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Balconies are one of the most underutilised spaces in Singapore’s hot and humid climate. Increasingly, more homeowners, especially HDB dwellers, are using blinds to transform this neglected area into a semi-indoor space, say Durablinds’ founders, interior designer Ong Shu Hwai and her husband Kevin Ng, who set it up in 2017.
Based in I.Biz Centre, Durablinds, currently the exclusive distributor of Australian brand Ziptrak in Singapore and Malaysia, shares the space with ClimaShield, its service-oriented sister company specialised in precision semi-outdoor installations.
Together, they distribute, fabricate and install blinds in living, retail and commercial spaces, and also carry a European brand, Glass Curtains.
During the two and half years of the pandemic, the company saw the demand for its products and services spike as homeowners spent their travel budget improving their living spaces.
As a result, the company expanded its showroom, taking over an adjacent unit, and started revamping its second-floor showroom to welcome its latest product, Ziptrak Interior, last March.
Visitors are received in a double-storey space. Behind the reception desk is a display cabinet installed with Ziptrak Interior in lieu of doors.
Paired with LED strips, the blinds provide a degree of visibility and visual interest with their metallic finish and protect the contents of the cabinet from dust and exposure.
The second level is designed like an apartment, with living, working, kitchen and nursery spaces outfitted with Ziptrak Interior blinds.
“The shrinking living spaces in our high-rise developments have made it harder for homeowners to carve out separate areas for different purposes,” says Shu Hwai. “Our goal is to maximise living spaces with our solutions.”
Ziptrak Interior’s fabric samples and finishes are strategically placed all over the showroom. Even the bathroom has a blind, demonstrating its complete blackout capability.
The living room displays a limited-edition print co-created with local artist Nadirah ‘Inkten’ Razak of local visual artist duo Ink & Clog that depicts an abstract painting in blues and yellows that expresses the fusion of the indoors and outside. Ziptrak Interior is customisable with different prints.
The dining room setting features double-layer textured blinds with a resort vibe.
Ziptrak Interior’s blackout capability makes it ideal for a gaming room or alternative projection screens.
Visitors can view this in the nursery, which has floor-to-ceiling Glass Curtains overlooking Durablinds’ fabrication service area downstairs that can be blocked out and turned into a projection wall when the interior blinds are closed.
By examining the different options for installing indoor blinds in the showroom, one leaves feeling inspired.
The Showroom is at #01-14/15/16 I.Biz Centre, 32 Old Toh Tuck Road. Visit ClimaShield and Ziptrak for more information.