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14 MARKET BEATS SEP/OCT 2025 FDM ASIA | www.fdmasia.com

Izakaya Reinvented With A Touch Of specialists World of Wood Floors (WOW).

Mohammad Zain Bin Abdul Hamid,
American White Oak WOW’s managing director talks passionately

about wood, “There’s something deeply

Kaya Restaurant at newly opened Standard hotel’s love and obsession with all personal about wood. It has warmth,
Hotel in Singapore elevates its interiors things rich in biophilia and mid- texture, and character that you just
with natural materials century modern, intensifying it with don’t get from other materials. Every
Arguably the yummiest spot in The pizzazz through their selection of board tells a bit of a story through its
Standard in Singapore, Kaya at the carefully crafted custom furniture, a grain, its natural markings, even its
Standard’s bold new take on the classic dramatic ceiling scape of hanging imperfections. When we use wood,
Japanese izakaya experience reinvents it greenery, custom feature lighting and especially American hardwoods, we’re
in surprising and delightful ways. an immersive sense-surround mural. not just thinking about how it looks,
Designed by Colin Seah of Ministry For the American white oak flooring, but how it feels in a space. It softens

of Design, the interiors play up the Ministry of Design worked with timber a room, makes it more inviting, and
adds a kind of quiet depth. People
instinctively connect with it. It grounds
the design and gives it soul.”
This biophilic nature of American
hardwood made it an ideal choice for
Kaya Restaurant.

Zain explains, “The vision for the
space in Kaya was all about warmth,
connection, and a kind of quiet
sophistication. We focused on creating a
finish that felt worn-in, welcoming, and
a little storied, like it had already lived
a few good years. We hand-worked the
wood to bring out its natural texture
and gave it just the right amount of

distressing so it felt authentic, not
manufactured. Everything was tailored
to the restaurant’s palette and lighting,
so the floor doesn’t just sit there, it
really helps shape the mood. It’s the
kind of space where you want to stay
a little longer, and we love that the

floor plays a role in that.”
WOW used traditional techniques