If the monotony of your rather drab pad is getting you down, maybe it’s about time you livened it up a little. And, no, we don’t mean just rearranging your furniture around. We’re looking at a complete overhaul here, but if you’re wondering where to get some cool new stuff to fill up your place, look no further than these four cool, stylish and eclectic home deco stores.

Anthropology Homeware

What it’s About: Before you ask, no, the good people at Anthropology are not anthropologists. Instead, the outlet, that was originally set up in 2002 at Holland Village, concerns itself with how you live. The store opened a new outlet in Sep at The Raffles Marketplace that sports a stylish setting, designed by Singapore based Australian-Italian designer Albano Daminato.

Best known as the exclusive distributor of G.O.D.—the popular Hong Kong brand of homewares—Anthropology offers all sorts of chic furniture to add a little pizzazz to your home, from coffee tables to sofa sets and even light fixtures. But if you think that’s all there is to this boutique, then you’re in for quite a surprise. Also offering a host of other brands such as ACME Made from San Francisco, Designers Guild from London and the quirky local designs of Flea Circus, Anthropology sells a variety of other essentials for the modern home too—such as bed wear, organic bath products and even laptop casings. And if you’re not sure of what it is you think your place needs, feel free to ask any of the staff. They’re always eager to help.

If you’re looking for the chic, the stylish and the cool, Anthropology is the place for you to check out. Also, be sure to keep an eye out for their in-house line of leather accessories, like card and CD holders, coming soon.

Where It’s At: #B1-77/78 The Raffles Marketplace, Raffles City Shopping Centre, 252 North Bridge Rd., 6336-3655, 16A Lorong Mambong, Holand Village, 6467-2663.

Salad

What it’s About: Nestled in the quietly cool Haji Lane, Salad certainly stands out among the rest of the stores along the street, with its recently revamped color scheme of shocking pink and green, just in time for the coming festive season. Launched early this year by three veterans of the interior and lifestyle business, Salad’s already become a mainstay of the lane, which is fast earning a name for itself with its various fashionable and artistic boutiques.

Targeted mostly at designers, stylists and anyone looking for something a little different, Salad’s products range from chandeliers to cabinets and even to art pieces. On top of that, it also features personalized items like hand-painted shoes, sleek computer bags and even some tasteful bling bling for all you hipsters out there. Its constantly changing themes keep the store fresh and up-to-date with the latest trends and styles.

It takes quite a bit to stand out among the stores of Haji Lane, but Salad’s already earned that right. For anyone looking to take the artistic route with their home deco, this is definitely the place to check out.

Where It’s At: 25/27 Haji Lane, 6299-5805.

Egg3

What it’s About: Looking good just isn’t enough for the people at Egg3. After a visit to their newly expanded store, the guys at this lifestyle concept store want your living space to achieve a sense of harmony and comfort as well.

Selling an eclectic blend of traditional and contemporary styled home accessories, as well as fashion and jewelry since its inception in 2004, Egg3 has prided itself on not going with the flow and also selling a mix of products that you wouldn’t normally find under one roof. The staff helpfully encourage visitors to mix and match whatever would work best for their homes and what would make them comfortable. The end result is almost always unconventional, but definitely a perfect fit for anyone looking for an idiosyncratic vibe for their pad.

The store itself is visual eye-candy. After the expansion, the guys at Egg3 had 900 square feet to play with and they certainly went all the way—with a look that is an inspired mix of French and Chinoiserie style. With almost everything you see for sale, you could get lost in the outlet for quite a while.

Their recent collection includes nature-inspired designs for t-shirts, cushion covers and collectible accessories—a collaboration with some of Singapore’s finest graphic designers.

Where It’s At: #01-10/11, 33 Erskine Rd., 6536-6977.

Homebody

What it’s About: If its name conjures up thoughts of simple, yet still stylish, homeware products, then you already have a rough idea of what Homebody’s about. Started by the same people behind the Cocoon Lifestyle spa body care brand, Homebody isn’t bound by any particular style. Be it eastern or western, as long as its trendy, you’ll find it at Homebody.

A tiny shop in Marina Square, Homebody sells a diverse mix of homeware items, furniture and lighting fixtures from around the world. Most of the items are limited in stock, but what really sets Homebody apart is that they will custom-make certain products, such as the chandeliers and triangle cushion seatees. On the flip side, there are also little knick-knacks, like quirky animal magnets, to keep you browsing for a while.

Going that extra step to build relationships with their customers, Homebody has a special Homebuddies mailing list for its regulars, which offers special store discounts and a heads up of what’s new at the store.

Where It’s at: #03-332 Marina Square, 6 Raffles Blvd., 6334-3321.

Gadget hounds out there probably chalked up alarming credit card bills this year—and we don’t blame you. It has been a hell of a year: Mobile phones and portable media devices really upped the ante on each other, high-definition entertainment rose to the fore, and cool digital cameras have turned scores of ordinary people into enthusiastic shutterbugs. And then there was this little thing called the Xbox 360.

Taking a look back on the year’s best, we ploughed down the onslaught of drool-worthy gear, narrowed it down, and now present you with our definitive round up of the hottest tech trends and products of 2006.

Portable Music Players

While portable music players have been sitting pretty as one of the most popular gadgets for a couple of years now, this was the year when the portable music player reached an entirely new height.

Doubled Up

MP3 players have been going strong and practically every music fan sports one these days. While the “big two” of Apple and Creative Technologies dominate this market, this year saw the advent of other worthwhile contenders muscling in on their territory, most notably Samsung.

While Samsung has been steadily producing MP3 players for quite some time now, they really came into their own with the Samsung K5 (2GB, $338; 4GB, $438). The player’s snazzy looks alone made users sit up and pay attention because, finally, here was a player that didn’t try to be a Creative or an Apple, but had a distinct look all of its own. The fact that it has in-built speakers that allow it to double up as a social music player made it stand out even more. You can pick one up at Aik Leong Electrical Enterprise.

More than the Music

With the competition getting hotter, it only made sense for big players Creative and Apple to step up. Creative came out with Zen Vision W (30GB, $649; 60GB, $749) and Apple held its own with the latest mighty iPod (30GB for $428; 80GB for $598)—multimedia players that allow users to watch videos or check out pictures as well as listen to music. High-resolution displays for both make for unrivaled portable viewing, and each brand learnt not to repeat the mistakes of their earlier players. Take our word for it—walking down the street with your eyes glued to one of these bad boys is the new mark of coolness. Head down to the iShop for the iPod and to The Creative Store Plaza Singapura for the Zen Vision W.

Keep Walkin’ (I-S PICK!)

But if we’re talking about music players that can do more than just turn on the tunes, screen pictures and video footage (as if that wasn’t enough), we have to mention the Sony Ericsson 850i Walkman Phone ($698). Probably the most popular of its line, the sound quality of this phone is impressive by any portable player’s standards, let alone a mobile phone. Space-wise, the 850i can expand its capacity up to 4GB, so it’s not like it’s lagging behind standard players. The 850i even outshone the much hyped about repositioning of Sony’s own Walkman as an MP3 player. The buzz says it all—while the interest in the Walkman cooled off fairly quickly after its launch, the 850i is, till today, a much talked about asset among music fans. Because the 850i was the most popular player among Singaporeans, it is our MP3 player of choice. You can pick it up at the M1 Shop Paragon.

Mobile Phones

While the competition between mobile handset providers is intense, there are still obvious leaders in the market—Nokia, Motorola and, recently, Samsung.

Think Thin

Design did not lose out to functionality this year.
If you wanted proof of this, look no further
than Motorola’s RAZR V3x ($598) and Samsung’s Ultra SGH-X820 ($498)—two of the year’s most popular phones. Proving that size does count, these bad boys made it big...for being thin. When the RAZR V3x appeared on the market early this year, it was the phone to have. Measuring in at only 19.6mm in depth, it caught on quickly and before you knew it, it seemed like everyone had one. But as petit as the V3x was, it looked fat next to the even slimmer SGH-X820. At a mere 6.9mm and part of Samsung’s much-loved Ultra line, the SGH-X820 was the world’s slimmest phone when it was released and had the killer looks to get users talking.
The Ultra SGH-X820 can be picked up at CitiLink and the V3x at Hello! @ Orchard.

I’m Ready for My Close-Up (I-S PICK!)

Mobile phones’ video functions have generally played second fiddle to their still cameras. Nokia changed all that with the Nokia N93 ($1,388) from their popular Nseries. One of the most talked about phones of the year, the N93 featured Nokia’s usual plus points—like user-friendliness and trendy design—but also paved an entirely new path for mobile movie-making with an impressive 3.2 megapixel lens and DVD-quality video capture. Throw in the fact that the phone can easily hook up with a TV, and you have the hottest phone on the market. And, as cool as the slim trend was, nothing blew us away this year quite like the N93’s video capabilities. Pick it up at the Nokia Nseries Experience Studio.

Notebooks

You’re still using a desktop? How passé! Having a notebook is definitely the way to go—just look at how many people are using them in coffee houses and fast food joints everywhere.

Style Council

Of course, the fact that notebooks are now incredibly stylish definitely played a huge part in their increased popularity. The VAIO VGN-TX37GP ($3,599) from Sony has been seen everywhere, from offices to restaurants, with users showing it off like the latest designer wear—and with a slim 19.51mm shell and gorgeous colors (sapphire, black, platinum white, and the ever popular metallic copper), it’s easy to see why. The Fujitsu Lifebook P7120 ($3,988) and the Lenovo V1000 ($1,999) also deserve a mention for featuring fashionable designs. The Lifebook series, one of Fujitsu’s most popular lines of notebooks, prides itself on vibrant colors and slim looks, and the P7120 is no exception. The V1000, on the other hand is simple and says “stylish, but not overly flashy.”
Get the VAIO VGN-TX37GP at the Sony Gallery at Bugis, the Lifebook P7120 at Fenridge, and the V1000 at AddOn Systems.

Apple of Our Eye (I-S PICK!)

Take a look at Apple’s MacBook Pro (2.16Ghz, $3,488; 2.33Ghz, $4,288; 2.33Ghz, $4,788), easily one of the most popular notebooks out there right now. Its simple, yet chic, look has been such a hit that you’ll even find former PC advocates sporting one. And it’s a serious computer too—all the MacBook Pros come with an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor. Definitely our favorite notebook of the year. You can pick one up at the iShop.

Home Entertainment

After a few quiet years, the home entertainment market suddenly found its second wind in 2006, with the advent of the high definition (hi-def) lifestyle.

The Very Definition

LG has had prominent success in the hi-def TV market with the LG 42LB1R (42-inch LCD) ($3,999). With a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, the picture quality is to die for. Samsung, however, swiftly responded with the Samsung Sonoma S7 LCD TV (the 32-inch, $2,199; 40-inch, $3,999). Sporting the Digital Natural Image engine, the Sonoma wowed consumers with picture quality that accentuated even the most minor of details and has since become one of the hottest TV sets on the market. Get the Sonoma S7 at Best Denki, Plaza Singapura and the 42LB1R at Courts, Centrepoint.

Not Done Yet

There was talk that DVD was headed the way of the dinosaur, and that Blu-ray was primed to supersede. But, for now, that has turned out to be just talk. Sony cemented the reign of DVD when they released the Sony DAV-DZ720 ($749), probably one of the most popular hi-def DVD home theater systems of the year. Sporting a killer look, the system gives consumers an all-round cinematic experience and has multiple format playback options. Get the DAV-DZ720 at the Sony Gallery at Isetan, Wisma Atria.

Becoming X (I-S PICK!)

With all this talk about hi-def, it is inevitable that we talk about one of the biggest highlights of 2006—the Microsoft Xbox 360 ($660). Boasting the latest and coolest games like The Godfather, Project Gotham Racing 3 and the insanely popular Halo 2, the 360 was unrivaled this year. Things, however, will be getting interesting next year, with the release (hopefully!) of the Playstation 3. Pick the Xbox 360 up at Challenger Superstore Funan.

Cameras

2006 saw even more cams become user-friendly so anyone who wants to snap a few pics can.

To the Max

Samsung’s Digimax S1000 ($499) is another worthwhile investment. And although its features aren’t totally drool-worthy, it’s easy to use and its design is attractive. The same can be said for the Canon 850 IS ($629). It’s stylish, reduces picture graininess at high-speed settings, and will fit in your pocket. You can get the Canon 850 IS at Alan Photo Trading, and the Digimax S1000 at Denstrade Co.

With The Greatest of Ease

Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-FX01 (I-S PICK!) ($549) and Casio’s Exilim EX-S600 ($749) are the two cameras that have caught the most attention from users. Their simplicity and ease of use are hard to beat, and the sleek compact design adds to their appeal. The fact that their features aren’t lightweight—the DMC-FX01 boasts incredible image management and the EX-S600 has an impressive shutter speed—also lends them some credibility. This was a tough one, but in the end, we picked the Panasonic Lumix as our top camera, which is designed with the casual user in mind, right down to its looks. You can pick up the Lumix DMC-FX01 at Aik Seng Photo, and the Exilim EX-S600.

2006 has been a whopper of a year for tech lovers. While we were treated to lots of great stuff from the usual suspects like Nokia, Apple, Sony and Motorola, Samsung pleasantly surprised us by coming into its own and releasing a slew of various cool products.

But don’t think you (or your wallets) can take a breather just yet—this year may be winding down, but we’re already eagerly scoping out what’s to come in 2007.

Where to Get ‘Em

AddOn Systems, #04-33 Funan DigitaLife Mall, 109 North Bridge Rd., 6338-3779.

Aik Leong Electrical Enterprise, #01-16 Blk 121, Bukit Merah Lane 1, 6271-9365.

Aik Seng Photo, #01-29 Lucky Plaza, 304 Orchard Rd., 6235-2686.

Alan Photo Trading, #05-20 Funan DigitaLife Mall, 109 North Bridge Rd., 6883-0922.

Best Denki, #04-09/12 Plaza Singapura, 68 Orchard Rd., 6333-0110.

Challenger Superstore, #06-00 Funan DigitaLife Mall, 109 North Bridge Rd.,
6336-7747.

CitiLink, #B1-38 United Square, 101 Thompson Rd., 6253-0618.

Courts, #03-03 Centrepoint Shopping Centre, 176 Orchard Rd., 6733-2131.

The Creative Store, #04-06 Plaza Singapura, 68 Orchard Rd., Customer Service Hotline 6895-4100.

Denstrade Co, #01-K1 High Street Centre, No.1 North Bridge Rd., 6334-3218.

Fenridge (Singapore), #16-313 The Plaza, 7500A Beach Rd., 6298-1043.

iShop, #03-04/05/06 Cathay Orchard Cineleisure, 8 Grange Rd., 6622-8988.

Hello! @ Orchard, #01-01 Crown Prince Shopping Centre, 270 Orchard Rd., Hotline 1610.

The M1 Shop, #B1-28/29 Paragon, 290 Orchard Rd., Hotline 1800-843-8383.

The Nokia Nseries Experience Studio, #01-10/11 Scotts Shopping Centre, 6 Scotts Rd., Customer Service Line 6822-8888.

The Sony Gallery, #01-58/59 Bugis Junction, 200 Victoria St., 6837-0646; #04-01 Wisma Atria, 435 Orchard Rd., 6733-1876.

You’ve acted in many movies and you’ve directed and written quite a few. Which do you prefer—working in front of or behind the camera?
I like acting, but it’s more of a passion to direct.

What made you want to start directing?
I think the question should be “What made me start acting?” Both my parents are actors and my father is a script writer, but my first desires were drawing and writing and, of course, directing is good for that!

More than most other kinds of filmmakers, the works of French directors’ are very eclectic and visually stunning. Why do you think French filmmakers pay such close attention to visual elements?
I’m not sure that, visually, a lot of things are being done in France. Most films here are very…soft. Some people are now beginning to do a little more, but before, it was the stories themselves that were always more important.

Since you have experience as both a director and an actor, do you allow the actors you work with to run almost completely free when it comes to how they play the roles?
I direct them a lot! For the scene in The Man of My Life that’s shot at the break of dawn, we rehearsed for two week, just so it looks very natural. We shot it for five nights.

Where did you get the inspiration for The Man of My Life?
I don’t know. They’re different stories—I wanted to speak about the power of love, the power of falling in love. I wanted to show it in another way; to let it be something about choice.

A huge part of the show is the all-night conversation between Hugo and Frederick. What was your most life-changing all-night conversation?
I’ve had some discussion with a friend about my point of view about love. Of course it was different, because it wasn’t someone I was falling in love with. Lovers love speaking about love. It’s something magical.

Is this a sad or happy film to you?
Neither. I think I wanted it to be… “touching inside your belly.” Love always make you hurt inside the belly, in the centre of yourself. It’s like someone pushes a finger into your solar plexus. It does this to everyone with feelings and it’s a bit painful.

When you were making the film, did you already have in mind that Frederick and Hugo wouldn’t end up together?
Yes, I wanted it to be an open end.

What do you have planned next?
I’m directing a play here in France and acting in two television films. And I’m beginning to think of another movie, but it takes lots of energy. The most difficult thing ever is to write.

If you like to explore the mushroom-filled world of the Mario Brothers or mutilate mutant zombies in a glorified and gory fashion, there are a variety of video games on various consoles that allow you to do this. But it seems like it might be time for a game that will capture the Singaporean imagination. With that in mind, we made up a list of completely fictional video games we’d love to play that take our Singaporean lifestyle into account.

Resident Office

We’re sure you’ve thought about this one. Those co-workers who just refuse to flush the toilet, eat and drink your stuff from the pantry’s fridge and spend all day gossiping by the water-cooler—don’t pretend like you haven’t dreamt of beating the snot out of them.

We’d love to see a game where you get to vent these frustrations, preferably via the first person shooter platform (think Counter-Strike or Resident Evil). The objective is to arm yourself with potentially dangerous office tools like that bulky printer toner or the industrial sized stapler, then head from department to department, bludgeoning those imbeciles. Naturally, your final opponent would be the company’s head honcho.

We figure that this idea would sell like hotcakes and—contrary to reports of video game-inspired violence—might even make for a better work environment with all that animosity out of the way. Imagine Resident Office therapy sessions (after particularly brutal meetings) where workers get to play the hell out of the game instead of trooping off to the neighborhood coffee shop for a grouse. Doesn’t the mere thought of this bring a sense of relief?

Grand Taxi Uncle

There are few challenges greater than trying to get a cab during the dubious pre-midnight charge hour (between 11pm-midnight)—so we figured this would make a great video game, styled after the ever-popular Grand Theft Auto.

You’d have to partake in various “missions” involving particularly troublesome taxi drivers—like finding one who isn’t on call or can actually change a $50 note. We’d even throw in little bonus rounds where you can earn extra points if you can keep your player interested in whatever it is the taxi driver’s rambling on about.

We can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t want to give this game a go. After all, it would be nice to gain sweet victory over those sneaky cabbies—without having to stand by the road for a good hour.

World of Shopping

Anyone who’s ever been through a mega sale knows that surviving one takes a whole lot of skill, planning, grit and guts. You need a perfect strategy before entering the battle ground, the right skills and equipment, staunch allies and an incredible amount of concentration to stay focused on the prize. Oh, yeah—this is a role playing game (RPG) waiting to happen.

Think about it—instead of setting this RPG in a fantastic magical land, we’d set it in a typical heartland mall. Elves and trolls as characters? Don’t think so. We would have the small and stout auntie with her shopping bag and the skinny ah lien who can squeeze through any crowd at your command.

With World of Warcraft and Diablo II being two of the most popular games in the world, we figure that this RPG focusing on one of Singapore’s favorite pastimes really is a no-brainer.

Need For Speed Limits

Sure, speed demons love going nuts on virtual race tracks with games like Gotham Racing and Need for Speed. But it takes real skill to try and keep your cool on Singaporean highways.

In this game, you would have to maneuver your way around vehicles that have stopped on the CTE during rush hour to gawk at an accident, while still managing to get the license plate number to buy 4D later on. Get around the moron who’s doing 60km/h in the fast lane when you’re already late for work. And the most challenging of all—snag a tight parking spot in a multi-story car park while not holding up five other vehicles waiting behind you! And as much as cool drum ’n’ bass music was a part of Need for Speed, annoying morning DJs would be integral to this game for added realism.

If, by some miracle, this game actually gets made, we even foresee quite a bit of potential for using it during training in driving schools.

Fifa Pai Kia

Take the football fun of the Fifa games from EA Sports, throw in some of the no-holds-barred action from fighting games like Street Fighter II, add in a healthy dose of Hokkien swear words and you’ve got a game that’s, well, actually a lot like playing soccer with a group of ah bengs.

Form your own customizable team of rowdy ruffians (complete with a kaleidoscope of gaudy hair colors and a selection of the stupidest outfits around) and enter them into a league against rival gangs to see who gets control of the neighborhood.

Scoring goals is only part of the challenge. Instead of just dodging tackles and slides, you have to avoid outright pushes and even eye contact. And after actually getting the ball in the back of the net, you’d still have to have a “one to one” confrontation with members of the opposite team, where you have the option to either calmly defuse the situation or “hoot” him back and get ready to rumble.

We’d even make it more appealing to the bengs themselves—by throwing in a score of techno and Canto music.

We’re not being cocky here, but you know that these would kick all sorts of ass if they were actually made. Game developers pay attention! Singaporeans are starved for some virtual entertainment with a bit more Singlish in them, so if you’re racking your brains looking for inspiration for the next gaming hit, just take a drive through our streets and a walk through our heartlands. There’re all sorts of weird and interesting characters and situations just waiting to get the video game treatment.