Art by the sea

We are still a month away from officially getting our keys to our new place. But there are other things to think about now. I am now in Sydney and Damien is coming over to join me in 3 days! His job here is to help me pack up, tie up loose ends, and arrange for shipping. But I will really miss Sydney! Here are some pictures of my trip to the Sculptures by the Sea, an annual event that showcases visual artists' work in an open-space. What a cool concept to experience art in harmony with the environment! This year, it is at Bondi & Turramura Beaches. A 2km walk to and fro but absolutely worth it!

Looking for a nest

Okay, we have signed on the dotted line and bought what we feel is going to be our dream home. Finally. We have moved like nomads for a long time. Now we just want to stay here for a long long time. D got to shovel me out if he ever mention "property search" again. Here's some criteria we had for looking for our dream home. This is amidst one of the most volatile property times in this tiny island. The crunch line is, if we don't find anything that meets this criteria, we will just wait:

1) Freehold status
Leasehold or freehold? There has been much debates about what's valuable in this market. As usual there are two schools of thought. But for us, we believe that freehold in Singapore is still the way to go. Unless, your leasehold is on a really prime location.

2) The older the better
Weird right? We are not looking for new apartments for one good reason. SPACE. If you notice new condominiums, they are looking smaller because of either, 1) awkward angles or 2) unusable space such as ledges etc. And of course, isn't fun to hack down walls and design your own space?

3) Location, location, location
Okay, Singapore is really tiny, 30km from coast to coast. But location still matters.

4) It is about PSF
Per sq feet, that is. Everyone has a different budget and we tend to look at the summative price that determines if we can "afford" a place. That's important, but when looking for a good buy, focus on the psf.

5) Good vibes
No doubt, the most important. You must feel comfortable in that space. If it is an old place, look around and imagine the potential this place brings, even if the present renovation does not meet your taste.

Variations on a Theme

Like most Singaporean homes, every home designing pursuit must begin with a THEME. In our previous homes, we had classic modern, balinese and even a 'cha-pa-lang' (anything goes) theme. This time, we are aiming for an architectural white gallery look. We are bowed over by the open plan living ideas of Ong and Ong Architects, Singapore. Their designs of this conservation house on Blair Street is now our inspiration.