Reader's home

Paul and his wife Elsa have recently moved into their new home in Singapore (an 86m2 / 925 sq ft public housing apartment). Turning to magazines and blogs for inspiration they have created this fabulous minimalist apartment, a perfect respite from Singapore's hectic pace. Emailing with Paul he came up with an insight into Singapore's growing design scene.

Things have really started to move design and architecture-wise in Singapore over the past 5-6 years. Lots of interesting stuff now, but I think we are still some way away from finding our own design vernacular. There isn't a "Singapore" look, in the way that there is an American country-home look, or a Scandinavian aesthetic, or even the modern-Australian feel that so many of the Sydney and Melbourne homes that you have put up on your site have achieved. I guess it is a bit difficult with the cookie-cutter government housing flats that 80% of us live in, where everything is pre-fab. For a long time, the government was just trying to put together as much low-cost housing as possible to meet the demands of population growth. So build quality is alright, and the flats are relatively affordable, but they were absolutely zip in terms of design until recent years. More effort is being put in to the aesthetics of the new built flats now, but the one I just moved in to recently is about 10 years old, and was certainly built for function rather than form. I have always been a fan of mid-century modern and minimalist styles. What I tried to do with the flat is to keep it honest to its pre-fab / concrete / city-space background by taking on an industrial feel and meshing it with what the styles that I liked. It was challenging because neither my wife nor I have any background in design whatsoever, but really great fun. There are many other really interesting interpretations of public housing flats though – everything from modern baroque to faux-country house, and from Balinese resort to French petit-Chateau style. It will be interesting to see if all the different styles somehow converge into a "Singaporean" look in the future!

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Stalking in Sydney

Time to stalk Sydney with me. We are in my favourite hunting ground Paddington. Oh to be able to afford a home here! How about these grey one? Presenting a stylish but private face to the outside world, it's what's going on out the back that has all the drama. I can't get enough of the black sunroom and the black deck is bliss. Join me for a cool drink and perhaps a splash in the pool? Life can be tough when out stalking! Link here while it lasts and of course there is more after the jump.

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Neutral perfection

When I found the following home on AT Casa my heart just melted. I am craving neutrals these days and this home REALLY does it for me. Beautiful natural fabrics, everything bathed in whites and greys, all giving an air of romanticism and serenity. *SIGH* It's PERFECT. (Photos by Andrea Martiradonna)

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Grey is the new black

Grey is the "it" colour at the moment. Everywhere you turn, every page you turn stylists and designers are cocooning rooms in grey. It's the new black ... or should that be white. I love the dark brooding grown up feel of this house available through Inspace. Teamed with beautiful timber and the occasional jewel tone it is so rich it could almost blow your diet!

Robert Gervais

I have a serious obsession with the colour grey, and when I found the portfolio of Parisian architect and interior designer Robert Gervais, I was in heaven. Grey walls, grey floors, grey doors....OH MY. There is other good stuff too but I keep coming back to the grey. In period homes like this, it's a magical colour and makes a beautiful backdrop for interesting architecture and furnishings.