http://www.cbre.com.sg/residential/leoniestudio1.JPG

Location: 21 Leonie Hill Singapore 239223
Total No. of Units: 97(1 Tower)
Tenure: 99 yrs w.e.f. 7 Jan 2002
Expected TOP: 30 September 2006
Developer: Guoco Land
Sizes: 689-3,584 sq ft
Description : One block of 32 Storeys residential flats with basement carparks, swimming pool and ancillary facilities.

Project Features: With only 4 apartments per floor, the development offers exclusive privacy and a living area with a spacious balcony and full glass curtain wall in master bedroom - Nestled in prime district 9, it is a stone's throw away from Orchard Road shopping and entertainment hub. Located just 5 mins walk to Orchard MRT station, it also has quick access to the city and Central Business District (CBD). The entertainment establishments of popular Mohamed Sultan Road are also nearby.

this looks weird imo.. white walls look cheapskate...

Maybe its cream? The glass along the sides look good though.

Construction signboard
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/500/103leonie.jpg

The site at the end of April 2004
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/500/103leonie2.jpg

huh still flat!!

i remember getting a um.. postcard or brochure or mini booklet about it like at the beginning of last year or something...

Hayoh.... Condominiums in Singapore are beginning to look increasingly weird... and they all resemble each other in certain ways! Most have th esame basic colour scheme, long glass windows that stretch from the ground up but not the whole building, and lot's of palm trees....

huh still flat!!

i remember getting a um.. postcard or brochure or mini booklet about it like at the beginning of last year or something...

You mean it was announced so far back? How did you get it.

Its flat now as they just demolished an existing condo on the site.

Hayoh.... Condominiums in Singapore are beginning to look increasingly weird... and they all resemble each other in certain ways! Most have th esame basic colour scheme, long glass windows that stretch from the ground up but not the whole building, and lot's of palm trees....

I agree, which is why Lincoln Modern & Moulmein Rise are so refreshing. But this one has skygardens.

i got it in th email i think... prob some bank promotion for my mom. dont know? anyway wasn't interested enough to post... but nice to see it again :)

I dont really like the green glass...I suppose that is the problem here. :D

Dont worry lah..glass usually changes colour several times a day, unless its heavily tinted :cool:

Dont worry lah..glass usually changes colour several times a day, unless its heavily tinted :cool:
Reminds me of the green on the OMB. Seems like I dont realy like green...looks like dirty blue to me! :D

i hated the green glass rendering of ntuc.. turned out ok.. this probably would... not so sure about what seems to be white paint though...

i hated the green glass rendering of ntuc.. turned out ok.. this probably would... not so sure about what seems to be white paint though...
OMB's may look okay, but sometimes it looks bad, especially when the sky is overcast. The only reason why it seems to look ok all day is because it is the only green one on the skyline so far?

hrmm... never seen it looking bad before.. i dont think it would make much difference if it were the only green one? i hated the rendering because the green was so... cheap looking... the actual green is so different.. a lot darker...

29 June 2004

still digging away

http://mywebpage.netscape.com/ssc1819/leoniestudio.jpg

28 August 2004

Its been 2 months
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/500/103ls288.jpg

25 Oct 2004

http://img61.exs.cx/img61/8053/ls2510.jpg

the signboard

http://img70.exs.cx/img70/8923/ls2510a.jpg

It's gonna look great! :okay:

its also going to add quite a bit of density to that area

showroom getting readied
http://tinypic.com/ea35oh.jpg

Very high-ceiling skygarden! :cool:

27th January 2005

http://ssc.singapenguin.net/05/050127_leonie_studio01.jpg
Iron coming out of the ground :-)

Finally!!!

:banana:

it has been many months

btw how did you get a shot of the site? Didnt they close the fence or something?

No, I raised my arm and took the shot blind :-)
This is the one that turned out to be the best ;-)

oh..maybe you can try that again..I think it is coming out of the ground now :D

Why not ? I'm considering buying another condo in this area, so that I can view Orchard from both sides with my flat at the Amaryllis ^^ j/k.

7th March 2005

growing

http://img87.exs.cx/img87/5449/ls07036mm.jpg

No, I raised my arm and took the shot blind :-)
This is the one that turned out to be the best ;-)

Should try that with the rotating Nikon cameras. Haha.

10th April

It's getting out of the ground :-)
http://ssc.singapenguin.net/05/050410_leonie_studio01.jpg

It took such a LONG time for this one to rise :cool:

maybe its becos of the hilly location

http://www.myhome.com.sg/leoniestudio/images/Leonie-latest-map.gif

http://www.myhome.com.sg/leoniestudio/images/facilities.jpg

http://www.myhome.com.sg/leoniestudio/images/introduction2.jpg

[img]http://www.myhome.com.sg/leoniestudio/images/introduction2.jpg

the view it provides doesnt really appeals to me...

13 July 2005

http://tinypic.com/8zqm2w.jpg

"view" from sky terrace can be seen from

http://www.myhome.com.sg/leoniestudio/location.shtml

17 Sep 2005

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/3733/ls17096qm.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Been to the showflat. Very clever interior design. Only 1-bedroom units left, facing River Valley Road. The first appartment floor is equivalent to a 7th storey... Not bad :-)

There is underground carpark, hence the very long foundation construction.
Price is around 900 psf.

6th February

http://ssc.singapenguin.net/06/pano_060202_leonie_studio01.jpg
Here's some progress :-)
Over 20 stories now and it's looking good.

I like the blue fittings...it looks a lot like Newton Suites to me

4 March 2006

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/7449/ls04038th.jpg

Went to the investor preview many months back.
Didnt like the orientation.

Of the 4 units ... only 1 facing is decent ... the rest are all blocked by this or that ...

Also ... its 99 years amongst all FH ... good yield though ...

Cheers!

22nd May

http://membres.lycos.fr/pengssc/img/060522_leonie_studio01.jpg
As seen from Orchard Road. Sorry about over exposure, the sky was really bad for photo-taking :-/

really slim and tall!

Love the sky-garden features

17 June 2006

http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/2341/ls17060bq.jpg

http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/2518/ls1706b7vq.jpg

24 Jun 2006

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/00.jpg

Thats a nice and colourful pic :)

When I first went for the preview and site visit ... I keep thinking of the proverb "Si(4) Mian(4) Chu(2) Ge(1)" Four side facing obstacles ... with only, probably unit 03 which has an open view ... the rest of the units probably feel entrapped ...

What do you think ?

I think this doesn't apply to the floors above the skygarden (24 and above if I remember correctly). Those will have a quite nice view whatever the side, even if it may still be partially blocked. My gf and I liked the showflat for Leonie Studio a lot, we even shortly considered requesting family assistance to purchase a unit, but this would not have been reasonable considering our situation at that time :-)
Layout was nice with some very clever built-in storage. Quality looked good too... Location is really prime.

"Location is really prime"

Lucky Towers is "prime". This one is "ultra-prime". [Anything closer to Orchard is "hyper-prime" :-) ]

"Location is really prime"

Lucky Towers is "prime". This one is "ultra-prime". [Anything closer to Orchard is "hyper-prime" :-) ]

talking about prime.... which part of singapore is considered THE MOST prime?

Pengui : Errmm ... the shorter buildings you see around that doesnt block the Leonie Studio views ... those agents in the Leonie showflat is probably signing these owners up for en bloc ... haha ! The kanna double whammy when unit TOP and looking for tenant ... 1) View GOING to be blocked, 2) Construction for next 18 months (maybe less, if you are lucky 6-12 months) ...

Just some thoughts I have at the showflat ...

Actually most of those flats around Leonie Studio are reasonably new and I don't think they're going to be redevelopped within the next 5 years or so. Then again as I said in another thread, if having long term unblocked view is a must-have, then just don't buy in Singapore ^ ^

The short building on the left in this pic has recently gone enbloc I believe.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/00.jpg

Rest my case ... haha!

Buyers who paid extra because units above the short building has a "better view" ... now can start writing off the thousands they paid extra ...

*sigh ...

I have bought a unit in Leonie Studio unit no #21-01. My unit will face Grange Road/Orchard Boulevard area. My view is not blocked by the building opposite as I will get a diagonal view of Orchard area across the Grange Road juntion. I have just been notified by the developers that I shd get my stamp duty payment ready as the TOP is around the corner.

I bought the unit for its location, 5 minutes walk from Orchard Road and 5 minutes to Great World City, which I thought is fabulous. I will be able to give an insider's report on the development upon moving in soon.

lieblingsg

Wow there are quite a number of newcomers to this forum. WELCOME!

I am currently living in the building next door to Leonie Studio - the Hilton Tower (the shorter beige building). The building was en-bloc in April 2006 and residents were given until around mid of 2007 to live there before it is being demolished to make way for a "more than 30 stories building" - said the rumors amongst current the residents.

Previously considering buying a unit in Leonie Studio but finally changed my mind due to the fact that I have been living with constant noise from the construction of Leonie Studio for the past two years and not looking forward to live with another few more years of construction noise when they start the construction on the site of current Hilton Tower.

Coupled with the fact that Horizon Towers - one building away from Leonie Studio - is currently preparing themselves for en-bloc ...........

Wow, are we talking like 5 years of constanst noise here since learning from Leonie Studio experience, the workers there work from 8 am - 11 pm Monday to Saturday and 8 am - 9 pm Sunday.

I have bought a unit in Leonie Studio unit no #21-01. My unit will face Grange Road/Orchard Boulevard area. My view is not blocked by the building opposite as I will get a diagonal view of Orchard area across the Grange Road juntion.


i sort of agree with lieblingsg as unit 01 is at the curve of the road at leonie hill facing the teachers college and greens while unit 2 would have the best orchard road view.

Leonie Studio TOP !

This project is now completed :-)

Here are some pics of the finished tower taken 5th November

http://ssc.singapenguin.net/06/061105_leonie_studio01.jpg
I like the funny hat on top ^ ^

http://ssc.singapenguin.net/06/061105_leonie_studio02.jpg
Entrance

http://ssc.singapenguin.net/06/061105_leonie_studio03.jpg
River Valley-side elevation

http://ssc.singapenguin.net/06/061105_leonie_studio04.jpg
Grange Road-side elevation... It's a bit skinny but still pretty !

http://ssc.singapenguin.net/06/061105_leonie_studio05.jpg
Close-up of previous pic.

I bought the unit for its location, 5 minutes walk from Orchard Road and 5 minutes to Great World City, which I thought is fabulous.

Can't agree more, plus the really clever design of the 1-bedder... I wish I had been rich, then I would have bought a flat here !!! >_<

nice pics, the top looks unique ;-)

Very nice building... drove past there another day, contrasted with the surrounding older buildings... nice pool... and cannot agree more - location is great!!

recently papers reported Leonie hill area enblocs sold $1179 psf ppr.
and reduction in home supply of 43% in this area.

this is going to be hot man!

Very nice pix ... take more wor ... the rest are going to start soon ...

Lieblingsg : Invite us to your place to look see look see leh ...

Lieblingsg: I am keen to be placed on your invitation list too (if you don't mind.)

Lol, if there is an invitation list to your fabulous party, I don't mind being a guest.:D

me too dun mind to be ur guest....

LOL, he's not the one who started with the idea... You guys will scare him off ^ ^

...

By the way, please invite me too ^ ^

Hi! Long time no see. I have moved to my apartment. What can I say. . .quality of life jumped 50 notches higher! This is such a fantastic development. The pool is better than any of the hotel pools in Singapore. The common area on the 24th fllor has exquisite views and very relaxing ambiance. And the view from my 21st floor apartment is priceless. I get crimson sky during the sunset and absolute greenery during the day. My dining table is on the balcony and eating is al fresco. Pictures will follow soon.

Am wondering if I should sell and buy something else. Dont know which one to buy though. Would appreciate suggestions.

Hi! Long time no see. I have moved to my apartment. What can I say. . .quality of life jumped 50 notches higher! This is such a fantastic development. The pool is better than any of the hotel pools in Singapore. The common area on the 24th fllor has exquisite views and very relaxing ambiance. And the view from my 21st floor apartment is priceless. I get crimson sky during the sunset and absolute greenery during the day. My dining table is on the balcony and eating is al fresco. Pictures will follow soon.

Looking forward to the pictures ... and possibly an invite?

Alamak. My membership does not allow me to post attachments. How to send photos mah?

Dear Wee

You would be most welcome. But let me settle down for a bit more. The last piece of furniture just arrived last week!

lieblingsg

Hi liblingsg,

You need to put your photos somewhere else. For example, you could sign up for an account at http://photobucket.com and upload your photos there.

Photobucket will also easily provide some text that you could copy and paste into your posting at Skyscrapercity, so that your posting will link to the photos at Photobucket.

Thx Wee. Let me test this. This is the view from my apartment during the day.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/viewmorn.jpg

I hope it works.

Thx Wee. Let me test this. This is the view from my apartment during the day.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/viewmorn.jpg

I hope it works.


Nice! It must feel very serene up there. Can we have a night shot too please?

Thx Wee. Let me test this. This is the view from my apartment during the day.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/viewmorn.jpg

I hope it works.

It works. If you want the photo to appear directly in this forum posting (without clicking to the link), put the website address of the photo ( http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/viewmorn.jpg ) between and , leaving no spaces.

The effect is:
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/viewmorn.jpg

Great view!

The scenery is very green and appears quite unobstructed.

Do you have pics of the skygarden?

I will post pic of skygarden soon. Must get camera. Promise.

View from the lift lobby on 21st floor this afternoon.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/Liftlobbyview.jpg

*sob* my dream house! If only I had the money at that time... I would have bought it for sure... And now I would be twice as rich ;_; And maybe I would spam the forum with money questions too ^ ^

I will post pic of skygarden soon. Must get camera. Promise.

Thats great. Looking forward to the pics :)

Pics of sky terrace on 2th floor as promised.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/skyterrace1.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/skyterrace.jpg

Very nice!

charming :)

The sky terrace is a very nice area in the building- very picturesque views and very peaceful haven. It also gets very windy.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/skyterrace4.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/skyterrace3.jpg

View from sky terrace facing south. See neighbouring buildings and Great World City in the background.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/skyterrace5.jpg

There is a kitchen station on the north corner of the sky terrace for you to barbeque or prepare teppanyaki if you choose to cater for a private function on the sky terrace. Here is a view of the kitchen station with Takashimaya in the background. Also a view of the condos along grnage road through the foliage.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/sky-terrace-7.jpg

Nice condo view along Grange Road. Notice the view is very green.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/skyterrace6.jpg

View of swimming pool from the sky terrace at night. Quite pretty sight!

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/sky-terrace-8.jpg

A pond greets you as you enter the sly terrace area from the lift lobby.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/sky-terrace-9.jpg

Fire escape staircase at the Eastern part of building reminds you of New York.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/sky-terrace-10.jpg

View of north facing units from the sky terrace on the 24th floor. These units have the Orchard Road view and are therefore more expensive. But personally I prefer the west facing view which is where my apartment is. The view is greener.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/sky-terrace-11.jpg

And finally, view from my balcony on the 21st floor just after sunset. My guests dine al fresco on the balcony.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/sky-terrace-12.jpg

*clap, clap, clap* very nice!:)

Thank you for sharing the pictures.

Nice home. :)

thanks for the lovely pics... with such a nice place, why are you thinking of moving?

It's really nice. Thanks for sharing. Allow me to live vicariously for a moment.
The greenery is really hard to come by when you get so close to Orchard.

Why am I moving? Hmmm. I know the place is gorgeous. I really enjoyed doing up the apartment. But the price has doubled and it is a good chance to cash in and move on to another apartment and do it up in a different style. I am eyeing an old tiong bahru flat but the price these days is enough to give you a heartburn! I will miss this place tremendously. I know that once I get out, i cant afford to come back in.

My living area. See reflection of the Colonade on my mirror tv.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/living-room.jpg

View of the balcony from the living room.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/living-room2.jpg

OMG! Y! The last 2 pics gave us a peek into your interior...and it's kinda so contrasting with the views outside.
Liebling...how I wish you could 'open' your house for our SSC party...

Mirror TV? Where did u find such things?

Truly wonderful place ^ ^

My mirror tv I got from Atlas hifi. Actually my apartment is the first in Singapore to have it done this way. When you enter my place it looks as if I have no tv. But I have a huge ornate mirror with a baroque frame for you to admire yourself in. The mirror also adds the volume to the room which is otherwise quite small. Then, when I switch on the remote, the tv magically appears behind the mirror. It is a new fangled gizmo from Germany which makes great ID.Picture soon.

CT. Yes, the interior contrasts with the outside. It was intentional. I didnt want to decorate in the usual contemporary style that is so ubiquitous here. You get a lot of those from looking at the local interior decor magazines. I was inspired by the looks featured in Elle Decor, which I think is the best ID magazine.

Some of the furniture is custom made using my own design. Others I shipped them from Morocco, to give the apartment a hint of the arabesque yet on the whole it still is thoroughly modern. Overall, it looks quite eclectic.

This is the first time I am showing pics of the apartment to people actually. So you get a preview before it is featured in a magazine.

The study with lamp from Marrakech. The sofa is a cheap sofa bed from Ikea, but it looks quite posh when mixed with the rest of the decor!

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/lamp2.jpg

Very exotic lamp.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/lamp.jpg

Here is a pic of the mirror tv. It is a 37 inch LCD hidden behind a special one-way mirror. Panasonic may have a version but the size of the mirror is fixed. This one is made in Germany and I asked for the biggest mirror size possible. Hence, the drama look.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/mirrortv.jpg

This is pic of the living room. The sofa is a custom made, inspired by a design you can get in Space at Millenia Walk. If you buy, you pay something like$18,000! When you make, it costs a quarter of the price. The coffee table is comprised of tiles salvaged from old moroccan homes which I bought in an antique shop in Tangier and turned into a coffee table. The screen is a beautiful handcarved masterpiece from Fes which has a hint of the andalusian influence of southrn spain, which is of course, just north of Morocco.

The chandelier is bought from an interior designer in Singapore. It was by luck I chanced upon it. It is very drama.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/livingroom.jpg

The previous pics of the study were not of good quality. So I reload so that you can appreciate the details better. I chose the psychedelic wall paper to blend with the lamp.

The lamp casts such a nice shadow on the ceiling and the wall. The study doubles as a guest room. The sofa bed opens up to comfortably fit 2 adults.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/study1.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/study.jpg

The balcony is my dining area. I custom made the dining furniture in wrought iron so as to conform with the moroccan look. Morocco is famous for thier wrought iron furniture. The design is inspired from garden furniture I saw on the internet. The furniture is weather proof.

The lamp is something which I picked up from Tangiers. It is made of coloured glass which casts very colourful shadows on the ceiling and wall. If I switch off all lights except the balcony lamp, the effect is actually quite romantic.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/DSCF0222.jpg

View of the balcony from the bay window of the master bedroom.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/DSCF0230.jpg

hi lieblingsg,

thanks for sharing the pictures of your place with us. very nice.

so many imported stuff. and that mirror TV is so cool.

its very nice!!

Thanks for the virtual walk in your home. The contrast is good, I'm impressed. It makes the home so out of the world with the city buildings as backdrop.
I'm quite sure you're an antique lover and you're daring to put in so much colours together into your home. You've given me some good ideas for my future home... A magazine is featuring your home? Congrats! Which one is that?

The magazine is Square Rooms. They are coming to shoot this week. Actually I am not really a big antique lover. Sometimes when you have antique decor, the look may be too dated or overwhelmingly old. You have to be careful in mixing the old and the new. I was going for an updated moroccan/arabesque look. Moroccan interior decor is a whole movement in itself and is as distint as oriental or other genres of ID. It is influenced by north african, french and spanish as well as berber origins. You can pick up entire books on the subject and if you travel to morocco you will find a wealth of ideas to do up yr place. I could open a whole shop selling moroccan furnishing. They have these in the UK/Europe where tastes are more varied. So, for my apartment, whilst there are hints of the traditional, it is still very much elegant and fits in an urban environ without becoming kitsch.

Masterbedroom.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/poof4.jpg

The bed and the bedside tables which double as a lamp.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/DSC01608.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w135/lieblingsg/DSC01601.jpg

Hi Liebling, your home is gorgeous both inside and for the building it's in! IMHO, I wouldn't sell, even with the potential capital gain...

you forgot the mandatory disco ball.

The magazine is Square Rooms. They are coming to shoot this week. Actually I am not really a big antique lover. Sometimes when you have antique decor, the look may be too dated or overwhelmingly old. You have to be careful in mixing the old and the new.
I'll look out for that! Yup...can't agree more with the antiques, it takes one to decide what goes with what...

Very beautifully done, lieblingsg. :D

Thx for the compliments. I am itching to sell so that I can buy something else and do it up in a completely different style! Am seriously eyeing a tiong bahru prewar flat. Or the old HDB behind tiong bahru market. Am hoping to do it 50s style.

By the way gr999, a disco ball will be so out of place. :-)

Moroccan feast for the senses

21 Apr 07

Morocco is a land with a rich cultural heritage and a longstanding interior decorating tradition. EMILYN ANG discovers a Moroccan inspired home right here in Singapore

http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/mnt/media/image/launched/2007-04-21/BT_6081623_20_04_2007.jpg

IMAGINE living in a Moroccan palace - with dark, rich tones of red, blue and gold and evenings spent lounging on couches, elaborate carpets and cushions, all hand-woven by Morocco's Berbers (mountain folk). As night falls, wrought iron lamps illuminate the room and shadows cast a mysterious and sensual feel, leaving your guests spellbound as they conjure imaginary scents of cinnamon, nutmeg and exotic spices that whisk them to the souks (outdoor markets) in Marrakesh.

http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/mnt/media/image/launched/2007-04-21/BT_6081745_20_04_2007.jpg
http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/mnt/media/image/launched/2007-04-21/BT_6081712_20_04_2007.jpg

This is the vision that 42-year-old owner, Suhaimi Lazim, a partner in a leading Singapore law firm, set out to achieve for his bachelor pad. The interiors of his 926 sq ft apartment in Leonie Studio, River Valley, hark back to the glorious ages of Morocco, a nation famous for intricate and opulent detailing. The result - a stunning Moroccan inspired home, which reflects Mr Lazim's passions for new cultural experiences, such as travelling and cooking.

Tired of trendy Zen and minimalist looks, he set out to find a modern yet eclectic style that reflected his personality. 'I was looking for something that was bold yet understated, without being too fussy and over the top.' After six or seven trips he made in recent years, he toyed with the idea of Indian-inspired interiors, but decided it was not quite his style. While flipping through international interior design magazines one day, he noticed Moroccan themed homes just becoming in vogue, popular in France and the United Kingdom.

Mr Lazim made a trip to Morocco and was impressed. 'I was so inspired by the culture of a nation filled with everything, from rich cuisine to glorious architecture, to furnishings by very good craftsmen.' He was determined to follow the rich and unique Moroccan interior decorating tradition, combined with a modern touch.

However, it was an uphill task finding appropriate furnishings and design advice here in Singapore. 'Many furnishings were mostly Indian-inspired, so I ended up making three shopping trips to Morocco,' he explains. This theme, thus, did not come cheap, setting him back by about $150,000 to $160,000, including furnishings and renovations.

With furnishings painstakingly sourced from various Moroccan cities and Singapore, his apartment combines a unique mix of local and international influences. Eclectic feature mirrors reside along a crystal chandelier in the Salon Marocain, the Singapore equivalent of a Moroccan living room. Tea and sweets are neatly placed on the coffee table - designed in the Moroccan style of featuring antiquated zelljie (hand-cut tile) ornaments.

A large, gilded gold-framed mirror and the crystal chandelier set against understated pearl wallpaper adds an elegant modern feel to this space. By balancing modern elements with traditional Moroccan designs, the decor produces a lively, yet casual atmosphere. The large mirror, one of his personal favourites, cleverly hides a television screen behind. It was achieved through a highly complex and technical process, costing at least $30,000. A false wall was first created, and a cutout was made for the screen of the television, which was, in turn, mounted directly onto the concrete wall. The mirror was then placed over the false wall to create a facade, and at a touch of a button, your favourite television shows can be viewed through the mirror.

'I didn't want a traditional television set, but chose the mirror concept because it was different, and also adds volume this way.' This is perhaps revealing of Mr Lazim's nature - meticulous, unique and pleasantly surprising.

His love for cooking was distinctly apparent through his rather large collection of Moroccan ceramics and tableware throughout the apartment. He specialises in Moroccan cuisine, and enjoys hosting dinner parties. In the words of Moroccan-born writer Edmond Amran el Maleh, 'Moroccan cuisine is truly the perfumed soul of our culture.'

Mr Lazim's specialties of Moroccan lamb tajine braised with apple and pears, chicken with lemon-lime, and lamb shanks flavoured with Moroccan spices and olives capture just that. He particularly enjoys making Bastilla, a traditional Moroccan pie usually filled with shredded pigeon, but he substitutes it with a tasty seafood filling.

The living room opens out to a delightful view of the balcony which serves as a dining area, conforming to traditional Moroccan geometric designs.

As with authentic Moroccan decor, no room is complete without Moroccan coloured glass lanterns. The light produced by the candles and light bulbs illuminates the geometric patterns in the glass, casting colourful shadows to produce a stunning visual show. It is functional yet aesthetically pleasing, he says. As dusk falls, the view is breathtakingly beautiful.

His study is also aligned with the overall Moroccan inspired theme, evoking an arabesque feel. The maroon wallpaper, with a multitude of geometric shapes, produces a unified effect which blends in with the rest of the apartment. Here, he confesses that this room contains the only piece of Ikea furniture in his home - ironically, a grey, somewhat minimalist, couch. A silk screen at the end of the room adds a touch of mystique, warmth and texture.

Now for the piece de resistance - the bedroom, where Mr Lazim spends the most time relaxing after work. This room, like the whole apartment, brought out the single-mindedness in him. 'I'm the type of person that goes into something with an unabated passion,' he freely admits.

He recalls falling in love with the museums in Europe, and commissioned similar luxurious hand-woven silk fabric for the divan and headboard of the bed to be made in France, and opulent wallpaper spun of gold threads made in Singapore. Even a laundry basket - a giant golden chalice purchased from a shop in Park Mall - was aligned with the overall theme. It costs $800 to $900, and appears to be one of the cheapest items in his home.

A self-professed night owl, Mr Lazim realised it was important to have a deluxe oasis to release stresses of the day. Intricately woven and motorised silk blinds were incorporated to create the right ambience, an inspiration he had drawn from his numerous stays at the Conrad Hotel in Tokyo, Japan. By night, he indulges in Jim Thompson sheets, which match the opulent decor and sensuality of the room. All in all, it was a feast for the senses, and truly testament to this individual's personality and energy.

'It's perhaps a tad indulgent, but I have an indulgent and passionate spirit,' he quips. His advice for anyone who wishes to create the Moroccan look - shop carefully and don't overdo it. Too much can be oppressive and overwhelming, Mr Lazim cautions. He adds that some intricate lamps can be purchased at Park Mall, but they are mostly of Indian origin.

To get the authentic look, he believes, it is still best to make purchases directly from Marrakesh and Riyadh in Morocco. Otherwise, the next best alternative is to select alternative traditional pieces for an urban environment, to balance traditional with contemporary elements.

As the property market continues to soar, he may just sell this fully furnished haven if the price is right, and it will only go to a buyer who truly appreciates the elegance of this look. This is just who Mr Lazim is - a passionate individual who embraces life, and enjoys a good challenge. 'I enjoy the creative process more than anything, especially the idea of starting from a blank canvas,' he laughingly admits.

And if he has a chance to design a new home, it would perhaps be an apartment in Tiong Bahru done in an art decor style, as it has always fascinated him. He pauses thoughtfully, before adding that it doesn't really matter where it is. After all, like the man himself, it is always the little details that make it charming.


http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/mnt/media/image/launched/2007-04-21/BT_6081646_20_04_2007.jpg

http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/mnt/media/image/launched/2007-04-21/BT_6082686_20_04_2007.jpg

I'm speechless.... the apartment is very well done up indeed. I wonder how the kitchen looks like.... modern or arabesque with a wood-fired oven?

Haha. The kitchen is as modern and generic as it can be. Notice no pictures of kitchen? But the moroccan dishes turn out alright though, everytime! :-)

lieblingsg

Congrats for the nice deco and the article :-)

Hi everyone.

It is with mixed feelings that I am announcing that the apartment has been sold to an Indonesian couple who appears to appreciate what I had done to it. I will miss the place dearly. But at the same time, I have bought a walk up Tiong Bahru flat next to the Tiong Bahru market and I look forward to rip it up and transform it into something fabulous. So, I shd be posting to the tiong bahru pages soon with before and after photos.

Lieblingsg

...and we will be eagerly waiting for the pics!! :)

Hi everyone.

It is with mixed feelings that I am announcing that the apartment has been sold to an Indonesian couple who appears to appreciate what I had done to it. I will miss the place dearly. But at the same time, I have bought a walk up Tiong Bahru flat next to the Tiong Bahru market and I look forward to rip it up and transform it into something fabulous. So, I shd be posting to the tiong bahru pages soon with before and after photos.

Lieblingsg
u sold your gem???!!!!

Hi everyone.

It is with mixed feelings that I am announcing that the apartment has been sold to an Indonesian couple who appears to appreciate what I had done to it. I will miss the place dearly. But at the same time, I have bought a walk up Tiong Bahru flat next to the Tiong Bahru market and I look forward to rip it up and transform it into something fabulous. So, I shd be posting to the tiong bahru pages soon with before and after photos.

Lieblingsg

How much did you sell to the couple? Tiong Bahru flat? which one? The Regency?

How much did you sell to the couple? Tiong Bahru flat? which one? The Regency?

"a walk up Tiong Bahru flat next to the Tiong Bahru market"

Shook Lin & Bok a big firm? ;) just kidding

Yes! I sold my gem. But the Indonesian couple I sold it to seems to like the decor very much. In a sense, I am happy. But the tiong bahru flat will be very exciting to do. I think I will have even more fun doing it up compared to the leonie studio apartment. It is such a charming old walk up block with orange staircases. I plan to do it up in mid century to post modern style. I have always wanted to do something like that. Right now the flat looks so sad - the current owners rent it out to foreign chinese workers. When I'm finished with it, it would not look like a hdb apartment at least on the inside. It will glow like a light box in the block just next to the tiong bahru market. At least thats what I think it will be in my mind. I will be posting pictures to the tiong bahru forum as the renovations works progress. It will not have condo facilities but who cares? It is so exciting to own a slice of history!

@lieblingsg

That's the way to go! I like the way you think:D
Let's try new things! Why be stuck with the old? GO! GO! GO!

cheers

excelsvr