a matter of TAYzt

A bachelor pad

2011-12-15T11:43:00.000+08:00

A bachelor pad:

I wouldn't mind a bachelor pad like this.....except I have not been a bachelor for over a decade!

Ah well, maybe I should rename the post "A Small Family Pad"?

Below excerpts from Desire2Inspire:

Rebecca emailed Jo and I with an interesting request from her boss Alexandra. Seems Alex hoped we'd be interested in showcasing her apartment. Here are some details provided: The apartment was intended as the home of the manager of the El Royale, a 1929 Spanish Revival apartment building built by the same architect as the famed Chateau Marmount. I always lived as a total bachelor, and the only "decoration" any of my apartments had were books piled on my floor. I became obsessed with this apartment, though, and I ripped up the greige carpet and painted the concrete floor, painted the window frames iron-brown (they were white), replaced the new lighting fixtures with antiques, and installed a rotary phone (which connects directly to the lobby). I am quite smitten with this apartment I must say. The floors look incredible - hard to believe it used to be greige carpet. BLEH. And the windows are TO DIE FOR. Love all the furnishings and the star light fixture in the stairwell. A couple of things I'd do to spruce it up a bit. I'd love to see some of that art hung on the walls instead of sitting in the fireplace (which is another fab detail btw). I'd throw a couple cowhide rugs on the floor (ya, I went there), and hang a huge, extravagant chandelier over the dining table. Or scrap all that and just enjoy the minimalism. Photos via Scott Dukes.

BaekDooSan Korean BBQ Restaurant @ Jurong Point

2009-11-16T17:34:00.003+08:00

UBERDESIGNHOUSE was given a chance to design & execute the renovation works for this Korean BBQ restaurant at Jurong Point. Having personally just returned from a Korean holidays in the winter recently, I was very excited by this opportunity to fully utilize the inspirations that are still fresh in my mind!!

Right from the very beginning, we were very sure we wanted the restaurant to retain a rustic & traditional Korean countryside feel. It's only natural that we swathed the restaurant in a coat of wintry shades…..think grey and washed timber veneer with light beige undertones!

We are very proud of the end result! We certainly hope that you would agree too!

New Business Website URL

2009-11-11T10:24:00.003+08:00

Some of you may have noticed, UBERDESIGNHOUSE has a spanking new, sexy website......and a new URL as well!! We have now relocated to www.uberdesignhouse.sg We are immensely proud of this new design.......we also have lotsa new project portfolio for your viewing!

Drop by to have a look & give us your comment! Don't forget to update your bookmark. We'll also be eternally grateful if you can point your frends & relatives to our website!! Thanx a gazillion, guys!

Chronicling The First 6 Months Of Joel's Tiny Life

2009-07-21T23:00:00.002+08:00

The video above is of our little baby Joel a few weeks ago.......laughing his head off at the sounds of his new rubber ducky!! Haahahaha! Serene and I were laughing our heads off too! It's always such a joy to hear his guffaws.....sorta like affirmations that says, "Hey, we are not doing a bad job raising this baby afterall!" We can't even remember the hellish time we had before the 5th month because he was crying almost nightly due to colic!!!

It's sometimes hard to imagine that this little angel with a devilish glint in his eyes is barely 6 months old! I guess sometimes we are both guilty of treating him like a big boy too soon......but it's really not our fault! He does seem so.......for want of a better word.....AWARE.....for a wee babe just past his 6th month outside Mommy's tummy!

I've compiled a set of pics below chronicling his 1st 6 months as a person............

3rd Jan 2009.....this is Joel's very 1st photo at Gleneagles Hospital's Maternity Ward......so tiny then.......

Our very 1st family portrait.......3 REALLY tired persons...........

Ahh....finally back at home.....in his own bed.........taking baby peeks through his slitty half-opened eyes...........

We still vividly remember manning the midnight shifts........feeding a very cranky, hungry and REALLY impatient baby!!!

This is us with my parents who were here to visit their grandson.........

Tiny feet.........

The making of a BOTAK (bald) baby!!! We were told babies should have their 1st hair shaved before they reach 1 month old so that his hair will grow thick and evenly...........Joel was bewildered with all the fuss but he didn't show any objection!

Here's the quintessential nekkid bathing shot! See how tiny he looked then.........

We ordered cupcakes, red eggs and ang ku kueh for Joel's Full-month Party!!! Unfortunately we were so excited and happy to see so many of our old friends, we totally forgot to take photos! Sigh.......inexperience totally shows.........ah, well.....maybe the next one............

The cupcakes looked really cute and surprisingly, they tasted really great too! I wasn't expecting that, I must say! If you need cupcakes like these, go here

Joel's fingernails were getting really long and sharp! We had to cut them to prevent him from scratching himself all over his face..............

Here's us with Serene's parents............try not to focus too much on my spare tyres.........

Feb 2009.....Hahaha....this always reminds me of Stephen Chow's movies.......frothing from the mouth like a rabid dog!!!

Doing the joget in my sarong...........

Comparing noses with Mommy.........

March 2009..........Daddy duties...........Joel doesn't really do much at this stage. He basically just eat........

.........sleep..............

.........cry...........

...........and...........SHIT!!!!!!!!!! Bwahahahaha.......look at him "gek sai"!!! I'm sorry you have to see this!!!!

Family portrait time...........

Solo pic.........sort of........I love seeing his crooked smile..........

Training hard for the Olympics with his colourful dumbells!!!

Joel loved taking walks in his kangaroo sling bag........actually, technically, I was the one doing the walking.............

April 2009..........inquisitive about his surroundings and people around him........

May 2009..........leaving his colic behind, Joel suddenly turned into the HAPPIEST baby ever!!!

June 2009.........is my baby HANDSOME or what?!!!

........showing some 'tude!! Get a load of Joel's Hulk Hogan biceps!!!

Cheeky Monkey!!!

Joel's learnt how to hold and manipulate his own bottle..........he's also learnt how to manipulate his Daddy & Mommy too!

We had loads of FUN taking Joel's passport photos!! This must have been our 278th attempt!!! To all the other Daddies & Mommies who are also attempting to take passport photos of their babies too, I have 2 words of advice.........CONTINUOUS SHOTS!!!! Explore your digital cam and find this function that allows you to take continuous shots when you hold down the shutter button!

We went to the Botanic Gardens for a stroll..........and were met with an hour long downpour!!!!

But that didn't dampen our spirit!!!

Joel driving his Red Hot Ferrari!!!

Fun in the pool!!!

My very 1st Father's Day!!!

Joel's 1st trip back to Daddy's hometown in Batu Pahat to meet his Great-Grandmother!!!

His 1st meeting with Wenyi, his cousin who was celebrating her 1st birthday!!!

Joel with my Dad.........he's impersonating The Rock Dwayne Johnson with his half arched brow!!!

Fun times with Yeye!!!

July 2009..........Vampire Baby ALERT!!!

Vampire Baby on the phone with GongGong..........hello?

Man........this is possibly the longest blog I've EVER posted!!! Tired!

Industrial Loft Design

2009-06-23T11:46:00.004+08:00

One of my readers approached me a couple of months ago to design her new old apartment! New because it'll be her new abode and old because it's a really old apartment! We are both equally excited about it.........we are hoping it'll be another drastic transformation (ala the AMK Horror House done by me a while back......which, by the way, is the one project that brought my services to her attention! Another big THANK YOU to Freshome is in order!!)

We are going fashion this apartment after one of my favourite styles......the New York industrial loft! Man, just saying it sends a nice tingle down my toes!

We'll be knocking down ALL the walls leaving it an empty shell...........when we are done, it's gonna have bare polished concrete flooring throughout the apartment, pristine white walls, unconventional light sources, minimal furniture and hopefully, some nice pop art pieces on the walls to bring it all alive! But we are bearing in mind that the client's a lady and we are gonna have to be really careful that the completed work is not too masculine and harsh.........It's a very small apartment but after we are done with it, it's gonna be able to hold plenty of wild parties!

Let's see some pictures for inspirations..............

This is the look we hope to achieve - nothing too sophisticated, industrial yet still comfortable & homely.......

scanned from Modern Interiors Designsource

Love the spartan feel but with occasional pops of colour......

scanned from Interiors By Color

An example of how industrial lofts can be feminine as well........

scanned from LOFTS Living & Working

this could be the feel for the sleeping quarters (love the curtain & the pendant light) ........

scanned from Metropolitan Home June 2009

Again, love the pops of colour here (the hanging light bulbs are interesting too) .......

picture from Desire To Inspire

I personally adore the Fortuny floor lamp by Mariano Fortuny and I think it would absolutely work in this apartment.........only thing is, how do I convince the client to invest in one?!!

picture from Desire To Inspire

An idea of how we could give the apartment an art gallery feel........

picture from Desire To Inspire

Now this apartment by Yun-Yi Interior Design Studio from Taiwan (read it here) really captured what I think the apartment can look like............

Watch this space for future updates!

Sorry.....I've Been Lazy............

2009-06-23T11:34:00.002+08:00

Very very very sorry for kinda neglecting this blog ever since the birth of my son in January (it's been THAT long?!!) No excuses......I've been lazy.................

Actually, I have not been all that lazy because I've set up a Facebook business page and have been religiously updating that page with links and pictures and short updates........You may have noticed the big FACEBOOK badge on the upper left corner of this blog page.......well, click on it and it'll bring you to my Facebook page.......come join up as a fan and leave me a note!

But I realise I should not give up this blog because surprisingly, there are people who read it afterall! Yeah, I find that hard to believe too, seeing as how they are not very vocal about it! But every now and then, I've been getting emails from interested readers who need my services........

So I've decided today to start again..........begining with this entry to apologize for my tardiness......Please forgive me. Thank you for being patient and loyal.

I'll get right to it straight away and start with a brand new entry NOW!!!

A Prickly Seat!

2009-05-09T12:37:00.002+08:00

The Sea-Urchin made by Oooms Studio with Dutch designer Rachel van Outvorst is truly a remarkable piece of work! Hand-made with 8000 pieces of cable-ties, this unique piece is sure to be a conversation starter in every home!

Check out some other equally outstanding designs by this Design Studio at their website here!

INTRODUCIIIIIING......JOEL TAY!!!!!

2009-01-07T15:49:00.006+08:00

Baby Joel's expected delivery date was on 8th January 2009 so my wife and I had decided that 2nd January 2009 (Friday) would be the last day of work for her if Joel's not out by then. She would start using her 4 months maternity leave from 5th January 2009.

On Friday morning, we talked to Joel, asking him to be a good boy & let Mommy finish her last day of work.

That night, she worked late to finish up most of the work, leaving work only at about 9.30pm. While having dinner, she commented on how especially tired she was that particular day.

After a shower later, my wife confided that she suspected that the waterbag has burst! She kept wanting to pee and the liquid that flows out seemed colourless and odourless. Not wanting to take any chances, we decided to head for the hospital immediately. Thank God we had packed our bag for the hospital a week ago!

Upon reaching the hospital a little past midnite, we were promptly ushered into the delivery ward where a nurse proceeded to inspect my wife.

"Nope, the waterbag's still intact!" the nurse annouced. "But she's 1cm dilated!"

This is it! The process has begun!

The contraction started soon after. "Not particularly painful but quite uncomfortable!" she said. We bravely decided to forgo any pain relief for the moment.

For the entire night, neither of us caught any sleep! She because the contractions were keeping her awake and I because she was keeping me awake!

The nurse came in every other 2 hours to check on her dilation but each time, we were told there hadn't been much change! By the morning, Dr Lee ordered an induction drip to hurry it along as there didn't seemed to be any progress after a full 8 hours! The contraction became more frequent after the induction and a little later, Dr Lee came by to burst the waterbag to hasten the process. By noon, she managed to dilate another 2cm. At this point, we decided to go for an epidural to manage the pain as Dr Lee predicted that it was gonna be a loooooong wait! We were very anxious about how painful the epidural procedure would be! All our fears proved unfounded as my wife declared that it was no more painful than a mosquitoe bite!

All this time, the contraction and the baby's heartbeat was being monitored via a couple of instrument strapped to my wife's tummy. Through the graphs that these two monitors showed, we were able to track the contraction frequency and the baby's heartbeat.

By 3.30pm, we were all getting really worried and my wife was really tired of the constant contractions! Dr Lee said that the baby was beginning to show signs of stress as the heartbeat had dropped a couple of times. Not wanting to take any chances, we decided to proceed with an emergency c-section. Kinda disapointed because we had been trying so hard to have a natural delivery! The worst part was that in an emergency c-section, the father's presence was not allowed in the operation theatre! Bummers!!!

As my anxious wife was being wheeled into the operation theatre, I could only pace up and down the waiting area nervously. Kinda like what you often see in the TV! To take my mind off, I called my sister and parents on the phone.

After roughly 35 minutes, a nurse pushed a clear bucket out and called out my wife's name! Joel is here! I hurried over for my first peek at my son. He had the most expressive and alert eyes! At less than 10 minutes old Joel was already turning his head about and surveying his surronding! I touched my son lightly on his tiny shouldered and whispered to him, "Hi Joel! Daddy's here! Welcome to your new world!" It was really hard to fight back my tears!

I followed the nurse as she pushed the baby to the nursery room to warm up the baby (kinda like leftover food! Ha!) before proceeding back to the operation theatre as my wife was still in there! It was the strangest feeling! You want to celebrate the birth of your son but until you can be assured that your wife is safe, you still have to remain sombre!

Before long, my lovely wife was being wheeled out too! She was shivering quite badly. I was told that it was an after-effect from the epidural and that she would be okay soon.

Finally, I could start rejoicing the BIRTH OF OUR SON!!!

So everyone, put your hands together to welcome my firstborn, Joel Tay Ee Yang born on 3rd January 2009! He's still a RAT BABY!!!

Proud Mommy with her preciousssssss......

Our 1st Family Portrait!

Joel in his own cot.............

Drifting off to dreamland.......

Our PRECIOUS SON, JOEL!!

The Waiting Game...........

2008-12-31T16:01:00.002+08:00

We are anxiously standing at the threshold of Baby Joel's full term. Come tomorrow, it'll be the 39th week. I'm already having dreams of his birth! A few times I awoke from the dreams at 5am and had not been able to go back to sleep thinking about how our lives will be forever altered soon.....

I had asked our Gynae Dr Lee to take a guess on the delivery date and his calculated prediction is that it'll be about a week prior to the Expected Delivery Date (8th Jan 2009) which means right about New Year day! Which means it could be today! PANIC!!!!!!

JUSTIN IMBERLAKE - DICK IN THE BOX

2008-12-03T17:38:00.004+08:00

BWAHAHAA!!

Chanced upon this side-splitting Justin Timberlake music video by the GENIUSES at Saturday Night Live.....Man! I havn't had such a good laugh for ages! Everyone's gotta take a look! Caution: Not so appropriate for the innocent and pure-hearted though.......

And the most hilarious verses has gotta be the bridge......"One : Cut a hole in the box; Two : put your junk in the box; Three : make her open the box!" PRICELESS!!!

Tell me what you think!

Sneak Peak of Joel Tay!!

2008-11-09T13:27:00.008+08:00

Last Friday we went for a sneak preview.....only this was a special sneak preview and you don't watch it at the cinema! Instead, we watch it on a small screen in a radiologist's clinic!

YES!! We went to have a sneak preview of OUR SON!! We had heard that you can have a 3D scan done when the baby's old enough in Mummy's tummy. Apparently, the images produced are quite clear and you could see very clearly how the baby looks like before he's even born! We actually scheduled the scan too late because 3D scans are usually done before the feotus reaches 29 weeks because otherwise, the limited space in the womb makes it difficult to get clear shots. Joel was already 31 weeks old in the womb. But we decided to try anyway.

As expected, the radiologist had a hard time manipulating her apparatus to get a clear view of Joel! It didn't help that he was sleeping in an awkward position facing down! The radiologist suggested that my wife shift a few positions lying on her side so that Joel will shift his position as well. It had limited success......we have a sleepy boy!

But we managed to get some pretty good shots anyhow. Kudos to the radiologist! At some point, Joel even picked his NOSE! And then he YAWNED! Ha Ha Ha! That was surreal!

From the shot below, our son seems to have quite a prominent nose too!

See his teeny tiny hand and fingers!

Sigh.....Daddy & Mummy can't wait to have you in our arms Joel! It's gonna be WONDERFUL!!!

Inspirations For Baby's Room

2008-10-15T14:13:00.021+08:00

this pic from Kidropolis

My wife is now 7 months pregnant and we are both getting really excited about the impending arrival of our son! As expected, I've made it MY job to decorate the Nursery Room. I know to many people it probably seems a little late to be starting on this! But we Asians are well known for the thousand and one superstitions in our culture! One of these superstitions (we call it "pantang" in this part of Asia. It's actually a Malay word meaning restrictions) says that one must not carry out any renovation work in the home of an expectant mother. Now, me and my wife, we are not usually superstitious people......but.......you gotta understand, this IS our precious son we are talking about here! So we rather err on the safe side no matter how ridiculous it may seem, alright?!!

Anyway, I've been surfing around researching on nursery rooms decor. Now, before this, I've never liked children, so I tended to steer clear of such topics like the smallpox! But since being promoted to the ranks of a father, I've started to see the LIGHT!! So anyway, these are some pics I've gathered in my "scrap folder" entitled BABY ROOMS IDEAS.......

Now, I'm a designer so naturally, I'm easily attracted to these pics for the tasteful furnishings and colours..........

this pic from Modern Nursery

this pic from Project Nursery

I kinda like this shade of blue......

It goes splendidly with this orange......

this pic from HGTV

These cribs are truly PERFECT!! But I'm quite sure I won't find anything like these here in little old Singapore........

this pic from 2Modern

this pic from CASAKids

I'm also quite sure I'm gonna wanna attempt to create a mural wall in the room. But I don't want it too complicated. just simple lines and two dimensional prints........like these..........

this pic from Justin Bernhaut

this pic from designconquer

I quite like this room too......but I'm sure I don't want something this complicated and probably won't be able to do something this elaborate anyway...........

this pic from SF Gate

Now get ready to be BOWLED OVER by THE ULTIMATE kids' room!! These I lifted from the web pages of this AMAZING design company (Kidropolis) that specialises in kids' furniture and interior decorations. Check these pics out for yourselves........

this pic from Kidropolis

Mine's a boy but I know if I'm having a girl, I would want her to have this room........

this pic from Kidropolis

Check out for more on Kidropolis

My Work On Freshome!!

2008-10-03T19:44:00.009+08:00

Woo hoooooo!!!

Pictures of one of my works (Jason & Adeline's Apartment) have been featured on Freshome website! Freshome, as I've mentioned earlier in my blog, is one of my favourite design websites that consistently feature OUTSTANDING design ideas. So this is kinda like being patted on the back by one of your idols!!

AWESOME!!!!

Go take a look here!

Aaron & Elaine's Apartment in Jurong West

2008-09-30T13:50:00.011+08:00

This was a very satisfying job for me because the young homeowners allowed me to have a free hand in the design of the apartment. The only restriction was the budget which was rather tight for all the work that needed to be carried out. But we are all quite happy and rather proud of the end result!

This is the Living Area....

The mirror panel opens into the bomb shelter (all apartments in Singapore needs to be ready for terrorists and war!! It's a requirement to have a bomb shelter in every home).

The Dining Area with the open Kitchen in the background......

The Kitchen island which houses the oven, microwave and toaster.....

Looking into the Living Area from the dining table.....

We simply love this extremely functional Kitchen. Everything is easily within reach.......

This is the Masterbedroom with a fashion catwalk platform complete with infinity mirror!! The TV feature panel is actually the back of the wardrobe......

Wardrobe area with a study corner......

Thats the infinity mirror at the end of the catwalk. Yes, it opens up to reveal more storage behind! It also swings 90 degrees to close up the study and wardrobe area! This way, Aaron can work late while Elaine sleeps! I'm a sucker for multi-purpose carpentry with hidden functions!!!

Perfect Cut!

2008-09-28T16:04:00.005+08:00

From one of my favourite blogs, Desire to Inspire, I came across this particular project that was recently completed in Australia. It's a hair saloon designed and constructed by the really talented people at Scott Weston Architecture*Design's.

I was really bowled over by the sheer brilliance of this design! I gathered from their website that the cabinetry is finished in customized graphic printed laminates.

If you study the picture below, you'll come to realise that the swath of cloth above the plum coloured custain is actually cut-outs of the same graphic printed lamiantes! Have I mentioned that it's BRILLIANT?!! Well, it IS!!

Can't hardly wait to visit Australia again!! Cupcakes!! YUMMY!!!!

Man Decorates Room With A Marker

2008-09-28T15:34:00.008+08:00

Can you believe that Charlie Krazer of Kentucky decorated his basement with just $10/- worth of markers?!!! I mean, just look at his creations!! I was rendered absolutely speechless when I chanced upon these pictures on Apartment Therapy website.....

And the idea is so simple and it cost him next to nothing! It has reinforced my belief again that really good design does not need a whole lot of money.......

Sigh....it's so beautiful, I want to cry! Charlie Krazer is officially my new IDOL!!!

Jason & Adeline's Apartment in Ang Mo Kio (Previously Known as Horror House in Ang Mo Kio)

2008-09-12T16:13:00.013+08:00

Oh yes!!! I almost forgot! I promised to post pics of the transformed Horror House in Ang Mo Kio....

For maximum effects, I'll post the before and after pics together. Here goes......

Living Room before.....

Living Room aftter......

Living Room before......

Living Room aftter......

Living Room before.....

Living Room aftter......

Kitchen before......

Kitchen aftter......

Kitchen & Dining Room before......

Kitchen & Dining Room after......

Masterbedroom before......

Masterbedroom after.......

Masterbedroom before......

Masterbedroom after.......

Masterbedroom before........

Masterbedroom after.......

Bathroom before........

Bathroom after........

TOUGH MAN's Teddy Bear (or horse...)

2008-09-12T15:32:00.010+08:00

I'm sure, like me, a lot of men have had this dilemma : as the man of the house, you need to be macho and never show your vulnerable side.......however, somewhere deep inside, you wish you could have a soft cuddly teddy bear to hug to sleep without being seen as girly or sissy!

Here's the answer to all your prayers! Introducing the HORSE HEAD PILLOW!!!!!

Inspired by the famous scene in The Godfather, this Horse Head Pillow is surely, the TOUGH MAN's Teddy Bear! Although just a little bit morbid, this extremely huggable plush cushion comes complete with a hanging tongue and pink exposed flesh!

So who's the sissy now?!!! For orders, please visit here.

Horror House in Ang Mo KIo!!!!

2008-09-12T00:28:00.012+08:00

This is the 30-odd-year-old apartment that I usually refer to as the Horror House in Ang Mo Kio!!!

This small apartment was rented out to tenants who practically destroyed it! I have to admit, I have NEVER seen another apartment in a worse state than THIS!!!

This was the entrance cum living area. The only redeeming part of this picture was the marble flooring......

Another disgusting view of the living area, this time showing the entrance to the kitchen....

The entrances to the bedrooms.....

The kitchen : another horror........

This was the dining area......

Masterbedroom......

Entrance to Masterbathroom.....

Spare bedroom......

The WORST bathroom you'll ever see......

More of the bathrooms.......

I must say, I ABSOLUTELY RESPECT my clients Jason and Adeline for having the courage to even CONSIDER buying an apartment such as THIS!!!!

In my next post, I'll show you the WONDERFUL TRANSFORMATION!!!!

How Come Everyone's Pregnant!!

2008-09-06T22:25:00.004+08:00

For the past 3 weeks, I've been really busy with photoshoots for 9 of my past projects. I have been meeting up with quite a few of my old clients. These are clients for whose homes I've done interior design and renovation over the last 2 years.

And it's funny because of these 9 sets of clients I've gotten in touch with again recently, 4 sets are expecting their 1st child too! Including my photographer (who is also expecting his 1st child in February 09) and myself, that's 6 NEW BABIES on the way!! Coincidence? Hmmm....................

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

2008-08-30T21:31:00.001+08:00

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

2008-08-28T11:55:00.007+08:00

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

2008-08-27T19:18:00.013+08:00

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!

2008-08-25T12:31:00.005+08:00

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 !!!

2008-08-22T11:11:00.016+08:00

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

2008-08-22T11:11:00.010+08:00

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.....

2008-08-16T21:00:00.001+08:00

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!

2008-08-16T13:35:00.014+08:00

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

2008-08-14T21:45:00.003+08:00

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!

2008-08-11T17:32:00.009+08:00

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?

2008-08-09T20:10:00.007+08:00

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!!

2008-08-08T14:03:00.008+08:00

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!!

2008-08-02T23:52:00.006+08:00

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!!

2008-08-02T15:52:00.001+08:00

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!

Quirky Furniture Inspirations

2008-07-31T22:01:00.007+08:00

Very interesting and creative furniture pieces I found while surfing freshome website. I'm feeling very inspired surfing this website and I have included it in my blogroll because I think I'm going to be spending quite some time expolring it. Next to Desire to Inspire, this has gotta be my current favourite ID website. Incidentally, I found this website through one of the links from Desire to Inspire.

We start with the Tao multi-functional furniture by Colico Design.

These pieces act as bench seats and can also be transformed into loungers just by turning them on their sides.........

But that's not all! Join them up together.....and you get a double bed! This is what creativity is all about! Simple but functional and mile high on the "Why didn't I think of that?!!" quotient.

This is another fantastic design....The Huggy Armchair!

It's a funky armchair by day.......

.....and a nifty guest bed by night! Turn the base upside down and you get a bedside table too! What more can you ask for? Bravo!!

Does these look like drawings done by your kids? Look closer.......

.....they are actually 3-dimensional!! Yes, these are real chairs and tables!! Called the Mummy Chairs & Tables, they are the brain-child of Lucy Merchant. Made of powder-coated hand-bent recycled steel, they bring so much whimsical fun to the room!

These are merely the tip of the iceberg. I have barely scrathed the surface! The website has a lot more fun furniture that I'm still checking out......I will definite post more next time!

Fresh Prince of Gotham

2008-07-27T23:54:00.001+08:00

On another note, I found this amusing clip from Hollywood Grind

Very Funny......

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

The Dark Knight

2008-07-27T23:24:00.006+08:00

Have I mentioned that I watched & love The Dark Knight? Well I did and I do! It's probably the BEST movie adapted from a comic book ever! And I thought Iron Man was exceptional! Absolutely love Heath Ledger's version of The Joker! Somehow Jack Nicholson's Joker did nothing for me even though I'm usually full of praises for him as an actor. Heath truly BECAME the Joker and I believe no one else will ever be able to personify the character the way he did. Heath will surely be missed......

The special thing about The Dark Knight is that almost every character in it was superbly acted out and was totally believable! Christian Bale's Batman & Bruce Wayne is exactly how they are written in the comic, Aaron Eckhart fleshed out the Harvey Dent character so well that I actually felt for him when he lost everything & became Two-Face, Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon was perfect! He truly personified the character! Extra kudos to director Christopher Nolan for allocating sufficient screen time for the development of all these crucial characters. One word : OUTSTANDING!!

If you havn't watched it, you really are missing out!

Retro Green Apartment

2008-07-26T17:40:00.010+08:00

This job I took on appeared in Singapore Home & Decor magazine last year. It was another very fulfilling job for me. I have to say though that the young and hip homeowner had quite a hand in the design of the house. He's collected quite a bit of the retro pieces over the years.

All the lights you see in the house are from the homeowner's precious collections. I spent almost a whole day drawing the green stripes on the walls with the help of a good friend cum colleague. Thanx again V! Couldn't have done it without you!

A good majority of the furniture was from the homeowner's collection too except the TV console and bed which we reinterpreted and have constructed by my carpenter. A few other pieces we got from IKEA and some other local furniture shops. Notice the curved ceiling boxes? You don't see much of those anymore.

These were radios and speakers inspired by the astraunaut's helmet! Apparently he's collected all the colours produced by the manufacturer back then. He also has a TV in much the same deisgn. I was told they are still in working condition!

Kitchen cabinets by my carpenter of course.

That's the bed I mentioned earlier.

The same apartment was later featured in The Straits Times too!

Christian The Lion - Reunion

2008-07-25T17:55:00.004+08:00

I read about this video in the papers this morning & just had to have a look for myself.

Amazing! It left a funny warm & fuzzy feeling inside. Have a look for yourself.....

Winter Sonata.....Malaysia Style!

2008-07-24T23:30:00.001+08:00

Kennysia.com has an interesting entry with a somewhat "disturbing" photo.......

Apparently Malaysia's RTM TV station has worked out a deal to export Malaysian TV shows to South Korea! Unbelieveable?!! Check out this newspaper clipping.....

Will we be seeing this soon.....

Gasssp!! Horror!!! Stab my eyes!! Stab my eyes!!

Happy Tree Friends

2008-07-24T22:30:00.002+08:00

This has got to be one of my all time favourite episodes from Happy Tree Friends! If you have not seen them, you are missing out so much! Every episode promises to be violent, bloody, gory & downright stoopid!! And extremely funny too!

A word of advice though, parents may wanna shield your kids' eyes first.....or consider long-term therapy for them!

Here's another one....

If you like, there are more at MondoMedia's youtube channel. You can also go to their official website.

Crazy Indian Karaoke Video

2008-07-24T14:40:00.002+08:00

This is a pretty hilarious video someone sent me a while ago! So darn funny! Some days you do need a pick-me-up like this.......enjoy!

Ohhh yeahhh! Benny Lava! Hoooo Boy!

I'm Gonna Be A Daddy!!!!

2008-07-23T16:53:00.000+08:00

Yup, that's right!! The good old TAYZT-BUDS is gonna be a proud Daddy come January next year!!! Woo-hoooo!!!!! Now I can officially ask, "Whose your Daddy?!!" and there will actually be an answer!!!! Heh heh!

We've been married since 2001 and over the past 7 years, both sets of parents have used all sorts of methods to convince / cajole us into trying for one. None ever succeeded! We wanted to continue enjoying our time together alone. It didn't help that I never did like kids to begin with. Never knew how to behave with them.

Just when our relatives had all but given up on us ever trying, we suddenly decided that we were ready to try. Personally, one day, I just started looking at my neighbours' boy and wondered how much fun it could be to have one of our own. My wife's not getting any younger either! So we decided to stop avoiding it. Just pretty much left it all to mother nature. We decided that we'll be okay if it happens but won't really be disappointed if it doesn't either. Mother nature must have been starved because it happened almost immediately!

D, my fabulous friend in the U.S. of A asked to see some shots of my wife's tummy and scans of my child in the tummy. So here we go.....but please be warned that some may find the following images disturbing so please, scroll at your own risk!

This was the pregnancy test kit we took on 31 May 2008 at our family doctor's office. We didn't bother buying one over the counter because we were quite sure of the pregnancy. My wife was tired a lot and kinda nauseous every other hour! I still have no idea how to read the kit but the doctor said it was positive so he must be right!

Ultra-sound images taken on 5th June 2008. The baby was 9 weeks old and measured only a mere 22mm! That's only as big as a jelly-bean! Wife was still tired & nauseous.....

This scan was done on 3rd July 2008. The baby has grown so much! At 13 weeks, the baby's already 77mm in length! The image on the left shows the baby's face! I think it's cute but some may find it disturbing. Whatever!!

My wife's tummy has grown quite a bit! Most of her clothes no longer fit her. We went shopping for some maternity clothes over the weekend at United Square. Bought her a few new pants! The baby's in its 16th week now.

We'll be visiting the gynae again early next month. Can't wait to see the baby again! Hopefully this time we'll be able to tell if it's a boy or a girl! Many have asked if we prefer a boy or a girl. It sounds corny but frankly we really don't mind either! If it's a girl, we'll play dress-up and if it's a boy, I'll have an excuse to buy all the X-men and Transformer toys denied me during my childhood! Ha Ha Ha!

Black & White Apartment

2008-07-23T14:53:00.006+08:00

I recently completed a job in the west (pretty near my home). It was a really enjoyable job! Nice understanding homeowners who pretty much left the design to me. They had a rather tight budget but between us, we managed to trim it to a comfortable price. I quite like the end product. Simple but classy. Most importantly, it doesn't look cheap! Most who have seen the place seem to feel it was worth much more than the actual cost! Well, you can bet the homeowners were pretty pleased! Let's hope more of their friends and relatives will bring their business to me then! At least the lady's parents have already express their interest to let me design their new property hopefully end of the year! Really looking forward to that!

Here are some progress photos taken nearing the end of the renovation work........

This is a view of the kitchen from the living area

A closer look at the framed mirror I designed for the dining area

The kitchen island houses the oven & microwave

This is how the kitchen looks from the cook's point of view!

I designed this cabinet to store all the shoes! Also, the mirrored panel is actually a door that hides the emergency household shelter (something most apartments in Singapore has to have under the law but can be really unsightly especially if it's located somewhere conspicious hence the need to have a door to hide the door! Try to keep up huh? heh heh!)

A look at the living area from the dining area

A closer look at the TV console modelled after a modern fire-place

This is the study table.....

...which flips up to reveal the make-up mirror!

This is a view from the masterbedroom door looking in. I designed a fashion catwalk platform with a mirror panel at the end. Wish I could do something similar for my bedroom! On the left is the TV wall behind which is the walk-in wardrobe & study. On the right would be the sleeping area with the bed facing the TV of course!

As can be seen, the furniture were not delivered yet when the photos were taken. I'll try to update later with more professional shots.

Some Inspirations To Start The Ball Rolling......

2008-07-22T15:40:00.003+08:00

Why have I named the blog thus? I've set up this blog as a way to share some of my interior design work and inspiration with all who may be interested. Hence, you can say that the blog is a way for me to share my taste in all things beautiful that inspires me. Also, as eating is also a passion of mine, I may upload pics of some of nice tasty food I come across in my hunt for the next culinary adventure. Finally, as my surname is Tay, I may use this blog to update some of the goings-on in my life from time to time.

So......okay, to start the ball rolling, here are some pics of my past interior design works......

These are shots of a small 3-bedroom apartment I worked on a few years back. The young owners were pretty game for something a little bit clean and minimalist with an emphasis on straight sleek lines. We incorporated a working disco ball in the foyer as they were both clubbers! My personal favourite area is the kitchen! This is perhaps one of the sleekest kitchens I've designed. It of course helps that the owners only use it for boiling of water!