House update- 1 August 2012

After an amazingly long search, which lasted for 3 years, I settled for an old 3 room flat, which was rather different from what I initially was looking for. Its very old, almost 40 years old, on low floor but a corner unit and is a bit more spacious than units of that age. Hope I don't regret.

Some shots of before renovation.

 from living room

I actually liked the terrazo retro flooring, except that its in rather bad condition.

one of the bedrooms

the ultimate color combination

The kitchen walls are half covered with these blue tiles. Although I like retro stuff, this is really too much.

Now that the search is over, its a series of headache, thinking of layout, selecting contractor, what renovation to be done within limited budget... The thought that things will be simpler if I get a new unit kept crossing my mind.

The renovation officially started 2 days ago, and this is how it looks like on day 3 morning.

War zone

Light wood

Generally, I prefer dark, rich colored wood furnishings over lighter coloured wood. But this lighter colour tone has been catching my attention recently.

 the Maruni chair. Such simple lines!

Seems like the Japanese minimalist style is also spreading to Europe. Or are these more of Scandinavian style?

 I like the TV console set but will probably stick to white for the background wall.

 
Bed and TV console from Smootree, a distributor of European furnishings, which by the way, also carries amazing cool space saving designs.

Another beige coloured bed, image from Foundry.

The theme could even be extended to the bathroom.

Something I posted much earlier here, the Axor Bouroullec bathroom.

I think this colour tone looks great with a lot space. Not sure if it would turn out as good in a smaller space. But it seems like the simpler it looks, the higher the price tag.

Here's something more affordable, from Ikea. In fact, I bought a similar table a few years ago and decided not to stain it to retain the very natural look. 

image from Ikea

Retro kitchen appliances

One of the fridge designs that I like most. Unfortunately, beyond my budget again.

 

I thought this looks cute too. 

To complete the look, you need Bertazonni's hood and oven. 

Did a google search, yes, the hood and oven are carried by a company in Singapore. Click here for the distributor.

Coffee or tea: 26 May 2012, Starbucks at Rochester

In Hong Kong, there is a Starbucks with interiors modelled after a Hong Kong cafe (click here for the branch); in Singapore, we have one that is housed in colonial black and white house.

 

I especially like the corridor seats at the second floor.

 

The next time I come, I will come with a book and of course, a camera.

Dining 'set'

Tulip table; Knoll Bertoia Side Chairs; Kartell- Prince AHA Stools

The tulip table has been my 'dream' dining table. With its clean lines and sleek look, its hard to believe that the design date back to 1950s. For Star Trek fans, do you recall the tulip chairs?

The tulip chairs, to go with the tulip table would of course be a more cordinated look, but I thought the wired chairs would create a more interesting look, together with some cute retro looking stools.

Coincidentally, I saw these 2 pics only after I did the board above. These combinations must have registered in my sub-consious mind while browsing through photos of nice interiors.

Some other chairs which I thought should look nice with the Tulip table.

Magis Vanity Chair; Mademoiselle by Kartell

My only issue... is of course, the cost.

Snow white blossoms at Taipei

My latest trip to Taipei, which happens to be the season of Tung blossom. Click here for full post.

Remembering Tokyo Tower

I happened to read online that 22nd May 2012, i.e., today is the last day of operations of Tokyo Tower. The news came as a surprise to me. A few years ago in my visit to Japan, I made a trip to Tokyo Tower, perhaps because of its resemblance to the Eiffel Tower. I have always wanted to go to the Eiffel Tower, but have yet to make it to that part of the world.

Since its opening in 1958, the Tokyo Tower, standing at 333m, has been the world's tallest self-supporting steel tower. The Eiffel Tower in Paris is 320 m high.

I'm still not sure if Tokyo Tower is really closing, since I did a search online, and did not see other news of its closure.