Their program features selections from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker the unmistakable sound of the holiday season and a perfect match for an evening at Kantoor.

The concert takes place on the 13th of December inside NALA Kantoor an intimate setting where music and design meet effortlessly. Before or after the performance you can enjoy a coffee from Ghostbird downstairs a small ritual that completes the night.

We have one hundred seats so bring your friends and your family and make it a night out. Seats are limited and registration is required. Sign up through the QR code on the poster or online. And since this is our Christmas edition we invite everyone to arrive in something festive.

Kantoor After Dark begins with the Nutcracker.
Reserve early and be part of this beautiful night.

Saturday mornings are sacred again. I have started Chinese brush painting at the Bintang Arts and Culture Center, taught by the wonderful Laoshi Kit. I needed something to pull me away from my phone, and this does exactly that.

What looks simple is, in fact, incredibly hard. Painting bamboo is not easy. The ink bleeds, the paper moves, and once you touch the brush to the surface, there is no turning back. It takes focus, calm, and patience. Three things I am still learning.

We start with bamboo because it teaches everything. When you can paint bamboo, you can paint anything. Every stroke carries a lesson: balance, rhythm, scale, proportion, breath. You have to understand anatomy; how a plant bends, how a bird perches, how the composition holds together. You cannot draw a tiny bird beside a giant stalk of bamboo. It is about harmony, not decoration.

Chinese brush painting may be thousands of years old, but it is the perfect training for modern design. It teaches control and freedom at the same time. You learn that beauty lies in precision, patience, and knowing when to stop.

My early paintings are far from perfect. The bamboo leans too much, the ink runs wild, the birds look confused, and yet I love every one of them. They remind me that mastery begins with humility, and that sometimes, the best way to learn balance is simply to let the brush flow.

There’s a way of being that reminds you the wild is not something to be conquered or escaped, but something to be understood, respected, and loved. That is the universe my friend Shaik Reisman has built in the heart of Hulu Langat, through his beautiful project Malayajunglecraft.

On his Instagram, you see more than survival workshops. You see a philosophy of life. Every image is composed with intention, the light through the leaves, the rhythm of hands working with nature, the quiet strength of simplicity. It’s a visual poem about balance, patience, and the art of doing things well without the need for perfection.

Shaik teaches you how to live with nature, not apart from it. How to build, cook, and create in the wild, but also how to see. His world is pure wabi-sabi, the beauty of imperfection, of doing things with care even when they’re not flawless. Because when you are truly present, every small act becomes beautiful.

And if you decide to stay the night on his land, you’ll understand what I mean. His property sits within a fruit tree orchard, where mango, rambutan, and jackfruit trees watch over you as you sleep. You wake to birdsong and the soft light of morning filtering through green leaves. Shaik will cook for you, and yes, the toilets are very nice. Everything is simple but thoughtful, crafted with the same care he brings to his teachings.

I have deep admiration for people like Shaik who remind us that beauty is not reserved for studios or galleries, but also lives in the soil, in the wood, in the fire, in the rain.
If you want to rediscover your own rhythm, follow @malayajunglecraft and, if you can, visit his world in Hulu Langat. You might just find that the most beautiful universe is the one designed by nature itself.

Feruni has done it again.

They’ve just launched two extraordinary tiles that prove their vision, that a tile is art, isn’t just a slogan, it’s a standard. The craftsmanship, the scale, the beauty… it’s on such an international level that it leaves you in awe.

For this launch, they collaborated with two remarkable Malaysian artists. The first is Farah Mohan, whose batik work is transformed into stunning ceramic form. The second is Loka Made, known for their nostalgic, story-rich designs that capture the soul of Malaysian culture. Both interpretations are breathtaking, and both are on display at Feruni’s showroom, open to the public and absolutely worth a visit.

“Ruban” by Sylvie Marot and Francis Amiand

If you know me, you know I love a good ribbon. But this book, Ruban, is on another level. It’s a visual archive of French grosgrain ribbons, and I can honestly say it’s one of my all-time favorite books.

Each page is an explosion of color and geometry. The ribbons are made from cotton, and because grosgrain has that signature ribbed texture, the way the colors are woven through the lines is simply mind-blowing. Think stripes, checks, gradients, all from a bygone era when craftsmanship was everything.

There’s something deeply emotional about it. The fact that these ribbons were made so long ago, yet they still speak to us today. I don’t think there’s a woman alive who wouldn’t fall in love with this book. It’s beauty in its purest, most joyful form.

If you ever get the chance to see it, don’t hesitate. You’ll understand why I’m obsessed.

It’s not every day that your aunt publishes a book that feels like a personal design archive. Liset van der Scheer—yes, almost the same name as mine—has released Fascination | Textile, a stunning tribute to a lifetime of textile and carpet design. This book is more than just beautiful; it’s a window into the world of form, fiber, and feeling. Each page tells the story of colours woven with care, patterns that speak, and decades of devotion to craft.

Over her 45-year career, Liset developed a wide range of new industrial methods and applications. She achieved this by deconstructing existing techniques and then adapting them to suit her own needs. She created designs, yarns, structures, colour series, and products for clients such as Van Besouw, Casalis, Danskina, and De Ploeg, as well as textiles for her own label, TeTTeX. In 2005, she won a Dutch Design Award for her collection of knitted bathroom textiles. In 2022, she launched the website to share her expertise. Fascination | Textile is an extensive and enriched compilation of all that knowledge.

I’m proud beyond words. It’s inspiring, elegant, and deeply personal.