• Marble
• Granite
• Limestone
• Travertine

Antoine Lebrun provides us with his futuristic vision of a kitchen in 10 years time. The kitchen is called Brandt Aion. Apparently it is a fusion of electromechanical and vegetable technology. I am not kidding. Let me quote from Lebrun's website: This is a green multifunctional appliance, meeting of electromechanical and vegetable technology.

Well, no demands have been received as of now. But primary school children will start demanding once they find out that the desks and chairs in the schools are a risk to health. Not only that, these kids (basically you, me and everyone else who has gone to school) might develop serious disorders and illnesses in their adulthood due to the furniture. Serious stuff. This news somehow makes skipping school sound like a good idea. Anyway, I digress.

A comprehensive research study into the issues of school furniture for primary schools was conducted by an Irish designer Simon Dennehy for his two year research MA in Industrial Design with the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, Ireland.

The result of this research is Perch. I did a quick search and found that Perch has several meanings including a name for a spiny-finned freshwater fish found in North America and Europe. Very useful the Internet is... and I have digressed again.

The Perch project came up with chairs and desks that are ergonomically designed for primary school children. In the designer's own words, Perch 'hopes to alleviate poor posture in school children thus increasing productivity, health and well being'.

If you are doing a renovation for the first time, stop! Read this and save yourself heartaches (and headaches). Meridian Design has done everyone a favour by sharing their golden nuggets of advice on the Common Mistakes In Renovation. For those who have done a renovation before, well, go ahead and read this too. It is going to be a big 'Doh!' moment if one is going to make the same mistake... again (Doh!).

The advice is broken down into the following categories:

• Renovating New House
• Renovating and Maintaining Old House
• Choosing a Contractor
• Working along with Contractors
• DIY or Main Contractor?
• Interior Furnishings

How'sHouse tells us that wall decals are available in Malaysia! Wall what you say? Wall decals. Or also called stickers. Yup, stickers that you can, well, stick on the wall. Curious? Well, read on. There are photos too!

As mentioned in our previous post on Armani/Casa, an Armani/Casa store was opened in Starhill Gallery, Kuala Lumpur. This store is the 80th Armani/Casa in the world.

The New Straits Times has a writeup on Giorgio Armani and his ideas for Armani/Casa.

Below are extracts from the article.

You revolutionised the structure (and thus the aesthetic) of the jacket in the 1970s. Can we expect a similar effect on interiors?

I don’t want to revolutionise anyone’s home. My only concern is comfort and practicality but always combined with understated elegance and sophistication. This was my “revolution” in clothing as well — focusing on the need for practicality. With Armani/Casa I am not expecting to innovate, but rather to fulfil some basic requirements at home with a personal touch and style.

Have you ever bought back an Armani/Casa item?

Many times. I frequently change my mind and I like to renovate the collection constantly.

What does your own home look like?

I own seven houses and a boat, a kind of “floating villa”. However, my house in Milan is where I spend Monday to Friday. It is a perfect refuge where I am surrounded by harmony of colours and shapes that influence my feelings and mood.

I have been living here since 1982. It has smoothly reflected the changes in my life. It is my very first “mature age” house and mirrors my tastes and my passions. I love living with natural, elemental colours. They are serene and relaxing and serve as the perfect backdrop for art. The colours of the interior have always remained the same beige, black and the colour of parchment.

Click here for the full article.

Also see:
Armani/Casa arrives in Malaysia at StarHill Gallery

Hi everyone,

RenoKu is keeping a list of property, residents association and community websites in Malaysia that are created by residents.

Go to Useful Links and find if there is an online community for your area.

Some of the listed community websites include:

• Aseana Puteri Condominium Community Board
• Bandar Bukit Puchong Community Portal
• Bandar Kinrara Community Portal
• Bukit Jelutong Residents Association (BJRA)
• Changkat View Forum
• Damansara Perdana
• Desa Park City Communities Portal
• Kemuning Utama Community
• Lake Edge Community
• Petaling Jaya Net aka PJNet
• Putra Heights
• Setia Alam Residents' Association (SARA)
• USJ-Subang Jaya e-Community

For the complete list, go to Useful Links .