LIFESTYLE
Youtube's Hidden Gems
HOME IS AN OASIS
Words by Katrina Swee
For many of us, the way we view the world continues to change during these interesting times. As we’re faced with the prospect of spending more time indoors, adapting to a “new normal” has compelled us to look for comfort in our homes. We believe a home oasis is not only about the physical space but how time is spent there. Some are making the best of their free time by rekindling old pastimes, but this shift has also allowed others to explore options online. With numerous streaming sites available to sustain and even satiate us, here’s a tasting menu, if you will, of what Youtube has to offer.
01
Never Too Small
Engaging with architects through tiny homes, Never Too Small has become a widely loved channel. It consists of two to six-minute videos on redesigning small spaces—from walking through the home to hearing the owners’ and architects’ perspectives on the process. The building’s history plays a role in new designs and makes the audience reflect about downsizing, reusing, and the sustainability of micro-homes. Colin Chee heads these architectural, meditative journeys, showing us snippets into construction and design.
Via Youtube | NEVER TOO SMALL
We love this channel for its ability to engage the audience and change their outlook on smaller spaces. The architects involved repurpose old 22 to 50 sq.m. properties in big cities, transforming them into design-innovative homes. They incorporate adaptive reuse in architecture, accompanied by smart storage with dreamy interiors to create perfect spaces for their clients. Never Too Small is an inspirational and educational source for newbies, design fans, and architecture neophytes alike.
02
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
Hosted and created by Bob Boilen, NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert has become a huge success for many reasons. The video series consists of live tapings taken in Boilen’s office, no longer than thirty minutes, but shares lasting melodious magic with the world. You see the artists in a different light, hear them in an unplugged way, and are ready to jam just for fun.
Via Youtube | NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
We love the simplicity of the idea—how these sessions take place in the small confines of an office, yet are still able to move us through sound. These makeshift studio performances are intimate as we can watch them from wherever we are at home—while gathered in a proper home theater, on the couch with our significant other, or under the bed covers. The series also allows us to explore other music genres and unknown artists while hunkered down.
The series has been rolling out concerts from past tapings but introduced Tiny Desk Home Concerts and All Songs Considered to keep sharing positive vibes.
03
David Hockney on Vincent van Gogh
Our last suggestion centers around art and nature. We have chosen Van Gogh Museum’s channel to express creativity, learning, and passion indoors.
Via Youtube | Van Gogh Museum
The full interview of David Hockney on Vincent van Gogh is a short yet stimulating clip on Hockney’s views of the Dutch artist’s work. Letters by the post-impressionist painter are quoted throughout the eight-minute piece accompanied by Hockney’s thoughts and their similarities such as their beliefs in endless inspiration, subjects, and joy in nature. Despite van Gogh’s unfortunate background, he had a rich love for flora and fauna, conveyed continuously in his pieces. Hockney helps us understand further with his spiel on nature—about the lack of perspective and its many complexities. Both artists have looked to painting as an escape and nature has helped them produce art full of moments while enjoying the expression enormously.