I opened my earlier post to edit the paint name in case you ever want to paint non-tufted, no-nap fabric. Unfortunately, my cat Linguine loves the binging and bonging sounds of the computer when he stands on the keyboard. Not helpful. It disappeared so... here is the name: Simply Spray Fabric Paint for Upholstery. (They have your charcoal gray) It did not make the fabric crunchy, stiff or weird. Nobody wants crunchy, stiff, or weird :-) Again, I would not paint the fabric on your gorgeous bed but I would change the wood color. The black edge and empty white room are the reasons it looks heavy. If you paint the black, I would suggest using an artist brush on the edge that meets the fabric even with fabric covered. House or painter's brushes are too wide for good control in that tight space. They are not as flexible as artists brushes nor as small. The Paris bed I mentioned was gray velvet and soft matte metallic gold wood. Soft, romantic, dreamy and transporting to a world of Princesses and Kings. If you keep the purple, I vote for gold or silver wood but NOT high gloss.

Best to start with strong base or get a second opinion by having someone come on site and see the existing conditions.

Artificial turf! The green (they come in different colours, too, if you'd like to be psychedelic) adds a lively pop of colour to a blah space, and they're designed in easy-to-install tile-style units that have some built-in drainage for minimal maintenance. Absolut Outdoors and Green Turf can tell you more :) And I'd hang an outdoor art piece or a screen for air plants on that blank wall, too, to enliven your balcony.

Hi Mr Martini! Congratulations on the new BTO! Hiring a good interior designer will definitly help with designing your new home. And seeing that you are a family man, I imagine you would want as little hassle as possible. A good interior designer will listen to your ideas of how you want your home to look like, and make it happen as best as possible, taking into consideration your family's lifestyle, HDB limitations on renovation, your budget, etc. While my husband and I did hire an interior designer for our resale flat, I unfortunately will not recommended them for they gave us more headache than I felt necessary for the tiniest of problems. So do ask around and see if anyone can recommend a good interior designer. Back to your love for Scandinavian design! I was going for the Scandinavian style too only to later realise along the design process, that we were not loving the bland colours and minimalism and somehow, we managed to end up with a relaxing resort-themed home which we're loving. In fact, a recent Houzz article tells us that the Scandinavian colour palette is moving away from pale cool shades which I find fun and refreshing. Here's the link: Check out this story from houzz - http://houzz.com/sr/m=7/u=L2lkZWFib29rcy82NjU4MDg4NA== Nevertheless, if bright pops of colour is not your thing, here's another article I found: 'Top 10 Tips for Ceeating a Scandinavian Interior': http://freshome.com/2012/12/03/top-10-tips-for-creating-a-scandinavian-interior/ I feel this article breaks down the Scandinavian style so that it's easy to replicate, one aspect at a time. As a common design style in Singapore, I think most deisgners are now very familiar with this style so you shouldn't have any trouble achieving this style. All the best, Mr Martini with this exciting (though sometimes exasperating!) project and do share photos of your new home if you can! Katherine