I was walking around the neighborhood a few days ago and saw that there is a new boutique store opening so near our house here in Tiong Bahru. It is amazing how many new things have sprung up for the last few months in our small unknown corner here. It makes me wanna just walk a little more slowly and enjoy our neighborhood more. I think that this transformation is something refreshing and exciting. As I have had some classes about new urbanism back in the university, Tiong Bahru fits that idea of giving people many choices for living an urban lifestyle in sustainable, convenient and enjoyable places that is culturally diverse and historical in nature. Its becoming more and more, a cool place to live in.
I have found the websites of some of the cool places I’ve seen:
Fourty Hands Coffee – A place to hang out for brunch with some friends and drink some slightly more expensive but rich flavoured coffee. It is a favorite of a lot of expats who enjoy those rare finds, not too commercial suburbs coffee. I wish it was a bit bigger though, it is packed on weekends starting 10 am. Maybe they could buy the furniture store right beside it and use the furniture as part of their eclectic decor. I like the graffiti art in the wall at their all fresco restaurant – cool.
Books Actually – Right across Fourty Hands is an independent book store that sells vintage books, hand stitched notebooks, stamps and some amazing stuff. I like their old cameras and quirky home decour. I can buy the whole shop and put it in our house! Okay, not all the books there but more of the idea of the decor. I haven’t really checked the full collection of books yet but it has a certain feel that you can discover some piece of unknown but memorable literature.
Tofu – The Good Creative Block. As what their website mentions, “Tofu is a small creative shop, big on ideas.We tell stories and build brands through design and advertising.Our work is simple, honest and fresh. Just like our namesake.From corporate doodles to pop-up installations, we do it all.” So this is an Ad-Agency. It recently moved to this studio that I always felt curious to look into because of its minimalist interiors. Well, its a private office now but I can’t help but look once in while. I am always interested in meeting people in the creative industries.
Tiny Dot Photography – This is Very near our unit. It is a studio that just opened as a few weeks ago. I’ve seen some photos in the internet of his works and checked out his website. He takes amazing shots with a certain vibrancy that I feel part of the weddings he takes photos of. I had a glimpse of his studio and it looks spacious and cozy. Not open for the public though, I think its a place for invitation only.
Back On The Mat – This yoga place very near 40 Hands is a hidden yoga studio which offers ashtanga classes focusing on the Mysore-style of practice. The students practice at their own pace to improve their form and technique. I’ve seen their facebook page. It’s a bit pricey for me but I think specialized training in small groups is the best way to learn yoga.
White Canvas Gallery – I must say that this is the gallery that started the whole trend. A gallery always brings with it its sister artistic friends of designers, literary enthusiasts, photographers and bohemian lifestyle aficionados. I was there when the gallery opened where my friend Danicar was a friend of the curator. The sketches of tiong bahru was still the most memorable exhibition for me because it drew up images of familiar places in an artistic perspective. Paul, one of my church mates was one of the featured artists. I believe White Canvas has a sister gallery a few meters away from it. It is more of a private gallery but I’m very much interested to check it out one of these days.
Jo Wong’s Creations – Right beside White Canvas Gallery is the private studio of Jo Wong. Her works specialize in landscapes and sceneries, observations of idyllic life in the countryside. Her main medium is watercolor and her works has a nostalgic feel to it. She travels to many countries to get inspiration to her works – some sceneries were taken in Italy, the UK, Switzerland, and some nearer places like Malaysia and of course Singapore. Her unit renovation caught my eyes as the two french doors open to her long and beautifully done house / home. Its partially obscured by Eugenia hedges that she and White Canvas Gallery planted.
Strangelets – This is the new kid in the block. Right beside Books Actually is this new shop dedicated to house furnishings. This is what they said in their website “As interior designers and architects, we discovered that we were rarely able to find furnishings to add focus to our projects…So we took the matter into our own hands. We traveled the world to bring back a different kind of quality: the quality of uniqueness. An escape from the dullness of hyper-mega mass production. In various studios in various cities, we found makers and suppliers of singularly charming and clever items, who impressed us with a new take on old problems.” Nice idea. I have to check this out.
gabrielparadise 