Saturday, December 22, 2012

Japan 2012

I was in Japan & Korea three weeks ago, it's no secret Japan is my favourite country in the world. No other country in the world where I've travelled gave me the same feeling as Japan. In Japan, everything is perfection - their attention to detail and desire to make anything ceremonious is truly admirable. Every time I arrive in Japan, my first must-do spot is Ginza!
Only in Japan, you find artisan dedicated their lives to making perfect shoes and shoes selling for $700-900 a pop. 

Window display at Barney's New York at Ginza. 

Roof top cafe break. Yums! 

My favourite department store at Ginza- Matsuya Ginza had a fair with a disco twist with Hermes scarves.

Over the top but tasteful decor Bvlgari at Ginza

Hiroshima is one of the cities on my must-visit list and I've been fortunate enough to travel there this time around for work. I asked the taxi driver to stop by the Hiroshima Memorial Dome on the way to dinner and had a walk around. This structure was left as it is after the first ever atomic bomb was dropped on human mankind. The feeling was eerie and you can't help but reflect on the devastation it has caused to the people then and to this day. 



The Great Gatsby


I cannot wait to watch this movie. Leonardo di Caprio has come a long way since Romeo & Juliet and has since been an actor to watch. I'm predicting an Oscar coming his way very soon. This movie is an overdose of visual orgasm and I cannot wait for it to hit the cinemas. 

Friday, December 21, 2012

Merry Christmas!


Merry Christmas to me! I think Mr Porter is a marketing genius. Despite being online, it beats any department stores in Australia in terms of offering a personalised and stylish shopping experience. Not only does it sell clothes online, it is a one stop for any stylish men to make it their regular stop to keep up to date with everything relevant - from music, stylish people and also recently, cooking tips! It's always fun to visit their websites, watch their video clips on YouTube and I'm a loyal returning fan.












Monday, December 10, 2012

Brad Goreski Home

I stumbled across style guru - Brad Goreski's home. The decor is impeccable and chic.



love the swivel leather chair


Chocolate paint against rustic door 

Chic chrome + leather dining chair




DSQUARED

I haven't paid much attention to the brand DSQUARED much in the past - somehow I always relate them to True Religion and the likes. I visited their store at ION Orchard, Singapore and was surprised to what I saw. I picked up a pair of high top sneakers - 





DSQUARED - founded by two twin brothers Dan & Dean Caten of Canada who have worked in fashion houses such as Diesel & Versace. I'm definitely becoming a fan. 


Car Shoe


The moment I have been waiting for is here! Free shipping on Mr Porter. After discovering - the brand Car Shoe, favoured by respectable figures such as President J F Kennedy, Mr Gianni Angeli at their store at ION Orchard in Singapore, I've been wanting a pair since. The prices at ION Orchard is exorbitantly high, classic signature Car Shoe would set you back $SGD700, whereas my favourite online store Mr Porter have it for a reasonable>£217. They come in variety of colours & material and I chose grey because it's an easy to match colour.


Friday, November 16, 2012

iMac coming soon

I lost count with how old my iMac is. Time for an upgrade in December? The new super-slim iMac. Apple.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Luxury Life of Dubai

If you have 45 minutes, watch the lives of rich and glamour in Dubai - presented by Piers Morgan. Don't you have that intense sensation deep inside you that it's you one day?

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Bill Amberg

I always thought any self-respecting men over the age of 30 should be forbidden to carry a backpack... Until I saw this backpack from Bill Amberg - I have been looking around for a bag because I am sick of seeing everyone carrying Tumi, my current work bag and I don't feel like it is my style to carry a formal leather briefcase/messenger bag. I placed an order via emailing Bill Amberg and it got shipped to my via their store in Mayfair, London - free shipping!
It is a bit of a smaller side but I think it'd be handy when I travel so my shoulder doesn't ache with heavy laptop. It is also their best-selling backpack so there was a big of a wait list to get the bag.

Singapore

I was in Singapore last week and my colleague who just moved to Singapore brought me to Kinki. It was at Customs House and it is an edgy Japanese themed bar + restaurant. On the rooftop, the view was to die for - the undisrupted view of Marina Bay Sands and the CBD.
Restaurant's feature Koi flooring
Japanese art deco and the food didn't disappoint too!

Monday, November 5, 2012

Art of Packing

I have flown close to 200,000 miles this year. From Vancouver to Manila, tropical to cold, rainy to sunny and I am first to admit that I am terrible at packing. I usually bring a lot more than I actually need and I need to bring 3 pair of shoes - one for Gym, Dress shoes and a pair of casual shoes. For this post, let's look at how the stylish travel. TYLER BRÛLÉ'S 10 RULES ON PACKING 1. There's no such thing as check-in. Carry-on -- always. 2. You can usually carry on one extra bag if you ask nicely -- at least in Europe. 3. Three days, three months: it's all the same when it comes to packing. Hotels have laundry service for a reason. 4. No logos. Discreet is far superior to bling, particularly in less secure destinations. 5. Always pack a collapsible tote for shopping and in-flight material like magazines, toiletry kits, slippers et al. 6. Overlook bags by Porter, Herve Chapelier, Globe-Trotter, Coperto and Valextra at your own peril. 7. Consider the safari jacket (Helmut Lang or Alberto Aspesi); it is an excellent all-round, all-weather garment. 8. Opt for Peter Geeson knitwear in single-ply lamb's-wool; it's multiseasonal. 9. Always ask your laundry service to fold and bag shirts rather than hang them. 10. Dop kits (nylon over leather) are best kept small, as size imposes discipline. From New York Times

Financial Times + Tyler Brule + Monocle

I've been traveling a lot - from Shanghai, Sydney, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore in a few weeks. Every time I fly Singapore Airlines, I look forward to reading a copy of Financial Times - whilst the journalism in the English paper is excellent, I most look forward to Tyler Brule's column the Fast Lane. I had no idea who he was but I just loved his column. He has impeccable taste in everything fine in life and his high flying career is the career I dreamed of. As I followed him more, I found out that he is founder of Wallpaper* magazine which was subsequently sold to Times and he has since started a new magazine - called Monocle. It didn't take me long to get a copy of the magazine when I saw it in a newsstand in Singapore. Reading the magazine will transport you to the world that is out there and gives you an overall brief on what's cool and relevant that is on offer in the world. Here is a video by Monocle featuring Melbourne's coffee great coffee culture

Friday, September 7, 2012

A Living Space by Kit Kemp

If I can only choose one favourite designer, it would be undoubtedly be Kit Kemp. Her sense of style is always full of surprises, injection of mood-provoking patterns, colour of patterns. When I saw that she has her published her one very book, it didn't take me much time to pre-order it online.
A Living Space

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Strandmon Wing Chair

I've been looking around for a comfy armchair for my master bedroom. The chair has to look sleek and has to be a spot for me to sit down with my legs up to do some reading or just chill. Of course, budget has to be in within parameters too.

Never have I been so excited for an Ikea product, coming in 1st October 2012 ! - The Strandmon Wing chair, together with the ottoman is on top of my wish list!


I am never a big fan of flat pack furnitures but I allow myself dosage of small quantity of very little accessories from IKEA. The last thing I want when people over to my house is to notice the Billy Bookcase, or the this and that $9.90 coffee table that looks like someone with a student budget has.

But this chair definitely looks very attractive and I'm very eager to own it, it comes with Blue as well which is perfect with the colour scheme of my master bedroom.


Thursday, August 9, 2012

Foyer


My foyer & study is depressing as hell and I have been working on it for the past 2 weeks. The first thing I did was embark on my first paint job ever. I have been inspired by a lot of greys and wanted something bold for a change. 


I was in Geelong today and saw this mirror at an antique shop. I have always wanted to try out a gold something in my home but have never got the guts to. For some reasons, the mirror really appealed to me and to my disappointment it was sold as a set with a console. Despite that, I wanted the mirror so bad, I bought the whole thing anyway. 

Watching Tom Ford Visionaires the other day, I, too was inspired by his stage setting. Very simple chic focal point of a gold detailed mirror. 



End result, I'm quite pleased with it. I picked up the two prints from a flea market, sold to me by a French dealer. With his French accent, anything he said was credible. He said they were 1950s and he advised me not to change the aluminium frames as they were original 1950s frame and I'm glad i listened to him.



Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Hotel Penaga, Georgetown Penang

I was in Penang a few weeks ago to visit a friend while taking the opportunity of a mini vacation from my business trip to Kuala Lumpur. Georgetown being a UNESCO World Heritage Site - had experienced a boom of so-called boutique hotels to cater for its increasing tourist influx. 

My colleague swears by the Mr & Mrs Smith hotel group and me having never been to Penang I took the plunge and book a boutique hotel from Mr & Mrs Smith website. I decided on Penaga Hotel, right in the heart of Geogetown. 

Housed in one of refurnished pre-war townhouses Georgetown is famous for, I'm not really a fan of its decor, the materials they use looked really cheap..you can tell by the mirror and the scone lightings. 
Bathroom



 Bedroom decor. Not sure about the green latex-like couch. Not very comfortable either - I had to wear ear plugs because the street noise was never ending from motorcycles and beeps and the room was so badly sound proofed.




Hotel Facade




 Wall Art - Georgetown is embracing its artistic culture. 




 Lush & nice tropical landscape 








Would I stay there again? Definitely not, for USD160 I can opt for a full serviced 5 star hotels in Georgetown which may be too 'generic' or 'commercial' by some but at least I can be assured I'm getting bangs for bucks rather than the 'boutique' hotel which failed in proving me efficient service (turned up to the hotel and the receptionist was so unprofessional claimed I have no bookings under their hotel) and a comfortable stay. 







Sunday, July 29, 2012

Philip Crangi

Browsing The Selby, my regular blog reads, I stumbled across this inspiring room:

Love everything about it


Loving the big scaled table lamp

Love the banana yellow couch

Cosy reading chair with industrial lighting