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3 Apr

5 Great Windows Phone Apps To Make Property Hunting Easier

If you’ve been wondering about how your Nokia Windows Lumia phone will be able to help you in your property search, you’ve come to just the right place. Here’s a quick review on some of the most promising apps available in the Windows Phone Marketplace, guaranteed to help make your new home hunting an enjoyable experience.

Fengshui Kua Finder

The Fengshui Kua Finder, a free app, is the closest you will get to an actual consultation with Fengshui master on your phone. To get started, you’re asked to fill in your birth date, gender and name, and your “kua” number will be automatically calculated. Once you’ve got this, you can also slide to view  your most favorable directions within the app, and read more about what facings to avoid. This app is especially useful when you are looking to position important furniture pieces such as your office desk or bed, as it provides a handy “kua” chart you can refer to anytime you want to plan out the layout of your home. Fortunately, the app also allows you to save the details of your reading, so you don’t have to key in your personal details each time. The app is also chock-full of valuable information such the philosophy about Fengshui, as well as what the significance of your personal “kua”.

 

Home Decorator

Perfect for those planning the theme and style of their new homes, Home Decorator is a powerful creative app tool will allow you to not only take photographs of any space, but also choose different colors from an extensive color pallet for rooms and objects with a single touch. The unique features of this app is especially useful for larger areas such as the living room, as the flexibility of Home Decorator allows you to experiment with a variety of colors for different walls (tangerine orange, anyone?) before you even have to pull out your paint brush!

Home Affordability

Rich in features, the Home Affordability app will help you compare your debt-to-income ratio to so you can calculate the affordability of your dream home.  It gives you the option of inputting the current interest rate and choosing a 15 or 30 year mortgage before allocating 31% of your income toward your house payment. The app allows you to enter any savings you want to set aside monthly for incidental expenses, so you don’t stretch yourself too thin by taking on too large a home loan. By taking into account all your future income and spending, this app is an essential tool for helping you visualize your current and future financial position before you commit to a housing mortgage.

GuidePal

While searching for a new home, many Singaporeans consider easy accessibility to good food almost as important as the transportation network. To help you scope out the eating options in the area, GuidePal’s “online maps” function will zoom in on your location to let you know where are the closest F&B outlets in the area, shopping malls as well as popular tourist attractions the region. While trying GuidePal out in the Bukit Timah area, GuidePal was able to recommend the Dulukala Peran restautant located at Beauty World, famous for its Beef Rendang and Ikan Bakar, both considered to be one of the best in Singapore. For vegetarians, GuidePal picked up on the Original Sin restaurant in the Holland Road area, well known for its delicious middle-eastern flavored Mousakka. To make things even easier for you, the “call” and “show map” functions make it effortless for you to quickly make a reservation and find your way there in a breeze.

iProperty.com Singapore

With no registration required, the free iProperty app is the virtual 24-7 real estate agent you always wish you had. You can use the “Find Properties” function to pair you with “for sale” and for “for rent” real estate listings which fit your search criteria.

By taking your requirements into consideration, the app displays a full list of the properties on the market meeting your search criteria. This means that if you are only interested in “4 room HDB flats” in Bukit Merah, that is all you will see.  Using GPS, the app determines your position and displays a live map of the nearby listings of properties for rent on sale on the screen.

Want to find out more details of a particular property? The “Call Agent” function allows you to directly call, SMS or email the marketing agent via a direct touch button. Other functions from the home page, such as the Condo and Agent Directories and Property News  help to make your property search smooth and hassle-free, making this app a must-have for those serious about being a winner in the property market.

23 Mar

Design with safety in mind

Whether you live a high-rise HDB apartment or a sprawling piece of landed property, chances are that you would be with one common feature while glancing across your row of neighbours: window grills.

In Singapore, safety grills are commonly installed on the windows of many homes to keep burglars and prying eyes at bay. However I can’t help but find it ironic that as Singapore becomes a safer country, more of such grills seem to be popping up.

I’ve noticed that it is when we start introducing safety features into our homes—whether to protect ourselves, or keep our children and elderly parents safe from harm—that our homes’ aesthetics become compromised. Now, I’m not against putting safety measures in place to protect the ones we love. But as home-proud owners, we have the choice to make these features more pleasing to the eye without compromising on safety.

Without further ado, I would like to share with you some tips and ideas for incorporating design and aesthetics into safety features at home.

For windows:

  1. Consider replacing unsightly safety grills with sliding windows that have key locks. Your designer, architect or contractor should be able to provide you with more options.
  2. If privacy from neighbours or passers-by is your concern, invest in window treatments like roman blinds or timber venetians. They add some softness and colour to your interior while maintaining privacy in your home.
Window treatment for kid’s room. Image courtesy of Cameron Woo Design.

Window treatment for kid’s room. Image courtesy of Cameron Woo Design.

For children:

  1. Ready-made children safety gates and bed safety guards may not be very visually appealing, but they get the job done when it comes to keeping our children safe. Show off your flair for design by having them painted or dressed with your little ones’ favourite cartoon characters.
  2. To prevent little fingers from being slammed on by doors or drawers, ask your cabinetmaker or contractor for ‘soft closing’ hinges, drawer glides, and other options. These soft closing mechanisms shut slowly and cannot be slammed, eliminating one household hazard.

For elderly parents:

  1. If you have elderly at home, fit out your bathroom with stainless steel handles and bars near the washbasin and bathtub to assist them with mobility and stability.
  2. Falls are among the biggest safety concerns when it comes to the elderly. When choosing floor finishes, select ones that have a good grip, or a rating of at least R11. This means the floor finish is able to maintain grip and reduce chances of slipping even when an area is wet, making it suitable for walk-in shower areas.
Handle fitted on a bathroom wall. Image courtesy of Thinkstock.

Handle fitted on a bathroom wall. Image courtesy of Thinkstock.

Unfortunately for most, it is only after an accident has occurred that we start to seriously think about the safety measures in our homes. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure; I hope we will all take a second look at our homes and assess if any small safety improvements can be made to better protect the people we care for, while maintaining a good standard for aesthetics.

28 Jan

Musings for the Year of the Dragon

Chinese New Year means many things to many people. I can’t speak for others, but for me as an interior designer it means getting the house in order. This usually entails sorting through the clutter that has piled up over the year and giving away things I haven’t used in over six months (like the clothes chucked in the back of my closet) to family, friends or the needy.

While I usually start my cleaning ritual just after Christmas, I often don’t finish until the eve of Chinese New Year, and this year was no different. It does sound like a massive task to undertake each year, but the end result of a sparkling house ready for guests and festivities was definitely worth all the effort.

Prominently displayed porcelain dragon plate on a sideboard. Image courtesy of Cameron Woo Design.

Prominently displayed porcelain dragon plate on a sideboard. Image courtesy of Cameron Woo Design.

Besides springcleaning, I also take the opportunity to do a little furniture rearrangement around the house every year. This not only refreshes the interior space but helps visualise moving on from the past year towards the New Year as well. Little changes like hanging up a new artwork or replacing the tired-looking covers of my throw cushions with vibrant new fabrics can really spice things up. To usher in the Year of the Dragon, I shifted artwork, antiques and accessories that have dragon motifs to more prominent positions in my living room. For instance, my porcelain dragon plate now perches proudly on my sideboard.

Chinese New Year is also a good time to introduce new floral decorations to the home. Instead of common orchid bouquets or kumquat plants, you could grace your tabletop with a lovely cherry blossom plant. My sister gave one to me this Chinese New Year instead of the usual mandarins, and it was a refreshing, meaningful and beautiful change.

Away from the interior design aspects of Chinese New Year preparations, another tradition of mine is preparing the dinner menu. As my family and close friends from Australia are visiting me this year, I will be whipping up a fantastic meal full of my favourite recipes, no holds barred. This year I will be cooking Chinese Roasted Chicken with my grandmother’s special secret sauce. Other dishes I’ve been considering are bread–crumbed white asparagus with home made hollandaise sauce, as well as my ginger and shallot mud crab with yee mien. With all the sumptuous food in store, I’ll hopefully do a better job in watching my waistline this year than I did last year.

A cherry blossom plant makes a good gift for Chinese New Year. Image courtesy of Cameron Woo Design.

A cherry blossom plant makes a good gift for Chinese New Year. Image courtesy of Cameron Woo Design.

Perhaps why this Chinese New Year is especially exciting for me is that my wife and I are expecting our third child!

So here’s wishing everyone reading this article a very happy and prosperous Chinese New Year with your loved ones, as we welcome the Year of the Dragon together.

11 Jan

Feng Shui in Singapore for 2012

Life in Singapore remains one of the best options for many around the world as it develops into a safe, world-class metropolis where opportunities are unrivaled.

Guarded from natural disasters, it is further enhanced by its geo-political position as compared to many countries in Asia. Geographically surrounded by the large plains in Malaysia and Indonesia, the natural landscape in Singapore also accounts for good energies that draws prosperity and good fortune. While comparatively flat and compact, it also possesses its own natural undulations which generate great flows of energies, vital to the overall well-being of the country.

Topographically, Singapore sits in a basin where depositories of wealth pour into. While many terminologies have been given to Singapore, it is strikingly similar to the landforms that propel Hong Kong to her international standard of wealth accumulation.

From a Feng Shui point of view, Singapore could be viewed as a land of the Five Dragons.

The Central Dragon – Orchard, Bukit Timah

Nestled in the comfort of its heavenly den is the Central Dragon which is said to be the ‘reserve’ that the country is well-known for. Comfortably settled in the region where Bukit Timah originates, it makes its way to Orchard Central and is believed to rest its head guarding the precious pearl located in the current Mandarin Hotel. These attributes thus account for the demand and interests along the Bukit Timah stretch and the Orchard Road Belt. Moreover, the hills originating from Bukit Timah Hill and the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve are also said to contribute to the never-ending source of wealth.

Want to live in Orchard? Get the latest properties for sale in your inbox by creating a property alert here.

Want to live in Bukit Timah? Get the latest properties for sale in your inbox by creating a property alert here.

The Western Dragon – Jurong, West Coast, Harbourfront, Telok Blangah

From the lush greenery of Jurong comes the Western Dragon that rouses its way along West Coast to Telok Blangah and guards its treasure at the Harbourfront area. The West Dragon is said to be one of peace and benevolence. As such, homes located in the West are noted for its academic excellence and harmony. Homes along the Western front include the prestigious sea front homes, which are receiving harmonious doses of advancement and progress.

Want to live in Jurong? Get the latest properties for sale in your inbox by creating a property alert here.

Want to live near Harbourfront or Telok Blangah? Get the latest properties for sale in your inbox by creating a property alert here.

The Southern Dragon – CBD, Vivocity, Mount Faber, Redhill

Where the Western Dragon rests, the Southern Dragon comes alive and straddles between Vivocity and the Central Business District (CBD). This is the Financial Dragon that drums up the necessary energies needed for a vibrant and active financial market. In addition, the Southern Dragon is said to provide the happiness needed for Singapore, thus the locations of the two casinos and theme parks are not surprisingly here. With the ample protection of Mount Faber and the areas around Redhill, these two formations account for more than half of the overall prime districts. Homes here are poised for wealth accumulation and abundance.

Want to live near the CBD area? Get the latest properties for sale in your inbox by creating a property alert here.

Want to live in Tanjong Pagar and Anson Road? Get the latest properties for sale in your inbox by creating a property alert here.

The Eastern Dragon – Tampines, Pasir Ris, Kembangan, Katong

The Eastern Dragon breathes life into homes along the highway. It then makes its way into the extremely lush areas in Katong before sending in a huge dose of good fortune into the Frankel and Kembangan areas. These are the highlights before it makes its way to the eastern end of island – Tampines and Pasir Ris. The Eastern Dragon brings growth, optimism and a sense of community bonding, which eventually leads to great abundance.

Want to live in Tampines or Pasir Ris? Get the latest properties for sale in your inbox by creating a property alert here.

Want to live in the Katong area? Get the latest properties for sale in your inbox by creating a property alert here.

The Northern Dragon – Sengkang, Punggol, Woodlands

Flanking the North-East ridge, the Northern Dragon takes care of the region surrounding Sengkang and the waterfront of Punggol. From a sleepy enclave, the vibrancy of the North cannot be ignored. The Northern Dragon brings to it a sense of rejuvenation and self renewal. Twirling all the way past Woodlands and making its grand entrance near the Singapore Zoo and the Turf Club, it protects the natural reserves of Singapore. This Dragon is believed to offer the blessings of stability and continual progress. As such, you will find the Singapore Sports Institute and the American School thriving there.

Want to live in Sengkang or Punggol? Get the latest properties for sale in your inbox by creating a property alert here.

Want to live in Woodlands? Get the latest properties for sale in your inbox by creating a property alert here.

For more articles on Feng Shui, you can visit House of Feng Shui

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Want to buy a home in one of these prosperous locations? Create a property alert to find your dream home and stand to win S$50 IKEA or S$50 NTUC gift vouchers! Five winners every week! For more details, click on the image.

This promotion is valid only for Property Alerts created between January 21-26, 2012.

 

 

3 Dec

Designing in these economic times

Whilst the services of an interior designer may appear to be indulgent to some, especially given the current financial doom and gloom, interior design has an integral role to play to provide a moment of respite, shielding us from the negative aspects of the outside world and allowing us to retreat into our private sanctuary… our homes.

A few of the inexpensive little rituals I indulge in at home, to nurture my creative and positive energy during these turbulent times are:

  1. Sitting in my favourite chair and reading my design magazines and books, with the fragrance of a scented candle wafting through the air.
  2. As an alternative option to going out for dinner, inviting my friends back home and creating a wonderful meal and gorgeous table arrangement for us to enjoy together
  3. Going to Far East Flora to purchase some flowers and creating a unique and beautiful bedside table arrangement (this always brightens up my day)
  4. Changing the cushion covers on my trusty lounge suite to freshen up my interior and add a splash of colour to my living room
  5. Listening to music and sketching some inspiring ideas for my latest projects

I hope we can all invest some time and money in small indulgences that improve our moods, and not just in the financial markets.

Reading chair designed by Cameron Woo. Image courtesy of Cameron Woo Design.

Reading chair designed by Cameron Woo. Image courtesy of Cameron Woo Design.

Flowers on bedside table, styled and arranged by Cameron Woo. Image courtesy of Cameron Woo Design.

Flowers on bedside, arranged by Cameron Woo. Image courtesy of Cameron Woo Design.

From an interior designer’s perspective, the most noticeable effect of the financial crisis is the slowdown of the property market, particularly in the residential sectors. As a result, clients are requesting more for less, and interior designers are becoming far better equipped to juggle these dual requirements (of meeting high expectations within an increasingly smaller budget) when designing their homes.

Here are some useful design tips I have picked up that will help you stretch your dollar while respecting your original design aesthetics and intentions:

  1. Consider using paint instead of expensive wall finishes such as wallpaper. They require less ongoing maintenance throughout the years, which can be especially useful in humid, tropical countries like Singapore.
  2. When selecting fabrics for your interior, don’t shy away from using vinyls. These days textile technology has advanced significantly such that vinyl now close resembles leather, but comes at almost one third the latter’s price and requires less maintenance care.
  3. For artwork, consider using your family portraits and reframing them in one tone. Hang a few as collage composition instead of buying one large artwork, which can be quite expensive.
  4. If your sofa is structurally sound and still very comfortable, you may wish to re-upholster it rather than buy a new one. Doing this will not only be more economical, but save you the time you would have needed to shop around for a brand new sofa to fit in your home.

Hopefully some of my design tips will help you better prepare for your home renovation during these financial times.

28 Oct

Feng Shui: The Basics

By Daniel Seifert (This article first appeared on iProperty.com.sg)

It may be thousands of years old, but the Chinese art of feng shui is showing no signs of becoming outdated. On the contrary, it’s more popular around the world than ever. Feng shui, which literally means ‘wind water’ in Chinese, aims to incorporate natural elements and create harmony to actively encourage good fortune and dispel bad luck in a home.

Feng Shui is not merely mysticism, it can add a touch of aesthetics to your home as well.

There are many principles of feng shui, but one of its main tenets is polarity, or balance. The yin yang symbol is an excellent representation of equilibrium to bear in mind. In practical terms, this means having both relaxing, calm and passive (yin) and active, strong and vibrant (yang) elements. Ideas for yin features include a tranquil photo or painting and soft music, whereas bright colours and strong lights can add yang energy.

Whether or not you believe in the mystic benefits of feng shui, this art form can still breathe life into the layout, design and general feel of your home. Its basic tenets, which advocate placing five natural elements (wood, fire, metal, earth and water) into your home, can create a soothing atmosphere thanks to fountains with running water and potted plants.

In any residence, the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen form the vital backbone of a house. Feng shui is no different, and it recognises the importance of these three fundamental rooms. You will want your sleeping and washing areas to be filled with calm energy, and your eating area to be energised for hearty cooking and dinner parties.

In general, the way you decorate these rooms should be dictated by common sense. Trust your senses – if your kitchen is a hectic sensory overload of colours and sounds, your bedroom needs to be even more restful; a haven of tranquility to which you can retreat from noise and stress. Ideally, when considering your house room by room as well as in totality, it should seem like a stable, well-composed unit, with no room hogging the limelight.

Another tenet of feng shui is the flow of qi, or energy. Again, while there are elements of mysticism here there is a grounding of common sense. ‘Blocking’ the energy of your house can lead to a palpable sense of claustrophobia or oppression. Consider the entrance of your home, for example. Is that where you dump all your shoes and damp umbrellas? If so, your home forms a weak impression before you’ve even stepped through your door. A house with good feng shui will have a strong, clear flow of energy at the entrance.

And it’s not just small homes that stand by this blend of aesthetics and mysticism. Massive and influential international companies such as HSBC, and even Marina Bay Sands here in Singapore, do consult feng shui masters when designing new office headquarters or buildings.

Whichever way you look at it, feng shui has something to offer to any home owner. Yet there is obviously a lot more to learn about this simple yet intricate art.

To hear more, you can head to the iProperty.com EXPO for a talk by Joey Yap, founder of Joey Yap Consulting Group. On October 29 at Marina Bay Sands Singapore, he will be discussing practical feng shui for property buyers. Visit www.iproperty.com/expo/ for more details.

1 Oct

The Interior Design Profession and Industry in Singapore

There has been much written in the press recently about talent, particularly the value and contribution of foreign talent, in Singapore. One area where I think the word talent resonates is in the architectural and interior design professions. Singapore is a relatively young country, and its architecture and interior design industry mirrors this. By inviting some of the most talented design professionals in the world, to participate here on projects, helps to lift the standards of the entire local built environment ecosystem. Local design professionals, consultants, and contractors stand to benefit from engaging and collaborating with the best creative design minds in the world, who in turn can help lift local standards, methods and productivity.

Interior design is a growing industry in Singapore

Interior design is a growing industry in Singapore

As Singapore’s affluence rises, so too will its resident population continue to demand and expect a well-designed and attractive city-state to live in. To meet this demand and expectation, local designers need to understand how to respond to this demand and expectation appropriately.  Apart from working with the best design professionals in the world, learning from some of the best design education institutes in the world is equally important.  I am disappointed to learn that none of the government universities here offer an interior design degree programme. With continued urbanization occurring globally, especially in Singapore, people’s spatial experiences will become increasingly internal due to the density of cities. Whilst there are private institutions that offer interior design as a degree programme, I think it is important that at least one of the government universities offers an interior design degree programme.

Moreover, I was bemused to learn that the interior design industry falls under the Ministry of Communications, Information and the Arts (MICA) in Singapore, whereas the architecture and engineering industries fall under the Ministry of National Development (MND). I see interior design to be more closely aligned with architecture given that both professions work in the built environment than say with the arts such as dance. It is important to classify interior design correctly, so that it receives the same respect and understanding as a profession from government, educational institutions and the public, like it is in other developed countries such as the United States and Australia. This will allow Singapore to attract the most creative people locally and regionally to enter the profession and to live and work here. This in turn helps Singapore to become more vibrant and competitive in an increasingly design conscious world. Admission into interior design degree courses in the government universities in Sydney, Australia require applicants to be in the top ten percent of students in Australia. Hence, it is a concern when some people think that interior designers are contractors and vice versa in Singapore.

Whilst the industry and profession of interior design is young and emerging in Singapore, it is clear to me what we must do to foster the growth of talent here. By learning from the top professionals in the industry we allow ourselves not only to become more accomplished as designers, but also to provide sustainable growth for the industry in the future. Starting with the educational foundations we must encourage the government and public perception of interior design to change, so that it is viewed as a credible, respectful profession. Ultimately, this attracts greater talent which, in turn breeds greater talent

19 Aug

Keeping Order in the Household

One of the perks of being an Interior Designer is being invited into people’s homes and seeing how they live. You come across people from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds but one common thread that binds most of my clients together is their need to create a sense of order, tranquility and beauty in their homes.

An interior designer’s role is to create and implement the vision a client has and at the same time, ensure that it supports their lifestyle. However it is the client’s responsibility to maintain the home in the beautiful condition in which it was handed over to them.

I sometimes make impromptu visits to the homes of some of my residential clients a year after completing the project to say hello and see if the interior has been kept the way we originally designed it. Surprisingly 90 percent are wonderfully maintained, which is very satisfying for me to see.

It is not uncommon for interior designers to be labelled ‘neat freaks’ and I would have to say that this term applies to me as well. I know that it isn’t easy for some people to keep a neat and tidy home as I believe this is often a by-product of conditioning. However everyone can contribute in a small way to keeping order in the household.

So this month I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you some of my interior design tips for keeping the home neat and tidy.

NEAT & TIDY TIPS

1. Centralise your storage into different categories. Centralising your storage will save you considerable space. Instead of having bath towels in every room, for example, place them in a centralised linen closet instead. Likewise, you should also have a centralised medicine cabinet, toiletry cabinet, linen closet, utilities closet, and electrical cabinet.

2. Personalised storage options. Consider talking to your interior designer about having custom storage pieces made. For example, you could have a custom joinery unit for your books and accessories or a bespoke dressing table for your collection of toiletries. With custom pieces, your interior designer can create the ideal storage for you with all the relevant compartments you need for your personal items.

A bespoke space-saving dressing table designed by Cameron Woo Design. Image courtesy of Cameron Woo.

A bespoke space-saving dressing table designed by Cameron Woo Design. Image courtesy of Cameron Woo.

A custom joinery unit designed by Cameron Woo Design for The Metropolitan Showflat. Image courtesy of Cameron Woo.

A custom joinery unit designed by Cameron Woo Design for The Metropolitan Showflat. Image courtesy of Cameron Woo.

3. Don’t clutter up your space with too many shapes and colours. For your storage solution to look great and not just neat, shop at places such as Muji where the product designs for storage items are simple and uniform, and are likely to suit most households.

Simple and uniform designs are key. (iProperty)

Simple and uniform designs are key. (iProperty)

4. Organising your wardrobe. Use wooden clothes hangers where possible instead of wire hangers to keep your clothes in their most impeccable shape. Then hang your clothes in order of colour so you can select from them easily.

5. Out with the old. If you don’t use something for 6 months, consider donating it. Clothes are always useful and a warmly appreciated gift even if they are your pre-loved seconds.

These are my five personal tips for keeping the household in order. Living neatly is a matter of conditioning and habit and it requires some self-discipline on your part, but after a while if you get into the habit of keeping things in their place, you will be surprised at how easy it is to maintain order in the home, even with young children. Soon you will become like me, totally accustomed to keeping order in the home without a second thought and well on your way to “Living Well”.

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