Where To Buy Pretty Wind Chimes & Wind Bells

Does anyone know where to get wind chimes in Singapore? I was searching high and low for a simple one and had no luck. Looks like wind chimes aren't too popular in Singapore households. Anyway, if you are looking for one...I found a website  that sells wind chimes, wind bells and plenty of other items (green tea to make-up brushes!) from Japan. I love the sleek, modern and minimalistic designs, especially those metal ones! And yes, I got one for home and its lovely. Great service, and delivery was quick.

And here's what I got..

How pretty right! I had placed an order for another wind bell actually, unfortunately it was out of stock and delivery will take longer than expected. Their service manager emailed me and kindly gave me other options to choose from. They even waived the difference in price - so nice!

The wind bell came in a such a pretty box and it was mega bubble-wrapped when I got it haha. It came with a fish line to hang it as well. We placed it at the kitchen window and I love the beautiful sound it makes all day. So soothing and calming! Especially when I'm in the kitchen preparing meals.
If anyone here is looking to get some really gorgeous, good quality wind chimes or wind bells...I highly recommend to get them from Nihon Ichiban! Check them out!

Love,
G

My favourite corner at home

I know it has been a while...so many things were happening in my life and I had many projects on hand. 2016 started off really wildly and quickly! We moved in to our new home in January, Chinese New Year in February and he proposed! I've been searching high and low for a wedding venue that we both love...and I hope the search is coming to an end! Then we have the gowns, the bridesmaid dresses, photo shoots, etc. Looks like I'm not getting any rest in 2016. Not complaining!

To be honest, I haven't gotten used to staying at the new place yet. It has been a month plus now and everything is just so perfect and new and nice...its like putting up in a serviced apartment or some sort. Maybe some pictures of us will help...yes I need to get down to that.

Tasks aside! I've identified the best corner of our home to be the balcony! I still remember when we were searching for an apartment, W & I weren't exactly keen on having a balcony. We thought that it was a waste of indoor space and we would rather not have it. But the search brought us to this development and the units came with a balcony. Well, what to do...let's just make the best out of it. And W kept insisting we had to have our balcony decked. He said those wood deckings reminded him of the house he used to live in when he was a child. And for me, I was looking at those artificial grass, haha! It's not a bad idea right - or is it?

So I was sold to the wood decking idea and I didn't put much thought in it as I can't really see myself hanging out outdoors anyway. The search began and it was really random that I found Mu-flooring. I was exploring the neighbourhood with my mom and we were taking a stroll at the nursery beside home...then I saw their shop within the nursery. We made an appointment with them and we met up with Stephen who shared with us on the different wood types and composite wood. W didn't like the feel of the composite wood decking (PVC) - I was at a point IN for those as I wanted the cleaning to be fuss-free, etc. Until I saw the samples and the feel on the feet were just...plastic. Very different from the real wood where its soft and it really feels comfortable stepping on it. So we decided to go with Stephen's recommendation - Iron Wood. He also had his balcony decked in Iron Wood - won't go wrong following the footsteps of the expert!

And the work began... (Pictures/ Videos credit to my ID)

I was impressed. Really. The decking made so much difference to the balcony. It was cold and stiff with those uninteresting white tiles that felt hard on the feet. Look how homely and cosy it became! I actually lounge in the balcony!

We also got Mu-flooring to customise a set of timber table with a bench for our balcony. Extremely pretty and perfect for my guests to hang out! We love having dinner out there, whilst enjoying the view. Psst! Our balcony was also featured on their website!!!

Here, more pictures of our little cosy balcony!

We were also on the hunt for a modern looking standing water feature, and wala! Found one to our liking! Easy maintenance was important to us as we travel quite a bit and we want the option to be able switch it off/ on quickly and be able to easily remove the water to prevent mozzies from breeding while we are away! Get your pretty standing water features from Fossil Collection!

Also don't forget those outdoor blinds, it really blocks out much sun (which I'm totally not a fan of), keeping the house cooler without compromising on the wind we get on the high floor!

Love the wood decking? Get in touch with Mu-Flooring. I'm sure your balcony will be well taken care of like ours.

#notanad #wooddecking #timberfurnitures #outdoorliving #balconyideas

That toughest piece of furniture!

The new home is finally completed and today I want to share on this piece of furniture that took me A LOT of time to find a suitable one. So we had about a month to pull everything together - furnitures, carpentry works, balcony decking, appliances, etc. And more than half the time I was in Sarawak, and I had to search for most of the furniture online. I would say most of the furnitures were pretty much easy to find since we had a constant theme around the apartment. I didn't think this piece of furniture would be THAAAT difficult to look for....and guess what was it? BEDSIDE TABLE. Never knew it will be that toughest piece of furniture to get...seriously. I just couldn't seem to find something of the right size or design or price...

Now, take a peek into those that made it into the list:

1. Jolly Side Table from Kartell

Love the clean lines, but its meant to be more of a side coffee table than a bedside table with that height. Our bed was standing tall at about 63cm from ground (bed + frame), this little one was standing a little short at about 40cm. 

Dimensions: 40 x 40 x 40cm

Price: S$240 each

Where to get it: Lifestorey

Read more about it here.

2. KIT Bedside Table by Former

I thought my search for my dream bedside table will end here, I love how the drawer (optional) looks like it's suspended in the air. So simple yet functional, the height was good at 60cm (on the left) and there was a variety of material/ colour options for the drawer - will definitely want it in glossy white laquer. By hitting all the right notes, it came with a hefty price tag and takes about more than 6 months to arrive in Singapore. Maybe one day...

Dimensions: KIT4 W40 x H43 D45cm, KIT6 W40 x H60 x D40

Price: S$1,600 each (KIT6)

Where to get it: King Living Singapore

Read more about it here.

3. Baby by Porada

I wouldn't have minded this too! This doesn't have any glass to it though. Its simple, clean and has a drawer too. It comes in many colour variations (drawer & metal frame legs). Height was good standing at 55cm. I contacted Marquis in Singapore via email to enquire on the price and availability, but no response from them...not sure if they still carry these tables though. But from progarr.com, it cost €653...yet another pricey bedside table...

Dimensions: W42 x H55 x D42cm

Read more about it here.

4. Fully Customised Acrylic Bedside Table by Float

So, getting a little anxious with no more time to waste, I thought it might be a better idea to customise the seemingly hard-to-find bedside table. Through houzz.com I found Float, a family business specialised in bespoke acrylic furnitures, and more. Extremely excited, I contacted Melvin (the owner) and he gave me a decent quote on the design I wanted (pic above) and even recommended we should have glass as the table top to avoid scratches. However, since each piece is made to order, the waiting time would be over a month or so. Technically, I could wait...but I wanted the house to be all ready when we officially move in...so had to pass this, sadly.

5. Small Ghost Buster by Kartell

 

Down to the last option, Kartell again. This unit is designed by Phillipe Starck. These 'ghost' furnitures can't seem to get off my head! I love the illusion that these furnitures give, it makes small space look bigger by being 'invisible'. It was the best option, so I emailed Space Furniture and they had a pair to spare!

Dimensions: W40 x H57 x D37cm

Price: S$555 each

Where to get it: Space Furniture Asia

Read more about it here.

They had to indent the units from the warehouse, so we only could collect it a day before we moved in. Finally!

And it looks absolutely lovely in the bedroom.

Bedroom completed! How do you like it?