Vertical gardening...

Urban gardening is not very prevalent in Singapore, despite its clean and green reputation. Some HDB residents grow potted plants along corridors, but generally very few people practice urban gardening on a more massive scale. In other cities, residents have taken to hydroponics on rooftops. Urban gardening has many virtues. Plants cool down ambient temperature, keep myopia at bay, filter our air and may even alleviate hunger.

Vertical gardening is a phenomenon in which people mount plants onto walls. 

Ikea offers a simple solution with their colorful pots with hooks. I will just install a horizontal bar and hang these lovely pots off it. 

It is not a black and white world but...

that will be my toilet color scheme. Unfortunately, pipes are exposed in HDB toilets, but to turn the situation around,  the pipes could provide an industrial, rugged look.

 The homeowners chose to paint their pipes brightly, instead of hiding them. Isn't it brilliant? The flashy towels give this toilet more vibrancy too.

 The built in plastic pipes have been swapped for metal ones, which is fantastic! Now the toilet looks sanitary and sterile.

A black and white bathroom is classic, and adheres to the mid century modern theme. 

However, my BTO toilet comes with non-optional green wall tiles (featured above). I think it will be a pity to hack them off so I might just place indoor plants to complement the green tiles. 

Tiling matters

Common options for tiling are granite, marble, laminate and ceramics. Some hip home owners are turning to polished cement for a raw look.

We are exploring terazzo. It is a cheap alternative to marble, and hardy to boot. But on the downside, very few suppliers carry terazzo. As a toddler, I crawled around on terrazo, and subsequently spent the most of my adolescent days with marble. I can't complain about either.

Here are some different terazzo styles.

Does anybody know of terazzo suppliers ?

The 'in' thing these days is dual tone kitchenettes.

I am loving this bright yellow walls!

 Tiling the walls is a fantastic idea! Grease and stains can be easily removed, and there's an added subtle texture too.

We love the industrial look ! It's rugged, practical and easy to mix-and-match. Stove, ovens and hobs can be bought separately.

Let's go back half a century....

Mid century brings to mind vintage, pre-loved furniture. To me, it also encompasses themes like recycling, practicality and durable lasting pieces. Quoting wikipedia 'Mid-Century modern is an architectural, interior, product and graphic design that generally describes mid-20th century developments in modern design, architecture, and urban development from roughly 1933 to 1965.' The Scandinavians were very much behind this whole artistic movement.

I love wooden pieces but the wooden bench featured above just may not cut it as comfortable.  The ceiling fan is an excellent idea! It is easy to clean and does not take up space. Also, I am not keen for air con ( trying to save Gaia is really in these days!).

Anybody knows where I can get quality wooden TV consoles and chairs at affordable prices? I know designers need to feed their families, but so do I ! I was told that I could try shops like Lush, Scan Teak, Picket and Rail, Evov, Journey East, Lorgans, Commune, Room of Woods etc. Air/Plank/XZQT are out of my league.

A mirror can also light up a room, especially if placed near windows.

I am loving the psychedic colors!

I am thinking of having a shoe cabinet by the door, with a basket probaby for storing miscellaneous like keys, phones etc.

I am loving these white rounded tables! A round table saves space and makes having meals a very compact intimate affair. Placing cushions on dining chairs may be a good idea too, making communing around the table very inviting.