Family, Living in... Singapore THIS IS OUR HOME 15 July 2012

 

 

We moved into our new place about 2 months ago, but I hadn’t gotten round to taking photos of it til now. It’s a rental place, as we’ll move into our proper home afterwards. However, since it was fully unfurnished, it gave us the liberty to pick-and-choose the exact furnishings and decor that we wanted.

The theme that Chris and I both like is a sort of crisp & airy French cottage – white and turquoise being the theme colours. Having said that, it is hellishly DIFFICULT to find stuff along the lines of that in Singapore.. which we soon realised. In Singapore, it’s all about sleek and sharp, with lots of metal and glass and modern designs. We go for a much softer, homey, beach-side feel…. which is largely unheard of in Singapore 🙁

For that reason, we ended up having to get all our furniture custom-made, after we chanced upon ONE place in Singapore that was in line with our theme. It does cost more to get stuff custom made, but worth it because we plan to keep the furniture for awhile, and I’m just so happy with how everything turned out. The furniture will ‘wear’ well and become the vintage theme that I like, and our place really does look lot breezier and more open due to the style.

The other decor was bits and bobs purchased from various stores or online. What I’m proud about is that our stuff is a blend of high-end/expensive and also very cheap/homemade. We didn’t want a head-to-toe designer home (so tacky!) but also didn’t want cheap crappy stuff that could fall apart easily. I think what we ended up with is a nice mix of the two. I’m really into home interiors now (I can surf the net endlessly looking for ideas!), so I guess we’ll add more to it as time goes on.

But, here are photos.. for memories’ sake 🙂

 

ENTRANCE:

Metal bird & leaves hooks by the front door. Purchased for $2 each on sale at Typo! Round the corner on the other wall is a big-ass hanging mirror with a plain white wooden frame. Love it!

 

LIVING ROOM:

Living room and Hunter’s main play area. The lovely Italian flower lamp (in the corner) are on loan from my parents.

 

Flip-clock next to the TV. On sale for a few dollars from Typo, couldn’t resist ‘cos of the colour and vintage-y feel.

 

Also next to the TV – turquoise metal canister from Smiggle, $5 on sale. Essential oil diffuser & light from Muji, a pricey $100 but worth it cos I use it every day (I have an unhealthy obsession with home fragrances, especially Lemongrass).

 

Small wooden-frame collage on the wall next to the TV. The frames were just a few bucks, on sale at Typo! But 2 friends have mistaken them for Tiffany & Co frames, teehee..

 

The living room seating area. I ADORE our leather couch. This is where I am 90% of the time, with my laptop 😉 Couch cushions from Francfranc (50% off!). Super adorable wooden rocking horse from The Better Toy Store, a gift from Chris’ parents.

 

Close-up of the wooden Scrabble tiles (custom order from Etsy) on the wall above the couch. Guess it’s now no longer a secret what baby #2’s name is 😉

 

 

DINING ROOM:

Love our dining table. We specifically wanted the bench seat – fun for both kids to sit/play on, and practical for guests (can sit and face the living area)

 

Much loved birdcage centerpiece, a gift from my lovely gf Ickleoriental! Ceramic candle holders from a Swiss brand (so expensive I’ve conveniently forgotten the price now, ahem), and a vintage wooden tray from Susie Watson Designs, shipped in from the UK.

 

One of the walls next to the dining table. Canvas prints and paintings from photoshoots in Shanghai.

 

Other wall near dining table. Bird decal purchased online. Garland/banner my DIY project (see below).

 

My mini DIY project using craft stuff purchased from DIY stores, Etsy, and Kikki.K shop. Made it all into the garland/banner in the pic above, for cheap!

 

 

KITCHEN:

Our awesome white fridge, with metal canisters next to it that I purchased years ago and still love. No other pics of the kitchen cos it’s boring.

 

BEDROOM:

Our sanctuary. We bought the mattress from Getha – splurged on a full pure-latex mattress with latex pillows. Expensive, but you do keep a quality mattress for years!! Lovely Italian solid-wooden round table at foot of bed also on loan from parents.

 

We splurged on identical turquoise carpets (one you’ll see in the living room in front of TV, the other is in front of our bed) from Francfranc. Chris picked it out and Hunter ADORES it.. and always snuggles up in the plush fibers, with a very satisfied look on his face 😛

 

My dressing table 🙂 Turquoise lamp $35 from Ikea. Metal makeup brush holder $5 from Smiggle. Rubbish bin from Francfranc, not cheap considering it’s only plastic, but I’ve forgotten the price.

 

My Stackers jewellery box, purchased from a seller on eBay. Shipping made it end up expensive, but I love it as it’s in my fave colours, the perfect size, and I couldn’t find anything remotely similar in Singapore!

 

 

NURSERY:

Gorgeous white cot was a gift from my sweet gf Balletpumps. Star & moon lamps from Ikea (Hunter loves saying good night to them every night). ‘Itsy Bitsy Spider’ turquoise canvas print was $5 on sale from Cotton On. Wooden turquoise rocking horses on wall on sale at $20 from Motherswork. Adorable monkey-on-tree wall decal a gift from my wonderful Aussie gf. And Hunter’s assorted musical instruments all gifts from my parents.

 

Cute wooden dog clock a gift from Chris’ parents. Giraffe decal part of gift set from Aussie gf. Birds pillow from some online sale. Navy blue pull-out couch, and changing table from Ikea. Wooden dinosaur plaques (interior of changing table) $20 on sale from Motherswork.

 

Close-up of the vintage cards above the couch, a few bucks on Etsy.

 

More vintage cards from the same Etsy seller. These are stuck on his cupboard door, at knee-height so he can point to them like flashcards.

 

OK so that’s it for now! Haven’t gone into everything because that will take forever and I only want to record down the main stuff. So yep, this is our humble abode and I love it… 🙂

 

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Hello, I google and chance on your site, your house is really x 1000 beautiful!! absolutely swoon! May I ask where did you custom made your furniture?

Wow, thanks for super fast reply. I am now coughstalkingcough reading your blog. your children are so cute! I wanna squish their cheeks! haha. Thank you so much! (facebook like)

Hi bev, wanting to get the getha mattress too… Appreciate if u share how to acquire? Cos I surfed its website and noted it is mainly in msia… Emailed them to no avail too ;(

hi! i was randomly browsing and chanced upon this.

could you share where you got your furniture customized? 🙂

wendt

Hi Beverly,
May i ask where do you get those lovely bedsheets for your room? Love the colour and design:)

Hi Beverly, I’m a friend of Janice’s and I’ve started reading your blog recently. Just wanted to say that your place is gorgeous and I love all the little personal touches, especially the decals! I have a similar bird theme at home too and we use plenty of different bird decals too. Love the hooks and chevron touches as well! 🙂

Hi Jem and thanks for your sweet comment!

Congrats on your gorgeous son. I am in love with pink and turquoise Longchamps btw… mmm.. leather…

Love your home. Been following your blog for a while so know the decor is definitely you. Your Hermes collection can add to nice pops of orange to compliment everything too 🙂 Love the name Carter and wishing you all the best for a smooth delivery!

very nice home you have created! love the turquoise rug so much 🙂

question… is your facebook for “real life” and close friends only, or is it also for followers of your blog?

your new home looks beautiful!! I recently just moved too and I do agree that singapore’s furniture can be so boring, as I’m more into the england cottage feel heh 😉

been reading your blog for awhile now and I just wanted to say your house is lovely! and baby friendly too!

Thank you! It’s pretty baby friendly in the sense that we dont have a lot of stuff lying around.. but not so baby friendly in terms of colour (white), heh

i love the little details! 🙂 and how airy and bright your home is! how cute is the nakkid bums picture of hunter!! 🙂

Love the colour and style of your new
place. Can you share which esty
seller you got the scrabble tiles from? Thanks alot!

Hi Beverly!

I’m also checking out scrabble letter tiles for my new place. Can I just check with u what size tiles did u get? N this etsy seller ships the tiles to Sgp?

Thanks!! ;D
Cheryl

Gorgeously done and all in your fav color theme! Very nicely put together too! And yes, very unique pieces, very rare in SG!

Carter’s a great name!

It only took me 12 years of living on my own before FINALLY getting round to decorating my home the way I like, lol!

This place is so ‘you’! Love all the personal touches and looks like you are all set for Baby #2!

Love the furniture! If you want more French inspired furniture, email me. Got a contact from my gf whose husband is French and they found a bunch of stuff at some off-track place 🙂
Heart Typo too and Carter is a lovely name xo

I am just like you! When the purchases were “too expensive” (like my handbags and shoes), I tend to forget how much I paid for them, because the important thing is how much I like them, haha! 😉

I need a new jewellery box coz mine is too small. Does the one you have come in other colours? It looks like a good size.

Yeahh in a whole range of different colour combos. The quality is excellent and can buy as many layers/configs as you want to stack… so it’s fully customisable. LOVE it

I loved this post! You have a beautiful home, it’s very personal, homey and cosy so you feel the warmth! (and in my fave turquoise colour too!)

Cute name!

ooh white couch, brave you! But being leather, wiping it off quickly wouldn’t leave much of a stain. Your bedroom decor exudes a beach-view resort feel, idea achieved 🙂

Lovely and airy! Though I have to admit, knowing you’ll soon have two little ones, my first reaction to that (currently!) pristine white couch was “uh oh!” 😉

HAHAHA you’re not wrong there! But we figure – oh well – if our furniture gets all drawn on, then at least it’s by our kids’ own “creativity” and we will just deal with it 😉

Love your place and all the turquoise and white, sooo pretty and fresh! 🙂

I love how your home reflects so much of you, your favorite colors and how modern and chic everything looks. Makes me more motivated to get my home cleaning act together 🙂
I’m interested to know where you got your vintage cards too.

I loooooooooooove it! Lovely and cozy too! I was eye-ing your little lap top table in the living room picture too..right now am using a little red stool that’s placed on my bed..lol.

I agree that the “modern” interior decorations are kinda ..impersonal. Also I like your idea of what “vintage” is..I’ve seen some not too nice clunky huge furniture that people call vintage…kinda tacky looking though..hehe

Heh I’m going to do a blog post tomorrow all about it!

I’d say our ‘vintage’ theme is very very very loose.. as it’s impossible to get it here in SG. But chris’ point was that with 2 young kids, our furniture will go ‘vintage’ within one or two years anyway HAHA!

Love the way you did up your place! – Especially Hunter’s room. From which Etsy seller did you get the vintage cards?

Mega love your place! I’ve a whole list of things I want just from looking at the pictures. I also need to stalk typo for when they have sales. I’ve been wanting that clock and frames for ages!!!

i was thinking the same thing – need to check Typo out whenever they have sales!

Bev, your place is lovely! Do share more ideas..I’ll probably need to start checking out these places for more decor ideas for our new place.

What kinda style are you into? Hopefully more modern/metal/glass type cos it’s SO much easier to source for that in SG..

Can’t wait to see your new place too hee

Hehe I thought you would at least appreciate the DIY banner thing I did 😛

Typo is really good when they go on sale!

Lol! I was thinking you can add on to it with the new turquoise-y rolls of washi I passed you last Friday. Haha. I got some mini canvas squares and slapped on some washi. Easy peasy. Or the typo frames :))

It’d fit right in! And yes, DIY banner is lovely! 😀 is it strong enough to clip photo prints? You can washi mini clothes pegs for that. Ok, washi crazy over and out!

Hahah you can see why I was so pleased with the washi you gave me, exactly the colours and style I like teehee. Thanks again! I’m thinking of sticking them on a blank white cardboard and framing it up. Or wrapping them around the plain turquoise Smiggle box I have sitting on the coffee table 😛

Def strong enough to hold standard photos!