I used to think -- clothes say a lot about a person.
How you dress, how you present yourself etc etc...
But now, more than that, i think what says the most about us is our home.
It's not just cupboards and furniture lying around.
It's what we appreciate, what we live with daily, what we choose to highlight and what we put away.
Ever since i had my own pad, i've been thinking about design.
For our first home, I wasn't as involved as i wanted to be.
Mainly cos i didn't understand interiors very well and was too immature to really know what i wanted things to look like.
But a HDB flat is good practice for learning interiors.
From flooring to structures to furniture etc etc...
Few things struck me over the 3 years i lived in my own pad:
- I feel weird if i don't have a decent book shelf
- I need A LOT of space for my shoes. They tend to double every year.
- I hate to squash my bags together in some cramped cupboard, so... I NEED A LOT of space for my bags
- I hate clutter
- I love white
- I like how pictures/photos/nicknacks on the wall warm the place immediately
- There should at least be a lil bit of green/flowers in every home.
It's a cliche that I resisted for a long while, but i came around to it finally. You feel like... the energy/karma is better when there's some green at home.
- Do not underestimate the need for storage space. It's NEVER ENOUGH.
- Try to have one extra room if you can afford it - for life's many surprises. A kid/new work arrangements/guests/whatever you can't imagine now.
- Location is key, not price.
- A walk-in wardrobe is overrated. As long as you stay organised and do not overbuy, a huge closet is just as good. Walk-in wardrobes tend to spell compulsiveness and excess more than anything.
- Have a kitchen that can be used for cooking, even if you don't cook now.
- A comfy/good quality couch + dining table/seats is key. Not the size of your flatscreen TV.
- Always get your parents' advice.
- White looks good on/against/for anything.
- Your first stop for furniture should not be IKEA. Or any fancy mall. Try the old warehouses/furniture shops/online for things just as affordable but with more character. Be more mindful of things you put in your home -- they all contribute to the energy/karma/vibes of your house.
- Even if you don't believe, there's nothing wrong in inviting an affordable feng shui master to 'screen' your place.
- Litmus test for buying a place -- you feel AT ONCE comfortable and can almost immediately picture yourself living in it peacefully. You shouldn't have to persuade yourself at all. Peace of mind is priceless.
- Have a place where you can really see your friends/family coming over for meals, drinks, movies, chats.
- It should be relatively quiet when it's supposed to be quiet (nights, weekends)
- A display area is quite important. There will inevitably be things you really wanna put up for show, like a favourite photo/figurine/memento.
- Needless to say, ventilation is key. Every home should have a positive 'energy' flow.
- Even if you didn't intend it, a bathroom almost always becomes a sanctuary of sorts (second only to the bedroom). Try to make it as nice as you can, the way you like it to be. My mistake was settling for one that is too small and perpetually feeling cramped when i should feel relaxed.
- Don't go for expensive things. Accumulate stuff as you travel or when saving up for your home -- these things always turn out to have a lot more character than that obscene gold chandelier.
- Read lots of interior blogs/magazines for great ideas.
- Don't fall into the trap of making your home what "it should look like", ie: every other Singaporean's style. Make it yours. The tv doesn't always have to be the centrepiece of your living room.
- Wallpapers/ wall decals sometimes give a nice edge when appropriate.
- As my mum says, always use china of great quality. Non-negotiable. There are other things you can save on.
- Hand soap + hand towels at every sink is a pre-requisite.
- Mirrors sometimes make great walls.
