Home & Decor Singapore pays tribute to three decades of design with a look back on its most interesting features over the years.
This week we look at the eclectic flat of Hungarian-born visual merchandiser Maria Hall, who took decorative inspiration from Africa to China.
After six years designing eye-catching window and store displays for department stores, visual merchandiser Maria Hall tends to view any room dispassionately, as if it was an empty display window to be transformed with a distinctive theme.
She may not be able to let her decorating impulses loose in other people’s homes, but her Holland Road flat is a culmination of her exuberant imagination.
Her rattan writing desk and chair were custom made by a Victorian Street cane shop. A quirky counterpart to the muted tones of the Balinese painting is provided by a brilliant bouquet of carved wooden flowers.
The sitting room’s more formal mood comes via the military precision with which the furniture and art on the wall are lined up. The contrast of stark white walls and dark furnishings reinforce the feeling.
Not for the faint-hearted: a daring African theme is taken all the way with a brown mosquito net, animal skin prints, outsized plants and lots of rustic touches from rattan furniture to coir mat flooring.
To prove how versatile her lovely Balinese table accessories are, we created a sophisticated dinner setting. Here, Bird of Paradise napkin rings and Thai nickle-bronze cutlery hold court around a zany centrepiece – a carved wood coconut tree.
This cosy nook gets its relaxed, sensual air from an abundance of plush in rich, dark colours and low lighting that subtly picks out the gold in the carvings and cushion covers.
Everyone could use a cheerful start to the day. Maria’s ravishingly pretty breakfast table is shielded from an unattractive view of the road nu a hibiscus screen. Only incidentally functional, these charming trays, egg cups, bread racks and napkin rings make marvellous decorative accents when not in use.