Home & Decor - May 2015

PROPERTY five-room flat and keeping one room as storage and also of tenancy terminations, subsequent space as she and her family were living with her renewals, and changes to your tenants’ particulars parents in their flat. within seven days of these changes. “I didn’t realise that I had to notify HDB that Make sure that you continue to live in the flat I had leased out two rooms to tenants,” she with the subtenants during the period of subletting. says. “Worse still, as I was not living in the flat, If you are found not doing so, the registration I was considered to be subletting my whole flat for the subletting of bedrooms will be revoked illegally!” Fortunately, as she had satisfied the automatically. You will also be considered to be minimum occupation period of five years, she was subletting the whole flat without HDB’s approval. given only a stern warning and allowed to seek Action will be taken against such flat owners under approval for subletting the whole flat. the Housing and Development Act – and you could be forced to give up your unit. “Our HDB flat is our first and only property and we definitely intend to live here in the future. Intend to rent out your whole flat? This is If I had been forced to give up my apartment allowed only for Singaporeans; Permanent because of my negligence, I cannot imagine what Residents (PRs) can no longer do so. I would do. Buying a new home will be far too expensive for us now,” shudders Madam Tan at HDB owners must have completed their the thought. minimum occupation period of five years (or three years, for those who bought an unsubsidised flat Over the years, it can be hard to keep up and without getting a CPF grant before Aug 30, 2010), comply with the latest HDB subletting rules, with unless in exceptional cases, such as those which all the changes. Read on to find the answers to involve an overseas posting. your burning questions, as a would-be “landlord”. If you are living abroad during the subletting I AM A HDB FLAT OWNER. WHY DO I NEED period, remember to appoint an attorney to act TO INFORM HDB IF I WANT TO RENT OUT for you in the management of the flat. Seek prior MY FLAT? approval from HDB online (www.bit.ly/1xhYihg) or in person at any HDB branch office. Each As a HDB flat owner, you don’t actually “own” the application costs $20. unit, even if you paid a cool $1 million for it, as some Bishan and Queenstown maisonette buyers WHAT KIND OF TENANTS CAN I RENT TO? did. You only own the lease for 99 years. This differs from private properties built on 99-year Anyone who is a Singapore citizen, Singapore PR, leasehold land; such owners actually own the or a non-citizen holding an Employment pass, land for the period of the lease. S-pass, work permit (construction workers, Malaysian nationals only), Student pass, Dependent It may sound bewildering, but this technicality pass or long-term social visit pass, with validity of at has not really affected HDB flat owners when least six months. they buy and sell their homes. Once you have fulfilled your minimum occupation period of It is your duty to verify your potential tenant’s five years (or three years, if you bought an immigration status at the Immigration and unsubsidised flat without getting a CPF grant Checkpoints Authority’s iEnquiry website (https:// before Aug 30, 2010), you are free to sell and ienquiry.ica.gov.sg/home.do), and their employment profit from your flat. pass or S-pass validity using the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) website (www.bit.ly/1CR18uA). However, if you want to make some rental income, technically, HDB is the real landlord; However, from May 1, 2015, workers in you are only renting your flat’s lease from them. the marine and process sectors, including the If you want to rent out your spare bedroom or the chemicals and pharmaceutical sectors, will no whole flat, it is considered to be subletting the longer be allowed to rent HDB flats. This is due lease that you rented from HDB. That’s why you to MOM’s long-term plan to “house marine and need to keep to HDB’s rules. process non-Malaysian work-permit holders in purpose-built dormitories and approved workers’ HOW DO I APPLY FOR HDB’S PERMISSION? quarters with facilities which better cater to the If you are only subletting a room, you don’t need workers’ needs”. HDB’s approval to do so. However, you must inform HDB (www.bit.ly/1HKTMIm) within seven If your tenants are from these affected days of the commencement date of the subletting, industries, don’t worry, they are allowed to stay on till the end of your existing subletting approval or registration. 147

PROPERTY I’VE GOT A SPACIOUS UTILITY ROOM As a H flat owner, you don t IN MY FLAT. CAN I RENT IT OUT? actually own the unit. You only own the lease for 99 years. If you No. You can only sublet bedrooms; the living room, the bomb shelter or utility rooms want to rent out a bedroom or do not count. If you own a two-room flat the whole flat it is considered to or a smaller unit, you cannot lease out the be subletting the lease that you bedrooms and can only sublet the entire flat, to a maximum of four people. rented from HDB. For William, the maximum number of people he can house in his three-room flat is six. This means he has breached HDB’s regulations even if his tenant doesn’t mind the squeeze. Four-room or bigger units can take a maximum of nine occupants, regardless of how many bedrooms your unit has. Such owners can sublet a maximum of two bedrooms. WHAT’S THE MINIMUM SUBLETTING PERIOD? Six months. Subletting on a short-term basis via websites such as Airbnb and Roomorama are strictly not allowed in HDB flats. HOW LONG CAN I LEASE OUT MY WHOLE HDB FLAT FOR? Previously, owners could do so for three years per application, regardless of the nationality of the tenants. However, since Jan 16, 2014, if at least one of your foreign subtenants is not a Malaysian, this will be halved to 18 months. Foreign tenants are also now subject to the new Non-Citizen Subletting Quota, which was enforced to prevent “foreigner enclaves” from overwhelming any neighbourhood. This is set at 8 per cent and 11 per cent at the neighbourhood and block level respectively, and applies to subtenants who are Singapore PRs and foreigners. However, it does not apply to Malaysians. If you intent to rent to foreign tenants, make sure you check with HDB (www.bit. ly/1CR2DZD) to ensure that the quota is not full yet, before you sign on the lease. Otherwise, you can sublet your whole flat only to Singaporeans or Malaysians. This quota does not apply for subletting of rooms. 148 text STELLA THNG photography ZAPHS ZHANG art direction YEW XIN YI



FIX IT LINEN LOVE High-quality bed sheets are an investment. Learn how to properly care for them to ensure that they last a long time. WASH REGULARLY • Linen is a soft yet durable WHEN TO REPLACE Dirt, dust, oil and sweat build up natural fibre. The more Bedding can last for many years, quickly on bedding. The longer frequently linen sheets are but too frequent and improper they accumulate on the sheets, washed, the softer they washing will break down even the more stress is put on the become. The material dries high-quality bed linen. Replace sheet fibres. Grubby sheets quickly, so the sheets don’t them when the fabric gets are also more appealing to need a long or hot drying thin, shows fading, or develops microscopic mites. setting. Better yet, air-dry them. pills (small balls of fluff on the surface). If the edges of the It’s a good idea to change • Bamboo fibre sheets are best sheets look shabby and frayed, your bed sheets and pillowcases laundered with cold water it’s time to retire them. once a week, or every two weeks. and soap made for natural Pillow protectors and mattress fibres, or with neutral pH levels. ',' covers also require washing at Colours may run during the <28 least once a month. first few washings, so .12: make sure to wash this SPECIAL FABRICS material separately. While it’s tempting to crank • Silk is strong, but needs special up the heat on your washer ROTATE YOUR BEDDING thinking it will make your laundering to keep its fibres Keep at least three sets of sheets sheets cleaner, hot water is intact. Wash silk items by hand per bed. This way, you can have actually harsh on fibres, and the first few times. Afterwards, one set on your bed, one in the hard on colours. Always use you can switch to machine laundry, and one tucked away in cool or lukewarm water and a washing, but choose the gentle the closet. By rotating the sheet gentle wash cycle to extend the or hand-wash cycle and resist sets, they will last longer and lifespan of your bedding. the urge to use the extra spin won’t wear out as quickly. cycle option. 150 text VERLAINE RAMOS-MARQUEZ photography WINSTON CHUANG



PROJECT SHOWCASE EVERYDAY OPULENCE Given the luxe treatment, this apartment makes its occupants feel as though they’re living in a palace! Home to a couple and their two young daughters, this three-bedroom condominium unit may have a footprint of only 1,100sqf, but it has a big and bold personality. The home has a sumptuous, baroque theme that’s inspired by the homeowners’ wedding picture (displayed in the dining area in a gold-tone frame). “The husband and wife are quite sentimental, and wanted to recreate the look and mood of their wedding photo, in their home,” explains Joanna Evangelista of Vegas Interior Design. While the husband wanted red and black to be part of the colour scheme, the wife preferred a lighter palette. Joanna created a theme that balances both, controlling the use of these colours and keeping the floors, ceilings and most of the walls white. She also included gold- tone accents in the furniture and gold-and-white carved for some glamour. The dark dining table to the quilted bed damask-print wallpaper used headboards and ornate mirror as wall features in the living frames, the luxurious look room and master bedroom is consistent throughout the was key, as it matched the one home. The designer even made in the wedding picture. The sure that the shade of deep red cornices and ceiling mouldings used for the soft furnishings throughout the home were also and upholstery was the same. a nod to the trimmings of the The couple spent over $60,000, fireplace on the set in the photo. inclusive of the furniture, for this grand, opulent look. “All the furniture was custom- made in Indonesia using teak WHERE TO GO wood, and we had to wait two to Vegas Interior Design, #01-07 three months for them,” says Orion@Paya Lebar, 160 Paya Lebar Joanna. From the high-back Road, TEL: 6252-5522 brass-studded dining chairs 152 text LOUISA CLARE LIM photos VEGAS INTERIOR DESIGN

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IN STORE Tangy and Refreshing Known for its environmentally friendly home and personal-care products, Method introduces a couple of refreshing products that’ll make cleaning a little more fragrant. The ginger yuzu dish soap pump ($8.95 for 532ml) and Squirt + Mop hard-floor cleaner ($6.50 for 739ml) balance the citrusy scent of yuzu with a spicy gingery kick, leaving your dishes and floor smelling fresh all day! Available at Cold Storage, Fairprice Finest, Isetan and Meidi-Ya. Turn up the Heat Italian designer Umberto Palermo lends his flair for elegant automobile designs to the latest range of Andris series water heaters by Ariston. The heaters’ clean-cut and curvaceous design is far from an eyesore, so HDB homeowners won’t have to worry about concealing it! Ariston water heaters are available at all leading sanitary, electrical and hardware dealers. For a full list of dealers, visit www.ariston-heater.com.sg. Movie in a Pocket Sleeping on Clouds Imagine being able to carry around a With Tempur’s Zero G Adjustable Bed projector in your pocket! At 124mm Base, you can morph your bed into a by 71mm, Canon’s Rayo R4 mini shape that’ll best contour to your body’s projector is around the size of a needs. You can either elevate your legs smartphone, and allows for 180 for increased blood circulation, or prop minutes of playback time. your head up if you intend to do some reading before calling it a day. Simply hook it up to your smartphone or laptop with a Mobile Try it out at the Tempur Sleep High-Definition Link (MHL) or High- Boutique, #01-01 Seng Kee Building, Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) 20 Martin Road, tel: 6933-7667. cable respectively, and you can set up a cinema-like experience anywhere. Take it home for $499, at all Canon authorised dealers. 154



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Atelier City Gas Gallery & ELECTRONICS 75 Bukit Timah Road Mong Design Studio PAINT #02-01 to 03 Tel: 6270-8828 #05-01 Centro Bianco PWC Building Electrolux S.E.A. 73 Upper Paya Dulux 8 Cross Street #01-19 Block B OM Lebar Road #05-01, 3 Changi Tel: 6732-6910 Jackson Square Level 8 Tel: 6753-3005 Business Park Vista www.citygas.com.sg 11 Lorong 3 Toa Payoh 16 Tai Seng Street www.mongdesign Tel: 6265-0677 www.electrolux.com.sg Tel: 6235-0777 studio.com.sg www.dulux.com.sg The Ewins Home www.om-home.com #01-100 Midview City FURNITURE Prozfile Nippon Paint 24 Sin Ming Lane & FURNISHINGS Roche Bobois 1 Starlight Road 1 First Lok Yang Road Tel: 6659-0080 #01-19/20/21 Tel: 6396-6672 Tel: 6265-5355 www.theewinshome.com Akemi Uchi 354 Alexandra Road www.prozfile.com.sg www.nipponpaint.com.sg #04-19 Jem Tel: 6734-7939 Extra Space Tel: 6268-5054 singapore@roche- Rezt & Relax Interior 301 Boon Keng Road www.akemiuchi.com bobois.com #02-09 Vertex Tower B Tel: 6771-3100 33 Ubi Ave 3 www.extraspace.com.sg Boconcept Star Furniture Tel: 6348-7787 #04-01/03 Paragon 1 Pasir Panjang Road www.reztnrelax.com RENOVATION Hafele Singapore Tel: 6736-0777 Tel: 6273-2522 MATERIALS #03-00 Nutz Centre www.boconcept.sg www.starliving.com.sg Space Factor 68 Sungei Kadut Loop #08-02 Richfield Caesarstone S.E.A. Tel: 6494-7400 Commune Teak & Mahogany Industrial Centre #08-06 The Spire www.hafele.com #02-51/52/53 #07-04 Century 22 Eunos Ave 7 10 Bukit Batok Crescent Millenia Walk Warehouse Tel: 6746-0082 Tel: 6316-1938 IMM Tel: 6338-3823 Tel: 6273-8116 www.spacefactor.com.sg www.caesarstone.sg 2 Jurong East St 21 www.thecommune www.teakand Tel: 6665-8268 life.com mahogany.com The Design Practice Hafary www.imm.sg #04-01 The Modules 105 Eunos Ave 3 Danovel Teak Avenue 387 Joo Chiat Road Tel: 6538-3823 Onna Prima #02-54/55 Tanglin #02-05, 9 @ Tagore Tel: 6337-6478 www.hafary.com.sg #01-44 Northstar @ AMK Shopping Centre 9 Tagore Lane www.thedesign Tel: 6886-9303 Tel: 6235-5020 Tel: 6457-2267 practice.sg Hot Spring Stone www.onnaprima.com www.danovel.com www.teakavenue.com 34 Sungei Kadut St 1 The Scientist Tel: 6362-0085 Robinsons The Design Store 706A Geylang Road www.hotspring The Heeren by Lifestorey Tel: 6743-0363 stone.com 260 Orchard Road Level 1 www.thescientist.com.sg Tel: 6735-8838 16 Tai Seng Street Rice www.robinsons.com.sg Tel: 6749-2422 Three-D Conceptwerke #01-03 www.lifestorey.com 24 Eng Hoon Street 213 Henderson Road Tel: 6293-8001 Tel: 6227-3456 Unitrading W&F www.three-d- www.rice-fields.com 63 Niven Road conceptwerke.com Tel: 6640-1846 www.unitradingwf.com 156

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WHERE TO BUY Atomi Danish Design Ikea Make Room Song Birds Centre #04-27 #01-02 60 Tampines North #10-01 #01-31 Mandarin Gallery Harbourside Building 1 Drive 2 Tan Boon Liat Building 84 Bedok North Tel: 6887-4138 1 Boon Leat Terrace Tel: 6786-6868 Tel: 9113-1274 Street 4 www.atomi-jp.com Tel: 6270-8483 www.ikea.com.sg www.make-room.net Tel: 6446-0318 www.danishdesignco. Boconcept com Journey East Marquis Studio Space #04-01/03 Paragon #03-02 (within Lifestorey) 77 Bencoolen Street Tel: 6736-0777 E&A Interiors Tan Boon Liat Building #02-15 Tel: 6415-0000 www.boconcept.sg #04-24 Tel: 6473-1693 Great World City www.spacefurniture. 46 Kim Yam Road www.journeyeast.com Tel: 6732-7362 com.sg CB2 Tel: 6702-4850 Peranakan www.eandainteriors. Kanarien Marquis QSquare Star Living Place Complex com #01-32 16 Tai Seng Street 50 Sungei Kadut 178A Orchard Road 65 Tiong Poh Road Level 1 Avenue Tel: 6732-5333 Galanga Living Tel: 6536-1035 Tel: 6383-0119 Star Building II www.cb2.com #01-02 www.kanarienshop.com www.marquis.com.sg Tel: 6362-7077 211 Henderson Road www.starliving.com.sg Cityflow Tel: 6475-2633 Ki-mono Mountain Teak #04-K1 www.galangaliving. #03-16/17 One KM #07-02 Stylodeco Orchard Gateway com 11 Tanjong Katong Road Tan Boon Liat Building www.stylodeco.com Tel: 6702-3062 Tel: 8344-7378 Tel: 6224-7176 www.cityflow.com.sg Grafunkt www.ki-mono.net www.mountainteak. Teak & Mahogany #02-34/36 com #07-02/04, 100E Pasir Comfort Design Millenia Walk Kki Home Panjang Road 110 Eunos Ave 7 Tel: 6336-6046 1 Zubir Said Drive Mondi Lifestyle Tel: 6273-8116 Comfort Design www.grafunkt.com School of the Arts #03-25 IMM Building www. Building Tel: 6225-6650 Tel: 6563-6706 teakandmahogany.com Tel: 6747-4809 Harvey Norman www.kki-sweets.com www.starliving.com.sg www.comfortfurniture. #02-56/62 The Design Store by com.sg Millenia Walk Lamitak Muji Lifestorey Tel: 6311-9988 41 Sungei Kadut #B4-16 Ion Orchard 16 Tai Seng Street Crate & Barrel www.harveynorman. Avenue Tel: 6509-9321 Level 1 #03-25 & #04-21/22 com.sg Tel: 6366-1212 www.muji.com.sg Tel: 6749-2422 Ion Orchard www.lamitak.com www.lifestorey.com Tel: 6634-4222 Homes To Life Poltrona Frau www.crateandbarrel. #03-04/05, 112 Katong Lush #03-08/10 W. Atelier com Tel: 6443-0658 Levels 2 & 3 Scotts Square #01-01/02 www.homestolife.com Centro Bianco Tel: 6636-0080 75 Bukit Timah Road Cuckoo 73 Upper Paya www.poltronafrau.com Tel: 6270-8828 Block 6B Hommage Lifestyle Lebar Road www.watelier.com Dempsey Road #03-02 Tel: 6858-5882 Roche Bobois Tel: 9111-3598 40 Jalan Pemimpin www.lush-lush.com #01-19/21 The Alexis Xtra www.cuckoo.com.sg Tat Ann Building 354 Alexandra Road #01-01 & #02-01 Tel: 6258-5258 Minotti Tel: 6734-7939 Park Mall www. #01-02, 30 Hill Street www.roche-bobois. Tel: 6336-0688 hommagelifestyle.com Tel: 6338-2822 com/singapore www.xtra.com.sg www.minotti.com 160 photography ZAPHS ZHANG art direction YEW XIN YI