diy Top @Kew Drive

[Khng 2]

I like the way kstoh posts, very no-nonsense, informative yet with a sense of humour. Enjoy this thread very much.

Me too!

[Ks Toh 74]

[back to Table of Contents]

This "Bubbles Mirror" hanging at the dining table wall was also bought from molecule. But I have no idea where it is from.

If you know, let me know.

Edited May 24, 2014 by kstoh

[Ks Toh 74]

In the past, I used to think that designer items are just over-priced branded items. But whilst accompanying my wife to buy some of these items (not the original but "the other type"), I begin to appreciate some (but not all) of them. Some of them are really classics that have withstood the test of time. Before this, I was complete clueless. Now, I am slightly enlightened and would like to share some of these with you. Practically all the pieces in the Singapore shops are of "the other type" at a fraction of the original price. Prices vary according to their quality. Some are really good.

The Arco Lamp

Designed by the in 1962 by Achille (that's him in the picture above) and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, this design is so classic and everlasting that you continue to see it in many showrooms today. It is as practical as it is stylish. It is complex in its simplicity. Suitable for use to light up a place where there is insufficient or no overhead lights. The chunk of marble (which comes in white or black) serves as a base. I read that the hole is meant for couples to carry it using a broom stick? It is very heavy. Need at least two persons to carry.

I initially ordered one of these for my hall, which as you would have read, had no ceiling lights. However, after installing the wall LED lights, the hall was bright enough and I thought the Arco lamp would not fit in. Hence, I traded it with the shop for some other stuff. Still, I would consider it the next time.

The Arco lamp is very popular even amongst Renotalk members. I saw one picture by ejzoen here.

If you want the original, you can get from Space Furniture. I am not sure of the price but I think it should be close to S$5,000.

Edited December 6, 2013 by kstoh

[Ks Toh 74]

Eileen Gray Side Table E1027

Whilst I did not buy the Arco lamp in the end, I realised that I did buy the round side table shown in both photographs above. After some research, I found out this is a classic piece called the Eileen Gray Side Table E1027. It was designed by Eileen Gray in the 1920s but it is still being used today!

This side table is practical as it can slide in and out of my sofa.

Edited December 6, 2013 by kstoh

[lala81 3]

thank you for the tutorial on drilling. Very informative.

[Ks Toh 74]

Barcelona Chair

This chair was designed by Mies Van Der Rohe and Lilly Reich in 1929 for an international design fair in Barcelona. I cheated a little here because I actually bought this chair previously. It is not a new buy. It is another one of those classics which is still being sold in furniture shops. The picture by ejzoen above also shows this chair.

I find this chair quite comfortable. In fact, you are probably reading what I had posted while relaxing on this chair! For a 360 degrees view of the Barcelona Chair, use your mouse to move from side to side at this site.

According to the above website, an original Barcelona chair and matching stool cost 7,200 GBP in 2009. On this website, the chair retails for US$6,906 while the stool is at US$3,271.

Edited December 6, 2013 by kstoh

[Ks Toh 74]

Barcelona Bench

I also bought this Barcelona Bench, which seems to be styled along the lines of the Barcelona Chair.

However, my research shows that the designers of the Barcelona Chair never designed a bench. Instead, this bench is based on the Barcelona Couch designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1930. If you ask me, we should have just stuck to the original design. My son uses this bench to have a quick nap, and a wider couch would have been more useful!

The current price of this Barcelona Couch is US$9211 here.

[Ks Toh 74]

Ikea Tirup Swivel Armchair

I bought two of these. Ok, they are not exactly designer chairs. But they are some of the better made chairs from Ikea and they fit into my hall nicely, opposite my sofa. The design of this chairs seems to have been inspired by the designer Egg chair, a chair designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1958.

You can buy the original Egg here for "only" Euro 5,851. I paid S$749 for my Tirup.

Edited December 6, 2013 by kstoh

[tomasulu 2]

Similar to my all time favorite chair design - the lobster.

http://www.hjellegjerde.com/designicons/?menu=350

[Ks Toh 74]

Thanks Khng & lala81

Hope you find the information useful.

tomasulu

Your lobster chair looks good. Seems like influenced by the Egg chair too.

[Ks Toh 74]

The Bubble Chair

My latest acquisition, and probably the most interesting, is the Bubble Chair.

Designed by Eero Aarnio in 1968 in Finland it is made of acrylic on steel frame and leather or polyurethane fabric cushions. The chair is suspended from above leading to a floating or bubble-like sensation. It is considered an industrial design classic and advanced the usage of plastics in furniture design. The chair is considered modernist or spaceage and is often used to symbolise the 1960s period. I suspended it over level 2 glass balcony, thus heightening the suspended sensation.

The Bubble Chair has been used for all sorts of photoshoots.

Edited December 6, 2013 by kstoh

[Ks Toh 74]

Horse Lamp

This is one designer piece I definitely did not buy. I saw it at the shop and went "what the **** is that?".

But the shop told me it is a designer piece from Moooi and that I did not know how to appreciate it. Obviously, I am not in the same class as our former shampoo boy turned actresses' confidant, Mr David Gan, seen here riding his S$10,000 horse lamp.

Edited December 7, 2013 by kstoh

[Asking4Help 1]

Hi kstoh,

the original WC in HDB BTO toilet flushes pretty weak, any idea by getting a new WC with 2 - 3 ticks by PUB will solve the problem? or needa get specific brand for this...? What do you think?

[Ks Toh 74]

Hi Asking4Help

Yes, I noticed that some toilets flush better than others. For example, I used the Toto CT940 for all my toilets as it seems to flush better. I think the water does not go straight down. It kind of spins anti-clockwise. The shop did tell me this particular model has one of the best flushing systems. This video (not by me) shows what I mean.

The other neat thing about this WC is that you can use the Toto washlet. But the WC is quite big and price is on the high side. You can go to Fullsun, the Toto dealer along Jalan Besar to check it out. Their WCs have water connected, so you can actually sit (to see if comfortable or not), flush and see for yourself! Just in case you do not know, not all WCs can fit. You need to measure your toilet rough in i.e. the distance from the centre of your WC outlet to the wall. If the outlet is covered by your existing WC, I believe (but I am not certain) you can measure from the hold-down bolt.

I am not sure about the ticks. I think the more ticks, the less water it uses? That being the case, unless it uses some technology that does the same job with less water, less water will mean weaker flush, which may mean you have to flush twice, resulting in you using more water than you would with a normal 2 or 3 ticks WC? Which defeats the purpose of saving water in the first place?

Best to just follow this:

"If it is yellow, let it mellow. If it is brown, flush it down"

Edited December 8, 2013 by kstoh

[Asking4Help 1]

Thanks kstoh for your valuable info.