By: Jo Ann Gamelo-Bernabe
Hands up who has an Eames chair, Charles Sofa, Tulip table or Arco lamp at home? As much as we love these design classics, they hardly ooze individuality when the likelihood is that one of your neighbours is sitting down to the exact same table as you. Of course, we should be pleased that Singapore’s design scene is booming enough that we’re able to shop (or at least ship in) these lush international brands without leaving the island, but where do we turn when it’s personalisation we’re after? Bespoke furniture from top interior design studio Design Intervention, that’s where. Their specially commissioned pieces are guaranteed to bring a touch of couture craftsmanship to your interior!
No stranger to international design awards, several of Design Intervention’s bespoke furniture commissions have won international recognition at the prestigious International Product Design Awards along with the likes of design legends Graham and Brown, Candy and Candy and Thomas Pheasant. Each year, the judges shortlist a maximum of 10 designs in each category, with the overall winner chosen via a global online poll. So, which of Design Intervention’s designs are shortlisted this year? Flick through the gallery of innovative modern designs below to find out.
‘To appear on a list with such venerable names is indeed an honour and we are proud to help highlight the progress of the Singapore design industry on a world arena,’ says Nikki Hunt, founder of Design Intervention. ‘As a designer, I know the power that a bespoke piece can have. These designs not only allow us to select colours and materials that give a unique signature to our projects but, perhaps more importantly, it allows us to achieve the perfect mix of size, shape and proportion to enhance any given room.’
The real beauty of Design Intervention’s bespoke furniture is that each piece is totally fresh and original, often underpinned by an Asian aesthetic and reworked in contemporary materials or exaggerated proportions. The design team not only select their preferred colours and materials (from fibre glass and lucite, to shagreen and steel), but they also ensure that it’s the perfect size, shape and proportion to complement the scale of a particular room. All designs are made in Singapore, with the advantage that the in-house design team can control and tweak pieces as they are fabricated.
And comfort is key, especially when it comes to upholstery, with softness, seat depth, arm-rest height and back support tailored to the client’s needs (and height). So, are you a soft cushioning or firm support kinda guy?
Take Design Intervention’s Cameron Sofa, for example. One of the pieces shortlisted at the International Product Design Awards 2016, the bespoke beauty was conceptualised for a vibrant open-plan room, with entertaining, dining and living space all in one. The ‘unapologetically bold’ design offers the ultimate in comfort with plush fabric, clean lines and deep down-filled seating.
Says Nikki Hunt of The Cameron Sofa: ‘In such an expansive space, I felt that the room needed a big piece to anchor the various elements. So instead of having several smaller pieces, I opted for this oversized piece. I wanted the lines of the sofa to be strong and confident so it’s not not raised on legs but instead has a solid base that gives a feeling of weight and permanence. There is a poised, reassuring quality about the finished product, almost a sense that it’s strength will envelop you in protection, a perfect place to retreat after a hard day.’
For the scoop on Design Intervention’s services, head over to their blog Our Design Intervention or visit them at their their newly expanded Dempsey studio. Along with three meeting rooms and a quiet work space for the architects and design team, the 4000sq ft renovated space showcases Design Intervention’s bespoke furniture creations, as well as a huge display of luxury fabrics and wallpapers sourced by Nikki and Andrea from all over the world. Interiors heaven!
Design Intervention, 75E Loewen Road, Tanglin Village, 248845
6506 0920; info@diid.sg
Want more home inspiration? See our home decor section!
