6.12.11

MAMA SAN, Bali, Indonesia

During my two recent trips to Bali, walked back-and-forth nearby Kerobokan area and Jalan Oberoi, I found the new treasure for food lovers. A touch of more affordable and laid-back that run by the same company as the Sarong Restaurant. Part Shanghai Grand-Era, part Gatsby-era New York, part English gentleman's club, Mama San offers the new concept of restaurant, bar, lounge, wine shop, and cooking class! Yes, a cooking class for kids & adults!



The word Mama San is an old term denoting a woman in a supervisory role within South East Asian gentlemen's drinking establishments.



The unique purpose built warehouse interior blends vintage and retro eras, with tan leather oversized Chesterfield sofas, and vintage oriental side lit screens.


A range of black and white pictures showcasing food travels around Asia adorn one of the walls in the ground floor dining room.




The upper floor plan is an open plan -- accessing the terrace bar, cooking school, toilets, and a 1000-wine bottle retail room allowing customers to buy wine by the bottle or case.



Source: MAMA San

25.7.11

West Elm Pop-Up Store

HOW TO MAXIMIZE RETAIL SPACE:

 1. THINK OF YOUR SPACE AS A BOX: ALL SURFACES COULD BE A DISPLAY FLOOR.

2. CATEGORIZE SPACE THROUGH CLIENTS' NEEDS: BEDROOM, BATHROOM, ETC. 

 3. CATEGORIZE THE SPACE THROUGH SHAPES (THAT FORMS NOT ONLY IN PICTORIAL, BUT ALSO TEXTURE).

4. ALWAYS REMEMBER: IT'S THE VOLUME OF THE SPACE THAT YOU DESIGNED, NOT ONLY THE AREA -- I.E. MULTIFUNCTION WALL FOR STORAGE FROM FLOOR TO CEILING. 

 5. COLOR CODE!

6. MORE IS MORE! DON'T BE CALM IN DESIGNING RETAIL SPACES.

24.4.11

HOTEL BRUNELLESCHI, Firenze

Firenze!
Florence in Italian which also means grandeur in designs, in every scale of space (according to my dictionary of design imagination).





4.3.11

If my hometown; Jakarta, have this superb public library, I promise to go there every week. I believe that if the government wants to spend money on creating a clean, organized, and attractive library, the people will actually read books and get smarter! A good design can be a good encouragement for the young generations. Well, at least me!


Borrowing and returning books trough this "one-hole-storage" could be a good idea to reduce the queue lines.
  
 
 

Don't you feel smarter already?

CL3 ARCHITECTS LIMITED STUDIO, Hong Kong

For young designers and/or architects who want to open their own business with limited budget, here's some ideas to inspire and motivate you all. Don't worry, sometimes money is not everything if we smart enough to re-use them wisely and attractively!


The use of old retail store doors is back to trend again with a little touch of effort: white paint! And don't you see that, the fish lantern that you can buy affordably in Hong Kong flea markets. It was originally for chinese festivals such as Chinese New Year, etc, only creative people will bring them in to decorate their offices.


Different styles of stools found in flea market can be pretty without any finishes. Don't afraid to combine them in a meeting table, or creative "table" area.


Ta da! Can you play ping pong? If you ever play ping pong, you'll recognized the blue table on the image above. In Hong Kong, most of people can play ping pong, it's their main sports! Most of the families in Hong Kong have ping pong table used as a sport area, as well as dining table. Oh well, maybe sometimes for working table?!