I've moved on...
...to a different domain. Why, what were you thinking? The truth is, I just woke up one day and decided it's time for a change—a metamorphosis, if you will; or, in layman's terms, if Britney can shave her head, then maybe so can I? Nevertheless, it's been a rather handsome 10 years of talking to you, and thank you for putting up with all my moodswings and terrible dad jokes. Fear not! The hormonal imbalance and jokes are more terrible on CUBICLE, see you there.

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Sunnies – Celine via SmartBuyGlasses. Watch – Larsson & Jennings. Envelope clutch – Sezane. Wallet – Prada. Serum – Innisfree. Necklace – Louis Vuitton. Scarf – MiH.

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Top – Paule Ka. Culotes – Charlie May. Bag – Marni. Sunnies – Celine via SmartBuyGlasses.

Current location: Seoul, South Korea. Time-zone: Galaxy far far away, corner of Asgard and one stop before Uranus. My body does not comprehend the blue tint of dusk creeping through the blinds at the wee hours of the morning and sends out confusing bodily signals including but not limited to: hunger, a need-to-pee, PMS, utter exhaustion and insomnia (at the same time), and demands that I do something about it. In return, I do what I usually do when faced with jetlag: eat something questionable out of my Airbnb host’s fridge, entangle self within a duvet and find a TV shopping channel sufficiently entertaining enough to sap the last of energy. The effect is sublime – I arrived on Thursday and woke up on Monday morning ,feeling brand spankin’ new.

Problem is, I still don’t know what time it is. Imma go pee.

Candle – Dolce & Gabbana. Perfume – Gucci Bamboo. ‘Hello’ Ornament – West Elm.

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Tackling the space issue
Combining two rooms into one

The two things you will learn about London in the first hour: 1) WALK ON THE LEFT, STAND ON THE RIGHT (this quite literally will be yelled at you in the tube, but you will never have a conversation with a stranger otherwise), and 2) Every space is multi-purpose: Heathrow, for instance, is basically a giant sandwich shop that is also occasionally an airplane parking lot. With nearly 9 million inhabitants trying to divide into cupboard-studios and oddly shaped 2-bedroom flats, walls are no longer used for what it’s made for. (Which reminds me: for the love of God, landlords, stop trying to make cheap IKEA screen-dividers happen, it’s not going to happen.) I, for one, don’t remember the last time I’ve actually been in a ‘living room’ that didn’t have some part of the kitchen and/or bed/closet spilling out into a corner, but perhaps I should stop hanging out with teenagers.

We recently moved out of our duplex studio loft flat in an attempt to grow up, where – if you remember – we had a wall of shoes next to the dining table, sofas next to that, and an open kitchen opposite all that. I think we only barely got away with the bed being above this all on the mezzanine. Our new abode is indeed a proper house, and while I can pride in the fact that our kitchen is actually surrounded by four walls and a door, we still had to find a way to fit the bedroom and living room into the second room for the sake of an office next door.

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A mock-up that the West Elm free Home Stylist service drew up after our appointment
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After having paced the room scratching our heads, noticing one too many echos, calling Ghostbusters and getting put on hold, we decided to consult outside help. I’ve had my eye on West Elm long before we could afford to place yet another thing in the stir-fry of a studio we were living in, and now that we were starting from scratch, decided it was time. I noticed their free Home Stylist service and got all up on it like a crazy Asian lady over spinach sale. Well, now that the room is finished, here’s some handy tips I learnt from Ben, the Home Stylist, on fitting two rooms into one without breaking a sweat.

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Ben’s top 5 tips
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Have a cohesive design scheme
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Don’t overfill with patterns and colors that you might tire of. Pick out a few belongings that are must-haves in the space and use them as starting block for the rest of the room.

I decided on going for a mix of dusty blue, pewter and grey for the warmer seasons. In winter I plan on swapping in with lots of texture and monochrome accessories.

– Shini

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Avoid bulky furniture
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Avoid bulky furniture – you’ll most likely have a lot to fit in to the space so pick out pieces that will help lighten the room not overwhelm it. Light-surfaced furniture like glass or marble are great for this.

We have a basket under the marble side tables for all bedside necessities.

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Ben’s top 5 tips
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Power of Three

Group three decorative items in different heights to allow the eye to follow the triangular shape, brings harmony and focus into the particular area.

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£119.95 – £849.00
Riad wool rug
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Work the floor

Use rugs and flooring to divide the space. That alone works with dual purpose – giving clear definition between the two functionalities whilst adding essential warmth to the room.

this shaggy rug feels like a fluffy cloud at the end of the day…

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Directional patterns
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Use patterns cleverly to bring fluidity in the room.

We opted for this long herringbone-esque pattern on the cushion to direct the eye towards the window and the garden.

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Gold-dipped bowls and ‘hello’ objectWest Elm. Glass Vase – H&M. Black marble vase – Dwell.

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Top – Uniqlo. Dungarees – Alexa Chung for AG Jeans.

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Click below to watch how it all came together ↓

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This is entirely a personal initiative, but as a disclaimer, a discount was kindly given by West Elm.

Journey to
the
ends
of the world

I am a 90‘s kid. What this means is that my primary excitement in life usually consisted of some form of waiting or another, be it in the 3-page hand-written letters from a pen-pal in Japan, or sighting my favourite song on MTV. If you too are a 90‘s kid you will have sung the anthem of the modem connecting to 56kbps, and understand why the PC had to be left on overnight for a flick to download. Joking aside (at arm‘s reach though), with the rise of insta-everything and deliver-yesterday convenience, we are forgetting about this glorious thing called patience, and the stories that happen while you wait.

You all know my thoughts towards the brands I like to work with, they have one thing in common: the value of patience; of travelling to the ends of the earth to obtain only the best ingredients – ingredients not available on Amazon Prime that‘s for certain – and treating with care and respect. Bombay Sapphire is one of those companies: full of character, story and passion – all bottled up in layers of flavour, into a clean London Dry Gin. So, here‘s a visual collection of stories that make up the notes of the extraordinary, new Star of Bombay, shot in my local tropics: Kew Gardens.

And of course, drink responsibly.

Created for
Bombay Sapphire

Top – Regina Pyo. Belt – Stella McCartney. Trousers – Wilson PK

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Star of Bombay is created with two new botanicals, Bergamot Peels and Ambrette Seeds – elevating the exceptional balance of Bombay Sapphire and taking the CAPTIVATING FLAVOUR of London Dry Gin to a new dimension
Above: Top – Stella McCartney via Harvey Nichols. This photo: Top – Charlie May. Dress – Tata Naka.

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a complexity that feels more like an aged spirit

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Composed of intrinsic LAYERS OF FLAVOUR, Star of Bombay is produced in very SMALL BATCHES, entirely at Laverstoke Mill in England using a unique craft process

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Dress – Marques’Almeida via Harvey Nichols. Jeans – ASOS. Sleeveless Polo-neck – x. Shoes – Coach. Earrings – Maria Black.

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Top – Regina Pyo. Suede skirt – American Apparel. Culottes – Tata Naka

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From the sunsets of Morocco to the blistering volcanoes in Java, EXOTIC INGREDIENTS are sourced from the ends of the world to create the clean notes
Dress – PYRUS. Coat – Emilia Wickstead via Harvey Nichols. Culottes – Reiss. Shoes – Coach. Earring – Maria Black.

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art direction SHINI PARK studio makeup VANESSA VU styling and photo assistance SIMON SCHMIDT

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art direction PARK & CUBE graphic design SHINI PARK styling and photo assistance SIMON SCHMIDT
created for bPay by Barclaycard

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Wearable technology
Five favourite contactless weekend spots
One step closer to eradicating the bag altogether
When it comes to wearable technology, I‘d like to think that my bra is so far the most high-tech contraption I wear – I mean, making it seem like there‘s actually something there!? Pure magic. Sure, my phone is basically an extension of my right arm, but when I do want to switch off and enjoy the weekend in the city with my needy man, I find that there‘s nothing better than fastening a digital wallet on your sleeve and opting for a tiny, tic-tac sized bag with a face on it. Soon I will stop carrying bags altogether and morph into a dude, and that will still be fine because I already like wiping my hands dry on my jeans.
Here’s five of my favourite weekend spots, sponsored by bPay by Barclaycard, although I’ve always wanted to put this together since the dawn of contactless, so I’m glad it’s now a much more widespread form of payment. bPay is available to anyone with a UK-registered Visa or MasterCard debit or credit card, and can be topped up via the app manually or set it to auto refill. Perfect for Admiral Lazy over here, so join the club.
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Blazer – Hofmann. Sweater – Hoss Intropia. Skirt – Tata Naka. Hat – H&M

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1

Electric Cinema + Barbour & Parlour Kitchen
64-66 Redchurch St, Shoreditch London E2 7DP
Anywhere that supports a couch potato lifestyle is a plus in my book. Part of the Soho House Group, each screen seats up to only 50 viewers. Each plush armchair is complete with cashmere blankets and enough recline to nap during boring scenes. Pick up a drink and upmarket ‚snacks‘ at Barbour & Parlour kitchen, to enjoy during the movie. Quick contactless payments means darting in and out for seconds. I mean, cocktails + Magic Mike XXL = YES.
£122
Hofmann
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Shirt – GANT. Culottes – Kirsty Wade. Bag – Coccinelle. Scarf – MiH. Boots – Chloe

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Play Date
Majority of museums in the UK are free (best trait of the city), so museum-hopping is a perfect cheap-date strategy.
Start with the Museum of Childhood to jump-start the morning with colourful vintage toys, then hop to the Barbican Food Hall for lunch. The V&A and British Library have killer shops. The Wellcome Collection on Euston road is my personal favourite. Finish at the Serpentine overlooking a perfect English sunset in Kensington Gardens.

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Rough Trade East
Dray Walk, Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Ln, E1 6QL
From Sugababes to Iron Maiden – this is my London go-to for records and CDs when Spotify just won‘t do. Digging up old Disney Fantasia records is a personal favourite pasttime.
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For Those About to Rock
AC/DC
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£350
Michael Van Der Ham X Lunettes
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Museum of Childhood
Cambridge Heath Rd, London E2 9PA
One of the most underrated, under-promoted museums in the city. Revisit your childhood and awaken curiosities amongst vintage toys and centuries-old child-education. One of my favourite museums in London since discovering it nine years back.
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Top – Nike x Sacai. Trousers – Zara. Bandana – ASOS.

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£14.99
bPay sticker
The bPay sticker is perfect for those that cannot part with their phone. Mine is stuck inside my phone cover.
£350
Marni
wearable technology
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Emirates Air Line
27 Western Gateway, London E16 1BW
One of the very few ways to see London from high up, without hitting up one of the towers in the city or a flight with a Western approach. Stellar views of Canary Wharf and the O2. Best seen at sunset, and even better on a rainy day. Use as transport method to cut across the river for a day out at Greenwich (where the second Thor movie was shot).

Scarf, Coat – Est by ES. Bag – Gucci. Dress – ASOS.

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Coat, skirt – Versus. Trousers – Zara. Belt – Louis Vuitton.
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wearable technology
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While not necessarily the most attractive ‚weekend destination‘ (in fact, I personally recommend avoiding like the plague from the minute TGIF starts, straight to Sunday-stumble-home), the London Underground, or ‚the tube‘ is undoubtedly the best place to go contactless. No more fumbling at the gates for your Oyster card and causing a domino effect down the escalator, or waiting in a queue to top-up at the machine and then having to take retirement.
I‘m still a sucker for paperback, especially history books on World World II.
Outliers
Malcolm Gladwell
Ardennes
Antony Beevor
£19.99
bPay fob
£29.99
London Transport Museum
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Jacket – Topshop. Skirt – Tata Naka. Trousers – Glamorous

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Pitta Chips
Soffles
Tonic Water
Botanic Lab
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£635
Tata Naka

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Counter Albion
45 Redchurch St, London E2 7DJ
Hip, little sister of Albion Cafe a few doors down, this is also my second home when the going gets a bit stuffy at home and I need hot ginger ale on tap. Great lunch service, contactless – naturally, and heathy snacks between meals. Venture into the roomy back room for a seat under the skylight.
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Also love…
Pret – Starbucks
Let‘s be honest, nothing else defines ‚on-the-go‘ city-gal than Pret or Starbucks. The latter just introduced a new summer drink called Caramel Coffee Jelly, which I‘m officially addicted to. Similar addiction applies to Mango & Mint Quinoa bowl at Pret, although slightly more difficult to find.
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Secrets to switching off
while being switched on

The trouble with making a living on the internet, be it via web design or blogging, is that if you’re ‘Out of Office’, you are most likely dead, or doing your taxes. Even though this trip to Royal Palm Marrakech marks the 18th flight this year, technically I am yet to take some personal time where I can truly switch off and loosen my bikini strings without the fear of a Skype call from a client. My laptop is the ball, connected by a chain that is wi-fi – and every time I organise prison-break it either ends up in 23-missed calls or emails with titles ONLY consisting of the word ‘urgent’ in capital letters. So, for the time being I’m learning to embrace it, calling my laptop a trusty sidekick instead of giving it scary names like PiL (Parents-in-Law). I‘m also finding different ways of switching off while still being connected, one of these ways involving putting aside my primary laptop and experimenting productivity with different devices like the ASUS Transformer Book Chi T100, a laptop-tablet hybrid. Verdict? Slick and handy, definitely more of a laptop than a tablet in terms of performance. Battery life leaves something to be desired but I probably should not have watched a whole season of Sherlock Holmes before determining this.

Here‘s a few ways I get the most out of working holidays:

Created for ASUS. Snap with Tripod + Nicole Lovett + Simon Schmidt

Cardigan – Zara (similar). Dress – PYRUS. Bag – Chloe. Shoes – GHBass 1876. Luggage – Globe Trotter. Trousers – DAKS (similar)

1/ Fly with flicks

As much as I‘d like to pretend I can get work done in transit, most of the times I end up writing half an email and then proceed to adding a foundation version of my face on a stranger’s shoulder, or re-watching the same Game of Thrones episode that I saved four months ago and feeling like a pervert. (Me gusta) So now, I stock up on sunscreen at Boots.com, pareos at Net-a-Porter and movies at Amazon Prime before every trip. Best part is, the 2560×1440 resolution and vibrant display of the ASUS Transformer Book Chi T100 makes gore-flicks even more fun to watch on the plane next to a crying devil-baby. *cackle*
Also, super handy for pulling up e-tickets when you’re a doofus like me and you‘re on 12% battery after snapchatting (@sparkncube) your journey to the airport.

Instagram @parkncube

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2/ Bedside matters

I believe I have officially entered my late 20’s with this obsession: white noise. My dude found a 2-hour Youtube video of fire crackling and we’ve been falling asleep to that for months now (most nights I dream of s’mores). The alarm functionality is also handy when you want to be the first bird at the breakfast buffet, BECAUSE MOROCCAN PANCAKES. Although, the highly responsive touch-screen on the ASUS Transformer Book means I’m snoozing 35 times and waking up at lunchtime.

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3/ Yoga in your jammies

I’ve recently started a 30-day yoga challenge for the sake of my posture and howling back-pain, and so far loving the fact that I don‘t have to look up There-but-not-there makeup tutorials on Youtube before heading out to a yoga class bustling with East London hipsters. All you need is a towel, some floor space and a stable wi-fi connection.

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4/ Breakfast with a view

What’s one more window? In fact, more windows, the better, said every single realtor I’ve come across. And for the sole reason that an episode of Big Bang Theory can also be considered morning news. What‘s new in the world of finance? Suits. While I’m personally hesitant of Bing as a search engine, the News app on Windows 8.1 does a great job of collating the latest from the top sources. Of course, if you‘re like me you‘re going to want to hit up latest in Aww on Reddit after.

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5/ out of office

Let me preface this by saying I don’t believe in 1) tanning 2) lying still yet forcing oneself to keep awake, so down-time by the pool is ironically one place I do find motivation to catch up with work – even better when there’s beach/pool-side wi-fi. For those who do enjoy self-baking, this works best in downwards planking position, unless you‘re in to the whole rectangular tan on your belly and a potential laptop on fire. With that said, it‘s best to place the laptop on the floor and in shade, when I use it for Spotify I usually place it under the sun lounger.

Hat – Melissa Odabash (similar). Tunic – Tallulah & Hope

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Phone case – Casetify

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6/ ok, if you insist

Delicious are those moments when you sit in a conference call in a blouse + bikini bottom get-up. It‘s a step up from PJ bottoms, and about twice the fun.
I always bring a bluetooth mouse with me on trips, which pairs up with the ASUS Transformer Book instantly and makes photo-editing a million times easier. Also handy when you run out of space in your camera memory card and need somewhere to unload to/back up. With up to 256GB in storage, you can indeed take a billion selfies in your new bikini.

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and finally…
7/ look back at good times

It might have taken you and two of your mates to close the suitcase after an afternoon of fervent shopping in the souks, but a powerful little device like this packs even more valuable souvenirs from the trip: memories and sound-bites from the Medina.

Bracelet – Astley Clarke. X-Ring – Elizabeth & James

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