A Place in the Sun
Just add sunshine – this was the caption of a photo I posted on Instagram of the stunning Festspielhaus and Lake Constance in Austria. Somehow, even if a place is already beautiful, the addition of blue skies and sunshine makes it all the more impressive. And that’s probably the best thing about summer – the longer days and the persistence of the sun to add warmth to everything around us.
As you settle into your villa this summer, we thought we’d entertain you with a lineup of relaxing spaces. There are holiday homes from the Hamptons to Hoi An, as well as architectural abodes in South Africa and Sweden. Given the limited space there is in the city, it’s only natural that many of us dream of having a second home abroad. As such, we outline three key locations to invest in and offer a guide to tropical style as a reference for those of you who have properties in Phuket, Bali or Cebu. Moreover, to celebrate the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, we’ve filled our Shopping and Good Taste sections with colourful products that embody Brazilian flair.
Perhaps you’re wondering what brought me to Austria in the first place. Last April, I was invited to visit the headquarters of Blum in Bregenz – a company that creates products all of us use everyday but probably overlook. From hinges to box systems in the kitchen, the visit made me realise how much thought goes into the smallest things and how they make all the difference. Here at we hope that our effort to inspire you in the following pages also make a difference as you laze away the summer days.
加點陽光吧——這是我上載到Instagram一幀攝於奧地利康士坦茲湖旁薩爾茨堡的照片說明。然而，一個本已活像世外桃源的地方，只要再加上藍天晨光，就更具懾人魅力。這大概是夏日的最大優勢吧——日長夜短，源源不絕的陽光為我們四周空間送暖。
正當你身在夏日別墅好好作息之際，不妨細賞我們為你精心挑選的舒適空間吧，當中包括漢普頓和會安的渡假屋，還有教人夢寐以求的香港和瑞典夢幻家居。城中空間有限，人們無不考慮在外地另置第二家園。如是者，我們精選三大投資熱點，並分享熱帶風裝飾指南，讓在布吉、峇里或宿霧擁有物業的你多作參考。另一方面，有見里約熱內盧奧運會即將舉行，我們的Shopping和Good Taste專輯也適時收錄多款注入巴西風的彩色產品。
也許你感好奇是甚麼把我帶到奧地利去，並會走經薩爾茨堡。實情是，剛過去的四月，我獲邀請到訪Blum布雷根茨總部——品牌致力打造往往被人們忽略的精彩產品。從廚房鉸鏈以至匣盒系統，是次造訪讓我確切了解到一小件產品需要投放的努力和心血，而且能達成如此截然不同的效果。美好家居團隊也在此希望我們的努力能啟發你各方豐富靈感，渡過炎炎夏天。