gakuseisean

I've been reading Apartment Therapy and it seems that most of such projects are left to car-auto shops to spray paint, you might like to consider that (not sure if they'll be as willing to do that as they are in the US), as I don't think that the off-the-shelf sort of spray paint really caters to metal surfaces.

NON-FUSSY WALL DECOR - FRAMING PRINTS Source Unless you're willing to spend thousands of dollars on large, original artworks, or lithographs (try Opera Gallery if you're in that category), filling up a large empty wall with framed up photos or prints is probably the most impactful and cost-effective means of adding large-scale wall decor. The best bit about this is that once you're bored of the display, you can easily update what's in the frame without burning a significant hole in your pocket. For interesting modern prints, do check out 2 stores at Ion Orchard: The Wright Gift and CityLuxe

Frankly I can't help you with this one. Most people would display things that matter to them, or things that they'd like to showcase, like travel souvenirs, family photos, vases, books etc. Use it to showcase something that perhaps represents your family.

I'll base my suggestions on what I can see online (via furniture websites), so you'll really have to check them out in person to see if they fit your bill. Bedside Table Ikea's NYVOLL table - http://www.ikea.com/sg/en/catalog/products/80204135/. Extremely affordable, in a non-offending light-ash laminate, but not made of real wood/veneer. Lush's Tables: http://lush-lush.com/catalog.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=zoom_flypage.tpl&product_id=1381&category_id=20 & http://lush-lush.com/catalog.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=zoom_flypage.tpl&product_id=1269&category_id=20 - Not sure about the pricing on these, do call them up if you're interested Evov's Tables - http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.108628902546312.13936.100001976087793&type=1 - should be within the $400+ range Lounge Chair Swan Chair - Try Lush-Lush, Comfort Furniture or Evov Generally do give Comfort Furniture a try - they have quite a lot of chairs: such as the Drew Chair

How about integrating the television into the wardrobe? It'll be best that you consult a wardrobe specialist for this, but in my opinion, this would be an option to consider, such that the TV isn't the focus in a room meant for rest and solace. Here are a few nice touches to consider: Bedside Lamp - something simple, non-fussy that offers diffused light, or if your mom likes to read before sleeping, one that can act as a reading light would be preferable. By extension, a bedside table would also be a nice touch to have Lounge Chair - nothing too large, but most importantly, it should be something comfortable, possibly a place to sit and reflect or read or knit. If you have a bay-window, adding cushions is one possible way of doing this, unless of course the idea of sitting next to a window unnerves your mom Carpet/Rug - It doesn't have to be something expensive, but a carpet definitely softens the room, making a bedroom much cozier. Even a low-pile rug can achieve this effect, so if dust is a concern, there are options available Hope that helps!

My suggestion would be to paint the wall a charcoal grey (not black, yet darker than the standard grey), so as to add contrast to the area. On that grey wall, frame up pictures using this frame from Ikea (I took the URL from the US site, as the Singapore site only shows the larger version, in 3 rows of 2 frames each. The smaller frame is 25x25 cm, while the larger frame is 52x52 cm. Do ensure that the gap between each frame is equal, and not too far apart, so as to suggest that this is one collection of pictures, rather than separate pictures. Also, do not be afraid to hang the middle frame at eye-level, even if this causes the lower frame to be somewhat close to the floor. Something like this, but imagine it against a charcoal grey wall, and with one less column of pictures. It'll be nice to put some family pictures within this frame, be it black and white or otherwise. I believe that if you get the photos printed at a poster printing shop, they should be able to help you desaturate the photos on top of merely printing it for you - there is after all no need to print these pictures onto photo-quality paper. Alternatively instead of family photos, how about framing up some pop-art style patterns. You can get funky looking wrapping paper from a store called Prints (at Ion Orchard and elsewhere), which look quite nice when framed up.

No worries. Could you post a picture of your dining space and the rest of your home? I'll try to give you some suggestions based on what would fit/match. As for the "6 prints", what I was referring to was to hang 2 rows of framed pictures/photos, with 3 frames in each row.

Given that your home is decorated largely in black and white, there are 2 ways of approaching this - either carry on with this black and white theme, or consider injecting something different. Personally I'd be inclined to go with the latter, so I'll deal with that first. Something Different One option would be to add some wood/natural colours into your home, so as to make it a little less harsh/urban. This can come in the form of light wood panels on the wall, which would be visually less cluttered than pictures (e.g. see my latest post Modern Eclectic Living), but yet still remain visually interesting with the wood grains. Alternatively, how about a large pop-art print, or perhaps 6 prints, hung in frames, in a grid formation. Try stores like Kinokuniya (the arts books' section), The Wright Gift (Ion) for such prints. Prints like those of Roy Lichtenstein or Mondrian are impactful, yet modern and non-fussy. Or for a more personal touch, how about family photos hung in a random formation, like that in my recent post Modern Eclectic Living. Black and White If you'd like to continue with the black and white theme, how about wallpaper (see this) that is both visually interesting, yet still in your theme's colours. Alternatively, black and white photos of your family are also rather classy. Or if you're quite audacious, consider painting the wall a charcoal grey, and hang pictures/photos in white frames, such that they stand out against the dark wall. That being said, I think this option only works best if you have light floors, otherwise it becomes a little too overwhelming. Hope that helps!

Ikea has some, the largest of which is 52x52 cm, that comes in black or white, which you can see here. If you need anything larger, you'll probably have to get it custom-made; there aren't very many off-the-shelf wall frames in Singapore.

The Japanese are masters at minimalism, so I'd suggest that you take a look at Adidaem's masionette, which was done up by a Japanese-Singaporean firm. Anyway elsewhere, one of the best places to browse minimal interiors is ArchDaily- it's more of an architectural website, but there are some amazing homes with extremely minimalist interiors, especially Japanese ones (which I've filtered for you). Archipile is another good source. Alternatively, Italian furniture brands such as Porro or Jesse also have photos that are generally minimalist in nature. I'd personally suggest that you do your prior research, such as borrowing library books, especially those published by the likes of firms like PageOne to acquaint yourself with minimalist concepts, as from what I see, most interior designers in Singapore don't exactly execute it very properly, and instead offer you modern, but cookie-cutter designs that are not truly minimalist in principal. Remember that the key to minimalism is "less is more", so it also requires a lifestyle adjustment, be it in terms of storage, or simply limiting the amount of clutter you have at home, that in itself can be quite a challenge. Just something that you should consider. Hope that helps!

MODERN ECLECTIC LIVING For an eclectic living room that seems to come straight out of the magazine LivingEtc, consider the following details: 1. Vertical, white wall paneling 2. Clusters of [family] photos 3. A fireplace – in this design, concrete (either actual or laminate) was used for a more modern and industrial vibe, and the shape of the fireplace was used as a bookcase. You’re also probably thinking that its rather silly to use a luggage (Globe Trotter’s Centenary Trunk) as a coffee table, but think of it this way, it would suggest that the home belongs to a well-travelled individual, and the suitcase itself can actually be used for actual vacations – and the wear and tear it obtains from the trip can add on to this impression. Trunk available at Cumulus (Wheelock). For the sofa, I’ve added several [down-feather] cushions to ScanTeak’s original design so as to soften it up a little – this is one option that you can consider. As for the tripod lamp, I’m not particularly sure where that can be found in Singapore, but eBay is a good place to start. If you like this design, or would like to know a bit more about how to make such a look work, leave a comment on this link. EDIT: If you're interested in getting your contractor to build that fireplace bookshelf that I designed for this render, check out the specs sheet below. If I'm not wrong, Lamitak has concrete laminate which would work well here.

You can get that Tolomeo wall lamp at Million Lighting, though I suggest you try online sources which tend to be cheaper than local stores. I think there are some people here who have purchased Artimede products from online stores as well.

Glad that I could offer you some ideas. Try taking a look at these sites as well Desire to Inspire Living Etc http://so-much-more-than-nl.blogspot.com/ http://thehousethatkatandfredbuilt.blogspot.com/ http://aratorp.blogspot.com/ - More of rustic Scandinavian, but there are some adaptable ideas Hope those offer some inspiration! Oh and just a suggestion for your bathroom: Beautiful green marble counter-top, with crisp, white subway tiles, and a Venetian mirror.

Not quite the same, but similar in concept: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/diy/look-diy-high-end-chandelier-using-ikea-bulbs-070889 - a DIY link

SIMPLICE LIVING Layout based on a 4-room flat. Here's a look that doesn't follow trends, isn't too radical, but nevertheless is easy to achieve, and is easy on the eyes. If you like this design, or would like to know a bit more about how to make such a look work, leave a comment on this link.

Glad to be of help. Nope I'm not in the ID business, this is just sort of a little hobby of mine, that I hope would offer a little inspiration to those who are bored of the cookie-cutter designs that many local interior designers use.

How about wooden blinds? They aren't too difficult to clean, and are almost fully retractable.

ECLECTIC DINING I'm personally not too sure where exactly one can find those Eames table legs, but a good place to try might be Lorgans, where at least, you might be able to find something similar even if its not an authentic (vintage) Eames leg. As for the industrial lamp, are many variations of these, Ikea has some decent ones as well. If you like this design, or would like to know a bit more about how to make such a look work, leave a comment on this link.

Not sure if you'd like the stuff on this page, but I thought I'd post the link http://www.desiretoinspire.net/blog/2011/7/28/something-old-something-new.html

The concept of making such a headboard is actually really simple, it just requires time, and a bit of patience. Simply find plywood that fits the required size, and foam padding, and cloth of your choice, with a staple gun and perhaps a weekend or two, you should be able to save a lot. And some DIY links for those who are interested: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/how-to/how-to-build-your-own-headboard-003559 http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/how-to/how-to-make-a-curved-padded-headboard-081786 http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2010/01/diy-simple-tufted-headboard/

No worries I'm just a little concerned that a larger Turkish lamp might overwhelm the space. Maybe try two pendant ones instead?

Thanks How's your place shaping up so far?

Ikea's a good place to start. You can find all the available knobs here, complete with prices in SGD.

INDUSTRIAL BEDROOM Inspired by the many white-washed brick walls that can be found in the Renotalk Forums lately, I've decided to come up with this lookbook: Do however note that the Eames Hang It All featured in this lookbook isn't available for sale, it is completely sold out - it was a limited edition 2010 release, if you really want this, do give Ebay a try. Also, I know that many people in this forum here are somewhat skeptical of Ikea's quality, but I believe that the headboard should be fine - so long as it is not subject to extremely heavy weights. The Risom Chair by Knoll is available at Dream Interiors, while reproductions are available at Lush. If you like this design, or would like to know a bit more about how to make such a look work, leave a comment on this link.

Try this link http://remodelista.com/shop/hardware/house-numbers There are a compilation of different sites selling assorted types of house numbers, and while the companies aren't based in Singapore, I feel that many are pretty enough to warrent gettting them shipped over.