Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2018 i Tatler Homes Singapore

When most people think about design, aesthetics is the first thing that comes to mind. Design, however, is much more than just marrying form and function, or balancing practicality and ornamentation. It’s in everything we do and it’s everywhere we look. There are myriad definitions, but I quite like the way legendary graphic designer Saul Bass put it: “Design is thinking made visual.” Indeed, there’s a lot of thought that goes into every design initiative. From the chosen materials to the precise colours employed, each decision must align with the ethos and narrative of the creation. Whether it’s a furniture piece or an entirely new building, every project requires clear direction and flawless execution for it to merit attention. We have this in mind when we determine the best projects…

Before the light bulb was invented, oil-lit lanterns were one of the most commonly used light sources. And though we’ve come a long way since, there’s still something magical about the lantern that continues to inspire lighting designers. The lanterns of the Chinese imperial palace, the sky lanterns of Thailand’s Loy Krathong festival and the traditional Japanese paper lanterns all illustrate the love affair that Asian civilisations have had with this charming luminous apparatus. Today, interior and lighting designers are bringing its ethereal glow to some of their best products. “Because of its see-through effect, lantern-like lamps can give a very intimate and graceful feel to a space,” explains Filipino furniture and lighting designer Vito Selma. “These lamps are quite versatile, so they’re great for many different design concepts, from…

CASAMANCE From vivid colours to bold geometric patterns to delicate art deco motifs, French brand Casamance’s designs convey a sense of elegance and sophisticated simplicity. CRÉATION BAUMANN A Swiss family business founded in 1886, Création Baumann has made it its mission to design and manufacture quality textiles that are innovative and sustainable. NOBILIS Inspired by French haute couture with influences from other global cultures, designs from Nobilis range from elegant French patterns to creative prints. ZIMMER + ROHDE The Zimmer + Rohde group features five lines including an eponymous label that offers modern classics, the Italian-inspired Ardecora line and Etamine, which embraces a romantic mood with soft pastels and floral prints. CETEC COLLECTION The in-house brand blends Eastern motifs with European modernity in versatile ways for commercial, hospitality and residential…

Selgascano’s motto could very well be “less is more”, just like German-American architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s emblematic aphorism. But rather than a minimalist modernist ethic, José Selgas and Lucía Cano’s vision of architecture is all about lightweight materials, transparency, openness and respect for nature. The relation and experience with the site—its history, climate and architecture—are also key factors. “Our hope for architecture is to build less and to give more space to nature in cities,” says Selgas. “Hopefully, we will see less construction. Scale is super-important for us and we don’t understand why buildings have to be as big as they are.” As Selgas explains, the firm’s architectural approach prioritises its creative freedom while working with eco-conscious materials. “It’s fundamental to be super-free in every step of architecture,”…

In embarking on a search for their new home, Bob and Fern Yap had one key criterion—it had to be in the same neighbourhood as their previous abode, where they lived next door to Bob’s parents. “Our family is really close to my parents-in-law—we have dinner with them at their home every night,” says the wife. “So our new home had to be located close to theirs, ideally within the same neighbourhood.” Together with their two children, Brennan and Claudia, the couple was won over by a three-storey house in the northeastern part of Singapore with its location and its striking interior architecture. Built as part of a row of four semi-detached houses, it featured a dramatic double-volume hall that the family absolutely loved. “We found the house very airy,…

Music, as Shakespeare famously said, is the food of love. But whether your preferred musician be Beethoven or Bruno Mars, Bowers & Wilkins has got you covered with its stylish range of technologically advanced sound systems and headphones that sound as good as they look. The British brand is known for its high-performance audio devices, and constantly seek to improve. By refining existing classics and integrating innovative new technology, these key products from Bowers & Wilkins marry cutting-edge design with the brand’s unwavering quest for perfection. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER Bowers & Wilkins has set the standard for loudspeakers for over 50 years with its constantly evolving 800 Series. The newest iteration of this, the 800 Series Diamond, sets a new benchmark, redefining high-end audio as we know it. It’s pleasing…

MICHELE KOH MOROLLO Michele is a big fan of Mid-Century Modern design—she enjoys scouring through vintage furniture stores in Hong Kong, where she now lives. In this issue, she picks out graceful lantern-inspired lighting pieces (page 36), upholstery brands to watch (page 44), stylish elements of a sleek kitchen (page 140), as well as ways to create a Zen-like ambience in your bedroom (page 146). CHRISTOPHER DEWOLF The author of Borrowed Spaces: Behind the Cracks of Modern Hong Kong, Christopher writes about urbanism, architecture, design and culture. For our Iconoclast section, he speaks to Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto on his approach to design—a stance that harmonises the built environment with nature (page 48). GRACE MA After dabbling in business development, Grace soon returned to her first love—writing. More than a…

How did the journey with Santa & Cole begin? More than three decades ago, my husband and I decided to combine our creative talents with my friend Javier Nieto Santa to launch our own design editing company. I was an interior designer, while my husband, Gabriel Ordeig Cole, was a designer and artist; the two of us had collaborated on a lot of restaurants and nightclubs in our hometown of Barcelona. Back then, the city’s dining scene was undergoing a bit of a revolution, and we had a particularly warm light that became very popular with restaurants like El Boliche, Al Dente and the Bijou cocktail bar. Gradually, our work became recognised in other cities including New York and Paris, and in 1985 our company was formally launched as Santa…

If you ask Jean-Marie Massaud, socially responsible design shouldn’t be a utopian ideal. For the Toulouse-born architect, inventor and designer, the desire to improve the product and its user experience should take the fore—and that’s whether he’s designing an electric car, or working on furniture designs for brands the likes of B&B Italia, Cassina and Poliform. It’s a topic that he returns to time and time again, and we revisited it when we spoke to Massaud during his recent visit to Singapore to celebrate Space Furniture’s 16th anniversary in Asia. “I try to make the products I design more sustainable and more competent, and I try to do more with less,” he says. “For instance, I don’t want to design a futuristic car that’s to be made in 10 years’…

When Sou Fujimoto was a kid growing up in rural Hokkaido in the 1970s, he was fascinated by nature. So when he moved to Tokyo as a young man, you could reasonably assume he’d have hated one of the most populous metropolises in the world—a vast grey sprawl of small houses and boxy apartment buildings. But that wasn’t the case at all. “I liked Tokyo very much, which was surprising to me,” recalls the architect. It turned out Fujimoto was fascinated by Tokyo for the same reasons he loved nature. The city felt alive and organic, full of fascinating little details such as shop awnings and electrical wires. Like a forest, the city is a framework of life: solid but also nebulous, beautiful at any given moment, but ever-changing. ARCHITECTURE…

“I love mixing pieces from different periods. The old with the new” “I see my life in colour. It’s the first thing I notice. I’m drawn to the way colours interact with and complement one another… The subtle variations within the same shade: navy, cornflower and periwinkle, or orange, mandarin and coral. Living in full colour is my guiding principle—from the way I raise my children to the way I approach my work.” So reads Tory Burch’s introduction to her 2014 book, Tory Burch: In Color. Stepping into the designer’s home on New York’s Upper East Side, the words ring true. Artfully layered furnishings, each in vibrant shades of red, orange or green, sit by opulent wallpaper or deco-style monochrome walls. Prints—of flora and fauna, geometric, all ebullient—are recurring fixtures.…

DEEPTHINQ 1.0 This artificial intelligence platform features voice navigation, video and sensor recognition, and space and motion detection; it’s also able to personalise its controls based on how you use other compatible LG devices. Deepthinq will be integrated into new and upcoming LG mobile devices and home appliances including its TVs, air conditioners and robotic vacuum cleaners. LG OLED CANYON This show-stopping installation features over 240 open-frame OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays, showcasing the creative possibilities of LG’s screen technology. Intended for commercial and art displays, the 28-metre-long trail features concave and convex screens alongside immersive Dolby Atmos audio (included in the 2018 range of OLED TVs) to broadcast the sights and sounds of lush forestry and other natural wonders. HU80KA SERIES PROJECTOR This portable projector is able to produce…

The next time you’re in Florence, make a stop at the newly opened Gucci Garden, located at the original site of the Gucci Museo in the historic palazzo between Piazza di San Firenze and the famous Piazza della Signoria, home of the Uffizi Gallery. Gucci’s creative director, Alessandro Michele, has dedicated the entire space to showcase the eclecticism of the house’s Florentine origins—dating back to 1921—and to celebrate the work of all the other designers since then, including the memorabilia and contemporary art commissioned by Gucci over the years. The retail space, spanning two large rooms on the ground floor, is carefully designed to respect and celebrate the original architecture of the palazzo. Elsewhere, original stone pillars have been carefully maintained with new hand-painted wooden boards on the floor bearing…

EASTERN WALLS Goodrich Global brings two new Asian-inspired wallpaper collections to Singapore: Dutch wallpaper brand Eijffinger and Belgian brand Omexco. Eijffinger’s Sundari collection celebrates the Silk Road and its influence with vibrant florals and jewel-inspired designs—patterns that exude the luxuriance of raw silk, precious porcelain, flowers and spices. Omexco’s Koyori collection, by contrast, comprises designs inspired by Japanese paper cords, which can imbue your interiors with an elegant, Zen-like calm. Available at Goodrich; goodrichglobal.com TACTILE DIMENSION Launched by Italian rug brand CC-Tapis in 2018 at the furniture fairs IMM Cologne and Maison & Objet Paris, this new collection was created with Italian designers Elena Salmistraro, Leonardo Talarico and Eligo Studio. Among the top picks are Salmistraro’s Cartesio. Inspired by the multidimensional worlds depicted in Edwin Abbott Abbott’s 19th-century…

1. B&B Italia Metropolitan swivel armchair by Jeffrey Bernett, from Space Furniture 2. Potocco Bon Bon marble table, from The Beuro 3. Crystal Rock glass pendant lamps by Levy Arik, from Lasvit 4. Sahco Gracia reversible satin curtain fabric, from Cetec 5. Rift bronze mirror, from Giorgetti 6. Belle Ille upholstered sofa by Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance, from ZaoZuo.com 7. Invisible Outcome oil painting by Omar Zeidan, from TheArtling.com 8. Zanotta Twist steel stool, from W. Atelier 9. Este marble table, from Flexform 10. Bomboca leather sofa by Campana Brothers, from Louis Vuitton 11. Lula crystal and silk wall light, from Windfall Asia…

FINAL WOODEN HOUSE Built in Japan’s Kumamoto prefecture in 2006, large pieces of lumber are stacked like Jenga game pieces to create a variety of nooks and surfaces that are connected with nature. L’ARBRE BLANC Fujimoto’s first high-rise residential project combines a relatively typical apartment tower with enormous balconies that appear to spiral upwards and give the building a dynamic appearance. SERPENTINE PAVILION This pop-up pavilion in London’s Kensington Gardens used a grid of white steel to create a structure with unexpected views of the greenery and light of the surrounding park.…

Known as the “Paris of the Orient” in the 1930s, Shanghai’s glittering nightlife, mixed-architectural structures along the Bund and fashionable denizens have traditionally been its defining strokes as a powerhouse of economic and social success. Whereas industrialisation and urbanisation went at a breakneck speed with scant attention to creative pursuits in many Chinese metropolises two decades ago, a renewed quest for cultural prominence is making up for lost time in the last 10 years—and nowhere more so than in China’s most populous city. A former cotton mill was transformed into the contemporary art district M50, with other art clusters in the Bund and the former French Concession; numerous museums and galleries, including outposts of major international ones, have sprouted up across the city; and international fairs have squeezed in local…

An award-winning industrial designer and the founder of Yang Design, Jamy Yang has produced pieces as diverse as faucets, the world’s first carbon-fibre smart suitcase, disaster relief tents and water bottles for underprivileged communities—all centred on the theme of innovative craftsmanship. In 2013, the Shanghai native founded the Yang Design Museum, China’s first private industrial-design museum, followed by a new lifestyle brand Yang House two years later. Here, he shares his design philosophy and his top picks in the city for art and design satiation. What drives your design philosophy? Working and studying in Germany made me think about the design differences between China and the West, and a chronological development between culture and design in modern China. I hope to use the power of good design to spread positive…

Bring a touch of Asian design into your home with the Corak collection by The Rug Maker. Created together with architecture firm WOHA as part of its lifestyle brand WOHAbeing, these rugs pay homage to the unique textile traditions of Asia as well as the region’s enchanting beaches and greenery. Designed by WOHA director Richard Hassell, the tessellating designs are what we might see if we were to look at a batik print through a kaleidoscope—a familiar pattern that’s been given a modern twist. COLOURFUL TEXTURES The rugs were first conceptualised through a combination of sketches and digital drawings. After which skilled artisans experiment using various techniques in a range of yarns and colours until the final designs are ready to be transferred onto a canvas. This is when the…

BOWERS & WILKINS CONGRATULATES THE RECIPIENTS OF BEST OPEN-CONCEPT PROJECT Architology Interiors Featured in the February 2017 issue, this Goldhill Avenue residence of Andre and Belinda Huber—the executive director of Huber’s Butchery and the director of Baby Style Icon, respectively—was a hit with readers for its sophisticated approach to family-centric living. The Hubers turned to Bu Shukun, design director of Architology Interiors, whose open-plan concept strategically utilised design elements to create distinct zones. On the main floor, glass bi-folding doors visually connect the indoors and outdoors, resulting in a bright and airy communal space where different flooring provides a seamless transition between the living and dining areas. The open-concept kitchen adds to the laid-back vibe, while the basement floor is a cosy retreat for the family to unwind. TYPE OF…

In a time of climate change, Duo’s commitment to environmentally friendly strategies is a cause to be celebrated. Presented by laminate brand Greenlam, the Best Architecture of the Year accolade honours distinctive design, as well as meaningful ways of integrating the built environment with nature. With sustainability at the forefront of its business philosophy, Greenlam recognises this. The manufacturer ensures that the production of its decorative laminates meet international green building standards set by institutions including Germany’s Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC), as well as certification programmes by Greenguard in the US and Green Label in Singapore. SAFE AND SOUND In addition, the entire range of Greenlam laminates incorporates Safeguard Plus—the signature anti-bacterial, melamine resin coating that minimises the growth of bacteria on these surfaces. Family-friendly options such as the chalk…

INTEGRATED APPLIANCES, CONCEALED FUNCTIONS, AND TOUCH-ENABLED HANDLE-LESS DOORS ARE SOME WAYS TO GIVE KITCHENS A SLEEKER LOOK Across all disciplines, the world of design is moving towards sleek and streamlined. Be it furniture, home audio systems or cars, products are getting slimmer, more compact and multifunctional—so it’s only fitting that home kitchens are following this principle, too. According to Dennis Cheok, creative director of multidisciplinary design studio Upstairs_, well-designed kitchens should minimise clutter and integrate functional aspects. “Integration is largely a by-product of the open-concept kitchen,” he explains. “To make the kitchen connect more seamlessly with the rest of the home, designers are coming up with ways to conceal appliances and storage.” Integrated appliances, concealed functions, and touch-enabled handle-less doors are some ways to give kitchens a sleeker look, he…

Think modern bathroom fittings and it’s likely that pure white porcelain basins come to mind. The Kartell by Laufen collections in contrast, elevate that minimalist look with graphic finishings and unexpected details. Available in Singapore at Carera Bathroom, the brand is an award-winning collaboration between Swiss bathroom manufacturer Laufen and Italian furniture purveyor Kartell since 2013. The innovative collections have since won numerous accolades, including the Italian industrial design award Compasso D’Oro as well as the Red Dot Design Award. PURE GEOMETRY Designed by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba of Milan-based interdisciplinary studio Palomba Serafini Associati, the Kartell by Laufen bathroom collections bring together the malleability and decorative possibilities of plastic furnishings with the durability of ceramics. These collections feature a variety of wall-hung or freestanding wash basins, along with bathtubs…