11 Cosy Dining Nooks that Won’t Make You Miss a Full Dining Set

11 Cosy Dining Nooks that Won’t Make You Miss a Full Dining Set

August 4, 2021

Marylin Saldago

Who needs a full-fledged dining set when you have these quaint and cosy dining nooks? These ideas work well with smaller households, in families that don’t do a lot of eating in, or if you just don’t have a lot of space to play with. From wall-mounted bar booths to slide-out countertops, you will definitely want to pull up a chair to these tables.

1. Couched behind

Positioned just behind the couch, this royal blue dining nook stands out from the neutral-hued space whilst mirroring the wall behind it. Fluted details lend interest. Pro tip: You’ll want to design this slightly raised so that there’s a visual difference between the living area and the dining spot.

Design: D’Marvel Scale

2. Flip it up

Narrow space? No problem. Consider this flip-up dining table that can be flipped back down after meals so that it takes up only the most minimal of spaces.

Design: Hoft Interior

3. Rounded end

Ooh, we really like this one. This round dining table joins together with the kitchen island at one of its corners. It helps to offset the edges and lines in the space, while minimising the footprint it takes up.

Design: Notion of W

4. Sleek and Slide

Extending out from the TV feature wall in the living room, this dining banquette comes with a sliding tabletop that is able to accommodate a more generous dining space when needed.

Design: Free Space Intent

5. A hint of nostalgia

If we could crush on dining nooks, this one will be on the top of our list with its emerald green seating, feature wall made up of mustard tiles and the fluted table stand. The colour scheme leans towards retro, but the silhouettes are definitely timeless enough.

Design: Monocot

6. Green spot

A burst of greenery peeks out from this wall-mounted bar table, lending a refreshing touch to this clean, contemporary space. The addition of the decals and the typography enhance this dining nook’s young and fun vibe.

Design: Wolf Woof

7. Option to swivel

Another savvy space-saving dining nook that can be swung out during mealtimes! Positioned within the TV feature, it’s a major bonus for folks who like having dinner in front of the telly.

Design: Hello Embryo

8. Glide away

With the ability to glide back and forth from the built-in storage piece it is attached to, this dining table offers more flexibility in terms of seating and the usage of space.

Design: D’Marvel Scale

9. Pull-out table

Pull out the sides of this kitchen peninsula to reveal a petite dining table just for two. And you don’t even need special counter-height dining chairs for it since the pull-out tabletop is designed at a lower height.

Design: Wolf Woof

10. By extension

The kitchen counter was extended all the way into the living room in this small condominium, accommodating an extra area for a cosy dining nook. Sliding panels underneath the dining counter offer storage for serving ware.

Design: Habit

11. Island life

To incorporate a casual dining spot and a home bar, the marble-grain kitchen island was combined with a wood tabletop. The amalgamation of the two materials not only lends visual interest, but also helps to contrast the functions of the space.

Design: Design Zage

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Marylin Saldago

5 Modern Ryokan Homes in Singapore

July 30, 2021

In pre-Covid times, Singaporeans were one of the most avid travellers in the region. It therefore comes as no surprise that many of our homes are usually inspired by the places we have been and seen. These modern ryokan-inspired homes below that take inspiration from traditional Japanese inns are no different.

Made from traditional materials like bamboo and wood, ryokans are typically located in the rural countryside of Japan. Inside the ryokan, sliding paper screens—shoji—separate rooms decorated in tatami mats and futons, as well as a low wooden table and zabuton for sitting. Partaking in a traditional Japanese bath or a tea ceremony is also part of the ryokan experience.

But what is the ryokan appeal for our modern homes? Is it a call for the idyllic, for the simpler and slower pace of life that permeates the countryside? Or a reminiscence of the rich culture and gentle hospitality that we hope to replicate?

Whatever the reason, we cannot deny the ryokan’s quiet charm. If you’ve always wanted a home that looks like one, take inspiration from these modern ryokan homes that have married modern creature comforts with the elements of tradition impeccably.

1. A flexible modern ryokan home for a family of 5 by Pencil Office

The wooden screens, crafted to look like the ones seen in a ryokan, form the basis of the design of this apartment. Paired with laminated glass positioned in between the slats, the sliding screens separate the different areas of the home to allow for more flexibility in the use of the various spaces.

Closed off completely, the screens offer acoustic privacy without having to sacrifice the diffused daylight that gets filtered through. When opened, the apartment becomes a large and airy open-concept space.

This versatility was necessary for this family of five. The adults hosted guests over often, and would often entertain in the dining area or kitchen. They thus wanted to still be able to keep an eye on their young children while retaining a certain amount of privacy when hosting.

Parts of the home retain the original marble flooring, lending a subtle elegance to this minimal space. The rest of the home features a light-toned oak, with the lattice design of the screens casting interesting shadows and offering visual interest amidst the minimal material palette.

2. Attention to details in this 3,500-sqft residence by Upstairs and In-Expat

Enthusiasts of Japanese and Chinese cultures, the homeowners’ brief to the designer was simple enough: to create a ryokan style home for this family of three, along with their lived-in helper. What resulted is a home with meticulous attention to detail and a deep sense of care in regards to the materials and palettes used.

Because of the sprawling square feet, much of the original space was under-utilised. The home was thus reconfigured and left more open and fluid, with screens and columns to segregate the zones.

In the foyer for instance, a structural column was redesigned into a sculptural piece lined with oak veneers and curved edges to serve as a form of visual navigation between the main communal areas. Seigaiha-patterned screens are also decked out throughout.

The open kitchen, previously a tight and cramped space, now features a gorgeous 5-metre long island with plenty of room for food prep or light casual meals. Directly connected to the dining area, it is surrounded by sleek oak cabinets, with appliances flush neatly for a minimal aesthetic.

The living room sits on a sunken level for distinction, evoking the layered spaces seen commonly in a ryokan. One enters this space by stepping down on a Naguri textured plinth that can double up as a tatami platform when there are extra guests. The same material is seen again in the master bedroom, as a form of transition between the balcony and the sleeping sanctuary.

Lending a wonderful contrast, the bathroom evokes a deep dark marble. You see the same material being subtly used throughout the home, seemingly culminating in this most private space of this apartment.

3. An apartment with a $70K budget by Sync Interior

This 4-room flat is home to a couple that fell in love with Kyoto when they visited the Japanese city some years back. So much so that they decided to turn their Strathmore home into a space that resembles a minka, a traditional Japanese house.

Taking architectural references from the Edo period, they incorporated features like a zen garden situated at an alcove in their bedroom, a platform decked out in tatami mats in the living room and shoji-like screens to delineate the spaces. In the bedroom, mattresses are embedded into a low platform so they appear like futons without sacrificing modern comforts.

To further the aesthetic and the sense of traditional Japan, the home is decorated with the couple’s collection of Japanese antiques and souvenirs, including a Japanese tea set, folding fans, Japanese calligraphy, bonsai plants and noren, which are seen over the entrances into the bathroom and kitchen.

4. Infusing Scandinavian elements in this Canberra 4-room flat by 13th Design Studio

The homeowners of this Canberra home loved the look of a ryokan, but wanted a space that felt more modern to live in. As such, they opted to infuse Scandinavian elements into the home, which is the obvious route to take seeing as both styles cover a lot of similar ground.

Wood elements are featured predominantly. From the foyer, an eye-catching apothecary-style cabinet next to the bomb shelter stows away odds and ends. The living room, set on a slightly raised platform, comes with a timber fluted ceiling panel.

Walls here are similarly clad in wood. Coupled with the bay window seat decked out in cushions, the space evokes a cosy atmosphere that feels similar to being housed inside a ryokan.

The wood theme continues in the rest of the home. Along the walkway, a slice of glass panel showcases the homeowners’ collection of toy figurines, while a door within a door allows their kids to move in and out of the room easily.

Likewise, the kitchen, separated into a wet and dry space, is covered in woodgrain laminates, although a part of the full-height cabinets is decked out in grey laminates in order to visually flush the silver-hued double door refrigerator with the surrounding storage.

5. A minimalist BTO with Japanese sensibilities by Obbio Concept

With three young children and a busy lifestyle, the homeowners sought for a sanctuary that they could feel calm in. So when they got their keys to their new flat at Canberra, they opted for a minimalist style that would also reflect their love for Japanese design and culture.

The home relies heavily on the wood aesthetic, but balanced out with bright, white pockets of spaces in order to create a clean, clutter-free feel. In order to accommodate the needs of this large family, the home was designed with plenty of storage spaces. Most of which are concealed and hidden away in line with the theme.

A ryokan-style fluted wood screen was incorporated at the entrance of the home, setting the tone for how the rest of the space will look, whilst also lending privacy from neighbours that walk by. The shoe cabinet was also designed with a bench for wearing shoes that can be conveniently tucked away into the cabinet so that it doesn’t get in the way.

Nifty space-saving features continue in the rest of the home. The kitchen and study areas are enclosed behind glass doors to reduce the visual bulk. In the bathroom, the vanity cabinet was designed with an angle in order to facilitate movement in and around the bathroom. The bedroom too comes with an angled mirror panel at the sides of the wardrobe so that it takes up less space while helping to expand the room visually.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.amazingsidingstl.com/?p=202

What’s Trending: Wall Niches

July 26, 2021

If you’ve looked at the local home interiors scene of late, you’ll have noticed that a lot of spaces are employing wall niches.

These are recessed shelves and alcoves that are often used as a décor accent or a focal point. But they can also be used for proper storage. Because they are recessed, they also feel less bulky and seem to help contain clutter.

Wall niches aren’t new, but they are making a huge comeback and they are more stylish than ever. We show you some of our favourite ways to use them.

1. Living Room Feature Wall

The wall niches on this feature wall take on two roles: the one below the TV functions as a way to store miscellaneous media units, while the ones by the side provide a platform for displaying décor pieces. Notice that adjacent wall niches also feature wood bases, which add a little extra something to the minimalist display.

Design: Kuro + Kagi

Similarly in this pared-back living room, rows of wall niches provide room for displaying décor.

Design: Forefront Interior

Here, a wall niche allows the TV and sound bar to be recessed into the clean, all-white TV wall for a gallery-like feel.

Design: Right Angle Studio

2. Curved Wall Niches

As one of the hottest décor trends this year, curves are seen in everything, including wall niches. We’ve seen a ton of examples, but we love these ones best.

Use a contrasting colour to highlight your niche and the items on display.

Design: Design 4 Space

Design: Insight.Out Studio

For larger niches, including shelves will help to increase storage and display space. You can even go with contrasting shelves for that extra visual pop.

Designs: BuildBuilt

Design: Fifth Avenue Interior

Design: Ascend Designs

3. Bunch wall niches together to make a cluster

We love these tiny wall niches that sit in a cluster by the pantry area of the home. Rather than have things feeling too uniformed and sterile, employing different sizes of niches keep things more visually interesting.

Design: House of Chais

Or go with identical double wall niches for a more symmetrical and timeless appeal.

Design: Styledbypt

4. Circle Niches

If curves aren’t your thing, you might want to go full circle. We love them in Zen style interiors, but they work with all sorts of interior design themes from Scandinavian to beach resort.

Design: House of Chais

Design: Forefront Interior

5. Shower Niches

Bathrooms are getting the wall niche treatment too. Niches are usually tiled to prevent water from seeping through. Use the same tiles for your alcoves for a more seamless look, but if you want to have them stand out, juxtapose with different tiles. The spa-like bathroom below employed mosaic scallop tiles for the wall niche to contrast against the marble grain ones seen in the rest of the space.

Design: Lemonfridge Studio

Design: Notion of W

6. Kitchen Backsplash

Framing the sink area in this kitchen is a shallow curved wall niche that is tiled stylishly in grey-hued glossy tiles and kitted out with a wooden shelf. It also serves to break up the hard architectural lines in this space, helping to soften the overall vibe.

Design: House of Chais

7. Bedside Alcoves or Headboard Feature

Instead of a standalone nightstand, a recessed alcove in the bedroom below helps to channel a clean, minimalist aesthetic, while providing enough room to stow away bedside essentials.

Design: Three-D Conceptwerke

A shallow wall niche was used as a defining feature in this warm and charming bedroom.

Design: BuildBuilt

A wall niche was carved out on the wall behind the bed to serve as catchall for bedside necessities. Its asymmetry adds a quirky twist to this minimal space.

Design: D’ Initial Concept

8. Dining Nook

Deck out a wall niche with a bench and you’ve got a cosy seating nook. Below, wall niches were used to house dining benches.

Design: Karpentree Studio

Wallpaper your niche for that extra dose of personalisation.

Design: House of Chais

Will you be incorporating this trend in your home?

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.amazingsidingstl.com/?p=165

8 Ways to Refresh Your Kitchen Instantly Without Renovating

July 22, 2021

The kitchen is the heart of the home, where tasty meals are prepared and new recipes are invented. Charging up the kitchen’s dated interior design may not necessary be a prohibitively expensive affair. affair. Here are some fun ideas to get you started!

#1. “Skin” the kitchen cabinets for a different look

As the kitchen cabinets take up the most space in kitchen, changing the color or texture of the cabinet will completely transform the kitchen. Nevertheless, changing the cabinets’ look can feel can actually be incredibly affordable and easy with using either the flexible, self-adhesive vinyl film from 3M, or simply giving them a fresh coat of paint.

Tip: If you opt for a fresh coat of paint, remember to scuff the surface with sandpaper prior painting. For laminate cabinets, they require a special bonding primer.

Image from Foter

#2. Change the kitchen mood with a different wall color or design

Maybe the kitchen cabinets are fine, but the rest of the kitchen needs a refresh. The easiest way to pull this off is to either introduce a new wall color or design using wallpaper or paint, since kitchen tiles are just so cliched! In addition, you can consider using chalkboard wall paint for writing down your latest recipe. However, if you do not fancy using a chalkboard, you can consider transforming the surface into a magnetic one, with a magnetic primer!

Tip: If your kitchen wall is textured, it is not suitable for chalkboard paint on. The more paint coats used, the smoother the chalkboard wall will be. If you are doing up a magnetic wall, you need to use least three coats in order to make the magnetic attraction stronger.

Image from PaintZen

#3. Overlay countertop wall tiles with tempered glass backsplash

The tempered glass backsplash is gaining popularity among homeowners because they are easy to clean and add tremendous aesthetic value to any modern kitchen. If graphic designs are not your thing, a glass backsplash can be easily back-painted any color of your choice.

Tip: The tempered glass is able to resist extreme temperatures and therefore, suitable for installation near the stove.

Image from CBDGlass

#4. Swap out plain kitchen gear with colorful ones

You won’t believe how quick and easy it is to give your old, outdated hardware a refresh by incorporating cheerful pops of colors. Thankfully, a wide variety of kitchen brands such as KitchenAid, SMEG and Le Creuset, specialize in colorful cookware and appliances for that iconic and playful look.

Tip: Remember that the cookware chosen should match the cooktop. Flat-bottomed pans should not warp and are essential for an induction cook hob cooktop.

Image from ColorCrush

#5. Charge up the countertop with under cabinet lighting

Under cabinet lights are important as countertop lighting or as aesthetic purpose, where the kitchen counter top can be used as showcase pretty colorful kitchen gear dramatically. There are a variety of light fixtures which can be installed on the underside of cabinets easily, and they include stick on LED battery-operated lighting strips.

Tip: Under-cabinet lighting should be at least between 1000 to 2500 lumens, when it is used for task-related areas such as food preparation and other kitchen activities.

Design: 19EightyThree

#6. Switch to fancy kitchen lighting

Why settle for a a run-of-the-mill boring kitchen light when there are so many types of unique kitchen lighting; from flush-mounts to globes, chandeliers and much more, to instantly elevate a mundane boring space and look on-trend.

Tip: A kitchen serves a variety of purposes and therefore, the space should be properly lit with a combination of task lighting, general lighting, and accent lighting to maximize its potential.

Design: Charlotte’s Carpentry

#7. Level up with a designer movable kitchen island

A portable kitchen island adds precious counter space and storage in a kitchen, especially for tiny kitchens that lack food preparation areas and storage cabinets. Furthermore, being movable means that the portable kitchen island can positioned effortlessly, depending on the needs. Kitchen islands are now widely available in many different designs; from industrial to contemporary to fit your kitchen theme!

Tip: There are 4 types of kitchen island; bar-style kitchen island for enjoying drinks and snacks, dining kitchen island, butcher block kitchen island for food preparation, storage kitchen island which rolls under the work surface when it is not in use. Choose the most suitable one for your kitchen needs.

Image from Ikea

#8. Make guests green with envy with an herb garden

Incorporating a fresh herb garden not only makes your kitchen smell good, they are extremely convenient when it comes to cooking too. Since the herb garden needs at least six hours of sunlight a day, hanging the herbs near the kitchen window will make it easier for them to thrive and harvest too.

Tip: Although the kitchen windowsill is the perfect place for a beginner herb garden, you maximize the vertical space by hanging small galvanized buckets against the wall. A beginner herb garden is usually made up of thyme, parsley, basil, rosemary, sage or chives.

Image from DesignCafe

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.amazingsidingstl.com/?p=56

Home Improvement: Exterior Clapboard Siding

May 19, 2021

The siding on your home represents the roof and any number of things you may want to protect from the elements. Perhaps you have lived in a region where the weather never seems to cooperate, or perhaps you live in a part of the world that has historically seen harsh winters. Whatever the reason, you’ve probably considered having some siding done to protect the things around your house. Vinyl siding is one trendy solution to this problem.

As a generalization, siding as a building material used is usually associated with brick or stone. A more narrow perspective reveals a wide variety of materials used in the construction of homes: wood siding, composite siding (sometimes called metal siding or vinyl siding), gypsum board, asphalt, fiberglass, even plastic. If you were thinking about using wood siding, would you choose vinyl or aluminum? What impact would that have on the appearance of your home?

First, let’s look at what siding actually is. Siding is the final product of combining wood and mortar, pressed into shape. It’s the texture of the siding that gives it the finish, however. Siding styles come in various types, beginning with the basics, such as straight butt joints or mortise and tenon. There are also a wide variety of siding finishes, such as painting, stucco, and molded. Some sidings are pre-finished, and some are unfinished.

Some sidings are inlaid with small blocks of wood that resemble shingles. Other sidings have plastic panels that fit onto the wood panels. And then there are panels with overlapping plastic that form the more elaborate styles. You can even get vinyl siding that looks like ceramic tile.

So, what are the advantages of installing vinyl or metal sidings over other materials? The biggest advantage is the appearance. Vinyl and metal sidings can give your home a simple, clean, professional look. If you have a flat or hipped roof, these can provide good insulation. This means that your heating and cooling costs will be lower because the facade won’t conduct heat and cold properly.

Another advantage is that these sidings are very inexpensive when compared to wood clapboard or other similar projects. If you compare prices between vinyl siding and comparable projects, such as replacing shingles on a roof, the cost of wood clapboard will be almost double. You may also save money if you install insulated glass on your aluminum or vinyl sidings. These can add significant value to your home and, since they’re low maintenance, they’ll last for a long time.

Now, let’s talk about some disadvantages to using exterior cladding for your home. One disadvantage is that masonry siding and metal sidings have come in several different styles, including many that are not weather-proof. This means that you may want to choose a different style every year to change your appearance. Another disadvantage is that these sidings can crack during high winds, which is easy to do if you have a flat or hipped roof. Finally, exterior cladding is usually not a very good privacy measure since it can be easily seen from the street.

There are a couple of other popular siding materials, including bricks and slate. Each of these has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, wood siding (also called cedar siding) tends to rot when exposed to water for a long time. Bricks are a bit more resistant to rotting, but they don’t provide as much insulation either. Slate is the most insulating material between wood and brick, but it is also more expensive.