timothyng27

Hi Sheelaa, Thanks for the note of caution! I started off this T-blog just looking for inspirations / components online. As such, a lot of pictures I got were mostly images from the web and promotional shots. I think you raised a good point here; to always go and see in how it (furniture / lights / appliances) look, how it feel and works in real-life. Pictures only are often misleading, and even in showrooms a lot of these things look nicer as they're more well-lit and interiors are done up much nicer. I will probably go with a more practical fan; I found a contact called "bro" on renotalk who has good prices on KDK / fanco fans. Here's some of the fans I've shortlisted - nothing too fancy, but nice, solid-looking fans in gun-metal, white or black which perform decently well. Fanco: FFM8383 - 56", 3 blades in gun metal http://www.fanco.com.sg/index.php?page=ffm-8383-ab-gm-br---56 FF9 - 56", 5 blades in gun metal http://www.fanco.com.sg/index.php?page=ff9-ab-ms-gm---56 8080 - 56", 3 blades in white (looks a bit like a old classroom fan) http://www.fanco.com.sg/index.php?page=8080-ab-ms-gm---56 KDK: Sensa 5 - 60", 5 blades in titanium silver. Blades look nice and I think performance should be good too http://www.kdk.com.my/product/?p=29 Sena 4 - 56", Same as above but with 4 blades http://www.kdk.com.my/product/?p=31 K14X8CL - 56", 4 blades in glassic gold http://www.kdk.com.my/product/?p=217 bro, if you're reading this, can you comment on performance / sizes and rough pricing? What's the difference (besides looks) between 3,4, and 5 blades? How many speeds are really necessary for a fan? Do Fanco fans come with remote controlled versions too? What about the height needed to install each fan? Sheelaa, I hope you like my choice of fans! Let me know if you're interested to view them. maybe we can go together! And if you're interested to buy already, I'll get bro to PM you. Think his rates / services sound pretty fair.

Hi ne0mesis, Thank you for the warm welcome! I think the pictures of the items I like all look nice only la; probably photoshop and nice lighting! Haha. My pockets are not deep la. Post picture free one; I also never buy anything yet Honestly I feel more and more practical each time I visit a showroom or ID. A lot of the things I like at first now seem quite expensive. So chances are, I'll keep looking for cheap(er) alternatives to what I want. One of my "balconies" is actually a corridor from my main door to living room, and it's been elevated to be flush with the living room floor already. I would like a kitchen island, and am thinking of going combining a island and dining table.\ I'm in the process of shortlisting IDs now. Met a good one last week, and meeting one more on Saturday whom I think should be very good also. I'm quite confident I will eventually go with one of these 2 IDs. I'll let you guys know as things develop Glad you like my blog! Feel free to stalk it anytime! Hahaha

Hi adidaem, I think it was about $3-400+ for chairs and about $2-3K for the table - which is still A LOT of money!! I've actually been looking around a lot. Just went to 3 different places today: Avanni Design at Sungei Kadut: - Good selection of not too bad-looking fabric and leather sofas - Fully customizable fabrics, combinations (L-shaped, 3-seather etc) and even dimensions - New "memory foam" type sofa which feels a little hard, but indents to fit your butt shape after a short while - Salesperson claims memory foam helps to regulate the temperature of the sofa - Spring-coil type sofa (like those used in beds) also available - We liked a 3+2 sofa combination for the memory foam one and was quoted $2780 for both, which looks like a pretty ok price Lush at Upper Paya Lebar - Very nice designs; mostly good quality replicas of modern classics - Extremely fitting with my theme, especially the Woods + Woods collection - Saw a couple of very nice dining sets. Tables should set you back about $2K onwards and chairs available from about $300+ - I also saw some very similar looking chairs to the Maruni Hiroshima chairs! $3-400+ also, depending on wood combi - Nice collection of Scandi looking armchairs also, priced from $700 up - Prices are a bit high (before bargaining though), and the furniture is made in china - Does anyone know where to source these pieces directly? Alibaba or taobao? How much does it cost to ship? Executive Living at Upper Paya Lebar - Stepped in and walked right out in 3 minutes - Totally doesn't match my theme - "Modern-contemporary" designs which are totally commonplace - I came up with a new term for generic-looking leather sofas: "Marshmallows" because you can't tell the difference from one to the other! Haha Also took a look at IFC Sungei Kadut, saw a very nice solid wood dining table but not much else. You have 40 down lights to buy??? That's a crazy lot of lights! Sounds like you're going to celebrate Deepavali at your house! Haha. Want to go check out lights together? I went to lighting.com.sg today at Balestier too. Pretty decent stuff. And yes I've been to Going Dutch opposite Valley Point Shopping Centre. It's freaking ridiculous!!! I think I saw a $25K sofa there. That place is for angmohs with too much money to buy furniture from la. I think you see me to up already; I'm really not that rich at all. Heh PM me if you're keen to go check out lights. Always good to have a kaki who needs to buy 40 down lights to go with so I can enjoy bigger discounts! Haha

Hi everyone, I'm interesting in finding out more small and cheap electronics shops. Can you please PM me shops and addresses / contacts? Thanks you all very much!

Hi bro, You seem to be the expert in fans! I'm looking for a modern ceiling fan, about 54" in black, white or grey. It should be able to blend in very easily; design should not be too outstanding. Do you know of any nice-looking, matt-coloured fans which fit my requirements and the contacts to get them? Please feel free to PM me! Thanks very much in advance for your help! Regards, Timothy

Eh eh, siapa ini? Should meet up and K soon! But tell me who you are first abang! Haha

I've seen replicas of the Eames chair at so many furniture shops that it loses it's "designer-ness" already. It's a nice piece on it's own, but once there are so many low-quality replicas available all over, it loses it's exclusiveness. As for the Aeron chair, I think you can find some "lookalikes" here: http://www.singaporeinterior.com/chairs/Executive%201%20Mesh%20Chairs.htm I've sat on a Herman Miller Aeron chair in 2 of my old offices and I don't think you can ever have a good replica of the real thing. But that's just my humble opinion

Hi jar, I don't have a designer (yet). But I'm currently looking out for one. I've sourced all the pictures and inspirations online. What would you like to ask me?

Hi adidaem, Yeah I really really love the dining set from Maruni. Think they are available in darker wood also. But you can really see the quality of the wood and the workmanship that goes into it. I can't quite remember the price though. Was it about $300-400 a chair? I think there are a few alternatives to this pretty exhorbitant dining table: Royal Oak Dining Series from Cellini (pretty nice looking and minimalist light wood table) but I can't find any pictures Lush's Wood + Wood collection looks pretty nice too: http://www.lush-lush...d=47&Itemid=119 Motto has some pretty good stuff too: http://www.motto.com.sg But I've yet to check them out myself, might do so this week. One of the IDs I was talking to proposed a long metal table protruding out from a pillar (left over from the kitchen wall I want to hack) which I though was pretty cool. As for the Scandi look, I think I might not adopt it in it's entirety, maybe just have certain elements of it (flooring, neutral palettes, clean lines etc). I'll be checking out Avanni Designs at Sungei Kadut tomorrow to see if I can source a cheaper, matching sofa but let's see how that goes. Your (and everyone else's) 2 cents, is most appreciated! Good to hear feedback. And don't worry, this is the first time I'm doing this too, so I myself am a noob I have the brochure for the lights from Veillux. I can email it to you if you want. Unfortunately, prices are a little bit to the high side (but I haven't bargain yet. haha) Think I probably need to look around Balestier, Joo Chiat, Changi etc for more nice-looking alternatives. I'm a bit scared of the costs of furnishings now that I'm getting quotes from IDs and I just bought my bed

Hi yeoml9999, Your kitchen looks very nice! Very clean and warm feeling from the whites, woods, reflective surfaces, glass hood and steel oven. I especially like the different top and bottom shelving (top in white, bottom in wood). Do you cook often? What equipment (cooker hood, hobs, stove) did you purchase and how much was the costs?

Hi hafiizh, I might be looking out for a fabric sofa from Avanni Design at Sungei Kadut instead. I saw a few previously which have the soft memory foam-type feel. Quite shiok. Also, much more easy on the pocket! Feel the pinch after buying my bed. Think I need to check it out again this week to see if it matches better. If I stick with the current selection, I'll have to tone down everything else as you suggested. So no Flyol lights etc. I'll still stick with my choice of light parkquet or laminate flooring and white or light grey as the base colour. I think this will look ok in the living room on it's own. However, when I try to picture the Hiroshima dining set I really can't see it blending in well, as: 1. The wood colour and texture doesn't really match the sofa and day bed 2. The wood colour of the dining set will probably blend into the parquet floor, which will be a little weird What I could probably do is either: 1. Get a slightly darker coloured wood; grey or black, for the dining table (and risk losing the original Scandinavian concept and look) 2. Just choose a fabric / lighter coloured sofa as mentioned above 3. Have a divider between the living and dining areas to demarcate the space (but losing a bit of the open concept feel) Any other suggestions? My budget for furnishings is just to be spent on a few vital pieces - bed, tv, sofa and maybe dining. I'll probably get everything else from IKEA. However, I think I need to look around more to find out more viable alternatives I do feel the pinch, especially buying the bed + mattress today. Really not cheap to do up a house nice nice man. Anyway, thanks for your 2 cents! It'll go a long way to helping my house look nicer

Hi adidaem, Yup! I think this is pretty much "the" dining table and chairs, only problem is my finance director (aka spouse) might not approve! Haha Some more we just bought our Serta Willow Spring king-sized mattress today. Pocket got a bit hole already I actually saw one of the lamps (the Northern Lighting Diva lamp) when I passed by Style Nordic at Delphi Orchard. If I'm not wrong this should cost about $3-4K, which I think is a pretty ridiculous price for a lamp My ID mentioned she might be able to source something similar for less though. By the way, I also went to check out Proof Living at ION today - a lot of pretty pretty things! But the prices make me feel sad so I stepped out. Haha

Just checked out Furniture Club at Parkmall today, and here's some of the pieces I'll probably be purchasing: Camerich Moodie Sofa (3-seater) Loved this sofa since we laid eyes on it. The dark olive green colour of the leather really stands out Camerich Arc Day Bed Rested on this at the Keppel showroom before. Super comfortable and matches the sofa Camerich Plato Coffee table Easier to get a matching set of furniture from one brand than to put together separate pieces Buil-in side table / lamp Pretty cool-looking multi function lamp and side table. Saw this at the showroom today and snapped a pic. Think the black version looks better. Now I have a set of matching furniture for the living room, but the black of the furniture seems not to match the Scandinavian theme of neutral, whites and woods. I'll still be keen to use a light laminate flooring / parquet and white for the walls, but I'm worried the furniture might be too dark for the theme. Also, the living room set probably won't go well with the dining set I intend to get (which is probably slightly woody). Can anyone offer some advice please?

Came across this Lighting and Acessories shop called Lite Fusion at Upper Serangoon Road. They have some pretty good lighting / toilet accessories promotions going on. Check it out here: http://shopping.insing.com/business/lite-fusion/hougang-tai-seng-upper-serangoon/id-90610200?nav=30100#hot-deals

Hi folks, I'm getting my keys in September, and I think now is a good time to start looking out good deals so I'm starting off this topic. Please feel free to contribute and share; I'm always happy to go check out stuff with any of you, or even organize group buys to save $$$. Anyway, here's a list of GSS deals that I've come across: Official Great Singapore Sale website: http://www.greatsingaporesale.com.sg/2011m/english-html/wos/wos-list-homefurn.html Some interesting names - Sealy, Parisilk Electronics and Computers (Holland Village), Meroni, Haus Furnishings (looks quite nice), Apex5 and Courts. Courts Promotions (pretty detailed): http://singapore-promotions.com/computers-pc/courts-greatest-storewide-sale-greatest-ever-discounts-in-every-department-21-may-2011-7920/ Please add on. Cheers!

Hi adidaem, I'd like to go down to Mandarin Gallery sometime soon also to confirm pricing and how long they can hold the purchase for. Will you be interested to go down together? PM me if you're keen; maybe we can organize a group buy to get a better discount! The turkish lamp is kind of an accent piece to be placed at the balcony or a small cozy corner; a little bit "tak match" but the colours are supposed to show the texture in my cement screed wall. You seem to know where to get a lot of nice stuff; please do share some resources with me. Thanks!

And here's some other pendant / ceiling lamps I love: Veillux (again) - Flyol Veillux (again again) - Holmz Chanced across this at Park Mall and enquired immediately. Would look super nice on a living room / dining ceiling Sorry the picture doesn't do it justice Turkish lamps chandelier This would look great on a corridor, bedroom or balcony or as a mood lighting. Very pretty Think they sell stuff like this at one Arab Street corner shop selling shisha. Pretty expensive though. Anyone got lobang?

Here's some more lighting inspirations (pendant lamps and standing lamps). Sorry if some of the pics are rather bad or low res. A lot of the lamps I've seen come from Veillux at Park Mall. They have a pretty good selection. PM me if you want the catalogue. Standing lamps: I'm pretty sick of seeing Arco lamps (real and fake) everywhere, but that's just me So here goes: Ruby Beets - Lily lamp Absolutely gorgeous (pics speak for themselves) Northern Lighting - Diva floorlamp Another super beautiful piece. Fell in love once I saw it at Style Nordic Delphi Orchard Veillux - VLF standing lamp Not as nice as the other pieces, but still pretty good-loooking and sturdy

Thanks hafiizh! I'm still looking at different combinations of ID / contractors, but I'll probably work with an independent ID with experience in commercial properties (hotels / restaurants etc). I'm going to meet an ID this Saturday which seems to know what I want and have the same aesthetic (based on his portfolio). He fits the description above as well. Here's who I've met so far: k* Design (Jalan Besar): Contact person: Jasmine / Gavin Jasmine is very proactive - kept calling me about 3-4 times to arrange today's appointment. Their aesthetic (from what I've seen in their showroom) is pretty typical. However, they seem to have a good idea of what I want. Will wait for 2D space plan and quotation by next Wednesday. 3D Innovative Design (Ubi) Contact person: May May is extremely friendly and very down to earth. She was very patient and talked through all the materials at the showroom. Showroom looks big and impressive, and the designers (even junior designers) seem a very hardworking bunch, staying back late until 9+. I like certain materials they use in the showroom, but build quality and workmanship for certain parts of the showroom seem lacking. Has been 2 weeks since visiting but not heard back from May - SMSed her and she said she'll send over the space plan + quotation through email. Baroque Design (Joo Chiat) Contact person: Andy Yeo Sent me a brief floor plan (looks like cut and pasted from a similar unit) which was ok. Quote for $34K but haven't called and spoken to me yet, which is pretty weird. Will probably get in touch with him soon. William from Defong ID, Donald from 9Lives have also emailed / SMSed me but I have yet to follow up. I'll share more once I have more interaction with all of them. I also noticed that IDs websites are all pretty badly done up Just my 2 cents, coming from my background in web marketing Anyway hafiizh, let me know if you have worked with any of the above or other IDs / contractors. Reviews and ratings would definitely help my decision! Thanks!

Chaise / lounge / other chairs Om - Jacini Om - Smile chair Couture Furniture - Satin Dreamy Chaise Isamo Noguchi - Freeform sofa Fred Qora - Dodi chaise lounge Please let me know if you've any reviews, lowest pricing, availability, specification on any of the above. All help will be gladly appreciated. Thanks!

Here's more furniture / components for the living room: Sofa We're still deciding between 2, or 3 seater and normal or L-shaped. We like comfy plush-looking sofas with minimal metal, studs, pimples etc. Just big, plain-coloured pieces of leather / fabric which beckons your *** to sit in Kelvin Giormani - Dese Casa Italia - Nebula Om - Ballerine Ekornes Stressless E200 series Ekornes Stressless E300 series More other chairs to come - there's a limit on the number of images I can attach to a post.

Our design aesthetic / Creative brief to IDs & Contractors: After looking at too many home and interior design books, and seeing too many Singaporean / Asian houses with their typical “modern-contemporary" style, we realized there aren’t many units with a very unique identity. Interior design nowadays is characterized by a lot of glossy surfaces, blacks and whites hues. Our inspiration from Scandinavian and industrial designs. The whites, neutral hues, clean lines and casual aged appearance of Scandinavian style helps to soften the raw, cold, masculine industrial feel. We would like an interior which is unique, inviting and timeless. The use of materials (concrete, brick, woods, glass) gives a textured feel, and the neutral colour palette help to achieve a sense of space and airiness. The use of faded and bleached wood textures gives a sense of warmness and liveability. Concrete and bricks give a rugged industrial look. The use of lighting to highlight the different textures in the materials used, and the use of colour / shapes for certain furniture pieces help to add a sense of interest.

Hi frigginfuschsia, Nice nick! I can imagine you must be a big fan of the colour Yes I do like the simplicity of the lines; often less really is more. Sadly this does extend to the prices as well. Haha! We like a lot of pieces from Furniture Club - especially the sofas and lounge chairs. Not exactly very scandinavian, but fits in well with the theme. Also, the Hiroshima set from Maruni, which I super like, is really expensive! About $400-500 for chairs and about $3,000 for the table (if I'm not wrong). I think I'll spend a bit more on the essentials - bed, sofa, tv and try to get the rest elsewhere.... IKEA maybe

Hi nimm12, Yes it's good to see people who have the same aesthetic sense. A bit jaded of the "modern contemporary" look I see in a lot of magazines and design portfolios. I'm actually looking for "indie" - independent IDs who have a flair and similar taste for 3D visualizations, space planning and refining my concepts. However, right now I'm just meeting up with a few IDs to have a feel for how creative they are. Please PM me whatever contractor contacts you have; will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hi all, I've visited Furniture Club at Keppel and I really really liked the design and feel of the Kelvin Giomarni and Camerich sofas. However the price also super nice - Camerich about $5k for a 3 seater and KG about $8k+. I happened to come across this brand called Ekornes which sell their "Stressless" range of sofas. Again, very chio and very nice but super super expensive. Lastly, I went to Avanni at Sungei Kadut. They have very good fabric sofas there. The salesperson mentioned that the material and springs are the same as those used in beds. I sat down and it was very comfy - like it has a layer of memory foam. That one was a L-shaped 3 seater but it was about $2k+. Salesperson also mentioned that all the designs were customizable, and you can even build to order. Anyone has any experiences with any of this shops and their products?