Category Archives: General

It’s a kind of magic

TURNING a mere 67 square metres of real estate into the height of luxury sounds a little like a tall order, but one that interior designer Cameron Woo accomplishes with ease.

Back in 2006, the Singapore-based Australian transformed a barely-there showflat that was the equivalent of the size of a 3-room HDB flat into the hottest seller at The Metropolitan, a 382-unit, high-rise condominium in the Bukit Merah area, a project that he counts as one of his biggest successes.

The two-bedroom space, dressed to the nines with glamorous mirrored walls and overhead displays, was presented by developer CapitaLand as a new-generation solution for nuclear families who could purchase adjacent units for their loved ones.

Says Woo: ‘We took what was probably their biggest liability (their smallest apartments) and turned them into one of their biggest assets: we communicated that an 800 sq ft space can feel large and actually work.’

The project, which won his firm, Cameron Woo Design, the CNBC Arabia Best Residential Interior Design Category for Asia-Pacific back in April this year, will represent the region in the international awards held in November. Continue reading

Singapore’s 40 Richest

Singapore is emerging from its deepest recession since the island became an independent nation in 1965. Though the economy may shrink up to 6% this year, there are signs that the worst is over. GDP expanded in the second quarter for the first time in a year. Exports and manufacturing were up in July, and property prices and sales are picking up. The country’s main stock index has jumped almost 90% since its March low.

All of this has meant a boost in the fortunes of the nation’s richest. The total net worth of Singapore’s top 40 is $39 billion, up 20% from last year’s $32 billion. Ng Teng Fong is No. 1 again, worth $8 billion, $1 billion more than last year. Kuok Khoon Hong’s net worth is up $2.2 billion to $3.5 billion, thanks in part to a 70% jump in the stock price of palm oil firm Wilmar International.

In Picture: Singapore’s 40 Richest

In Depth: Where The World’s Richest Live

Malaysia’s Richest

In Pictures: Secret Identities Of The Rich And Famous

In Pictures: Billionaire Toys For Sale

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