home decor – Regina Chow

Uncategorized

Linen & More: Shopping for Linen Home Decor and Fashion Apparel

January 8, 2014 by Regina Chow No Comments

Located at Great World City Basement 2, Linen & More is a treasure trove of linen home decor and fashion apparel waiting to be discovered.

With Linen & More, decorating your home has never been easier. It
offers a wide assortment of linen cushion covers, bed linen, placemats,
runners and tablecloths in a gamut of colours and designs. There’s something for every occasion and you will literally be spoiled for choice.

Now that Chinese New Year is just around the corner, it is time to extend the festivities to the way your home looks and feels. Let your home echo the festive spirit of this season by adding a splash of colour to your furnishings!

Jazz up your sofa with festive cushions in a riot of colours or add a bold table runner to perk up your mood and create a joyous ambience. These beautiful hand-embroidered cushion covers are just some of my choice picks for the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations.

Red is one of my favourite colours for Chinese New Year as it symbolizes good luck, so be sure to add a dash of this auspicious colour to your home to bring you luck in the year of the Horse!

I succumbed to temptation and picked this gorgeous red cushion cover with baroque prints (S$49.90) to complement my baroque style sofa. Don’t you think it stands out beautifully against the lush black velvet? I absolutely adore how it adds a touch of opulence and glamour to my home.

If you love this cushion cover as much as I do, read on till the end of this post to find out how to win one for yourself!

If red is not your cup of tea, perhaps orange will tickle your fancy. Orange is another popular colour for the Chinese New Year festivities and this set of orange cushion covers will certainly add a touch of festive cheer to your home decor.

What I love most
about the cushion covers from Linen & More is that they are timeless
classics and will never go out of style. The intricate designs also lend a
touch of sophistication and grace to your interior decor, regardless of
what the occasion may be.

Cushion covers aside, I was also enthralled by the variety of table runners that Linen & More offers in bold, vibrant hues. Again, these are perfect for Chinese New Year or even as housewarming gifts!

Have you ever wondered what is it
about linen that makes it an ideal fabric for home decor and apparel?

Linen is
a natural fabric made from flax and it is valued for its durability and
eco-friendly properties. Not only is it extremely lightweight and
comfortable, those of you who are prone to allergies will be happy to
know that linen is one of the few fabrics around that is naturally
anti-bacterial and non-allergenic.

Linen is an expensive fabric and it is hard to come by quality linen apparel in Singapore. Fortunately, at Linen & More, you will find a specially curated collection of exquisite linen apparel that will set your hearts aflutter.

The dazzling array of linen dresses and tops ensures that your choices are endless, ranging from casual breezy dresses for the weekend, to intricately embellished pieces for a glamorous night out.

I was particularly besotted with this toga embroidered dress (S$179). A mish mesh of oriental and bohemian elements, this unique number is ideal for a resort getaway or high tea with the ladies on a weekend.

Manisha, the owner of Linen & More, shared that she imported this dress from a Spanish designer based in Bali in limited quantities, hence exclusivity is assured.

I selected this design in yes, you guessed it, a cheery shade of red! The highlight of this dress lies in the fine hand-stitched embroidery, which instantly transforms the ensemble into a magnificent masterpiece. Flaunt this piece of art by wearing it to your Chinese New Year gatherings. The gorgeous oriental blooms are bound to be an instant conversation starter.

Giveaway Alert!

In collaboration with Linen & More, I will be giving away this fabulous embroidered cushion cover (worth S$49.90) to 1 lucky reader of “Shopping Queen’s Haven”! Just in time for Chinese New Year!

To take part in this giveaway, just follow these 3 simple steps below!

******

Step 1:

Add me on Facebook Here

Step 2:

Like Linen & More’s Facebook Page

Step 3:

Drop me an e-mail at regina.chow@gmail.com with your name, address and contact number!

*****

In line with the festive period, Linen & More is also extending a discount of 10% to all readers of “Shopping Queen’s Haven”!

All you have to do is quote “Shopping Queen’s Haven” at the shop itself.

No minimum spending is required.

Linen & More

Address:

Great World City, B2-05

Website:

http://www.linennmore.com

Instagram:

@linennmore

Tel:

6887 5247

*****

GIVEAWAY WINNER

The lucky winner of the gorgeous embroidered cushion cover is….

Shermaine Lau

I will be contacting you shortly!

Uncategorized

Paris Home: Bespoke Furniture

October 19, 2013 by Regina Chow 5 Comments

I stumbled upon Paris Home one day as I was on the lookout for a baroque style sofa to replace my old, worn-out sofa set. What started off as a chance encounter eventually wound up to be a blessing for me. I fell in love immediately with the pictures of their sofa sets online and deeper research revealed that the furniture are all made of mahogany or teak wood which are prized for their durability.

More importantly,
the company also has its own factory in Indonesia and is able to
custom-make practically anything in your wildest dreams without you
having to bear any middle-man costs. With Paris Home, you can now get
quality, well-designed furniture without breaking the bank.

Sounds too good
to be true? I decided to make an appointment with the lady boss,
Michelle, at their Binjai Park shopfront to check it out for myself.
Located beside popular Peranakan restaurant Ivins, the shop is pretty
easy to find and relatively accessible, especially if you live in the
West. Michelle was very friendly and patient, as she took pains to
answer all my questions about the sofa frame and foam density. I would highly recommend that you contact Michelle if you have any queries. Also, it’s best to visit the shop on weekdays as it can get pretty crowded on weekends.

Here’s what I chose eventually:

Some of you may have already seen my new sofa set on my social media platforms. I changed the frame of the Rococo Luxury Sofa to glossy black and swopped the PU leather fabric for a luxurious black velvet material instead. You can also customize the size of the sofa to suit your living room.

I love the air of elegance that it lends to my living room. I have had a couple of guests and family members over at my place since and everyone waxed lyrical about how gorgeous the sofa set is. It isn’t hard to see why, isn’t it?

Besides sofa sets, Paris Home also offers a wide selection of bespoke furniture ranging from beds, cupboards, shelves to coffee tables and chairs. Given that the furniture is custom made, don’t be surprised if you can’t find most of the items on the website on display at their shopfront. There are a few pieces of furniture on display for customers to get a better look and feel of what to expect. The quality of the furniture speaks for itself and is very evident, even from the small collection on display.

Should you be unsure of the
measurements or installation process required, I would also suggest
that you consult your interior designer or contractor before heading
down as that would save you some time.

I am so pleased with my purchase that I wish I had found out about Paris Home 4 years ago when I first started renovating my house! For those of you who have done your research,
you would know that it is difficult to come across affordable baroque
and french style furniture with quality workmanship.

It is a little too late to turn back the clock now, but here are a couple of my choice picks if I were to redecorate the rest of my home:

1) Regency Collection Dining Set

2) Antique Library Bed

3) Le Rochelle Vanity Set

4) Victorian Belle 4-Doors Armoire

Aren’t they beautiful?

If you are
planning to renovate your new home or revamp your current abode and you adore baroque and french furniture like me, remember to check out Paris Home! You may also wish to follow them on Instagram (@frenchfurniture) for more pictures of their latest designs.

For my international readers, you’ll be happy to know that they ship internationally too!

Paris Home

Address:
23 Binjai Park Singapore 589828

Tel:
+65 6748 8740

Mobile:
+65 9722 7857

Website:
http://www.parishomeonline.com

Instagram:
@frenchfurniture

Uncategorized

Decorating with four&twenty!

November 14, 2012 by Regina Chow No Comments

Looking for the perfect accessories to complement your home or office decor? Adding that extra oomph to your home or work station with accents that echo your personality and interests has never been easier with fourandtwenty.sg!

fourandtwenty.sg offers a selection of design-led products that marry form with function. Their keen eye for high-quality objects with clean lines led them to gravitate towards exquisite, hand-crafted designs by alternative designers with a unique vision.

The current collection hails from Denmark, the USA, Japan and Thailand. Delivery is free within Singapore!

To say that the products are gorgeous is a huge understatement. Don’t believe me? I’ll show you some of my favourites:

Oscar by Hans Bølling

Meet Oscar, the cute little dog that sits, stands and begs just like a real dog. This one however, is lovingly handcrafted in solid beechwood with leather, maple wood and wenge wood accents.

Designed in 1953
by renowned Danish architect Hans Bolling, this beauty has evidently
withstood the test of time and is a Scandinavian design classic.

Place Oscar on your workstation at home or your office, and let this playful dog light up your day!

BIRD by Kristian Vedel

BIRD, designed by famous architect Kristian Vedel in 1959, is yet another Scandinavian design classic.

One of the most
successful wooden designs in the 50s, BIRD is the perfect companion for
your side table, or better yet, get a family of BIRDs to perk up your
coffee table!

wrapqarw [wrap wrap] Cable Organizer by Naoto Yoshida

Keep those unsightly cables neat and tangle free with wrapqarw! Not only do they look elegant, these cable organizers are eco-friendly too as they are made of quality scrap wood from the furniture industry in Japan.

You can always trust the Japanese to come up with innovative, functional designs. 🙂 These are great as gifts too!

KAMI and Cara Series by Hidetoshi Takahashi

These wooden cups are wonderful additions to your kitchen or work desk as each cup is individually handcrafted by master-craftsman Hidetoshi Takahashi. Gosh, such dedication is hard to come by these days!

I love the simple and clean design of these cups. And the best part? They’ll never go out of style.

Porcelain Disc Chimes

These porcelain discs on a deerskin lace cord are designed to clink gently in the breeze. Handcrafted in Portland, USA, by Pigeon Toe Ceramics, the beauty of this wind chime lies in its simplicity.

“Founded in 2009, Pigeon Toe’s aspiration is to provide mankind with
everyday beauty. Each piece is handcrafted, taking an average of three
weeks to complete the transformation from clay to finished work. With a
focus on craft, handmade and homespun goods, each Pigeon Toe piece
represents a story woven with rich heritage.”

Pigeon Toe’s products are exclusively sold via fourandtwenty.sg in Singapore.

Here are some other products from Pigeon Toe:

Porcelain Tripots

Rocking Votives

Folded Porcelain Bowls

Specially for all readers of Shopping Queen’s Haven!

From now till end Dec 2012, all my readers will get 10% off all purchases over S$100.

Just key in the code SHOPPINGQUEEN10 during checkout!

Uncategorized

Sprucing up the Bedroom with IKEA

May 28, 2012 by Regina Chow 3 Comments

Adding new accessories or redecorating your walls are the little things that can be done to spruce up your bedroom. In fact, giving your bedroom a fresh update has never been easier with IKEA. IKEA offers a wide selection of accessories to cater to different styles and needless to say, I’ve always been a huge fan. 😉 My baroque-style bedside tables and cow hide rug were both from IKEA a few years back!

So, what did I do to revamp my room this time? First up, to add interest to an empty corner of the room, I decided to place an artificial potted plant that complements the wallpaper. That was when the FEJKA Artificial Potted Plant and SKURAR Plant Pot came in handy.

I generally favour darker colours and warm lights for my master bedroom as these elements create a romantic, tranquil ambience that is perfect for sleeping and relaxing. I don’t put much furniture in my bedroom except for the bare essentials i.e. bed frame and bedside tables. Instead, I believe in accessorizing for optimal results.

As you can see, the DROMLIK Scented Candles and DEKAD alarm clock are the perfect additions to my side tables, which were also from IKEA (bought them 3 years back!).

Adding new paintings or frames to your walls also helps to enhance the room’s ambience. I’ve been eyeing the UNG DRILL frame from IKEA for eons. Not only is it very affordable (only $39!), it looks great on its own and adds a luxurious vibe to any room, even more so if you are going for the baroque style of interior design.

I have an oil painting displayed right at the foot of my bed, and I always felt that the UNG Drill Frame deserved a place on the wall just next to my bed as that would complete the room. Instead of hanging the empty frame on its own, my brother and I got down to work on a picture collage comprising photographs of Paris in the early 1900s, taken by renowned photographer Brassai.

Customization always lends a touch of individuality and character to the room that you are designing. More importantly, it can be a lot of fun, especially when family and friends are around to help you out!

The bedroom is one place in your house where you can retreat to for some peace and quiet, so it’s definitely important to create an oasis of calm, a sanctuary where you can just kick off those heels and relax after a long day’s work.

You’ll be surprised to know that sprucing up your bedroom every now and then not only helps to give it a new lease of life, but it directly enhances your mood as well. So, head on down to IKEA now for more ideas and inspirations!

Uncategorized

My Love for Chairs

December 22, 2011 by Regina Chow No Comments

I’m probably one of the easiest people to shop for, because I love practically everything that’s beautiful, including furniture!

Our latest conquest for our home is the Emeco Navy Chair. This is a different version from the original, which is made of aluminum. Emeco ‘s collaboration with Coca Cola has spun off a new breed of Navy Chairs made from 111 recycled plastic bottles!

I really loveee the pop colours like persimmon, grass and red, but unfortunately, they do not go with our home decor at all! And so, we settled for the charcoal (above: 3rd from left). I think those gorgeous colours I mentioned earlier would go really well with retro, pop art styles.

Here’s a closer look at the charcoal chair. We bought these to replace our existing dining chairs but they’re only arriving in March 2012. 🙁 What we adore about this chair is its ergonomic design. The seat imprint you see here (inspired by some pin-up star called Betty Grable) makes it very comfortable to sit on.

I was contemplating on getting the Victorian Ghost chair by Kartell instead, but the hubby pointed out that this is ergonomic and scratch-resistant, which means it’s likely to outlast the ghost chair.

Erm..I still can’t get these lovely colours out of my mind. They kinda put me in a Christmas mood too. Haha.

If the interior decor of your house allows for such bright colours, go get them ok?? 😀

Uncategorized

Europe

September 19, 2010 by Regina Chow 8 Comments

I’ll be heading to Austria in 2 weeks. Many of my friends were puzzled by my decision to make a trip there because it is not particularly known as a tourist hotspot or shopping heaven, for that matter. But well, I do have other hobbies besides shopping you know. 😉

Music, theatre and art are just some of my other interests, and Austria is one country that I have always wanted to visit because of its musical and cultural heritage.

Moreover, JW and I have always been fans of Europe and the European lifestyle. Now, that explains why we purchased this painting for our Master Bedroom recently:

Uncategorized

Housewarming

August 8, 2009 by Regina Chow 1 Comment

We were invited to my friend’s housewarming party last Saturday, the day after I touched down from Japan.

I was really excited because the owners are interior design buffs and I knew that their home would look fabulous. The owners had bought an old walk-up apartment near town and transformed it into a modern haven that still retains its quiet, old-world charm.

The theme was simple – white and oak, but it was the ingenious juxtaposition of these modern elements with unique shapes, textures and accent pieces reminiscent of an era long gone that truly enhanced the home’s character.

It was also interesting that there were short flights of steps in the master bedroom and dining room, which added dimension to the apartment. I thoroughly enjoyed browsing through the selection of art and interior design books along the walkway. I swore I could have spent the entire night poring through those books.

I especially love the cement wall in the living room and the brick wall in the dining room. The brick wall was part of the original architecture, and it has aged beautifully through the years.

Glass ceiling panels that allow sunlight to flow into the dining area also provide contrast between natural and artificial lighting, creating a different atmosphere at various points of the day.

Don’t they have a gorgeous home?? The apartment looks like it just came right out of an interior design magazine. I like it when people take pride in their home. It is very inspiring. Indeed, as the owners put it, this beautiful home is a result of their labour of love.

As JW and I are still in the process of some minor renovation works., we’ll love to have all our friends over soon for a real housewarming gathering too!

Uncategorized

Samantha Thavasa

August 3, 2009 by Regina Chow No Comments

Established in 1994, Samantha Thavasa is a Japanese fashion company that is well-known for their popular handbags in a multitude of designs and colours. The brand’s target clientele has traditionally been working women in their 20s and its marketing campaigns have always been characterised by the extensive use of western celebrities such as Beyonce, the Hilton sisters, and most recently, Jennifer Lopez as well as Sarah Jessica Parker.

I have always wanted to lay my hands on a Samantha Thavasa bag.

While some designs are a little too loud for me, they do carry very tastefully designed bags with excellent workmanship. During my recent trip to Tokyo, I had the fortuitous opportunity to get up close and personal with the brand.

I don’t usually talk about my work trips as everything is highly private and confidential, but well, I guess I can talk about a bag that I purchased 🙂

I got this baby at 50% off its original price at the retail shop. There was a family sale in the brand’s main office as well, but we had to rush off to the airport, much to my dismay.

This bag charm was purchased separately. I love the diamonte ribbon and pearls.

As you would probably have noticed, I am really attracted to red bags these days. Just in time for National Day too, don’t you think? 😉

Look, we even bought white artificial roses (looks pretty real huh) to match our red Murano glass vase from Venice. How apt.

Time to nurse myself back to the pink of health now. I’m suffering from a bad sore throat and slight fever. Bye!

Uncategorized

Weddings & New Furniture

July 26, 2009 by Regina Chow 2 Comments

We recently attended our JC classmate, Jo’s wedding, which also turned out to be a mini JC class reunion of sorts. The bride was demure and ravishing while the groom was sporting and hilarious – a perfect match made in heaven indeed.

Weddings generally entail massive expenditures, most of which will go to the wedding banquet, gowns, photography, and last but not least, a well-furnished new home. Although my wedding took place about 6 months back, we are still buying new furniture. We are also doing some minor renovations. How appalling!

Here’s our new baby: Grand Illusion by John Brauer from Denmark. It was handmade using 3mm of transparent acrylic. Doesn’t it look like a floating table? Ingenious isn’t it?

Well, this beauty set us back by $750 after 15% discount. Sometimes I wonder how we manage to finance such extravagant indulgences.

Time to eat more grass I guess for the next few months, by which time, I should have transformed into a cow.

Goodnight for now! Coming back in a few days…

Reg@Tokyo

Uncategorized

Home stuff

April 5, 2009 by Regina Chow 2 Comments

Finally managed to take some updated photos of our home with my new cam. I love how the lighting creates an added dimension to the interior design.

To accommodate my expansive collection of shoes, we have finally come to terms with the fact that it is only prudent for us to construct a built-in shoe cabinet to keep them out of sight. I’m thinking of a two-door fully mirrored surface (tea coloured to match the mirrors at the dining area) shoe cabinet with an adjacent patterned divider that looks similar to the one below, except that I’ll like it in black. The divider would block the view of our MBR from the main entrance.

As we have been using the dining table as a study area, we’ve decided that it’s time we do some justice to the study room by constructing a built-in study table and cupboards/shelves.

I’ve not quite decided how I want it to look, but my initial idea would be to build a suspended L-shaped study table with drawers, suspended shelves (with doors) with built-in mood lighting and a full-length bookcase. Colours would probably be silver, grey and black, perhaps with a touch of red somewhere?
I am considering doing up the common toilet as well, as I really hate the toilet bowl and wash basin, coupled with the horrid tiles. Note that I said I, and not we, this time.

Some designs that I personally like: