February 21, 2020

Wall mouldings are all the rage now as they add an upscale note to your interior. Elegant and classy, wall mouldings blend well with different design styles to transform an otherwise plain room into a masterpiece. They add a touch of traditional charm and architectural character – instantly bringing to mind gorgeous Parisien apartments.

How to use wall mouldings

They can dress any wall in your home, from the living room, bedroom, kitchen and even bathroom. These decorative mouldings instantly infuse a more formal note and can be used throughout to facilitate continuity, or applied to a single wall to create a focal point.

 

 

Opting for picture frame wall moulding, for instance, immediately adds height to your space. With trims that extend from floor to ceiling, the space appears more deliberated and formal. A taller top trim also lends proportion to the room and is often used in areas like living rooms.

 

 

White-on-white wall mouldings are very popular, with white trims set against white walls. This look befits modern contemporary homes that veer towards simplicity and understated beauty. Subtle trims on walls lend interest to the space without disturbing the underlying calm.

 

 

For a more formal or traditional look, two-tone wall mouldings such as white trims placed against darker coloured walls create a more dramatic profile. What is trendy is pairing white with a light grey or pale blue-grey.

 

 

 

Placing dark grey trims against light grey walls is another popular way to bring emphasis to ornate wall accents that lend elegance. In this dining area, crown moulding around the ceiling, as well as an ornamental ceiling medallion and statement pendant complete this evocative look.

 

 

Wallpapers can also be used to accentuate decorous trims on walls. In this living room, geometrical patterns on wallpapers echo the silhouettes of a stylish pendant light to create a cohesive look.

 

 

Instead of applying the style throughout, mix up your style to create a focal point. In this gorgeous bedroom, for instance, a grey wall with white trims add depth and interest to the overall design, offering contrast to a predominant white elsewhere.

 

 

Mouldings placed midway, also known as baseboard moulding serve also as an ornamental trim – albeit a little less prominent. Traditionally, baseboard moulding protects the lower portion of walls from the splash of wet mops. Here, grey baseboard moulding or wainscoting serves almost as a visual anchor with a crisp white on the upper portion of walls.

 

 

True to classic homes, mouldings with deep profiles and elaborate trims add more punch to an interior – which is the case in this bedroom. Here, the use of trims on custom grey wardrobes is a clever way to mirror the trims on walls to facilitate consistency and flow for a harmonious, put-together look.

Love colours but don’t know how to use them in your space? Ditch your fears of colours with these little ways to introduce them in your home to enliven an otherwise lackluster interior, without overwhelming, and watch how you’ll immediately warm up to your improved home.

Paint a wall

Punctuate your space with interest with a wall in a bold, contrasting colour from the rest of the room. Opt for a darker shade on this feature wall to create a focal point where attention gravitates towards. Alternatively, play up a room with wallpapers that make your space pop. Consider dressing your walls with a bold wallpaper to really make a style statement.

Bring in artwork

Colourful artwork is great for adding colour accents to your space. They are also an easy way to showcase your personality. What’s more, they can be replaced at whim to reflect your latest interest.

Use colourful textiles

Brighten up uninspiring sofas with cushions that inject colours, dress up windows with attractive curtains, plush up beds with pillows or throws that exhibit streaks of patterns and colours. You can also contrast colours and prints on rugs to accentuate a colour palette. This instantly lifts your space when the overall scheme is carefully curated.

Veer away from plain tiles

Forget neutral tiles if you want an impressionable space. Visually demarcate your space and add a splash of colour and personality with patterned tiles. If you have an open floor plan, switching up tiles could make a big impact. A different-coloured backsplash in the kitchen is one way to make your space pop.

Dress up furniture

Add a pop of colour with even with single piece of furniture in a totally different colour. And instead of opting for monochromes, jazz up custom cabinetry with expanses of colours. Even a choice like dark blue ­– not too loud or distracting – can be a great option just to add some character and personality.

Using interesting displays

If you have a open-shelf bookcase, consider colour coding the spines of books to create colour blocks that stand out. Arrange decorative pieces like vases and even kitchen peripherals in the same colour to make a cohesive display that stads out with style.

If having too many colours in your space is daunting, choose up to three dominant colours to be applied generously, and then throw in different tones of these colours throughout. Alternatively, use a fourth colour as an accent colour best applied on your peripherals.

Transitional designs are trending in the interior design scene, characterised by home designs that meld interior styles to reflect both modern and traditional elements. For many, transitional homes are refreshing to look at as they offer fresh perspectives on a space.

In this home, modern meets classic in a way that is bold and uplifting. Upon stepping into the home, one is instantly greeted by high ceilings, statement lightings and an inspiring shade of pale blue against light wood flooring. Here, the designer ingeniously puts together striking, whimsical decor with classic solutions to add punch and conjure a look that is sensual and revealing of contemporary interest.

A quaint French window – where it is least expected – pops out as a surprising element, instantly drawing one’s attention upwards to accentuate high ceilings. It also provides a soft, romantic mien. Clusters of low-hanging pendant lights complete this composition, giving the space a nuanced, muted glow that adds to the overall ambience. A loft overlooks the living area, spotting a stunning setup with star-shaped lights and an indoor swing chair.

Furniture is kept clean, almost to offset the details on blue walls clad with beautiful trims. The result is gorgeous and elegant. Since transitional designs converge clean lines and curves, there is also an emphasis on repeated circles to provide a coordinated and playful note against purity of lines.

Wood is an important element in transitional designs. Here, a pale blue is discerning against a gradation of wood, used generously in the bedroom and study. Both rooms are styled immaculately to impress the senses. By paying attention to textures, outlines, lighting and home accents, the designer succeeds in creating tailored rooms that stand out in their own right.

Away in the bedroom, for instance, a galactic theme featuring recurring stars turns the space into a wondrous sanctuary, while an eye-catching bunny-shaped headboard adds to the note of play – creating an informal look that invigorates. Away in the en-suite bathroom, timeless black and white patterns dress the floor. It is details like these that make this home extraordinary, with pockets of surprise everywhere you turn.

We all love the idea of stepping into a luxe bathroom at the end of the day for some pampering me-time. Make this a reality by giving your bathroom the design upgrade it deserves. Here are some bathroom designs that stand out as modern retreats and a private sanctuary for sought-after bubble baths.

Natural stones stand out as the feature here. This gorgeous bathroom is beautifully laid with natural stones on floor and walls, converging black and dark grey slabs, complete with contrasting white veins, adding dimension and character. The product reads high-end and gratifying. A free-standing bathtub emerges as a centerpiece, lending sculptural beauty to the decor. The designer gives this space a side table – and why not?

This bathroom does not read excessive, but possesses an understated sophistry. A reigning white is infused with textured wood in the shower area, giving the space an inviting feel. Black is echoed on bathroom fittings, vanity top and mirrors to provide continuity and flow. A glass-enclosed walk-in shower door gives this space a transparent quality, making the bathroom appear larger.

Mix things up a little. Here, patterned flooring in the space commands instant attention, with the chic black-and-white assemble lending graphical appeal, while geometrical tiles on one wall further accenting this composition. Here, the deliberate setup of unfinished concrete walls, a wood vanity top and a modish gold pendant light catapults this space into a stylish haven with a hint of modern rusticity.

Go for a zen-inspired bathroom when you bring in traditional influences into your space. Here, beautiful Japanese sliding doors open up to a spacious bathroom that does away without modern frills to reveal a minimal, yet restful perimeter that offers the Japanese onsen experience. A generous view of the outside adds to the luxe factor of this bathroom.

Wood is undoubtedly a well-loved material in homes. This modern staple lends a visually-warming effect, immediately infusing a space with an inviting vibe. Whether you have a penchant for dark or light wood, distressed or glossy, here are some ways you can effortlessly incorporate wood to create your nature-inspired, beautiful abode.

Wall panelling

Bring attention to the walls with beautiful wood paneling. Given how versatile wood can be in a space, panelling can be designed to complete the decor of your modern classic or Scandinavian home.

Ceilings

Ceilings are often neglected. But using elements like wood on your ceiling can dramatically lift the interior. It immediately creates a focal point that draws one’s attention upward, providing the optical illusion of a taller ceiling. Applying wood on a ceiling can also help to visually separate a space.

Decorative accents

Apply wood creatively to your interior to accent your space. Use wood decorative accents to pick up wood used elsewhere for continuity, or add character to a room. In this dining area, for instance, wood is used to frame a wall and ceiling with a striking lattice design. Another way to introduce wood as a decorative accent – and a more inexpensive one – is using wooden frames for artwork or photos to dress a wall.

Wall Tiles

Usher wood into your bathroom with wall tiles bearing a wood effect. Easy to maintain, water-resistant and durable, wood effect wall tiles are a great way to enliven an otherwise unassuming bathroom and inject character. Lay the tiles in a herringbone pattern to claim a classic look always in style.

Cabinetry and furniture

Wood is such a go-to material for cabinetry, with many modern homes counting on wood to warm up an otherwise sterile space. With expanses of wooden cabinetry in the home, you have a solution that is both beautiful and practical. With an array of veneers in wood tones, you can opt for easy-to-care finishing to seek out distressed, sleek or rustic appeals, depending on the chosen on the wood’s tone and grains.

Flooring

Wooden flooring like parquet or vinyl is a popular and affordable flooring solution among homeowners. Wood grains on floors soften a space, fit into any design theme and give the interior a calming vibe. Engineered wood flooring is great for homeowners with pets who are after durable, scratch-resistant flooring, yet not letting up on a wooden appeal.

Fancy starting your day to meet the world in a designer-approved walk-in wardrobe? We’ve put together a walk-in wardrobe wish list to guide you in creating your stylish space for dressing up.

Glass doors

Instead of opting for opaque doors, keep your doors visually open by choosing transparent glass ones. They allows you to easily scan your clothes in the morning. After all, out of sight, out of mind. Having your clothes in plain sight means you are more likely to don them. It will also probably keep you motivated to keep your closet space tidy.

Open shelves

This is in line with the notion of keeping things open and in plain sight. Open shelves are great for displaying your handbags. They will create the optical illusion of a larger space, perfect for solidifying a stylish walk-in wardrobe. Opt for adjustable wardrobe systems with racks and shelves that can be easily tweaked to for allow the flexibility of changing from time to time to suit your storage needs.

Display island

Your beautiful and functional walk-in wardrobe deserves a display island for your collection of fashion accessories. It also serves as a visual anchor that brings everything together. And if you have a long, narrow, space flanked with wardrobes on both lengths of the room, consider adding an ottoman and rug in the middle to give it a boutique look and feel.

Under-cabinet lights

Proper organisation would mean nothing without proper lighting to help you pick out what you want. Functional and also stylish, under-cabinet lights are task lights you’ll need. To elevate your space further, hang a statement pendant light or chandelier to add character and a luxurious mien.

Accessorise

Give your walk-in wardrobe the same decorative treatments as you would other rooms in your house by hanging artwork or introducing nature. This would instantly add to the appeal of the space and even awake your senses in the morning.

Dresser

Complete your walk-in wardrobe with a dressing table for dolling up. Considering this is one of few pieces in the space, bring in an ornate stool or bench to accent your interior – a character-filled space brimming with elegance and allure.

Finally, don’t be disheartened if you do not have a room to convert into a walk-in wardrobe. Visually demarcate a walk-in wardrobe space with shelves or a wall to divide your bedroom space and accommodate your dressing needs.

This abode exudes industrial chic from every conceivable angle. Visually-warming wood is juxtaposed against expanses of black to create a modern style that is both raw and edgy. In doing so, the designer succeeds in conjuring a modish charm that resonates with young, urban homeowners.

Throughout, an industrial charm permeates the air – relying on elements such as wood, metal, concrete screed and leather, and the convergence of vintage and new. Walls are dressed to exhibit an industrial tone, complete with exposed bricks and even a centrepiece bicycle affixed to a wall in the living room. This look is further reinforced with bespoke furniture and an industrial-styled light pendant.

There is no doubt that nothing reads boring in this home, where style-appropriate elements and trendy accessorising are so cleverly put together to seal a tailored look befitting a city lifestyle.

Captivating artwork lifts the mood and adds character. Here, contrast is created by converging a wood-black palette with bold, vibrant colours and patterns to create multiple interest points that give the eye plenty to take in without overwhelming. Meanwhile, cold, seemingly unfinished concrete screed flooring is combined with rich textiles and metallic accents to create a varied look.

Even the doors emerge as points of interest, with barnyard doors for the bathroom and beautiful black-frame glass-panel partitions in the room. In the bathroom, using tiles that are white with grey grout is both practical and aesthetically pleasing. This way, not only will dirt not show up easily, it also brings out an industrial feel.

Are you a coffee enthusiast who simply love being immersed in a relaxed cafe or bistro environment? Do you relish the aroma of coffee and the laidback charm of cafes?

There must be something about cafes that make many want to hang out in one all day. Given how cosy most cafes are styled, it’s no wonder many Singaporeans can’t resist the thought of returning to a home that is a reminder of their favourite coffee haunt. Here, we outline the broad strokes to help you achieve this look effortlessly.

Infuse wood

Wood instantly adds warmth to any interior. If you’re after a casual charm, opt for distressed wood to give your space an aged appeal and character. Apply black generously to provide contrast. This combination can read industrial or rustic, or even both, depending on how you accessorise further. Essentially, it’s all in the details.

Incorporate counter seats

Introduce a counter, along with bar stools, to mimic what it’s like sitting in a cafe and watch a barista make your brew. This is also where you and your partner can enjoy a late-night cuppa.

Use ambient lighting

Do not underestimate the effects of the right lighting to create the chillax ambience you so enjoy. Apart from having functional lights to allow you to perform your day-to-day tasks at home, incorporate ambient lightings to envelop the room with a nuanced, cosy look glow. To complete the industrial, cafe-inspired look, opt for tungsten lights and track lights.

Be bold

Some cafes are really attractive because of their bold decor. Maybe it’s their collection of in-the-face art or an interesting play of patterns. Or the way bright colours are put together to invigorate rather than overwhelm. Or, it could be interesting pieces and an even refresher layout that lends new perspective.

Exposed brick wall

Such walls give the space a textured, layered look that contributes to a laidback atmosphere. Reinforce this look with exposed light bulbs, industrial-style exposed piping shelves and concrete walls.

Introduce handwritten fonts

Dress a bare wall with a chalkboard bearing handwritten font to summon the beloved café look. Alternatively, clad your wall with off-the-shelf handwritten wall art to conjure the same appeal.