What inspired the birth of Qeeple?
During my marketing and communications stint with the Interior Design Confederation (Singapore) in 2009, we regularly received calls from homeowners asking for design service recommendations. It got me thinking about how we could create something to guide homeowners to design solutions based on the merits of the interior design firm and not just because somebody knows somebody who can do the job.

What do you offer online that the industry traditionally didn’t?
Our research revealed that homeowners want ideas in a visual format. As a result, we’re very image-focused; you’re presented with relevant images in Qeeple’s search results rather than words. We’ve also got the biggest image library bank of interior ideas in Singapore (and probably Southeast Asia) and provide a platform for homeowners to meaningfully interact with these resources.

Any challenges to getting the site going?
The interior design industry is still a rather traditional one, so we needed to convince local design firms to adopt the idea of sharing in a Web 2.0 environment and that the advantage of getting more clients from Internet exposure overrides the risk of their design concepts being copied. It took over a year to cajole and beg for the number of interior portfolios you see on Qeeple right now.

How about future plans for the site?
We’re focused on further developing our library, providing more features for our users and making further improvements to our user interface to better support new homeowners who are either embarking on a major interior design project and existing house-proud owners looking to refurbish their homes with unique elements.

Las Vegas may have just played host to the International Pizza Expo (yes, it’s real), but the last six months have seen something of a pizza revival here, too. Even the French are looking to get in on the action with Alsatian pizza specialist Flam’s, slated to open on March 26. Here are some options for when you next get a craving.

12-inch Pizzas & Records
This laidback Timbre venture is all about two things: the pizza (from $14) and the music; there’s a turntable and a collection of old school vinyls, too. Expect thin-crust goodness, with unusual Asian-inspired flavors including a tasty black pepper crab ($19) and Jai Ho—slices of lamb kebab, zucchini, tomato and papadum ($19).
Crust: Topping ratio = 1:1
The verdict: Ideal for those who prefer thin-crust styles or indecisive eaters; they do half-and-halfs for $24.

*WINNER* Extra Virgin Pizza
A three-month-old casual alfresco pizzeria that serves up mighty fine fresh-baked, leopard spotted-pies with more substantial crusts. Top picks include the evergreen spicy pepperoni ($22) and unique pistachio pesto ($24), while recent introduction “Spotted Pig” ($28) looks set to be a new fave. We’re already looking forward to the arrival of their second outlet at Mohamed Sultan in a few months.
Crust: Topping ratio = 3:2
The verdict: We’d be happy with these slightly chewy, addictive leftovers any day.

*RUNNER UP* Pizzeria Mozza
Pegged to celeb chef Mario Batali (whose orange Crocs we haven’t seen since its opening), each wood-fired disk is evenly golden. Unfortunately there’s little evidence of the char, although fresh quality toppings go some way to compensate. The white anchovy, tomato and sliced chili option ($28) is full-flavored, while the burricotta, peperonata and taggiasche olive pie ($25) is a well-balanced treat.
Crust: Topping ratio = 3:1
The verdict: For lovers of crunchy crusts; make sure you go in groups of four or more though.

SLICE
A quick service concept that’s built for individual consumers; you can have just a slice (from $5), hence the name, or as much as you can devour. There are over 30 options to choose from; we suggest the tandoori chicken and yogurt ($7) and The Butcher—with beef, bacon and pepperoni ($8) for meat-lovers.
Crust: Topping ratio = 2:1
The verdict: Great for lone rangers or small eaters after a cheap yet decent bite; just don’t go expecting fireworks.