen which has openings where rain can enter, commented that she used to keep the rain out of her kitchen

ALL NATURAL: A skylight allows natural light to fall freely into this bathroom.

NO WINDOWS? NO PROBLEM: Instead of a television, a projector screens images on a wall opposite the daughter's bedroom. There are no windows in the space but there's still a touch of the outdoors, thanks to the plants-and-stones feature.

Cool Haven For Seven

Source : The Straits Times, May 24, 2008

These award-winning homes prove that it is possible to meet diverse needs and still have style

ALL UNDER ONE ROOF: The home owners live on the topmost floor of this three-storey bungalow, while their daughter and her family live in the basement, which looks out to the garden and pool. The middle storey is for their inter-generational gatherings. -- PHOTOS: CHAN SAU YAN ASSOCIATES


The entrance from the road leads to the second level of the home, and the kitchen, living and dining rooms.


HOUSE AT BISHOPSGATE

By Chan Sau Yan Associates

Fitting in three generations under one roof, and providing everyone with privacy while allowing for interaction is no easy task.

But in this three-storey bungalow off Jervois Road, veteran architect Sonny Chan, 66, met the needs of his clients, and also won a design award for it in the residential category at this week's Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) Architectural Design Awards.

His clients are an elderly couple who live with their daughter, son-in-law and three grandchildren. They declined to be named.

The house, completed last December, is over 1,000 sq m in floor area. The two families have their own private areas, but there is also a common level for get-togethers.

The entrance from the road leads to the second level of the home, and the kitchen, living and dining rooms.

The daughter and her family live in the basement, which looks out onto the pool and garden. This area has four bedrooms, and its own kitchen, living and dining areas.

The home owners live on the top floor.

Mr Chan, who declined to reveal construction costs, used concrete for the facade and roof, and says this makes the home look outstanding and creates a presence in the neighbourhood.

To reduce trapped heat, the interior has high spaces and there are adjustable glass louvred windows at the end of the roof that allow heat to escape.

Large windows provide unblocked views of the surrounding lush greenery and also provide cross-ventilation.

Pet-friendly home

CUTTING-CAGE: A feature of this home is the cage-like structure that is both a home to aparrots and the facade of a shower.

HOUSE AT OPERA ESTATE

By Formwerkz Architects

This intermediate terrace house at Opera Estate is just 250 sq m in size, but it doesn't feel small at all.

It was designed by Formwerkz Architects for an undisclosed sum for Andrew Foo and his family, who declined to be interviewed.

Formwerkz's director Gwen Tan, 33, said her firm faced the challenge of fitting many features into a small plot.

The two-storey house - which won an SIA design award in the residential category - has four bedrooms and an attic, and comes with plenty of large windows for cross-ventilation.

The architects did away with a main door and put in a metal gate that allows the breeze in. Through such features, the house stays cool without air-conditioning.

Another challenge was accommodating the owners' parrots. These now live in a special two-storey cage in the living room.

But while the caged area on the first level is for the birds, the structure, with the addition of curtains, becomes a shower area for the owners on the second storey.

A bird stand in the cage serves as a perch for the parrots, and doubles as a cover for a water pipe.

Concrete was used for the flooring, which not only keeps the house cool but 'is also easy to maintain', said Ms Tan.

As well, the owners' dogs have free run of the house and with concrete flooring, it doesn't matter if they scratch it.