page thirteen | issue 0

page thirteen+ LIFESTYLE . DESIGN . FASHION . INSPIRATIONS

Page Thirteen © | issue 0

This is a portfolio showcasing a selection of blog posts initially published by the author on

Page Thirteen.To view the original posts in their blog format,

please visit: www.page-thirteen.blogspot.com

aboutShu & Page Thirteen

My name is Shu. I am an Interior Designer/ Writer-Blogger. “Shu” in Chinese literally means “books”; I fell in love with books when I laid hands on my first “Peter and

Jane” around the age of 5. Go figure. Oh, but I also happen to ♥ “shoes”!

Apart from books, I also enjoy surrounding myself with inspiring elements related to fashion, design, lifestyle, photography, art, DIYs and more.

Page Thirteen is a collage of gorgeous things and people which inspire me. It is also a platform for me to explore my passion for text and images, writing and publishing, combining that with my ever-growing respect and enthusiasm for the arts and design culture, the role they play in our lives, and the influence they have over us.

My goal is to have the opportunity to work with designers, artists, bloggers, and all the other talented and inspiring people in the field of interior design, architecture, fashion, media, marketing etc., to learn from them, and to further explore my path as a writer/freelance blogger.

This is the beginning of a journey of which I anticipate will be far and interesting. Welcome! And thank you for sharing it with me. I hope it will become a source of joy and inspiration for you as well!

ps. To view the statistics and insights of Page Thirteen, please flip to the back cover.

[email protected]

4 www.page-thirteen.blogspot.com

design6 Doing Scandinavianthe nordic way of furnishing with lights, whites, colours and textures

18 Lost In Sofatry losing your items in between these cushions...

fashion20 Coffee With Plasterdollan interview with the fashionista of the doll’s world

26 Popping Colour Blocks!clashing fun with this season’s bright hues

inspirations10 Funky Little Nesttake a tour around the tasteful home of this taltented graphic designer 25 Play Dress Up! in nudes and neutrals with h&m

life&style17 Mug Shotsfrom the mug lover...

18 Will You Ever Use Me Again? the pencil asks... Urbanears what are your ears wearing? Downtown From Behind a NYC based photographic and film project on sustainability and a greener environment

contentsissue 0 | at a glance

All images on this page from Anthropologie http://www.anthropologie.com

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Doing

SCANDINAVIAN:Bright Whites, Calm Greys & Colours

+ I love the window, and the off-centred yellow square, which represents light/

shadow casting against the wall - brilliant! The arrays of colours in various elements

complements the room beautifully too!

+ ideas:


(above) + Once again, colours dot across the whites, this time in pastel shades of yellow and pinks, bringing a soft contrast to the stone and wood elements in the room. There is also a juxtapose of old and new at play here, which really adds character to the composition.

(left) + Turquoise is the secondary colour in this room, used sparsely but carried smartly throughout the space; love those tables made out of cable reels - that raw, slightly industrial look - smart way of up-cycling wastes too! (above) + Sometimes, a small pop of colour is all you need...


+ A serene space, with all the perfect basic components: light, whites, greys, woods and nature.

+ ideas:

Scandinavian style is all about light;. it is common to see huge windows, often left bare, to let in the light. The interiors has a neutral base, usually white, but that doesn’t mean the

room should end up looking stark and cold. In contrast, colour and textures are added for a bold and edgy character which pops out in the most interesting ways!Sometimes, the play of colours against the whites are slightly toned down, while shapes and textures are emphasised through their materials (usually wood), or the more muted shades of blacks and greys. This could be a more matured, bold, edgy and contemporary look, which is another beautiful facet of the impressive Scandinavian style.

Images from Houzz, From Scandinavia With Love, Bright Bazaar, Apartment 34, Emma’s Design Blog. To see the original post in blog format, please visit Page Thirteen: page-thirteen.blogspot.com


+ Just one element from nature is all

you need to add the humanistic

touch to a space; a play with patterns (florals, dots and stripes) creates an interesting

contrast.

+ A variety of greys is

anything but dull

and gloomy!

+ There is a certain stillness about this space; despite the sharp colours and materials

standing out against the white backdrop, there is also something very calm about this dining room of sheep-skin-draped metal chairs

and wooden table.

+ The white-grey-black and wood is lends an array of characteristics, where the

strong contrasts successfully brings out the boldness of

each individual piece.


FunkyLittle NestGraphic Designer, amateur photographer and new mom Yvonne offers a peek into her gorgeous home.

+ inspired by:

11 ONE IKEA DAMANSARA • MAY 2010

I came across Yvonne’s home tour over at

Made By Girl, and the first

thing that caught my

eye were the quality and

light in the pictures. They had a bit of lomo-

vignette-vintage feel to them, and they were gorgeous!

Of course, Yvonne’s space is also very beautifully laid out, with more than a few unique touches too! I love the grey and black walls in the living room; the strong colours play well with the graphic elements and alternating textures around the room, complementing the furnishing and pulls everything together very nicely!

Yvonne is a graphic designer, and maintains her own design inspired blog {Simplyvonne}. She’s also a new mummy (congratulations!), and I think her baby Kaylee is really lucky to have such a pretty nursery, don’t you?

Pop over to Yvonne’s blog to see more of her home, and pick up some cool inspirations too!

“simplyvonne said... aw thank you so much for all the kind words! just became ur new follower! April 7, 2011 9:35 AM“

All images via Made By Gir l and {Simplyvonne}, found thanks to Made By Gir l . To see the or ig inal post in b log format , p l e a s e v i s i t Pa g e T h i r t e e n: p a g e - t h i r t e e n . b l o g s p o t . c o m


+ inspired by:


...the strong colours play well with the graphic elements and alternating textures around the room, complementing the furnishing and pulls everything together very nicely...

+ inspired by:


+ inspired by:


+ shopping:

mug shots!

I just realise I am quite a mug person! I have 3 “personal” mugs just for my daily coffee, so far... And I’ve just found more that I’d love have! Have you spotted your favourite?

From top (left to right): Modernist, West Elm; Piecrust and Oresund, Anthropologie; Owl, Wolfie and Ingrid, SMUG; Unikko, Siirtolapuutarha and Kippis, Marimekko.

Images f rom West E lm, Anthropo log ie, SMUG and Mar imekko. To see the o r ig ina l p o s t i n b l o g f o r m a t , p l e a s e v i s i t P a g e T h i r t e e n : p a g e - t h i r t e e n . b l o g s p o t . c o m


+ loving: LOST IN SOFA

This is such a fun sofa to have! I don’t think I’d need a coffee or

side table if I have this sofa.Designed by Daisuke Motogi, Lost In Sofa has slots to hold items you might need while seated, from remote controls, to books, to a cup of coffee!“Things often get lost under the sofa. It’s ordinary for a coin which slipped out of your pocket, or a never-to-be-found remote to be accidentally found in between/underneath the sofa cushions. Maybe you’ll find a forgotten 10,000yen bill that you once hid there...”I wonder if they have a matching footstool to go with it?

Images found thanks to Design Milk. To see the or iginal post in blog format, please visit Page Thi r teen: page - th i r teen.b logspot .com

+ inspired by: WILL YOU EVER USE ME AGAIN?

When was the last time you held a pencil in your hand, and

actually used it? How many of us remember the last time we sharpened a pencil? Do you even own a pencil sharpener any more?

“Will You Ever Use Me Again” is a public art installation project by New York based artist and designer Dino Sanchez. A collection of pencils with the message “Will You Ever Use Me Again?” are being left primarily in Apple stores and on iPad advertisements throughout the city, partly meant to be humorous, but also as a reminder of how our lives are swiftly taken over by technology.The simplest, most mundane object, like a pencil, is quickly diminishing into the dust left behind by the surge of “i”s and “berries” and “pads” and whatever else the next wave will bring. It is highly possible that our children and grandchildren will never have to get their hands dirty with pencils, crayons and magic markers, ever!Such a meaningful and thought provoking project! Well done!

Images from Dino Sanchez, found thanks to Design Milk. To see the original post in blog format, please visit Page Thirteen: page-thir teen.blogspot.com


+ loving: URBANEARS

Across the urban landscape, how many individuals are plugged

in to their iPods and mp3s, surrounding themselves with the tunes of their hearts - and why not express that with an extra dash of color which brings out your personality?

A Stockholm based company, Urbanears is made up of a collective group of individuals from different backgrounds, but hold the same believe in the concept of producing headphones with an in depth understanding and respect of how they are used and why. For them, design is the transformation of functionality to the human being, and beyond the obvious sound quality, they hold a vision of making headphones that felt more like clothes than plastics, which the users would feel good to wear in public spaces.I love their vision and concepts! It is about being different, not conforming to the norm, and taking something relatively mundane and functional, and putting a kick of individuality to it - fantastic!Urbanears recently launched their 2011 Spring/Summer collection, and the styling and photography is absolutely superb! (I tried researching a little on the photographer/stylist, but did not manage to secure a name - if you know who is responsible for this creatively awesome composition, please let me know!)

Images via Hypebeast and Urbanears, found thanks to Hypebeast. To see the original post in blog format, please visit Page Thirteen: page-thirteen.blogspot.com

+ urbane bits

+ inspired by: DOWNTOWN FROM BEHIND

Downtown From Behind is an inspiring photographic project

with the underlying message of sustainability and a greener environment, represented through pictures (and films) of subjects riding their bike from behind, on every street, lane and avenue below 14th in New York City.Each subject is captured in an environmental portrait between him/her and the street. The goal is to highlight these unique and dynamic individuals who have had an impact on downtown New York, making it what it is today. Subjects photographed today includes designers, musicians, artists, academics, restauranter, entrepreneurs, hoteliers, academics and celebrity activists.

Inspiring and creative! And I love the shot of Allison Beale on Center Street on a snowy day - it couldn’t have been easy, but her smile was brilliant!

Images from DFB, found via A Cup Of Jo. To see the original post in blog format, please visit Page Thir teen: page- th i r teen.blogspot .com


I met up with Summer over coffee, and we chat a little about her favourite things, what’s it like to be doll in the fashion world, her thoughts on trends and styles, her blogging; she even offered me a peek into her bag! She is really fun and easy to talk to, and so “human” - if you get what I mean!! And I am very happy to have the opportunity to feature her here.

Read on, and I’m sure you’d find reasons to love Plasterdoll too!

Coffee With:

PLASTERDOLLShe is cute and adorable, with a larger

than normal head, and has fabulous dress sense (she is a fashion model in the doll

world, after all)!


+ Tell us something about yourself... My name is Summer and I’m a Plasterdoll. In case you don’t already know about Plasterdoll, we are dolls with larger-than-normal head, with a plaster or bandaid on our forehead all the time, because that’s just how clumsy we are, with our big head! I’m a fashion model in the Plasterdoll world, and have done quite a number of “fashion shoots” (I think some humans call it “fashion illustrations”) for well-know designers. When I’m not working, I like to blog. My blog is where I share with people pictures from my fashion shoots, as well as my personal style, and some occasional “fashion projects” like my recent “Style Blogger series” where I did a “look-alike” of some popular fashion bloggers. My blog is like an avenue for me to reach out to human out there! :)

+ coffee with:


+ What’s the best part about being a fashion model in the Plasterdoll world? The best part is definitely being able to see myself in styles that I may not have tried otherwise, and to let others create different looks on me.

+ You’ve done quite a number of fashion shoots. Do you have a favourite? My favourite one has got to be one of my recent “Style Blogger series” where I was styled and photographed as two of my favourite bloggers, The Cherry Blossom Girl and Miss Pandora. I love this because I managed to pull off two different looks to resemble the gorgeous ladies.

+ What does fashion means to you, and how would you define your style? I like to see fashion as a way to express myself in terms of my personality, and to some extent my moods. My style is both Classic and Summery - just like my name!!

+ What’s the newest addition to your wardrobe this season? Lanvin for H&M’s red chandelier necklace! I love it because it looks good with almost anything, and I can dress up and down with it.


+ What do you wear on your day offs? I like to look casual on my day offs, but that doesn’t mean I spend less time styling myself! I like pairing a pair of tailored shorts with fancy tops or blouses with statement accessories, and I do the same if I feel like stepping out in my skinny jeans. If I’m in summer dresses I would usually pair them with comfortable sandals. A fashionista can never be seen sloppy!

+ Do you have a favourite scent? Oh yes! E’Clat D’Arpege by Lanvin for everyday and anytime, and Sheer Stella by Stella McCartney for night.

+ coffee with:


+ coffee with:

It was a fantastic experience to have met up with Summer, and I hope you’ve enjoyed the little interview too! For more Plasterdoll, hop over to her blog. Her fashion-shoot prints are also available for sale over at her Etsy shop.

All images courtesy of Plasterdoll. To see the original post in blog format, please visit Page Thirteen: page-thirteen.blogspot.com

+ Who’s playing on your iPod? Right now, it’s Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream”.

+ On a warm summer day, you’ll find me... Sipping watermelon juice sunbathing by the pool.

+ A peek into your handbag...iPhone, Moleskin, Wallet, Lipstick, Lipbalm, Hair Brush, Sunnies, Foundation, and Plasters (!!!) - of course!


+ play dress up:

nudes & neutralsI realise I haven’t went shopping and play dress up for a while, and so I popped by H&M, and put together something to go with my mood for the weekend. It’s not as bright or holds any popping colours, like many current Spring and Summer looks, but I am loving the soft romantic bohemian assemblage which looks great with the gorgeous camels and brown leather!

All images via H&M. To see the original post in blog format, please visit Page Thirteen: page-thirteen.blogspot.com

Small Leather Purse$9.95 | Wedge Sandals $24.95 | Flared Chiffon Dress $34.95 | Bracelets Set $9.95 | Chain and Leather Cord Necklace $9.95Pick them up at www.hm.com


+ loving:

POPPINGcolourblocks! {PART 1}


IT’S EXPLODING - COLOURS ARE EVERYWHERE!; EVERYONE’S LOVING IT! Layer them, clash them, highlight them, mix it up - turquoise, purple, yellow, green, red, fuchsia, pink, blue! It doesn’t matter how you like them - whether you wear them all at once, or just strutting out in a pair of vermilion heels - as long as they are bright, loud and bold, they are right!Here’s a peep into the lookbooks of a few of my favourite fashion brands... GET INSPIRED AND START COLOUR BLOCKING!!

All images via ZARA. To see the original post in b log format, p lease v is i t Page Th i r teen: page - th i r teen .b logspo t .c om 27 Page Thirteen | issue 0

PAGE THIRTEEN’SSTATISTICS AND INSIGHT

Site focusup to 3 new updates daily, of inspiration and accessible content including interior design and architecture, home furnishing, fashion, lifestyle, photography, art and more.

Readership (as of April/May 2011)- 1605+ page views per month.- 660+ unique monthly visitors.- 110+ additional unique daily feed subscriber via Google Reader, Twitter and Facebook.- readers are predominately female (74%), ages 25-34, largely from Malaysia (45%), Australia (34%), United States (16%).

What readers say...“aw thank you so much for all the kind words! just became ur new follower!” By simplyvonne on + inspired by: Yvonne’s Nest on 4/7/11

“Fantastic ideas! Mine is still left empty as I want to find the perfect picture. This post gave me some good ideas.” By Jessica on Bedroom Ideas {Part 1} on 3/31/11

“Ohh thank you so much for your post! it is lovely! and my owls and cards look amazing here in this adorable blog! thank you so much! I am following you, I will comeback!” By Mariapalito on V-Day Crushes: “Guess Whoooo Loves You?” on 2/9/11

“darling, thank you for the wonderful post! i understand how much time goes into cropping these photos to make a collage so thank you for taking the time for doing this for myself and gary pepper vintage. new follower here - all the best for 2011 :) nicole. x” By Nicole on Gary Pepper Vintage on 1/6/11

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page thirteen | issue 0

Documents

insights of page

page thirteenmy

bright whites

design culture

inspiring elements

arrays of colours

colours dot

field of interior design