Lighting

Achieving the modern look for your home

Clean-lined, contemporary and elegant designs make a home look instantly modern and stylish but what exactly should go into your modern home? Polished dark wood? Well-worn leather? Or elegant shutters?

If you’re at a loss, here are some considerations when you are designing your dream modern interior:

1. Choice Lighting

Well-designed lighting can make all the difference to a room and homeowners must decide if the lamps from their old homes will still suit the overall décor of their new abode.

For a modern and clean look
Choose lamps with minimal detailing such as:

• Sleek arch floor lamps from Phillpe Starck
• Flos - known for their classy and simple designs
• Bubble lamps - iconic lamps that look slightly futuristic but have been redesigned for the modern home

For an elegant and grand feel
Opt for chandeliers. Swarovski crystal chandeliers add that touch of grandeur and luxury but for a contemporary look, chandeliers with brass, brushed nickel and iron finishes are a good alternative because they are simpler and statelier.

2. Playing with colours

Adhering to strict colour coordination can ensure that the theme of your house will shine through. Instead of using expensive materials, focus on strict colour schemes to create your desired modern look.

For a warm and cozy feel
A beautiful mix of browns, creams and orange can create a warm and welcoming look. On the other hand, the whitewashed house still can be cozy, and is becoming a favorite for its clean modern European style.

For a sleek look
Paint your walls a light neutral shade instead of having a mixture of colors, and keep walls clean to match your predominantly white or silver furniture.

3. Texture and Accessories

The details make up the whole and everything from the wallpaper to the furnishings is imperative in deciding the theme for your home. Besides having a good color scheme, also have accessories to spruce up your home and act as conversation starters.

For a contemporary look
Choose natural materials like linen for your curtains and leather for your sofa. If you have opted for a mixture of browns for your walls then accessorize with metallic bronze pieces or hang your favourite piece of modern art.

For a sophisticated feel, patterned wallpaper can be used but if it’s too dramatic or overwhelming then having subtle patterns within the fabric of your curtains, bedsheets or pillowcases can also speak luxury without being ostentatious.

For those who still fancy a touch of Old World Glamour

Till this point, do you still find that however much you admire the clean lines and open space exemplified by modern design, the geometric shapes and sheer minimalism leave you cold?

Creating the perfect balance

The creative team at Ansana thus came up with the perfect blend of uncomplicated modern design with a touch of opulence. Furniture pieces imported from Indonesia and Brunei were kept unadorned and fuss-free in both material and design. These perfectly complemented the luxurious touches like richly patterned walls in earthy tones like green and brown, twinkling chandelier lights and plush floor rugs.
Make it your own!

no design is truly complete without unique finishing touches from the designer

Windows of opportunity
But no design is truly complete without unique finishing touches from the designer. One bold differentiator came in the form of window openings in the 2 bedrooms facing the house’s internal airwell. The 10-metre high library thus had two large window openings instead of two blank walls. For privacy, the windows were fitted with shutters with horizontal lattices, or can be left open to act as a decorative wall panel.

“[The window openings help with] improving the brightness and adding an interesting feel to the house,” said Ansana’s designers.

For a truly unique look
Pick a piece of furniture you would like to have stand out, such as a unique wooden chair shaped like a hammock. If want an individualistic and one-of-a-kind, look for interior design firms like Ansana who can also customize furniture to complement their interior works.

Ansana’s specialty also lies in the customization of its furniture to complement their interior crafts. Some have been specially constructed to be mobile enough to allow home owners to bring along if they move — “We take a lot of pride, and of course, time, to design the detailing of our carpentry works”.

“One of our specialties is customizing furniture to compliment our interior works. Some are mobile allowing the owners to bring them along should they move. We take a lot of pride and of course, time, to design the detailing of our carpentry works.”

These warm, inviting twists to modernist designs were brought to you by Ansana’s team of designers, led by head designer Lisa.

A Project by Ansana
476 River Valley Road Singapore 248361
www.ansana.com.sg

Find Sanctuary in Your Bedroom

We know that pure and utter relaxation doesn’t come as easy as we would like. More often than not we let the stressors of our daily life into our homes, allowing them to encroach into our private lives.

The Problem with Bedrooms

Our bedrooms should be our retreats, our shields from the frenzied outside world. They should offer an opportunity to set our minds at ease, to revel in a warm embrace, and to languish in the skin we are the most comfortable in. Yet, most of us find it next to impossible to achieve the relaxation that we seek in that sacred personal space.

Most modern bedrooms are over-functional, and contain one too many distractions which may prevent us from properly enjoying our rest time. It has become a common habit to mar the sanctuary of our bedroom with incessantly ringing cell phones, blaring television sets and blinking computer monitors. The key to creating a peaceful bedroom lies in surrounding yourself with elements that induce the happiest, most contented and tranquil feelings in you, whether they be fluffy pillows, rows of candles, romantic billowy curtains or chenille fabrics.

Let LUSH offer you design tips to transform your bedroom into an undisturbed haven, offering you a one-way ticket to cool tranquility.

1. Make luxurious linens your focal point

Your first step to find order in chaos is to designate a focal point to the room. Although it’s tempting to fit all your earthly possessions and pet pleasures into your bedroom, you must avoid doing so! A cluttered bedroom only appears unkempt and is a deterrent to true relaxation.

Most often, bedrooms are designed to highlight the bed as the focal point. To create a bed which screams cozy, unparalleled comfort, choose adornments and trimmings which speak of warmth, luxury, and royalty. Try a plush crushed velvet duvet coupled with downy, fluffy pillows in rich jewel tones for an opulent air. Embossed finishes or contrasting textures like nubby cotton, crisp linen, supple velvet or dupion silk can make a big difference.

If you’re more into the simple things in life, pick neutral, Zen inspired bedspreads in lush textures. For instance, sage green or tan work beautifully as base colors, and can be coupled with anything from cream to gold. Take your cue from nature and make the most of colors you would expect to find in a natural palette. However, because material quality and comfort is just as important as its style and color when it comes to picking bed linens, select bedsheets with a minimum

2. Out of sight, out of mind

Don’t decorate your bedroom as if it were meant for multi-tasking, or, worse still, an extension of your home office! Leave the computer and fax machine where they belong– in the study. Your bedroom should be strictly for down-time, and retreating into your bedroom should be a signal, both physically and mentally, that you should be prepared for undisturbed relaxation.

Clothing should be placed out of sight as much as possible, and likewise should be done with other more mundane objects like workstations, document folders, computers, and vanity tables.

3. Walk towards the light

The right lighting can do so much towards setting a calm, restful atmosphere for your cozy asylum and also winding you down for a peaceful night’s sleep. However, make sure you also install strong enough lighting for the morning’s activities so you don’t look like you got dressed in the dark, literally.

Dimmers, curtains or blinds should blend flawlessly into the design of the room and also act to diffuse all of the blinding natural light that may come streaming in through your windows. Ambient lighting in the bedroom that glows warmly and softly, will render the entire space inviting and oh-so-enticing.

Bedside tables should be embellished with unique, statement-making lamps. Try twinkling table-top candelabras, which add a subtle nuance of old-world glamor and Gothic opulence. Even the color of light makes a dramatic difference, so if you’re still doing bright and white, switch to bulbs that give off a gold or warm-toned light and be amazed at the difference this makes!

4. Create atmosphere through fabrics

Play with various textures and color of fabrics to create the soothing atmosphere that you want for you bedroom. For instance, if you wish to create a natural atmosphere reminiscent of an untouched seaside bungalow, pick up lightweight and draping materials in clean whites, neutral khakis and cream. Accents of brown add an earthy touch and the fabrics most suitable are natural silks, or wispy light cotton. Drama mamas would be inclined towards brighter, richer colors like ruby red, turquoise, burnt sienna, or forest green.

Draping these textiles over your windows, beds or even your lampshades to add instant character and ambiance to your bedroom, allowing you to transform it in one easy step.

5. Stimulate your non-visual senses

Pamper your auditory and aromatic senses to achieve a truly peaceful, relaxing feeling. For instance, the trickling of a small fountain can do wonders for putting your mind to rest, as well as being extremely soothing on the eye. Consider also putting a small CD player in your room to incorporate the sounds of rolling waves, the chirping of crickets and singing birds or any other music which gives you auditory relaxation.

A stick of incense or aromatherapy burners in the corner infuse the room with intoxicating fragrances – choose one which elicits a positive association in you, such as a warm, spicy cinnamon, soothing spa-like lavender or invigorating lemon grass.

6. Other Accessories

Invite nature into your bedroom by incorporating small potted plants on a decorative plant stand or perched on your window sill
Wicker baskets provide lots of roomy storage space without looking industrial or too synthetic.

Place large hanging mirrors in your bedroom, but make sure they reflect pleasant scenes like a potted plant or pretty dressing table. Mirrors not only give the illusion of a more spacious room, they also reflect light for added coziness.

Fluffy pillows in all sorts of sizes, designs and textures can be strewn on your bed to make it look extra comfortable and inviting.

If you have extra room and a hardwood floor, a plush rug adds warmth and comfort and can be coupled with casually thrown bean bags or throw pillows for lounging around on lazy weekends.

Your bedroom specialists are The Interior Place Pte Ltd., who are renown for their fusion of aesthetics and personal detail in their designs. They define design as a reflection of the individual’s personality and a complement to their lifestyle – as such they never impose their design inclinations on clients.

The Interior Place Pte Ltd
No. 51, Lavender Street
Singapore 338710
Tel: 6292 9882 Fax: 6292 9883
www.theinteriorplace.com.sg

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