more from my sewing room

Actually there's not much left to see in this small room.. but hey one can only try to make it look and function better.
So, here at the day bed side I put some wall decal for that punch to the plain white wall and a string to hang my finished products. And that's about it.. for now :D 

Where I Sew

Here's more from my new sewing room, or what my kids call my office :D It was a room filled with clutter of old stuff, boxes and suitcases. After what seems to be an endless job, it's now finally coming together.

The old squeaky chair is my mother's. My hubby offered to change the wheels, but I'd rather get a whole new chair instead :)) Another one to add to my long wishlist.

We spent hours discussed which cabinet to get, but it's all worth it.. not to mention it's on sale! Yay! Hubby has hacked one of the display cubicle to make way for my sewing machine.. thank you dear ;)

And of course.. the day bed! It's oh so comfy and we get to use the space underneath to store stuff that we rarely use.


Though small, I'm so happy that I finally have my own sewing room. Well, actually it also functions as the guest bedroom, but we rarely have sleep over guests anyway.


I still need to add some details to the room.. will update the progress with you all here!

A very good morning to you all.. from my new daybed :D

I'm in the process of making my own tiny sewing room... sloooowly. Will share with you here once it's done :)

Something old, something new...

...something borrowed, something green :)

After months living among boxes, here it is.. our living room!
Thanks to hubby who painstakingly assembled the bookcase and TV cabinet.

House Tour: 280 Square Feet Heaven

How I adore this House Tour from Apartment Therapy. This is how I would want my bachelorette pad to look like! 

This small 280 square feet (approx. 26 square meters) space is carefully planned you'd thought it's much bigger. The shiny and mirror surface of the floor to ceiling cabinets, giving the illusion of a bigger space.

Love the open shelves placement surrounding the main entrance.

And I can see some of my favorite furnishings from IKEA as well as from high end designers Phillipe Starck and Verner Panton.

Well, see the full tour here and go gaga yourself..

Starry Night

To the space and beyond!

The boys have a star shaped night lamp and I put a hand towel under making them look like a shooting star. Then hubby mounted the boys' swimming boards on their bedroom's glass door which kinda resemble space rockets :D

it's coming together....

....slooooowly.

The kids' temporary bedroom (yes, it's temporary since the boys definitely need more space.. they grow so fast!) is almost done. Still insufficient storage, but we're progressing for sure.

Although we could barely walk through the living room since it's still full with piles of boxes, I'm definitely in a better mood now :)

great things come in small packages

Like this townhouse by architect Elding Oscarson.

In a small and narrow site (measured 5m x 15m only!) squeezed between the conventional neighbouring buildings, this modern townhouse stands out in a modest way.

I adore its simple facade and the open plan with split level floor, not to mention the rooftop terrace. Why didn't I think of that?

You can read the full article and pictures in Arch Daily.

Built-In Storages in Small Space

I came across this article and thought I'd share with you some of my favourites which will suit well in a small space.

I'm sure you've seen some floor to ceiling book shelves, yet these ones caught my interest since they're nicely put in often ignored space.

Like this one in a narrow hall, complete with display of pictures on the opposite wall.

Or this one which frames the outdoor view, creates a small reading nook by the window.

This next one is also a floor to ceiling storage, but it's for shoes! I really should built this baby :D

Click here for full article from My home Ideas

Vote For My Kitchen!

The Kitchn is having this Small Cool Kitchen Contest 2010. I've submitted my kitchen in Jakarta, Indonesia (which painstakingly designed by my self *ahem*) and turns out it's got into the selections! Yay!

CLICK HERE to see the full post, and if you like what you see, please vote by simply click at the thumbs up. You may need to register, yet it's free and easy :)

My house in Jakarta got featured in Apartment Therapy!

I guess this post's title says it all :D

So while you read the article here, I'll just continue dancing..

Get Inspired.. Within The Budget!

How many times do we have to let go of our dreams for some unforeseen circumstances?

I hear lots of 'been there done that'..

Let's get more specific, in terms of building your dream home, your very own nest.

Often you have to lower your expectation and deal with the 2nd best.. or 3rd.. 4th.. and it keeps going..

Yet, don't be discouraged! You see these room pictures that are inspiring while actually done in a low budget.. I like how they look unpretentious yet charming in the same time.

Stuck with an old sofa? Fret not! Simply cover it with a throw, blanket or any fabric in coordinating color, whether it's in the same range or contrast colors.

Think white! White besides being neutral (and cheap! White paint costs less than the colored ones) is also giving you a sense of airy and lightness, which important in a small space. And it provides you a perfect 'canvas' for you to work with. Go monochrome and add more shades of pale colors such as lightgreys -- warm and cool. Or if the mood strikes, give punches of colors for more fun.

Put the colors on the furnishings that are easy to replace, such as curtains, throw pillows, rugs, blankets and so on. Even the colorful kids toys can add difference in a room.

For more pics see the original article here.

Handmade Space

I drool over these pretty organized craft rooms and always dream of having the same space as those beauties.

images from Modish: HANDMADE SPACES

Unfortunately I'm not that organized, since I find my craft room tidiness is the hardest to keep up (apart from the boys' room, ofcourse).

Black Beauties

Feathers For Nest introducing the Black Beauty Series, consist of small and tall vases also nest of tealight holders.

Elegantly finished in black, these decoration pieces are very suitable for small spaces. The muted black color complements the simple crafted teak wood, giving a subtle decorative without overcrowding the limited space. Black is also a neutral color ofcourse, which can fit in any room indoor or outdoor.

My favourite would be the nest of tealight holders - a set of 3 wooden tealight holders finished in black. With each piece fits perfectly with the other, creating many possibilities on how to display them together or to rearrange them over and over again in no time. Now how's that for a quick, easy and fun makeover..

Bring The Outdoor In(to The Bath)

Lately I take a liking for relaxing long baths. And ofcourse I have to equip all the necessary things to make my bathroom a spa like sanctuary, rite? :D

Though I always drool over sights of natural styled outdoor baths or showers, but I have to bear with the fact that I'm not very fond of the cold wind against my skin. Well, even it's not that cold, but the warm water makes it feel colder than it is.

Hence, to create my very own indoor-with-an-outdoor-flair-bath I chose to bring the outdoor in instead, by adding natural elements like wood, stone, plants, even seashells. And ofcourse plenty of natural light will boost the outdoor feeling, that's why I installed skylight to get the best of both worlds - privacy and natural light.

And fyi, my bathroom is pretty small so I adjusted the natural elements so they wont be too overwhelming or worse, making the small bath more cramped.

One of my new added natural element is a soap coaster (yes, I always choose functional accessories). As simple as it may sound, but this one is made of natural materials: teak wood, varnished to make it durable in wet and humid environment common in bathrooms; combined with pearly seashell to top it off.

This wooden-shell soap coasters are available in 2 design, Asoka (the oval based shape) and Kenanga (the square based shape).

Kenanga Soap Coaster

Asoka Soap Coaster

Ofcourse, instead of drooling over them, you can have them here in Feathers For Nest :)

Yellow is Not Mellow

From our last poll "What's your favourite color?" we can see some least favourite colors voted.

One of them is Yellow.

What is it about yellow anyway? (though I didn't vote for the color as well)

Is it because most people would picture a striking sunny yellow for the mentioned color? If so, yes, that color is fatiguing to the eyes. Yet yellow could be adapted in so many shades and ways in home decorating, like what I'm about to share here now.

You can easily put yellow color on the walls, from pale to deep, for an instant perk up. Yellow captures the joy of sunshine and reflects happiness. It’s suitable for kitchens, dining rooms, and bathrooms, where happy color is needed for energizing. Yellow also can feel expansive and welcoming in halls, entries, and small spaces.



If you are still on the fence about the idea of yellow walls, you can paint only 1 wall in the room, make it a color feature wall. Or you can even paint striped pattern on the wall, alternating yellow with other color that you consider as 'save' (e.g. white).

all pics above are from HGTV.com

And even when you still don't want to put any yellow on the wall, you can still opt for a saver way to use the color, like on furniture and some decoration objects shown here from IKEA.

Bottles on Display

Do you collect things?

While I never intended to collect certain things in the first place, but eventually now I end up (infact it's not ended yet) with piles of home design books and magazines.. and dozens of childrens books as well. Yet, I'm sure my case here is a common thing for many people.

But what if you collect things that are.. well, a bit unordinary?

Like my friend who happens to be a product designer is a collector of coke bottles. Yup, the same coke bottles that you usually throw in a garbage or recycle bin after you finished the carbonated drink. Ofcourse my dear friend always say that his collection is classic, it's the historic evolution of the coke bottle design. Yeah..

Anyway, he ones asked about ways to store his bottle collections. So here you go.

Conservatively, you can keep the bottles in wine bottle racks or shelves.

Creatively, you can display all of them instead, forming a room divider wall that even suits a small space since the transparent characteristic of the glass bottle material still lets light through so the divided rooms wont become claustrophobic.


pics from misterimportant.com

Then if you want to display only a few and keep the rest deep in the storage, you can always enhance the lime light on your display by adding some quirky accessories like this one below.

pic from revivehome.com

Caps Organizing

A friend of mine once asked me about how to organize her husband's collection of caps (baseball's, not bottle's). So I did some searching, and found some cap organizers like this one below, but unfortunately it needs international shipping to reach here.



After some time not knowing where to find the pretty much same item here in Singapore, I remember about this one from IKEA.


It's the Komplement Door Hanger . As the name indicates, this thing can be hung on the wardrobe's door to add more storage space. Basically it's an easy to move adjustable strap with 5 hooks on it.



For this special purpose of caps organizing, you can get creative by adding more hooks between the existing 5 hooks, so you can have even more space for storing those growing collection of caps.

Small Decorating

So you are living in a small space.

So am I.

So your guest bedroom is a small multifunctional room, or even doubles as a storage room. Or maybe it's your own bedroom which fit as described.

Fret not, because you can still make it as welcoming as any boutiqe hotel room with just a little effort of decorating.

Here I'm using my ol bedside table (or you can use your dressing table or any small table available), with some scented candles, vase, faux flowers and potpourri. I just simply arrange the flowers in the vase with some potpourri in it. From this basic arrangement I can make a few decoration with quite a different flair.


This first one is simple yet fresh, neutral but not dull. It reminds me of a sunny morning breeze :)



The second has more dramatic effect, just by lighting the candles ( I LLove how candle light makes a room) and throw a sheer fabric for the tablecloth. Very suitable for that romantic night you want to create ;)

Living Large in a Shoe Box

OK, so maybe I'm a bit exaggerating here.. but how else do you call a living room with just 3 meters wide? :D

If you stuck in the same situation, look at the bright side. Such a small space can foster your creativity in creating the most of it, make you appreciate it even more.
And here are some tricks I've learned in dealing with small spaces:

• Shiny surfaces

Start with the floor. Even with the not-so-expensive ceramic tile you can get a sleek look, just choose the smooth (untextured) glossy ones. If you have no choice but to deal with rustic tiling, or if you choose to have cement flooring in the name of minimalism, a throw of light or bright coloured rug will make a good diference in no time.

On the wall, you can hang mirrors to make you room less cramped. But be careful in placing those mirrors, because if you place it in front of a clutter, it'll only make it worse. And don't overdo in installing floor to ceiling mirror if you don't want your room ends up looking like a gym studio.

• Burst of colors

One of the classic rule to decorate a small space is to give it light color. Most people then take it literally and paint all their walls white or beige. There's nothing wrong with it, but there's a fine line between save and boooriiing :D

It wont hurt to pick your favourite color and put it on one of your room walls, make it a feature wall. You'll be pleasantly surprised to see how it comes out.

• Good lighting

In a small space good lighting can do wonder. To create an intimate atmosphere you should add some mood lighting apart of the general ones, and don't forget about the task lighting too.

Do consider recessed lamps for ceiling in small rooms to create more sleek appearance and open feeling throughout the room. But hanging lamp is still a good choice to define certain areas, such us above the dining table.

• Less is more

Again, it's just a small space, so you can't have too many things inside it. Remember it's important to always have a negative space inside a room - an empty wall, floor, corner. If you are a collector but having a trouble in displaying your collection in your small space, it's better to have them save in storage for a while - which means an adequate storage is a must :)