JIA Studios is an award-winning interior design consultancy that specializes in commercial, hospitality, entertainment and residential projects. We believe in enhancing experience between functionality and aesthetics, creating a space that integrates form and function.
Are you looking for futuristic concept in home interior design? JIA Studios was mentioned in The Business Times on September 17, 2021 for our creative designs in the Marina One Residences’s project.
This award-winning project was designed as “forward-thinking” with a focus on curves. It’s an all-white home with sleek stripped lighting on the ceilings, organically shaped furniture, and beds that appear to float.
If you are ready to embrace this futuristic concept, contact Jia Studios now!
Looking for green wall design to spice up the home decoration ? JIA Studios was mentioned in The Straits Times on August 28, 2001, for our unique work on feature or accent wall in home interior design concepts.
From concealing an entrance, rooms or storage areas, or highlighting the doors as a work of art and a talking point for visitors, these purposes can be created in your home interior design. Find JIA Studios today!
JIA Studios is honoured and proud to announce that our principal designer, Jackie Lai was placed in such distinguished ranks among the winners for the inaugural 20 Under 45 Award on 16 July 2021. The awardees were selected as they have made important contributions and notable impacts to life in Singapore.
20 UNDER 45 Award is Society of Interior Designers Singapore(SIDS)’s highest honour in recognising interior designers at the age of 45 and below for their exemplary achievements in the fraternity, supported by the Design Singapore Council (DSG) and Enterprise Singapore (ESG).
Apartments in Singapore, be it HDB flats or a private condominium units, has gotten smaller and smaller over the years. As a result of this, interior designers have had to come up with brilliant ideas to transform a small space into one that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing that also caters to the needs of those living in the home.
The trick behind successful execution of such an intricate and seemingly difficult task is in these 5 elements that will be discussed in this article. We will be focusing on condominium interior design and how you can create a look for your home that oozes luxury and elegance while fully utilising the space that you have.
To make your walls look taller, a darker colour palette should be chosen. Matching your wall colour with the colour of your window curtain or shade is effective in expanding the space in that particular room as it gives the effect of continuity.
With the myriad of wallpaper designs available to us these days, adding a customised touch to any room is now possible. Wallpaper can be used as a statement design to only one wall in a room or throughout the entire apartment. Vertical striped designs can also make a space look bigger than it really is by adding height to the walls.
An added advantage to using wallpaper is the option to install removable wallpaper that allows you to switch up the look of your rooms easily.
What space in your condo do you have the most of? The walls, of course! This is why creative and practical use of your wall space is crucial. Specially customised cabinets that can be placed on the walls is a great way to showcase your prized collection and store necessities. Your television and stereo systems can also be mounted onto the walls to save space.
Mirrors are one of the most underrated items in interior design. When placed strategically, mirrors not only work as a decorative or statement piece that highlights the beauty of any space, but also works in a practical way as you can view your reflection off of it.
Wall mirrors work to expand a space, making it look larger that it actually is. This works especially well in smaller rooms and at the entryway of your home. Setting up mirrors in your home allows light to bounce off the walls, further enhancing the visibility and lighting in any room.
On a functional level, curtains help block sunlight out and provides you with privacy from the prying eyes of your neighbours. Aesthetically, they add sophistication to any room and can easily transform a space from drab to fab. There are a varied range of curtains available in the market nowadays, from the type of fabric you prefer, to the prints that you fancy, to whether you like scalloped-edge draperies or tiebacks.
Curtains can also make a room feel cosier while also adding a touch of luxury to your home.
At the end of the day, no matter how large your condominium interior design budget is, or how decadent your want your home to look, the timeless statement that “less is more” holds true in the creation of a gorgeous condo apartment.
Remember that it is important to keep your home clean and clutter-free after moving in.
With all these ideas at your disposal, it must be difficult to come up with a design template that you like for your home. That is why it is important to engage the professional and skilled services of an interior designer who will carefully and patiently walk you through your condominium interior design journey. Contact JIA Studios for more information!
Change is the only constant. Never have the world understood this phrase more than in the year 2020. With this in mind, home interior design trends are also on the move as one trend makes way for another as each year passes us by. What are some of the interior design trends for a luxury home that we expect to see more of this year? Here is the top 5 that we trust you will enjoy as much as we do.
Multi-purpose furniture for use in multi-purpose spaces. 2020 saw families living cohesively together in their homes, sharing a common space, utilising shared furniture. You can install a wall cabinet that doubles up as a television fixture which you can use to store work equipment or personal items, which displays prized possessions at the same time on the outside. Another example of multi-purpose furnishing is a sofa bed in the living area that you can use as a sofa in the daytime and as a lounge, when it is pulled out, at night. One other option is to invest in an office chair that is practical for desk work and comfortable enough to use as a dining chair.
Families are also now using open spaces in their home for different activities, with kitchens being used not only as a place to cook meals, but also to entertain family and friends. As a result of many people using the same space concurrently, privacy is something that needs to be created more flexibly and should be more mobile. For example, screens, shelving, mirrors, curtains, and dividers can be used to create areas of privacy.
Biophilic design is about the fusion of indoors and outdoors, connecting us to nature. How we can incorporate the biophilic design trend to our homes is by extending our indoor living space into the outdoor. Some ways to do this include:
Sandy shades, such as earth tones and warm hues is set to be all the rage in 2021 and beyond. These neutral colours will provide us with the calm and serenity that we all need in the post-pandemic world. Together with these warm colours, be prepared to embrace natural materials like hemp, wood and woven fabrics as they work together to create a restful and peaceful environment in the home.
While Work-From-Home (WFH) is no longer the default mode in Singapore, there are many who still find themselves doing so due to various reasons. As a result, experts predict that homeowners looking to either revamp their home or work on a new place will focus on designing a practical yet beautiful home office.
Gone are the days when people used to work on their laptops on the dining or coffee table. People now want a more private and specialised workspace away from other areas in the house. This can be in the form of a room that may be used entirely as a home office, or a corner in the bedroom or living area where a desk may be placed.
2020 saw an increase in people taking online yoga/pilates classes and downloading fitness apps. Additionally, gym rats also realized the importance of having an alternative method of keeping fit when gyms were forced to close during the lockdown period.
Therefore, it won’t be a surprise to have more people opting to install exercise equipment in their homes, either in a dedicated exercise room, or made to fit as seamlessly as possible with other furnishings.
Another home interior design trend is the importance of spas in the home that allow us to destress after a tiring day of work, either at the office or at home. A bathtub will be a welcome addition to the bathroom, as will a steam function in the shower.
Top 5-star hotels all over the world have one thing in common: they are always the first to embrace the latest interior design trends. Over the decades, hotel interior design have gone through many phases. In order to keep up with these trends to satisfy their customer’s preferences and tastes, popular hotel chains and luxury hotel brands have revamped their look again and again.
What are some of the design trends in the hospitality industry that have withstood the test of time over the last 10 years?
If there ever was a colour that has dominated social media in the past few years, it has to be “green”. Starting from their early inception into commercial areas and then slowly finding its way into homes, nature and greenery has been and still is extremely popular. Naturally (pun intended), the introduction of plants as a decorative element in the hospitality sector was bound to happen sooner or later. It is a great way to spruce up public areas of the hotels (such as the lobby, dining areas and recreation areas), as well as inside the rooms.
In one of our published articles, we examined the importance of colours in interior design and how it affects a person’s behaviour and mood. When it comes to colour palettes in hotel interior design, it is important to not only stay on top of the latest trend, but also create a space that makes visitors feel welcome, at peace and relaxed.
Neutral colours were a hit in 2019 to 2020 and insiders predict that its popularity will continue in the years to come. To create a truly luxurious environment in any room of a hotel, opt for champagne, coral, or olive hues.
The first place visitors step into when entering through the main doors of a hotel is the lobby, which is why it is crucial that the lobby area is inviting and appealing. The first thing that visitors see should be that your lobby area is themed, with all its elements (floors, walls, paintings, lighting, colour palette, furnishings) consistent. Theme is key when it comes to luxury interiors.
Areas with comfortable sofas or café-like set-ups should also be set up in the lobby for visitors to utilise as a waiting area or for meetups. This will create a space that works similar to the living room of the home for visitors.
The classic bathroom in a 5-star hotel has marble floors and ceiling. This is a timeless interior design trend that does not seem like it is going away any time soon as luxury hotels continue incorporating top-quality marble in its bathroom designs.
Add elements such as marble beams, carved mouldings, dimmable light fixtures, in-built sound system and brightly-lit mirrors to elevate the luxury factor.
Luxury hotels should not only offer a lush and comfortable living experience but be functional and offer convenience too. A tablet that visitors can use to control the air-conditioning, lighting, television is now the very basic technology that people expect from a 5-star hotel. To truly amp up the smart technology game in hotel bedrooms to provide guests with the best experience, the following can be taken into consideration:
Voice-activated controls: instead of a tablet-based control system, how about a voice-activated system that allows guests to call for housekeeping, concierge, or front desk?
Portable streaming: allow guests to watch Netflix, Disney+, HBO Go or Amazon on the hotel television via their own personal accounts.
Wireless charging: install charging mats in the rooms to allow guests to charge their devices cord-free.
Travellers are now more willing to spend on luxurious accommodation when vacationing, whether it is on a staycation or overseas. As a result, more luxury hotels are popping up everywhere and the relevant design trends continue to diversify and change. At the end of the day, the marriage of aesthetics with pragmatism is what’s important in keeping your guests satisfied and comfortable.
JIA STUDIOS won the iF DESIGN AWARD 2021!
JIA Studios is the winner of this year’s iF DESIGN AWARD, the world-renowned design prize in the Interior Architecture category.
iF DESIGN AWARD is one of the most important design awards in the world and recognised as an arbiter of quality for expectional design for the past 67 years by Hannover-based iF International Forum Design GmbH.
Interior design is all about merging functionality with beauty. But according to the type (retail, spa, hotel, residential etc), interior design is also about influencing the emotions and behaviours of those who enter that space.
When it comes to retail interior design, thought should be placed into the psychology of it as it will dictate customer behaviour, which directly affects sales. For example, over 50% of shoppers make the decision to NOT return to a store if they do not like the way it looks; 60%-90% of customers’ first impressions are dependant on the colour palette of the store; over 90% of purchasing decision is made based on visual impression.
With all these statistics in mind, what are the more important factors when it comes to retail interior design that you should have in mind that will provide customers with a pleasant shopping experience and effectively boost your sales?
In psychology, it has been found that certain colour evoke certain emotions in people, and particular groups of people respond a certain way to certain colours. While this is the general rule of thumb, it cannot be ascertained for 100% of the population.
Typically, in retail and commercial spaces, the following colour ‘rules’ hold true:
One of the first thing shoppers notice even before entering a store is its window display. Every item and colour palette that features in that display will automatically tell your customer what your store has to offer and the story behind your brand.
For high-end retail stores, the main focus should be on creating more space as space conveys the idea of luxury. Display only 2-3 pieces of items at a time to highlight its significance and worth. Think about the display windows at luxury brands such as Chanel, Gucci, The Hour Glass and Cartier, and you will get the idea.
This is the term given to that 15-feet of space inside the store closest to the entrance. This space is a “transitional” zone of sorts where customers are entering or exiting your store, separate from the area outside.
The “decompression zone” is where customers critically assess firstly, the aesthetics of the store on the whole, and then your brand and products. You want customers to form a positive impression of your store while in this decompression zone so that they will continue browsing. One of the biggest missteps that retail owners make is to clutter this decompression zone with their sale items and popular items. As customers’ psyche are busy adjusting to the change of scenery from the space outside into your store, they will most likely ignore any signs or products that are displayed here.
Therefore, you should focus on creating an experience for customers at this 15-feet of decompression space instead of pushing your products on them.
Consumer psychology plays a pivotal role in retail interior design. It has been researched that most people choose to turn right and then continue on an anti-clockwise direction when it comes to following a pathway when inside a store. With this in mind, your display should follow this natural progression too. For example, the first right turn that they take should feature a key product or products with the boldest display taking a central position.
Have your important products evenly placed at various locations within the store to encourage shoppers to spend as much time as possible there while also providing maximum exposure of your less popular items. It is also crucial that you pay attention to how spacious your aisles are as people are generally turned off by cramped areas.
Utilizing the same principle that is used in Japanese gardens, create fun, exciting discovery spaces in your store to entice customers to browse more. This can be done through the use of different flooring and wall textures as well as colours that attract shoppers visually. Once the eyes have captured something interesting, the rest of the person will follow, offering an interesting experience for the shopper.
Another consumer psychology research study has shown that people generally regard products that are displayed on lower shelves as being of lower value as compared to those on shelves that are at eye level. This is why it is important to consider the height of the shelves in your store and have them placed within reach.
“Luxury” is defined as ‘a state of great comfort or elegance’. It combines aesthetics with functionality as beauty and comfort go together. For different people, the definition of what luxury is may be diverse. Some may choose to splurge on a large, high-end kitchen, while others may prefer that their bedroom be where they spend the most on to make it the most decadent and relaxing room in the house.
Whatever your preference and whatever “luxury” means to you, here are some ways that you can add touches of extravagance to your apartment or bungalow interior design.
Start with a vision and watch it come to fruition with an expert team of interior designers. Before you begin working on your home, it is important to first select a theme for it. If you notice luxury hotels, spas or restaurants, they are mostly consistent in their interior décor and the way they all stand out is through a distinct theme.
The staircase is the first thing that guests see when they enter a bungalow and what better way to impress than with a truly luxuriously styled staircase? You can consider staircases made completely of marble, or install a grand chandelier atop it, or hire a skilled carpenter to carve intricate markings on the baluster or railings. There is no better way to incorporate functionality and luxury than glamping up the staircase.
There has never been any other time that people have been so obsessed with plants than during the time of the pandemic. Did you know that plants are also a great way to add some luxury to your home? Plants easily add a pop of colour and texture to a space, and it also works as a statement piece.
It may not be as popular in Singapore due to the weather, but its timelessness is undeniable. Velvet gives off a quality that is synonymous with indulgence, elegance, and richness. You can choose a comfortable velvet armchair or sofa to place in the bedroom, study or living area, install a velvet headboard to incorporate some lux in your bedroom, or drape velvet curtains as a statement piece in any room.
Where velvet is unpopular because of our weather, marble is quite the opposite. Because of its ability to stay cool even in sweltering heat, marble makes for a common flooring material in many homes here in Singapore. Marble is highly versatile and can be used in a myriad of ways to add luxury to the home. The more common uses of marble are using it in the kitchen for countertops, in the bathroom as flooring and walls, and overall flooring over the entire home.
Leather is one material that improves with age and gives both a classic and contemporary look and feel to any space. A leather sofa with metallic stands provides comfort with edginess, a sleek desk with a leather finish in the study adds class, and a leather headboard in the bedroom will truly incorporate an understated style with sophistication.
The home is where your character, style, and personality shine through, and where your experiences and memories are stored. An example of this is through statement pieces of furnishings and decorative items that you can display in the house.
If the type of luxury you are going for is the old-school kind, there throw any ideas of minimalism out the window because that style is all about embellishment and flourishes when it comes to the bungalow interior design. Put up that beautifully carved mirror that you bought on your trip to Venice, or that crystal chandelier you purchased when you were last in Paris, or that unique coffee table that you picked up in Bali. Carefully curated pieces not only add luxury to your home but will also give you amazing stories to share with your guests.
Developing countries are facing a population boom which will see a staggering increase in the number of people who will be requiring a roof over their heads by 2030. It is a goal of the United Nations (UN) to secure basic needs such as housing and essentials for the less fortunate, as well as to improve the conditions of slums on a global scale.
Enter Doonya, a Singapore-developed community service project that merges design with engineering and technology. Its sole objective is to provide a solution to the forthcoming urbanisation crisis by offering environment friendly, integrated, transient, fully-serviced and durable maker-pod-homes to those living in urban slums, war zones, densely populated cities, and for at-risk women, children or youth, the homeless and refugees.
These homes will not only serve as a home and safe haven for its residents, but also furnish them with a stable residential and business address. What are some of the other perks of a Doonya home-pod?
With the list of advantages that potential residents can expect with a Doonya home, what are some features of this pod-home that tenants can also look forward to? The team behind Doonya has designed it with the following attributes in mind:
(Cities • Heritage • Architecture)
Based in Singapore, The CHA Project is an urban curation and design studio that works on revival projects in India. One of the highlights of their work is the preservation of the one and only remaining Chinatown in India that is located in Kolkata.
The company behind Tubelar® infrastructure technology, The Shelter Company is the leader in providing modular structures in Singapore.
An award-winning interior design consultancy service and studio, JIA Studios is also heavily involved in humanitarian design projects and community service projects.
The partner in charge of technology and ecosystem is Project Shea who looks forward to being part of and playing a vital in a sustainable and human-centric future community fuelled by innovation.
Doonya was displayed at the National Design Centre from June18 to July18, 9am to 9pm. Checkout to the launch of what could truly be a game changer in the fight against poverty – THE DOONYA SHOP+HOME PROTOTYPE at SIDFest 2021.
We were honoured to have Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Indranee Rajah, who is also Second Minister for National Development of Singapore, and Minister for Transport of Singapore, S. Iswaran visit Doonya in this festival.
Lighting is a crucial aspect in any form of art, be it photography, painting, performance, or design. It is what adds depth and rejuvenates a space or object; it also sets up a certain mood or environment which will in turn influence our emotions and feelings.
In interior design, however much attention and detail has been placed on the décor or furnishings, or however well crafted the flooring and other fixtures are, it is all for naught without proper lighting to highlight and feature them.
When the right placement of suitable lighting is achieved and when it works perfectly with the colour palette and size of the room, as well as the furnishings and other decorative elements, a simple space can be transformed into one that is functional and stylish.
This sort of lighting is also regarded as the first layer of lighting, or the most basic of the three types of lighting. It provides general illumination to an area and comes in the form of a fixed ceiling fixture like chandeliers, flush lights, recessed lights, led lighting, track lighting, or wall sconces. Ambient lighting should be installed in all rooms to provide the most basic form of illumination to enable you to see and move around.
As the name suggests, this type of lighting allows you to do tasks like food prep work and cooking in the kitchen, reading or crafting in the study or living area, applying your makeup in the bathroom or bedroom, and general paperwork at your desk.
It is advised that you plan for the individual rooms or areas before deciding on what type of task lighting will be needed to be installed. Some examples of task lighting include ceiling pendant lamps, built-in cabinet recessed lighting, under cabinet lighting, table and desk lamps, vanity lights, standing floor lamps.
To truly bring your interior design to the next level, accent lighting is imperative. This type of lighting is typically an addition to the basic ambient lighting as it does not provide general illumination, but rather acts more like a highlighter, drawing attention to a particular wall décor (painting, poster, framed possession), outdoor landscaping, prized collectibles displayed in a cabinet or a particular piece of furniture.
Accent lighting comes in the form of recessed or track lighting, built-in cabinet lighting, wall mounted lighting or candlelight, and is considered effective only if it is more than three times brighter than the ambient lighting in the same space.
Light works with colours to give off different results. When you observe your wall colour during the day in natural lighting, it is one colour. But come night-time when you have to turn your lights on, your wall will look like a different shade of the colour you had painted. It is important that you consider the effect you want before choosing the type of light to use in a room.
To achieve a cosy, relaxing and comfortable setting, incandescent lighting is the way to go as they give off a warm, soft glow similar to that which you get off of fireplaces or candlelight.
For lighting that will give you the same effect as natural light, LED, fluorescent and halogen lights (also referred to as ‘white lights’) are the most obvious choice as they have the closest approximation to daylight.
For a light fixture to be installed in a particular space, it needs to be functional and not just be there to look good. For example, in setting up lighting for a corridor or hallway, wall mounted lights not only provide illumination for you to see but also helps in lengthening the area. Centrally hanging lights not only provide a focal point in a room but also effectively illuminates the entire room.
If you can’t decide what ambience you would like for each room in your home, or for your commercial space, there is no need to fret just yet. With advancements lighting design technology, you can easily switch things up to suit your needs.
This is especially beneficial to hotel, restaurant and spa owners who want to offer their customers more autonomy or allow themselves more efficiency when it comes to setting the tone of the environment for a more pleasant experience. Smart lighting controls now allow users to dim lights, set lighting scenes, and control the intensity and mood of light fixtures easily. For example, in a restaurant, the lighting can be set to a brighter setting for breakfast and lunch service, then toned down and dimmed for a more relaxed and calming experience during dinner service.
You have found the perfect location for your restaurant, hired the best team in the industry, and planned your menu and concept. The next step in your restaurateur adventure should be to engage the services of a top interior design company to work alongside you to transform your restaurant from drab to fab.
The ambience of a restaurant is an important determinant factor in whether or not you are able to retain customers. It is what shapes customers’ dining experience, including how long they stay in the restaurant, how much they order (ie. How much they spend) and how they view the food that they are served.
Restaurant concepts range from bistro style cafes to high-end luxury dining. No matter what concept you choose to implement for your restaurant, the key to successful interior design is in how well the functional and aesthetic aspects come together in perfect harmony to create a space that is not only comfortable for customers, but one that also contributes to improving their overall dining experience.
In this article, we will take a look at some luxury restaurants and highlight some of the design elements that have worked in taking them to the next level.
While restaurants are essentially a public, commercial space, customers do still want to feel like they are at home when they dine out. The best way to make a place feel intimate and cosy is through the use of lighting.
Low, dimmer lighting works well in upscale establishments where the target clientele tends to be less noisy. This type of lighting is great in allowing customers to feel more segregated from others and contributes to making the space (and the customers themselves) feel more relaxed.
Colours elicit psychological responses from people, making it even more important that simply adding to the aesthetics of a space. The branding of a restaurant, together with the ambience and image that it brings to customers are all dependant on the colour palette of the restaurant.
For example, bright colours like yellow, vibrant red and orange are effective in bringing up the heart rate, blood pressure and appetite. These colours rouse people, inducing activity and energy. This is why bright colours are great colours to use for fast food eateries and/or casual bistros where the goal is to get people to eat more and eat quickly.
Conversely, for more luxurious, high-end restaurants whereby the goal is to have customers stay longer and eat more in a comfortable and leisurely environment, the following colour schemes should be considered:
Light Colours – Upscale restaurants will benefit from light colours like beige, pale yellow, light grey, as it not only makes a space look larger, but also creates a relaxing mood.
Dark Colours – dark colours like earthy brown, navy and dark green work best in creating a space romantic and cosy.
The devil is in the details and this has never been truer than when it comes to interior design. This is especially so in this current time of Instagram when a beautifully decorated and designed restaurant is a must-have for social media success.
In designing luxury restaurants, the furnishings and decorations must, undoubtedly, be high-end as well. Think modern, stylish leather chairs and couches, silk material for your cushions or curtains, opulent tableware and jaw-dropping lighting fixtures.
Additionally, while you may have opted for more expensive and extravagant furnishings and decorations for your luxury restaurant, it is equally crucial that attention is paid to the maintenance and upkeep of these furnishings. No one likes to sit on a chair with cracks in the leather surface or eat from a plate that has had a bit of it broken off the sides. Remember it is all about providing customers with a pleasant dining experience.
It is important to first know what your restaurant concept is before working on the layout of it. For example, in casual dining restaurants where large groups of customers such as families or friends enjoy eating at, you can plan for the restaurant layout to have space for booth seats and larger tables for communal dining.
Luxury restaurants cater to a different clientele who tend to prefer more intimate seating that isolates them from other diners, providing more privacy. In this case, it is advised to have tables arranged further apart.
Ultimately, the functionality of a space is of the utmost importance when it comes to the layout of a restaurant. Both staff and customer alike should be able to manoeuvre efficiently in it and be able to quickly identify their way around, for instance, from the waiting area to the dining or bar area for customers, from the kitchen to the dining hall for staff.
