In 2021, the brunt of owning property turned bullish simply because of what economists termed the supply and demand factor. On the supply side, it meant that Singapore saw labor shortages and on the demand side, low-interest rates meant a cheaper price of borrowing which will, in turn, lead to more inflation. In Reddit speak, it meant that “HDB prices in Singapore are like stonks in the US. It only goes up.” More importantly, what does one make of shrinking HDB sizes: a paltry 110 square meters as opposed to 120 in the nineties and 123 in the eighties.
The three men behind KERNEL+ — a sub-line of KERNEL helmed by Jason, T Y Zheng of ACRE design consultancy and Melvin Keng, principal architect of Kaizen Architecture — however, believes that there is still room for good design in smaller ones: “design that is problem-solving, thoughtful, detailed and most importantly, possesses high aesthetic qualities.”
KERNEL+ strikingly stands out against the sometimes tepid waters of the sea of furniture. It looks closely at the lifestyles of the local community. “When Covid hit, this made our resolve stronger to create a collection that helps transform any home into an office and back again”, says Jason. It addresses that a piece of furniture should not just exist as a piece of bric-and-brac in one’s home (“Furniture stops being human-centric when it becomes entirely about form-making; when the end-user is not part of the thought process.”). Most importantly, however, it addresses the scale and size of the abodes we have to abide by now (“For Kernel+, it was important the components within the flat pack configuration were slender, conveying a slim and elegant aesthetic; whilst still maintaining reasonable structural integrity.).
Denne historien er fra February 2022-utgaven av MEN 'S FOLIO Singapore.
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Denne historien er fra February 2022-utgaven av MEN 'S FOLIO Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Performance Meets Sophistication
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The Expanse of Water
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Infinite Layers of Flavour
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Spirit of Oak
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A Platinum Jubilee
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Timeless Icon
Jake Gyllenhaal emanates spirit, style, and ambition, the enduring qualities of the Cartier Santos.
A Daring Spirit
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Square Root
It has been 25 years since Patek Philippe unveiled a new collection. The protracted wait is over with the Cubitus joining the Genevan manufacture’s lineup.
Poised To Remember
The first-ever re-release of a Maison Francis Kurkdjian fragrance - A Piece of Me (APOM) as a gender-neutral creation prompts a candid conversation with the master creative of the namesake perfume house. In an exclusive interview, Francis Kurkdjian talks to Men's Folio about what fragrance means to him, what inspires him, and what the horizon of the fragrance industry looks like in the years to come.
SOS
What can one turn to in the times of distress? When it comes to the skin, there's no better option than to sit back and let a select few hero products do the work. Soothing, gentle and reliable, these skin-saving failsafes have got the back of even the most sensitive and reactive of skins.