New Solutions for Urban Living Unveiled in Singapore's Design Fair
Small spaces, digital tech and design for ageing take the stage at the International Furniture Fair Singapore 2018
“To be the Asian hub influencing tomorrow’s urban living” is the vision of the Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) for the International Furniture Fair Singapore (IFFS) moving forward, and this theme was seen in some of the standout exhibitors this year. Responding to the challenges of high-density urban living, with urban dwellers who are well-travelled, design-savvy, digitally inclined and house-proud – as identified by Mr S Iswaran, Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry, and Mr Mark Yong, SFIC President, at the fair’s opening – manufacturers and designers presented furniture focused on this market.
Here are the standout ideas we saw:
Here are the standout ideas we saw:
Slim silhouettes for small spaces
Also exploring the theme of traditions in a contemporary space is Carte, the IFFS collaboration with design consultancy Tanke.London that showcases the newest design brands from France, Spain, China, Singapore and Italy. Curated by Chantal Hamaide, slim-lined furniture and lighting made with exquisite materials and detailing bring luxury and sophistication to even the smallest of spaces.
Also exploring the theme of traditions in a contemporary space is Carte, the IFFS collaboration with design consultancy Tanke.London that showcases the newest design brands from France, Spain, China, Singapore and Italy. Curated by Chantal Hamaide, slim-lined furniture and lighting made with exquisite materials and detailing bring luxury and sophistication to even the smallest of spaces.
A lighter look
Singapore’s quintessential furniture designer Nathan Yong launched a new collection for his brand Folks, that features vertical screen-inspired elements. “It’s lighter, which suits smaller spaces better,” he says.
Singapore’s quintessential furniture designer Nathan Yong launched a new collection for his brand Folks, that features vertical screen-inspired elements. “It’s lighter, which suits smaller spaces better,” he says.
This lighter look was also seen in the Giulio Cappellini-curated installation The Italian New Renaissance, where Italian brands such as Vismaravetro (pictured) were showcased in room settings that have an urban loft feel.
Photo from Ipse Ipsa Ipsum
Luxurious heavyweights
Although they’re smaller and slimmer in design, the use of luxurious materials makes these apartment-friendly furniture ideal and appealing for a homeowner who wants to splash out on their haven. Jeremy Sun and Ipse Ipsa Ipsum’s Magnetica Mixgrid storage units blend bone inlay with concrete and stainless steel for a marbled look …
Luxurious heavyweights
Although they’re smaller and slimmer in design, the use of luxurious materials makes these apartment-friendly furniture ideal and appealing for a homeowner who wants to splash out on their haven. Jeremy Sun and Ipse Ipsa Ipsum’s Magnetica Mixgrid storage units blend bone inlay with concrete and stainless steel for a marbled look …
Photo from Ipse Ipsa Ipsum
… while the Straits Reflections desk and floor mirrors, made of coloured bone inlay and antique brass, look like cloisonné jewellery for the home.
… while the Straits Reflections desk and floor mirrors, made of coloured bone inlay and antique brass, look like cloisonné jewellery for the home.
The limited collection Star Wars stool/side tables from Grafunkt x Disney, designed by Nathan Yong, was front and centre at Carte, proving that small is also premium.
Modular customisation
Bespoke, of course, is a luxury must-have. The Popup collection by Nathan Yong and build lab Superstructure makes customisation more accessible through these modular units. Made with water-resistant Forescolor, a high-density MDF board impregnated with organic dyes, homeowners can build their collection up by the piece, and to a shape or configuration that they need it. They can create display shelving, seating and room dividers. New digital fabrication techniques and material systems management were used to flesh out the designs.
“Popup is a system that is easy to customise, assemble and transport, just like a pop-up store. The name also refers to how the pieces are assembled and disassembled without nails and screws – just a push of the hand to pop it in or out. Popup is a reaction to Singapore’s scarcity of land, labour and materials, with the innovative use of technology and new materials for small and transitional spaces”, says Nathan Yong.
Bespoke, of course, is a luxury must-have. The Popup collection by Nathan Yong and build lab Superstructure makes customisation more accessible through these modular units. Made with water-resistant Forescolor, a high-density MDF board impregnated with organic dyes, homeowners can build their collection up by the piece, and to a shape or configuration that they need it. They can create display shelving, seating and room dividers. New digital fabrication techniques and material systems management were used to flesh out the designs.
“Popup is a system that is easy to customise, assemble and transport, just like a pop-up store. The name also refers to how the pieces are assembled and disassembled without nails and screws – just a push of the hand to pop it in or out. Popup is a reaction to Singapore’s scarcity of land, labour and materials, with the innovative use of technology and new materials for small and transitional spaces”, says Nathan Yong.
Future-proof colours
An inevitability of a growing urban population is an ageing population, says Mark Yong, and Popup’s bright colours also address this. “I’ve noticed that our older customers lean towards the more colourful pieces. They want something that reminds them of their youth, something that adds a sense of carefree fun to their home,” Nathan Yong says. Plus, curved surfaces are elderly-friendly, too.
TELL US
What 2018 trends are you seeing to adopt for your home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
An inevitability of a growing urban population is an ageing population, says Mark Yong, and Popup’s bright colours also address this. “I’ve noticed that our older customers lean towards the more colourful pieces. They want something that reminds them of their youth, something that adds a sense of carefree fun to their home,” Nathan Yong says. Plus, curved surfaces are elderly-friendly, too.
TELL US
What 2018 trends are you seeing to adopt for your home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
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Homegrown brand Ipse Ipsa Ipsum collaborated with designers Jeremy Sun and Nicholas Paul to create the Peranakan Moderne collection. The furniture echoes traditional fabric and tile prints seen in the Peranakan Museum, but interpreted as bone inlay handcrafted in India. The Diantara cabinet (left) designed by Nicholas Paul with Ipse Ipsa Ipsum brings a contemporary twist to the traditional Peranakan tile pattern. It’s compact in size, with a surprising contrasting-colour interior and luxurious brass details.
Photo from Ipse Ipsa Ipsum