Colonial Times

Oh . .  2014 already, time really flies when you are having fun that's what they say. For me, life was kind of mundane but 2013 did have it moments for me. New friends like colleagues came into and out of my life. It's a season or reason for them to been there, to learn from them and enrich your life even more.

Here is my drawing which was lying around the table the whole of last year. I kicked myself to put this out first thing of the new year. Blame it on my schedule or the lack of urgency to get it done. Hope this is to a good start for my blog.

What I love about this drawing is that it set you back to the 19th century, Doesn't those windows look kind of familiar ?  It sure reminds me of our renown Raffles Hotel in town. Here is a smaller version of the hotel's windows.  Sometimes being smaller makes a space cozier and it feels larger than life. Having varying elements of light, colour, texture, fragrance, humidity, breeze, sound and old stuff in a room thrill and titillate your senses. A room like this where a comfortable chaise lounge accompanied with a bureau makes a lovely study room to retreat to for some quiet reading and music to relax in. The decor conveys timelessness which makes me want to enjoy a moment of solitude a little bit more. With today's technological age, do you find it hard to get away ? We are so preoccupied with other peoples' tweet, Candy Crush game to keep ourselves busy in the queue or travelling on the train; instead of looking out of the window to enjoy the scenery if there is any. Gosh ! Do you think we need more time for ourselves and hear ourselves think.  Hello . . am I talking to you or is it just me ?

Anyway, thanks for dropping by and sincerely hope everyone has a better year ahead of them. Take care and God Bless. Gotta go.

Balik Kampung

Most Muslims celebrating Hari Raya, would have made their rounds visiting relatives and friends, feeling that kampong neighbourliness once again. However there is not much of a kampung enclave to return to except maybe to one of Singapore's last kampong (village) in Lorong Buangkok in Hougang. Set in a rural environment, a kampong home gives a feeling of simple laid back rustic life. Fruits trees and chickens running around the yard. Such houses often raised above the ground on stilts and have airy verandahs. It helps to keep the house dry, away from floods and pests. Put together with wooden planks and corrugated zinc for the roof.

Here is a small cosy room filled with love and memories. Look around you see mostly old stuff. The heirloom pieces inherited from grandparents, have become precious keepsakes. The soul of a home are your possessions. Vintages pieces are no longer a cast off. Every piece has a story to tell. Arrange in a nice vignette on your console and side tables. An old gramophone, old iron, old fan, lights, trunk, batik sarongs hang on a bamboo rack may seem like a repository of sorts. Such hand-me-downs can be repaired, restored and reused. Some new furniture nowadays come in distressed wood or recycled wood. Imperfections is charming now. Old walls that cracked and peeling with a rugged patina have suddenly become interesting. Nothing is quite complete without a comfy daybed filled with mismatched cushions to welcomes one to sit on or lounge in.

  

To experience the nostalgia, simply collect things that are vintage. Collecting fabrics, art and objects reflects a love for artisanal craftsmanship. There is a growing interest in collecting old stuff and have them arranged in a lovely collection. Juxtapose kitsch and quirky memorabilia with modern furniture to go modern retro or new nostalgia. *A note of caution here, excessive collecting will turn you into hoarder. So just get wise and use what you need is more important and put these things to good use.

Will be heading down to Kampung Glam soon.

Another piece of history to uncover.

So bye for now.
. . or . .
You can click below to visit this nice 
Malay Resort

Rustic-Kampong-Ambience

Refresh . . . Rejuvenate

Hi . . I'm back, not so much from a break. More because I was busier than usual. I
 didn't want to stress myself out in rushing out a post. I was pondering over what
 to write. Well . . . why not about the little things we can to do to combat stress.

With the holidays over, it is back to routine for the children and parents. When life
gets too hectic and crazy, that is when you need to take a breather. Here are some suggestions you should try.

  

Picture yourself in beautiful and private haven, conjuring up the image will help to 

relax tense muscles. Breathe in deeply and exhale slowly. Then put on some nature

music to soothe your soul. Fill the air with a lovely scent of aromatic candles. You'll

        feel lighter when you get a whiff of something nice.

      

In the background you could listen to the murmur of water flowing into the pool. Next . . take a step into the pool scattered with rose petals and frangipani flowers. Imagine yourself floating in the pool looking up at the clear blue sky. Close your eyes and relax. Or do you remember that time when you were immersed in a pool (well, your tub) and all the cares just drifted away. Soaking up every moment of what the great outdoors have to offer. The sun, the sea, the sand, the breeze, and the birds. Free to be where they want to be. Last but not least, a tall glass of cold smoothie waiting there just for you.

   

With that vivid imagination, don't you see yourself feeling more relaxed now. See that

lovely daybed drape in muslin. Don't you wish you could spend more time daydreaming

about this idyll location on a balmy afternoon with pristine waters. So relax and don't

sweat. Envisioning anything lovely triggers a positive feeling. Conjuring up the thought

will help to slow breathing and put a smile on your face.

  

Every frog has its Day, too  z . z . z

~*(^_^)*~

Bourgeois Living

The moment you step through the doorway, a certain kind mood will envelope

you. Inside a true blue Peranakan house, an altar is placed directly facing the

 front door with ancestral tablets and other ritual paraphernalia such as an urn 

to put joss-sticks in. Antique chinese black wood chairs and ancestral portraits
lined the side of both walls. A set of round white marble top table and chairs
placed in would be the center of this reception room. Sure is a formal and

austere setting to receive visitors.

      

Here is my imaginery shophouse Living Room. As you step through the pintu pagar

 (swinging doors in Malay), an eclectic mix of comfortable furniture to welcome you.
A pair of Art Deco armchairs, a Biedermeier inspired sofa and classic Isamu Noguchi coffee table placed on a round rug hold the selection together. Up till today these
period furniture is still very much in vogue. With their sweeping corners, give fluid movement to this living room. 

Biedermeier furniture came about in Europe in 1815 after the Napoleonic wars. The 

rise of the middle class created a demand for fine and less ornate furniture pieces.
Their subtle appeal lies in its simplicity which can easily combined with Art Deco
furniture, the ultimate blend of east meets west. Back then Art Deco furniture
were made in Shanghai, China. They are put together without nails, using perfect
diagonal mitred corners instead of Western style right angles.

On the wall, hang a large traditional landscape painting done in chinese ink
to portray the beauty of the Chinese landscape from where our forefathers

came. A huge venetian mirror which is a common fixture in any Peranakan
 homes is often placed next living room window. Isn't that neat ? Love the
opened-trussed ceiling in these houses. Thought I filled in some colours 
to add the sense of depth to the room. The rest is up to you . . .

Cheerio :~

You Have Arrived !

How was the trip down Memory Lane? Finally you have ended up at the front porch of

my home. Welcome to my Vintage Abode and take a seat to enjoy the little garden around you. This was the idyllic home I have been dreaming up.

    

One of the things you get to do when you are both the dreamer and interior designer
of your fantasy home - is to put in the things you've always missing and always wanted.

I think everyone to a certain extent imagine themselves in a dream home they wish to

live in. The spaces I create are snapshots of the house, a place of retreat from the
humdrum of a tiresome day.

     

I seem to be raking up the past quite abit. Bringing these Peranakan houses to light, I

am revisiting my grandma's home in Penang she had once used to live. She later sold the

house and moved into a new terrace house. The thing about these pre-war shophouses

are that they are not only different but unique. If I could go back to this house, I could

appreciate it so much more and look at it with a whole new perspective. I wouldn't

dismissed everything around me as old and is time to replace them with the new. Just imagine, as one aged, one tend to look to the past to rekindle those memories of our

loved ones. All things old come alive with a story to be shared with the next generation.

Here is a photo of my uncle getting married. My mom came from a big family.

Back to my picture, there is this wooden signboard above the doorway that
denotes resident's status in the community. More commonly these signboards
signify prosperity and luck. During the pre-war years, it was customary for
 Chinese families to put a sign indicating their province of origin on the top
of the main door. As for the sign in my drawing, I wish you safety on your
going out and coming in. Linger around and enjoy a aromatic cuppa in
our traditional kopitiam cup from our corner coffee shop.

 

~*****~