Old Bishan Flat

The festive season is fast approaching and I always become a little more introspective at this time of the year. It’s the time we tend to celebrate the spirit of coming together and of being loved, but it’s also the period we sometimes forget just how fortunate we are. I watched Plan 75 yesterday (highly recommend) and am feeling a little perturbed by the themes they explored - some quite subtly, and others more in-your-face (systematised ageism, dignified dying, medically-assisted suicide, profound loneliness, social isolation, financial incapacitation in the most vulnerable “oldest of olds”, and so much more). I suppose it’s largely because it made me think about mortality - not simply my own but also that of people around me. So this is my own slightly macabre reminder to tell the people we love that we love them. 🤓 Happy holidays 😂

Probably my favourite angle of our home, if you can’t already tell 😂

Clawing back some time for ourselves this precious Sunday afternoon 🌞

Sleeping in on Sundays is indubitably one of the greatest joys in life 🤓🥱

A few Sundays ago, we let a group of strangers into OBF, on the premise of a relaxed and casual photoshoot. We were understandably apprehensive - OBF was our private little sanctuary, the doors to which were only ever opened to family and close friends - but we agreed to have them over, because we owned some of their products and believed in their philosophy. The team from @sojaoshop were fun, sincere, easygoing, and nothing but professional. Jan, their cofounder, led the conversations which flowed smoothly and easily, while Zac and his team tirelessly prepped the space for their shots, some of which are seen here. So, to the team at Sojao - thank you for these pictures and thank you for giving us the experience of opening up and making new connections.

My wife has always dreamed of a round dining table - but I, being the obstinate and pigheaded husband, had insisted a rectangular one would better suit our needs. It also somehow happened to be the second piece of furniture we bought for OBF. Our old teak table (last two slides) had served us well - we loved it, took great care of it and have since found it a new home. I had initially claimed that it was a non-negotiable, but have once again been humbly proven wrong (the secret to a happy and lasting marriage, I was told). This bold and exquisite rosewood beauty however, is quite literally something else. 🧡 And with it our dining set is now complete: the Niels Møller Model 15 extendable dining table in Brazilian rosewood is the perfect match for our Model 75 dining chairs in oak and leather. Both were sourced through @noden__ and beautifully made by @j.l.mollersmobelfabrik

Listening to Billy Joel on a rainy day so that I remember to slow down 🤓💆🏻‍♂️

Our vanity was constructed to enlarge what was by default a crammed and tiny ensuite bathroom - a problem of many old resale flats up till the early 90s. Moving the sink out into a newly partitioned area of our bedroom not only creates space in the toilet, but allows either of us to get ready in the morning without waking the other (on those rare occasions where one of us actually gets to sleep in 😂).

When we first came across the SNIP SNAP cushion covers made by @himuroyuri, we became instant fans. Each cushion cover is unique because you are able to cut the fabric at different spots to reveal what lies underneath. Our cushion cover features people mowing the lawn, beneath which lay insects and animals 🐍 Thank you Yuri san for very generously sending over a cushion cover and the lily reversible BLOOM blanket 🧡 We love them both very much!

We’re already halfway through September and the year is quickly coming to an end - where did all the time go?! 🫣

The idea of having an open concept home connecting the foyer, living, dining and utility areas was borne out of the need for flow within our space. Having lived abroad and moved multiple times during our formative years, our idea of what makes sense to us in a home was shaped by our experiences in these temporary spaces as students. Because we had full control over the renovation, we chose to take down all non-structural walls, start again from scratch, and put up only partitions that we felt were necessary for our lifestyle. The result is the current iteration of OBF.

Another angle of the dry kitchen - arguably the part of our flat that gets the most use - this time with the 5x 📷🤓