....and it's a BOY!!!

We went to Dr Lee KW's this morning for the monthly scans. I was again really excited because there's just NO WAY we're NOT gonna find out if it's a boy or a girl!!!

The clinic was especially crowded this morning and we had to wait unusually long today. Which addded to our anxiety!

Finally, it was our turn and Dr Lee proceeded to scan my wife's tummy.....

..........and IT'S A BOY!!!

We were quite certain of it even before Dr Lee announced it to us....There's just no mistaking the little fella between the legs!!! Bwahahaha!

Dr Lee said, "Okay, right....report to National Service in 18 years' time!!"

And wouldn't you know it, the little fella gave us a SALUTE in the scan! Look closely in the scan and you'll notice him puting his tiny little hand on his forehead!! Hahahaha! Cute little boy!

We're really happy! We now can proceed to decide on a name for the baby boy. I'm asking Dad to think up a few Chinese names while we'll go narrow down our list of first names....Can't be too hard!

Oh yes!! And I'm gonna be buying all the toys I never had! GI Joes, Transformers, Ben10, Iron Man, Batman.....oooh, hahaha....I'm gonna be a really HAPPY DADDY!!!!

Kelly & Fiona's Maisonette @ Simei

While the old maisonette apartment was well-maintained by its previous homeowners, it desperately needed an update in the looks department! As such, only minimal re-tiling works was required mainly for the wet areas and foyer as well as the 2nd storey staircase landing area.

The layout for the Living Area was reworked and plenty of built-in cabinetry works was provided to meet the new homeowners' major requirement : maximised storage space!

A full-height entertainment centre finished in exotic veneer and dark tinted mirror was created with plenty of deep storage space flanking both sides, smartly disguised as feature panels to the untrained eyes.....

Finished predominantly and abruptly in black and red, the entrance cum dining area appears to be a pocket dimension into a swanky posh dining restaurant!

The use of an acrylic carved pendant light and sensual colours on the walls was all it took to update the look of the staircase.....

A sliding feature panel opens into the small but functional kitchenette. Here, we kept the theme of black, red and reflective surfaces....

The masterbedroom does not let up on the constant theme of black and red. However, as this is a resting area, a softer shade and feel was employed.......

A half-height chest of drawers cum dresser serves as a divider between the wardrobe and sleeping area while still allowing ample light into both areas.

Stark and repetitive motifs on the wall tiles used throughout the bathroom tricks the eye into thinking the space is larger than it actually is......

Asha & Ram's Apartment @ Pasir Ris

The young owners of this large apartment did not want the place re-done in another typical "Ethnic Indian" look. The challenge therefore was to transform the space within into a modern resort home while infusing it with just a slight touch of ethnicity to retain a sense of Indian heritage. 

All of the original cabinetry was removed. Existing cornices were removed. The existing flooring was overlaid with new large homogeneous tiles in a soft earthy tone. This was kept continous throughout the living, dining and kitchen area to further enhance the sense of space.

New bench seating with high backrest in a golden yellow hue was installed. A modern crystal chandelier and smoky dark tinted mirror feature gives the space a regal bearing.....

I introduced plenty of indirect & soft lighting and a contrast of textured and smooth flowy soft furnishing. An entertainment wall was created with a flat-screen TV mounted on a swivelling panel. This way the TV could be swiveled to face the adjacent gym room. Exercise need not be dull and monotonous anymore!

The lady of the house indicated that the family holds regular cooking sessions in the kitchen hence, a roomy kitchen with plenty of counter top area was a necessity. This was achieved by replacing all the old cabinetry and providing a large and spacious island in the centre of the kitchen which could double as a breakfast counter too! The cooking hob & hood is placed right at the end of this island counter placing the chef in a commanding position with a sweeping view of all the action in the kitchen!

A pair of glass doors with timber frames at the kitchen's grand entrance provide the homeowners with the option of keeping the kitchen smells and grimes separated from the rest of the apartment. When fully opened, the doors conveniently blends into the design of the entrance and seemingly disappear!

The existing Masterbedroom was combined with an adjacent study room to create a full Master Suite! This new super expansive room is further divided into 4 main areas : the Masterbathroom, the walk-in wardrobe, the sleeping quaters and the study corner. 

It's indeed satisfying to say that the homeowners are more than pleased with the transformation of the apartment and have we have since become good friends!

Best Friends Forever!

My friend BK did a slide show of our various outings throughout the years. Strangely (or predictably?!!) the outings always revolves around FOOD!! 

Great effort, BK you da MAN!! The pictures brings back so much memories......very funny (strange) observation though....how come the video seems like a tribute to some DEAD person?!!! Like the ones usually seen at the OSCARS titled "in remembrance".....BWAHAHAHA!!!!

Beijing Olympics 2008 !!!

Everybody's talking and blogging about the Olympics now ongoing and ending soon in Beijing. I feel kinda left out.  Anyone who knows me knows I'm not into sports....AT ALL!!

But in order not to be left out, here's my bit for Beijing 2008.....introducing the Olympics Bird's Nest Armchairs!!!! 

Well, to be exact, they are called the X_Loungers by Timothy Schreiber

Here's a closer look.....

There, I've done MY part for Sports!!! Happy?!!!

Psychedelic Art

Over last weekend, my friends asked me what kind of art would be suitable for their retro inspired Dining walls. My suggestion of a few psychedelic art prints was met with their blank stares! What counts as psychedelic art? Well, I did a google image search and here are some that I think fits MY personal definition.....

Here's my favourite with a Beetle from allposters.com...... 

This one's from Kyle Baker.com......

Oneposter.com has this Jimi Hendrix piece......

How about this one that I found at Buckwheatzydeco......

And also this one that I found at Vintymag called Mother Love..... 

I love these prints for their Big Bright And Loud Colours! I think they instantly lights up a room and encourages the hippy's spirit of FUN!!

Another idea would be some Retro Movie Posters!! Again, I googled it and here are some.....

Of course the movie itself doesn't need to be retro so long as the poster is designed to look retro like these unforgetable ones.......

Miki Has Left Us.....

After close to 30 hours of suffering, Miki finally left us at 8:45PM.....I'm sad but relieved at the same time. Sad because I'll never see his sweet face and sleepy beady eyes again but relieved because Miki doesn't need to suffer anymore.....Can't get his face out of my head.....Goodbye Miki! You were a GOOD BOY! Thank you for bringing so much joy to our lives!

Goodbye Sweet Miki.....We'll Miss You, Fat Boy!

It's a very SAD day for us. One of our 2 dwarf hamsters, Miki is leaving us. As I write this entry, our sweet boy is lying motionless in a ceramic soap dish. His breathing is very laboured and he hardly has any strength to twitch his whiskers. The soap dish is one of his favourite places, I guess because this is where he's enjoyed one of his 2 favourite activities....EAT!! The other favourite pastimes is....SLEEP!! 

For the past few weeks, our Miki has been getting weaker and weaker. The thick soft fur around his thighs began to shed a couple of months ago. Cancerous lumps grew in many parts of his fat body. We know hamsters have short lives and many develope conditions like Miki. I guess we've been preparing for this day. We just didn't expect it to come so soon. I suppose it'll always be too soon.....

As I look on sadly at his frail body, memories of sweet Miki comes flooding back. Our Miki has one of the sweetest face you'll ever see on a hamster. A fat fleshy face on a round stubby body. Miki never walked, he wobbled about in his everlasting quests for sunflower seeds and a comfortable place to sleep! Unlike many other hamsters, Miki was always very "Guai". He loved being picked up and spent many hours laying flat on my palm being stroked. Once when I brought him to the vet, he laid flat on my palm and closed his beady eyes in contentment while I stroke his back. I was amazed to find him drifting off to sleep within minutes! Even the vet said she's never seen another hamster quite as sweet as our Miki!

To keep the good memories, I'll upload some of my favourite shots of this impossibly cute hamster. We'll never forget him.......

Here's a shot of Miki impersonating Korean superstar Rain!!

He could fall asleep in some of the strangest positions!!

Here's another funny position!!

Miki with his brother Kimi.....

That's Miki in the bowl. Kimi is looking on...hey, save me a bite ok?!!

Miki with Kimi sleeping like babies!!

My dear Miki, I know you are a good boy and you cannot bear to part with us. But watching you suffering like this is just so very sad. It's okay, Miki. You can let go now. We are both by your side. There's no need to suffer anymore. Go where you need to go........to Hamster Heaven!

Goodbye sweet Miki!! We'll miss you and you will always be in our hearts! Enjoy yourself up in hamster heaven with all your favourite carrots! And cucumber! And beansprouts! And sunflower seeds! And..............

Apartment @ The Ansley, Balestier Rd

The owner of this high-rise condominium apartment with a breathtaking city view was no stranger. About a year prior to this job, I had designed and renovated his previous home which was another condominium apartment in a prime district. It was a rather pleasant experience for both of us. Thus, when he sold the old place and bought this current one, I was approached again to transform the space.

The existing fixtures and furnishing was a tad dated and uninspiring. The living area had this hideous L-shaped cabinetry in teak wood veneer and frosted glass. As the area is kinda narrow, mounting the TV at this position meant whoever's watching the TV will always complain of a stiff neck!

The dining area was squeezed to a corner and felt kinda awkward. Somehow, the design of the bench seating reminded me too much of a trip to the dentist!

First off, the TV is relocated to a corner between the Living and Dining area. A stainless steel and glass structure was custom-built into a corner here to mount the flat-screen TV and DVD player. This effectively transformed the dead space into a focus point! The position of the 3-seater sofa ensured a optimal vantage point to take in the million-dollar view. A full-height mirrored feature behind the sofa completes the picture......

All the unnecassary carpentry in the Dining area was removed to free up more leg-room. Taking advantage of the high ceiling, a feature drop ceiling was installed to provide a focus for the space.  

The kitchen lacked ample lighting and the strange positioning of the breakfast counter plus the conservative colour pallette only served to further shrink the space......

The new kitchen boasts a sexy but classy colour scheme. Ample lighting was provided and to further open up the space, a partition wall was replaced with full height clear glass and wooden venetian blinds......

The masterbedroom was again, uninspiring and there were more than a few strange carpentry works! Check out the corner unit.....

Nothing less than a total transformation was required for this area! A full stretch of wardrobe cum TV feature wall was installed to maximised storage. A new eye-catching bookcase and writing table serves as a focus at the end of the room. A full wall of curtain behind the bed soften the whole look.....

Wenyi (闻怡), my Niece!

Somedays I can't help but wonder how my kid will look like? Lucky for me, my niece Wenyi has just been born a couple of months ago in KL. So, I thought, this should be a good gauge?

As my wife was still in her 1st trimester when Wenyi was born, we decided not to risk the 4 hour drive up to KL so paiseh, Douglas, we couldn't physically be there to share in your joy! I'm really hoping my wife will be good enough for a quick journey up for a visit sometime during the next couple of months.

Meanwhile, my brother Douglas has set up a webpage for my niece, Wenyi. Unfortunately, it's all in Mandarin and that's all gibberish to me! But heng ah! There are pictures and I've been able to take a peek at my precious niece. I think she's absolutely adorable! Check her out........

Heh Heh! She truly is a little angel! 

Why Can't HDB Do Something Like This?

Had a bit of spare time this evening and I checked out Freshome again for some interesting furniture or architectural designs. This one caught my attention.....

Ofis designed the following apartments as low cost housings for young families and couples in the industrial district of Izola on the Slovenian coast. The project is simply called “Apartments on the coast”. 

I find the design really pleasing to the eyes and rather artistic. It actually mimics the symetrical structures of the honeycomb. As each balcony is sorta on different levels alternatively, it offers a certain sense of privacy for every household! Neat!

And because each module is kinda repetitive, it would be easy to construct with pre-fabricated panels similar to how HDB is building all the additional lift lobbies or yard in their upgrading works anyway! 

The use of striking and interesting choices of colour makes the project really stands out but still tasteful (unlike the usual pastel pallettes local housing developments seems perenially addicted to)

And I must say the fabric sun-shades covering each balcony is a thoughtful design too. Perhaps better if they can be retractable?

Hey, people at HDB (the planners not the dwellers!), have a look at it huh? Keeping the cost low does not mean keeping it BORING too okay?

Black & White Apartment - Revisited!!

Hey, anyone remember one of my ID Works, the Black & White Apartment that I posted here a while back? Well, some of the furniture has arrived and I'm preparing the place for a photo-shoot sometime this month (Hopefuly! We're still waiting for the dining table to be delivered!).

Well, anyway the homeowner is arranging a small gathering at the house tomorrow so he thought I could leave some of my business cards there in case people like what they see. How nice of him, huh? Thanx so much Aaron & Elaine! Well, I thought since I'm gonna want to style the place a little for the photo-shoot anyway, why not do it a little earlier so that the place looks more polished for the party tomorrow!

So over this one week, I've been kinda busy runnung around town getting accessories for the house. IKEA is a wonderful source for me mainly because they offer a 100 days return policy for almost all the stuffs! Perfect!! Other places I checked out were Far East Flora (great place to check out for really cheap and good vases and artificial flowers! They have quite a selection too!), Barang Barang (they were having a sale but I didn't pick up much) and Spotlight (good source for cushions and throw rugs). I would have checked out this place called Wihardja too but their website said they're not opened everyday. Only opened for business periodically throughout the year. Too bad because it's another good place to check out for home accessories on a tight budget!

Anyway, I got quite a number of picture frames, cushions, vases, artificial flowers and some throw rugs. Spent quite a bit of time photoshopping some pictures I downloaded from the internet and framing them up! 

I'm going for a predominantly black & white theme with just a touch of yellow to perk it up a notch. Just finished styling the place this morning. Check out the photos below (took some pics with my mobile phone hence the lousy quality).......

 

To be perfectly honest, I HATED the sofa! It was kinda short and block-ky I guess and not very inspiring (in case anyone's wondering, I wasn't present when they picked it! Sorry Aaron, Elaine....). But it really is AMAZING what a couple of colour-coordinated cushions and some flower arrangement can do to enliven the place! I framed pics of a yellow-hued Manhattan skyline in 4 different sized frames from IKEA and arranged it irregularly to give it a little sense of interest. I think it kinda works!

 

On the wall behind which is facing the (future) dining table, I arranged a series of black & white photos with highlighted yellow items. Again, to give it a sense of fun, I printed one of the pictures larger than the rest. 

Here's a more focused shot of the 4 photos....

 

 

To perk up the shoe cabinet area, I arranged more flowers and framed pictures. The 3 art pieces on the wall are actually left-over wallpaper that I stretched and stapled across a few 500 X 500mm stretcher frames I picked up from IKEA. I like how the colours and prints are repeated from the TV wall. The colours also relates to the wood and black highlights on the shoe cabinet. These 3 pieces of art blends so well with the shoe cabinet and mirror that it effectively transformed the entire wall into a feature! Not too shabby, if I do say so myself! Heh! Heh! Heh!

 

That's the TV console area. I kinda think the TV is a little too large for the area but I guess Singaporeans can't do without large screen TVs!

I think the place still lacks a good shaggy carpet at the living area. But otherwise, I'm quite happy!

Hope you've loved it as much as I've enjoyed working on it! It was very tiring and time-consuming but very satisfying! Stay tuned for more pics in future!

Soda Green Concert in Singapore!!

BK called around noon to announced that Celeste (Mrs BK!!) has scored some complimentary tics to Soda Green (蘇打綠 Su Da Luu)'s concert tonight!! Woo hoooooo!! Yay Celeste!! It's been ages since we attended the last concert! Can't even remember whose concert it was!! 

Anyway, Soda Green's one of my all time favourite Mandarin Rock Band!! Wel, kinda more like Folk Rock actually. They were the receipient of this year's Taiwan Melody Award for Most Outstanding Band. The most impressive part about them is that they do not belong to any of the major record labels. In other words: Indie Band. In fact a couple years back it was almost impossible to find their CDs locally! They have certainly come a long way and 'm really glad I've stuck with them!

Check out this music video of one of my favourite song by them.....

The concert was quite good and happening but it was quite a dismal hall! One of the smallest audience I've seen at concerts! Couldn't have been more than 3000 concert goers I reckon! We actually got rather good seats: about 15 rows from the stage maybe? This was our view.....

We were pretty psyched before the concert starts.......okay probably just me.....but we were all looking forward to a good time........

BK was getting impatient!!

The concert started with another of my favourites, 無與倫比的美麗 (Incomparable Beauty). The lead singer's distinctly high singing voice was pitch perfect. The 2nd song was a fast number (can't remember which one it was) and quite a few of the younger audience stood up and bob along with the band! Unfortunately, they totally blocked our view! Suddenly, this became our view.......

Sigh.......

We tried to stuck with it but by the next song, we gave up our precious seats and shifted our over-aged butts to some un-taken seats further back and at a corner.....with other senior citizens!!!

But okay lah the view still not too bad lor........

It was quite a good and entertaining concert with waaaay above average singing and performances. The band members were really entertaining especially lead singer Wu Qing Feng who was really chatty! See how much we enjoyed it...........

Ha Ha Ha! Age may have caught up with us and our butts has started to sag but the heart of a true rocker will never die!!! ROCK ON!!!! 

Damn.......strained my back..........

Sigh....boy or girl? The suspense is Killing me!!

Sigh...we went to see the gynae again this morning. I was really excited because I was led to believe that I should be able to tell if the baby's a boy or a girl. Alas! After looking at the ultra-sound, Dr Lee said that the genitals area is still not developed enough to tell the gender of the baby! Sigh....so disappointing....I was kinda hoping we can start refering to baby by name.....

But we saw the baby move!! THAT was rather emotional for us!! It was the first time we've seen the baby move. In our previous scans, the baby (see, if we knew the sex of the baby, I would be able to refer to it as he or she here!) just curled up in the tummy sleeping. This time we saw the head turning and the hands and legs stretching! Oh, you wouldn't understand the feeling! I developed a lump in the throat right there and then!

Anyway, here are the latest scans of the baby.....

Baby is now 109mm in length. Bones structure has already started developing. 

Dr Lee measured the width of the baby's head and annouced that all is normal. In this shot you can see very clearly the spines has developed nicely.

Baby turned to have a portrait taken!

Oh dear baby do continue to grow healthily and pleeease show Daddy your genitals next time ok?!!! Heh! Heh! Heh!