More than 50 local and international ukulele artists are convening for the second Thailand Ukulele Festival 2012. In the programme lineup are workshops and contests in addition to performances by Korea’s YouTube rising star Sungha Jung, Hawaii’s Kalei Gamiao and Bruce Shimabukuro as well as local artists Lula and Singto Numchok.

Venue     :   Parc Paragon, Siam Paragon

Website  :   http://www.thailandukulelefestival.com/

Date       :    February 25 to 26, 2012

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Vatanika is best described as a fusion of the exotic, irresistible and sophisticated. The blend of femininity and masculinity is exhibited on a short suede dress, lacey hot pants and a playsuit. At Emporium; Siam Paragon

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In town to delight Bangkok diners is chef Gaetano Trovato from the two-Michelin star Arnolfo Ristorante. La Scala welcomes chef Gaetano and his brother, Giovanni, who will be reinventing Tuscan cuisine with contrasting flavours and modern cooking techniques. Taste their mouthwatering creations as part of a wine dinner on March 6, or for lunch and dinner from March 7 to 10.

Venue   :   La Scala, The Sukhothai Bangkok

Tel        :   0-2344-8888

Date     :   March 6 to 10, 2012

Time     :   Lunch at 12:00 pm to 2:30 pm, Dinner at 6:30 pm to 11:00 am

Price     :   Wine dinner for 7,500 Baht ++ per person

                Set lunch for 3,200 Baht ++ and 4,900 Baht ++ paired with wine

                Set dinner for 5,500 Baht ++ and 7,700 Baht ++ paired with wine

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La Mer’s The Whitening Lotion Intense enhances skin’s luminosity with tourmaline gemstone extract and seaborne ingredients in Smoothing Ferment and VibraWhite Ferment blends.

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Succulent lobsters from USA and Phuket are sourced to New York Steakhouse for the Finest Lobster Dinner promotion. Have the crustacean prepared as cappuccino soup, French Thermidor or charcoal-grilled. If not, order them as part of the surf & turf plate.

Venue   :  New York Steakhouse, JW Marriott Bangkok

Tel        :  0-2656-7700

Time     :  6:00 pm to 11:00 pm

Date     :  March 1 to April 30, 2012

Price     :  Starts from 580 Baht ++

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Naris and Maria Siamwalla’s home acts as a living map of their travels and their cultural backgrounds, reports Tanya Jarman-Burgess

At the end of a secluded lane in Ekamai, camouflaged by dense foliage, stands the home of Naris and Maria Siamwalla. It’s a striking piece of modern architecture, created by Pirast Laopaisalsak, associate professor of architecture at Chulalongkorn University.

While the 840 square metres of living space are testament to the architect’s distinct style of clean and simple design maximising natural light and drawing on a variety of building materials, it is a true reflection of the owners’ personality and impeccable standards. The interior design reflects the cultural melting pot that is their heritage and the functional spaces have been designed to cater for the lifestyle needs of a growing family. Walking through the home, we discover the story of how this family came to be, what made them build a house with minimal external garden and how fortunate they were to find an architect that delivered on time and on budget, given that they were both abroad during the construction.

As the automatic gates open, a rectangular atrium featuring a swimming pool is revealed behind sheer screens. It serves as the outdoor entertainment hub but also bathes the surrounding rooms with natural light. “We wanted a house that was brightly lit in the sense that we could use natural light without having to turn on the light all the time, hence this central courtyard,” Maria explains. “It didn’t make sense for us to have a large garden in Thailand because it is so hot, so we chose to maximise the built up area and create a courtyard in the middle,” adds her husband.

The imposing custom-made teak front door hints at the scale of what is on the other side. Entering directly into the living and dining areas, most of the walls are floor-to-ceiling glass, revealing a minimalist landscaped tropical garden along the perimeter wall. To the right, the pool glistens as the sun moves overhead against a 12-metre high red brick wall, which took six months to lay. “This was one of the most important rooms in the house; the flow was important,” explains Maria. “We wanted a big living and dining room because we enjoy entertaining our extended family and friends.”

The lounge and dining room suites are Italian, and were purchased in Singapore. Positioned around a minimalist Armani coffee table, the lounge suite is scattered with brightly coloured Jim Thompson silk cushions. “We decided to splurge on the major items because we figured this is where the guests are going to be and we wanted them to be comfortable,” says Naris. Adjacent to the dining suite is an Indian antique service table, housing family heirlooms and reflecting Maria’s love of colonial antiques. “I have always been fascinated by the English aristocracy,” she says. “I bought this Indian service table with bevelled mirrors in Bangalore, where I had a dealer who would source different pieces.”

The wall that separates the kitchen from the dining area is almost completely covered by a striking Mongolian antique door screen from River City, an example of Professor Pirast’s involvement in the interior, as well as the structural aspect of the property. “In addition to his guidance throughout the construction, he would recommend local furniture dealers and help us to restore many of our antique pieces,” says Maria. She points out the striking Moroccan lamps that hang from the ceilings, which are four and a half metres above us. “I was shopping in Tangs in Singapore and saw these beautiful light fittings,” she explains. “I decided that I had to have them and bought the entire range before I even knew what the interior of the house was going to look like, and the contractors helped to hammer them back into shape and re-finish them.”

Passing the kitchen and entering the glassencased stairwell begins the ascent to the first level of bedrooms; the house has six in total, all with en-suite bathrooms. Hundreds of frostedglass louvre shutters form the passage wall. On the other side of the atrium is the home cinema, easily accessible from the master bedroom or by an elevated walking platform from the other side of the building. It is the place in which the family gathers for a nightly ritual of entertainment. At the foot of the large L-shaped sofa are colourful, oversized patchwork cushions from Chiang Mai’s popular Ginger shop, completing the cosy chill-out zone. Floating above the driveway on steel beams, the cinema room proved to be one of the most challenging engineering feats for the architect.

Upon entering the children’s bedroom, we discover more about the history that brought Maria and Naris together. The couple point out the adjacent garden of Naris’s family home, which Maria first visited at the age of 17, on her initial trip to Bangkok from her native Singapore. “Our grandmothers were best friends as my grandmother was born in Thailand,” she says. “Naris and I kept in touch since that time.” Both beds are dressed in Lottie and Max linen with a miniature lolly-pink sofa suite at the foot of the beds, scattered with children’s favourite books. “Eventually we put the girls in the same bedroom,” she laughs, “as we would find that they had either swapped rooms during the night or had ended up in the same room as they didn’t want to be separated.”

The master bedroom is furnished sparingly, showcasing the stunning teak floors and exotic Persian floor rugs that feature throughout the home. One of Naris’s paintings hangs above a Chinese antique desk. The artwork, subtly placed throughout the home, was sourced at antique fairs throughout Britain and from international galleries, reflecting Maria’s many global career placements which would eventually see her become VP of marketing (Asia) for a multinational company. Branching off from the master bedroom is Naris’s home office, where he works as a software engineer for a US-based computer company. He has spent most of his life between the United States and Thailand having been educated in both countries.

Ascending even further above, past a linked series of Chinese paintings, are two more guest rooms, earmarked for their daughters as they grow older. Walking out onto the sprawling terrace brings to mind a luxury Manhattan rooftop – until one sees the day beds and Indian and Thai silk cushions, smells the frangipanis and hears the gentle hum of Rama IX Road below. Like the rest of the house, it is at once international, and at the same time very much Bangkok.

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I’ll Never Smile Again pays tribute to the social conflict and confusion that erupted in Thailand in recent years. Artist Prapat Jiwarangsan explores the Thai history and its connection to the 2010 violence in Bangkok, conveying his observations through 10 artworks of collages, installations, video art and multimedia.

Venue     :  WTF Gallery

Website  :  www.wtfbangkok.com

Date        :  Until March 31, 2012

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János Konyári, named Winemaker of the Year 2008 by the Hungarian Wine Academy, will be the guest of honour this Saturday at award-winning French restaurant D’Sens. The five-course set dinner menu created by Chef Christian Ham will be paired with Hungary’s exceptional Balatonboglari, which has been acclaimed as Wine of Kings, King of Wine. 

Venue     :     D’Sens, Dusit Thani

Tel          :     0-2200-9000

Date        :     February 25

Time       :     6 pm – 10 pm

Price       :     3,600 baht per person; 3,300 baht per person

                     (Dusit Wine & Dine members)

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As part of the French-Thai Cultural Festival, Pullman Bangkok King Power Hotel will be displaying works by Chiang Mai-based artist Pakitsilp Varamissara. The Toot Yung Gallery will showcase his exhibition In Situ while the lobby will reveal four monumental paintings exclusively made for the hotel. Pakitsilp has been trained for 30 years in the discipline of Thai traditional techniques while he manages to harmonise modernity and tradition expressed through his art work. 

Venue     :   Toot Yung Gallery, Pullman Bangkok King Power

Website  :   www.pullmanhotels.com

Date       :   Feb 24 – Mar 31

Time       :   9:00 am – 9:00 pm

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Louis Vuitton reinterprets its classic striped canvas by combining it with the iconic monogram flower and dousing it in luscious, radiant red and pink bonbon colours. The leather goods include wallet, purse and mirror case. At Emporium; Gaysorn

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