How to get the Modern Singapore Dining Room for under $1000

Singaporeans eat anything, anywhere. High class restaurants, neighbourhood hawker centres, hipster cafes, even in front of their laptops when they’re pulling an all-nighter at work. In fact, the last place you’d expect to find someone eating is in their own dining room! That is, until family commitments and financial constraints make eating at home the smart choice. But don’t wait till then to decorate your dining room. Spruce it up now with these wallet-friendly ideas from our friends at Art Loft

These dining room concepts under $1000 from Art Loft provide you with a way to support Asian contemporary artists. Art Loft is an online platform that helps to curate interesting artworks while promoting them and their creators to a larger audience. This is the latest of a series of articles from Art Loft about Furnishing Around Art, which encourages the use of art from the region when interior decorating.

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In order to keep the room fresh and in use, decorate the dining table with piles of books or flowers. In addition, change your china and glassware regularly. It’s always fun to change up your table settings with new pieces that may range from items found at car-boot sales to foreign travel. Don’t be afraid of buying different dining ware items to pair with your other home ware finds.

The key to entertaining at the dining table is that it should encourage conversation. Artworks are always a good talking point, so make sure your walls aren’t empty. Vases and decorative items should be low to limit distractions. The great thing about having a dining room is that you can shut the door on any mess at the end of the night and leave the clearing up until the morning.

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Good light is also essential. Lighting should be subtle and warm. Avoid bright overhead lights, other than chandeliers, as they aren’t well suited to dining spaces. Even chandeliers should be fitted with dimmer switches so remember to experiment with the level of lighting to achieve the perfect balance.

Mirrors are also a great way to maximise light while adding glamour and sparkle when reflecting tabletop silver and glassware.

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Acoustics also play an important role, yet are often neglected. You may cover the walls of dining rooms with fabric, which can be unashamedly luxurious, but also practical. Padded fabric creates a dense, deadening effect so music and voices are enhanced with no reverberation. These are great qualities for a dining or entertaining space.

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Lastly, using extendable tables can cater to parties of all sizes. It prevents an empty looking table when catering for smaller parties; yet offer extra space when squeezing in a few extra guests. Well thought-out storage is also vital for reducing clutter and maximizing space. Spacious cupboards to hold all your china, glassware and linens are an absolute must.

artloft-diningroom-mood

1. Artworks by Sinta Carolina, USD160

2. KROBY Pendant Lamp-double, Ikea, USD40

3. Global Furniture USA Side Chair (Set of 4), Wayfair, USD220

4. BJURSTA Extendable table, Ikea, USD199

5. Atlantic Buffet China Cabinet, Amazon, USD158

6. NORDEN Bench, Ikea, USD79

7. FERLE Lowpile Rug, Ikea, USD34

8. Digest Table Runner, CB2, USD60

9. 3-piece Amigos Vase Set, CB2, USD22

Total: USD972

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Other Recommended Art

Put An Attic On The Shelf (Black and White Flower)
by Jueun Lee
USD290

Put An Attic On The Shelf (Gypsophila)
by Jueun Lee
USD190

Put An Attic On The Shelf (Porcelain)
by Jueun Lee
USD340

MoneySmart purchasing tips!

Four of the items in the list above are from IKEA. If you have a DBS, OCBC or UOB credit card, you can opt for a 0% interest instalment payment plan when charging your purchases to the credit card. (VISA and Mastercard only, sorry American Express holders!)

That means you can make payments over 6 or 12 months with 0% interest. Think about it, you could refurnish your living room just by paying less than $100 a month. Just remember what we said about 0% interest instalment payment plans before.

The other items are available from online catalogs. To increase your savings, pick the best credit card for online transactions that gives you rebates, or rewards you for making transactions in foreign currencies. For example, the OCBC Frank Card gives you 6% cashback for online purchases (total cashback earned per month capped at $60), while the ANZ Optimum World Mastercard gives you 5% cashback for most shopping transactions, online and offline, with unlimited cash rebates.

What other ideas do you have for decorating your dining room on a budget? Let us know.

This article was originally published by Art Loft as http://artloftasia.com/blog/furnishing-around-art-dining-room-decor-under-1000/

Art Loft is a platform that features interesting Asian contemporary artists. We go beyond the artwork to share their creative process which often goes unheard. Through collaborations in both physical and virtual spaces, we hope to break down conventional barriers and encourage everyone to discover, learn and collect art.

The post How to get the Modern Singapore Dining Room for under $1000 appeared first on the MoneySmart blog.

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