by Montie Mahtani | Nov 19, 2015 | Home Upkeep, Trending Styles
I enjoy the idea of summer as much as the next girl – Catchy summer songs, more skin showing on the street, delicious ice cream, the beach and the sunshine… All of these sounds more than delightful. However, there’s absolutely no songs ever written about staying at home in summer, which is an inevitable part of life. It sure feels nice to just relax, watch some TV while cranking up the air-conditioner, that kind of stuff that’s made for a lazy Sunday afternoon. And when it comes to places that are summer all year long like Singapore, it’s hard not to seek help from our loyal friend, air conditioner, to keep the house nice and cool, both when you’re sitting in the living room enjoying a glass of iced tea with air conditioner running in the background and the chill in your heart when you see the numbers on your utility bills.
Turn off that AC!
And that’s when you say something has got to change. There are a lot of eco-friendly air conditioners in the market at the moment, but you know what’s more eco-friendly than eco-friendly air conditioner? No air conditioning at all.
This might sound a little crazy, even dreadful to some, but with the help of a few tricks here and there, you might just make it! Read on to see the tricks that can help keep you cool around the house without AC!
Unplug
You might not notice, but a small amount of heat is generated when your electronics and other small appliances are plugged, even when they’re not in use. Go around the house and unplug away to save some energy and reduce the heat in the house.
Is your ceiling fan doing its part?
In summer, your ceiling fan should be set to run counter clockwise to circulate cool air.
Incandescent lights, out!
If you haven’t already, replace your incandescent lights with CFL or LED light bulbs to reduce both energy used and heat. While you’re at it, look at a few more options for everything else in the house to find a lower energy consumption option, the less energy is required, the less heat it is giving off.
Windows
Open up your windows and let the breeze in, this also help the air circulation. If you really don’t want to or can’t open your windows, consider using window films with sun control on your windows, these films are known for reducing the heat when the sun shines through your big glass window as well as UV protection.
The shades
What is the color of your windows shades or screens? Not black or anything dark, I hope. Lighting colors, namely white, rejects warmth and sunlight instead of absorbing it like black does. If you feel like there is already a lot of white in your interior design and want to mix things up a little, woven and bamboo shades are also excellent at keeping the heat out.
Pay attention to your body temperature
What you are really trying to avoid is “feeling” hot, a cold shower or some ice cold beverage can do the trick. Additionally, you can also soak a small towel in ice cold water, apply it on your body after rinsing off the excessive water.
The long term game plan
Of course, you can’t be showering once every 2 hours, not only is it a waste of water, your skin will also dry up pretty quickly when that happens. If you’re living in a place like Singapore, it makes sense to commit to a long term plan and do a little more to keep the house cool without air conditioning, for example, the previously mentioned window films that keep the heat and sun damage out is a good tool, if there’s space, you could also consider adding a little green to your interior design, plants and vines can serve as extra sunblock for the house and help with the breeze. Incorporate heat reducing features in your interior design, this should already be carefully planned for a place like Singapore. If your apartment is really outdated or getting a renovation, make sure you talk to your interior designer about heat reducing features, something interior designs in Singapore should especially be focused on.
by Montie Mahtani | Nov 16, 2015 | Design Tips, Trending Styles
Storage has always been a common problem people from all walks of life and backgrounds share, even interior designers in Singapore find it challenging as well. We live our life one day at a time, as the time goes by we inevitably increase our possessions. You see, there’s 365 days a year, and some of those days we’re going to come home with items that will not just disappear or dissolve itself. Unfortunately, the one thing that does not grow with the numbers of our possessions is our home space. I can get all the new shoes, new clothes, new stuffed animals that I want over the year, my apartment would still the exact same tiny one bedroom that I’ve been living in. They say life is full of uncertainties, but if there’s one thing I know for sure, it is that my apartment is certainly not growing bigger. (But hey, technology, I’m not giving up on you yet! One day someone is going to invent something amazing that will solve all the storage problems… right? )
Since our home space does not grow big over time (yet), we, as a society has made peace with that and come up with our very own solutions. Almost all of the solutions share one similar philosophy: Vertical space is key.
Let’s Get Vertical.
Take Hong Kong for example, the tiny island has attracted more people than it could take, so what happened next? The buildings got higher and higher, making Hong Kong one of Asia’s most famous concrete jungle.
And hey, if Hong Kong can do it, we can do it, too! We are probably not going to make a concrete jungle out of a home, but a little fun with vertical space never hurts anybody.
The forgotten in-between space.
Say, you’ve got way too many shoes and not enough cabinets in the house? This bad ass shoe storage solution is here to the rescue. It fully utilizes the tiny in between space that you didn’t think could be good for anything, and proudly displays your majestic collection of footwear the way they deserve to be displayed.
Image source: deringhall.com
Now that you have a taste of the greatness of vertical space utilization, let’s see what else can you vertical with your in-between space.
One place that’s got some sneaky in-between space is the bathroom. And, if I may, let’s make 2015 the time to ask yourself not what you can do for your bathroom, but what your bathroom can do for you. No more stacking up toilet papers in the garage, know that in-between space right next to the toilet that you didn’t even think it could help with storage? How about we put a skinny floor cabinet in there for toilet papers and other bathroom things?
Image source: amazon.com, Proman Products
And now, for the ultimate vertical and in-between space utilization, this amazing floor canned food organizer can frees up some serious cabinets in the kitchen using space that you barely notice it’s there.
Image source: classyclutter.net
The vertical DIY – Build your kitchen shelves as high as it needs to be.
This simple trick allows you to build your storage space way up, go ahead and buy more mason jars for your dream summer get-together at the house, you now have the perfect storage plan for them.
Image source: containerstore.com
Got a small bathroom with little to none cabinet? Tired of moving all your beauty/skin care/hair care products in and out of the bathroom? Let’s get vertical in the bathroom, too! Grab a few spice racks and put them on the wall – something I’m sure every bathroom is rich in, and give yourself all the table space in the bathroom with clean cut storage space on your wall.
Image source: apartmenttherapy.com
Now that we’ve seen all these amazing vertical space utilization that allow you to build your way up, let’s not forget that you can also go down a little. The chance is, your existing shelves haven’t even reach its full potential yet. With a little bit of help from undershelves, you might just be able to get yourself a spare cabinet in the kitchen.
Image source: containerstore.com
Of course, the power of under-shelves basket does not stop there, it is also a great tool to organize your cleaning tools and agents in the kitchen, while you’re at it, you might just be able to storage those old magazine that for whatever reason you’re keeping in there as well.
Image source: organizingmadefun.blogspot.com
With all the space saved from vertical space utilization, the apartment/home space might actually feel larger. Which is something everybody enjoys. Let’s take a look at your place and identify the vertical space with storage potential now! You can ask a talented interior designer in Singapore to help you out!
by Montie Mahtani | Nov 2, 2015 | Design Tips, Trending Styles
Regardless your lifestyle, home is the place you seek rest and comfort in after a long day of work, or a weekend trip away. The modern day city living makes us spend less and less time at home, but, undeniably, there is nothing like knowing “I’m home!” the moment you walk right into your own door, successfully escaped from all the chaos in the world.
But… I have a HDB flat.
Another thing about city living is that the majority of us have no choice but to settle with the most economic option for housing, and in Singapore, that is HDB. But just because you have a HDB flat, doesn’t mean it has to be boring. We have all heard the saying “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade out of it.” Naturally, when life gives you HDB flats, you ought to make an edgy home out of it. And the good news is, you can with the trendy HDB interior designs available today.
But…Why?
Why should you spend time, effort and money turning your home into something that can actually sweep you off your own feet? When you wholeheartedly enjoy your own home, not only does it do wonderful things to your mood, it might also save you some money by keeping you home more! At some point in life, we all know that one person who choose to rent the cheapest housing option and spend all his time out and about, only using his “home” for sleeping. This ends up making the city living a lot more expensive, and the mentality of “Can’t relax at home because I don’t like it at all.” can get a little stressful with time.
This is really an investment for your own happiness and future savings in disguise!
Can my tiny HDB flat really be turned into something edgy?
You bet!
The limited living space is something people all around the world (in big cities) have been struggling with, and when there’s a problem, there’s a solution. The most common solution for this particular situation is Minimalist Design.
What is Minimalist Design?
Lwdwig Mies van de Rohe, who is widely acknowledged as one of the 20th century’s greatest architects, famously said that “Less is more” as a precept for minimalist design and architecture. The key characteristics include the frequent use of steel and plate glass, reduction of structural frameworks, and lots of open space. Contrary to what people might think, minimal designs are more common in high fashion and the luxurious homes, the open space implies that the own can and does afford space, and the message of “I don’t need to show off everything I have, because I have everything.” , an example is high fashion stores, there are usually very few racks in the store, and a lot more open space when you compare it to the supermarket clothing section.
Wait, but how is minimalist design going to work on my tiny HDB?
The minimalist design works both way, sure, it would be a whole lot easier to work with a spacious home, but worry not, with a few tricks here and there, the minimalist design is going to make your home looks a lot bigger than it actually is.
For example:
Knock down those walls and let the lights in.
Minimize the walls in your apartment, and when there has to be wall, make sure you make a storage space out of it, too! The bright lights on the wooden floor also plays an important role of making your apartment visually bigger. Using curtain to separate your bedroom and living space without taking out all the extra space for another wall.
Image Source: lamidge.net
Move your way up… literally.
A living space and a solid bedroom is every studio living guy and gal’s deepest desire, provided you got a little space between your head and your ceiling, why not move your bed way up and give yourself the one bedroom your hardworking self deserves?
Image source: messynessychic.com
Image source: messynessychic.com
Time to DIY a one-bedroom apartment out of your studio!
Sometimes having a studio apartment has its perks, for one, it is already an open space suitable for minimalist design! With the principle of never missing a storage opportunity, you, too can DIY a one bedroom apartment out of your studio using cabinets or shelves.
Image source: messynessychic.com
No, don’t get too bummed out if you already have a real one bedroom apartment. Remember, less is more.
Image source: freshome.com
by Montie Mahtani | Oct 30, 2015 | Home Upkeep, Trending Styles
Nowadays, going green is a trend and it’s what most interior designing companies in Singapore take into consideration while creating outlines of their work. Plus, most homeowners go for environmentally-friendly solutions, thanks to recent research and new-found ideas.
Eco-friendly flooring is part of this and rightfully so: most are relatively cheaper, are perceived to have health benefits, and are as durable as other materials. Plus, there wouldn’t be any need to cut down trees if you pick them.
Let’s take a look at some of the best and most popular examples out there:
Bamboo flooring
Source: bambooki.com
Contrary to popular belief, bamboo is not actually a type of wood – it’s a type of grass.
Easily the most renewable materials ever, bamboo floors can be as durable as red oak especially when it is made from natural and un-carbonized bamboo. Strand woven bamboo is also among the certain types of bamboo that can be extremely hard, strong, and durable than some types of wood. It has always been a popular flooring choice for people living in rural areas in the eastern parts of Asia. Now, it has invaded urban areas and big cities.
It’s light, easy to maintain, and most of all, easy to plant. Most species can grow up to three centimeters in a single hour. It takes far less time to mature compared to a tree as well.
Bamboo floors are available in varied hues and colors, giving you various options. They are highly resistant to termites, mold, and water damage.
Aside from these advantages bamboo flooring has, it is also considered among the trendy flooring materials that can elevate the grandeur of a space. Bamboo flooring has an appearance that is similar to hardwood floors and yet, is still distinct and unique. This can add an ineffable class to a room.
Non-chemically treated carpets
Source: daytodaydetox.com
Using chemically-treated materials is highly discouraged. Chemically treated carpets are able to expel toxic fumes – and although this will only have a minimal effect on your overall health, it’s still uncomfortable walking on something that is trying to kill you.
Jokes aside, there are organic carpet options like those made of cotton and wool. Both materials are pretty durable and feel good on the feet if well-taken care of. This type flooring option is best for homes with kids or family members susceptible to negative effects of chemicals.
Porcelain Tiles
Porcelain tiles are a great flooring option: they’re pretty durable, easy to clean, are relatively cheaper, and easy to manufacture compared to other materials.
Source: tilewizards.com.au
This material has been around since ancient times and has always been used in pottery and plates. It can also be easily decorated and customized – different patterns can be drawn into them, giving you an astounding number of options.
These tiles are better options compared to ceramic varieties and are stronger, pound for pound. That being said, they are also suited for high traffic parts of the house, like the living room, bathroom, and kitchen.
To easily know the difference between ceramic and porcelain/homogeneous, break one of each and check out the insides. The latter contains the same material all the way through, while the former is made up of different materials – only ceramic coating is on the top layer.
Sealed Concrete
Source: mvlconcrete.com
Yes, we know: concrete is ugly. However, it’s green, even though it’s gray.
That being said, it’s usually covered with carpets or tiles in homes – you never see it bare and exposed. However, given its durability, it never needs to be replaced in your lifetime. Concrete can be polished and tinted to suit your aesthetic needs as well.
You can have epoxy or concrete sealants applied to it, but both materials are horrendously toxic and are skin and eye irritants – you’ll need pros to apply them for you.
Laminated Floors
Source: lowes.com
This type of flooring is relatively new compared to others. Despite that, it has taken the world by surprise: there are numerous companies and homeowners investing in the material.
Though they may look like pieces of wood and stone, they’re composed of high density fiberboard which are strongly pressed together with high pressure. The “wooden” look is a photograph of a hardwood – it can simulate the feel of the wood without needing one! This alone makes it a green option and a perfect substitute if you want your home to have hardwood-looking floors.
by Montie Mahtani | Aug 27, 2015 | Trending Styles
We have seen an increasing trend in current times circling around the Scandinavian and Industrial themes, giving birth to a whole new concept called ‘Scandustrial’. Although this theme does give a very good balance between raw and refined looks, M3 Studio wanted to evolve the ‘Scandustrial’ theme to a whole new level.
Singaporeans love to travel and we are well-known for that. Many of us walk down the streets of Berlin, Amsterdam, Istanbul for example and marvel at the culture of the architecture lining along these very streets. So why not have such an experience in the comfort of your own home as well? By taking our travel experiences around the world into account, we created a ‘Street-Style’ theme within a home.
So what goes into a Street-Style themed home? We wanted to re-create the essence of being on the road therefore we decided to create a ceiling with lane markings to represent the road and used lights to illuminate the lane markings at night. Having a road above you is something totally fresh isn’t it? It was an awesome thought and we were very determined even though we were unsure as to how to really make it work.
We also gave careful thought to wall treatment and thought of traditional brickwork to lay along as we walk and cement screeding to represent the pavements where we step onto our journey. As you enter the house you are greeted by a never-ending long brickwall on a cement screeded paved floor. We then got a bolt of insipiration by putting a letter-box along the wall as we have all probably come across while walking around in different countries. We even got the letter box to be bright red in colour to represent how they used to be. A bit of nostalgic input in there.
So we have inculcated elements of roads, brickwalls, pavements and even a letter-box into our design. What’s more? To amp it up further, we even used some cement blocks that were unfinished and lined them up to form a partition for the Dining Area. We also painted the bomb shelter door a fire-red colour to represent a fire-escape door!!
With all the elements in play, together with strategic furnishings and decorations, we managed to give birth to a whole new theme that is not often seen yet, especially here in Singapore.
by Montie Mahtani | Aug 25, 2015 | Trending Styles
The interior design scene is constantly on the move and evolving with new trends and styles popping up all over the nation. Geometric Peranakan patterns was all a craze in the 1970s and they have come back with a bang, encassing many a homes with their retro and colourful touches. But you might be wondering why are these so popular nowadays?
M3 gives the low-down on the current pattern styles;
- Visually Appealing
Peranakan patterns by themselves are really visually appealing as they are full of colour and vibrancy. Paired with simple saturated walls around, they can really shine out as the wonderful feature and a conversational piece among you and your peers.
2. Emotional Feels
Being so colourful and vibrant, one cannot deny that these patterns tend to give a sense of happiness and playfulness to an otherwise subtle-toned home. In some cases they do tell us that the home owners possess a fun side to their character and it’s not always just about work, work and work.
3. Remnants of our past
Many of us grew up remembering the good old times and there is no reason why you can’t relive those memories through your home/space designs. Geometric patterns are very much associated with the older Peranakan culture as you can evidently see them in many Peranakan tiles design. A simple touch of nostalgia always brings a smile to our faces as we remember how it used to be. Many home owners nowadays still relate to this as we progress forward into modern times.
How to apply these patterns?
These patterns should be more of an accent role. If a room was full of pattern, it would be over-powering and messy. You will not be able to rest your eyes at all. They should be lined in as a feature or even encompassed into everyday items or furniture such a pillow cushions, sofa rugs or little decor items.
This article is written by Montie Mahtani, Creative Director of M3 Studio.
