August 3, 2021
We're now on Instagram! Follow us for more house inspo, tips, tricks and more…
It takes a certain eye to pull a room together and make it functional while looking fabulous. Take a cue from this married couple's Semi-D house in Selangor where DIY decor and furniture were used to reduce their overall renovation costs.
Their DIY projects have also gained a significant number of social media followers who are inspired by the couple's DIY projects. We spoke with Laila to know more about how she and her husband managed to create a stunning home without the expense of an interior designer.
Qanvast: Hi, tell us about yourself and your family.
Laila (L): Hi, my name is Laila. I work as SAP BASIS Consultant, while my husband Amir is a Head of Department in a Qatar organisation. We have 3 children aged between 2 to 10 years old.
We live in a single-storey semi-D house in Dengkil, Selangor. This house has 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms and is built on a 2,400 square foot lot.
Q: What inspired you to create @eladeko Instagram account?
(L): It all started from my passion for sharing my DIY ideas and house photos with the decor lover community on Facebook. Initially, I only used my Instagram account to edit all of my photos (Instagram has a great photo editor feature by the way!) and share them with my fellow decor lovers on Facebook after I post them on Instagram. Surprisingly, after only a few months, my Instagram account began to gain a large number of followers!
This encouraged me to keep my Instagram account updated with photos of DIY projects and home decor.
Q: In brief, how would you describe your home’s style?
(L): Our home is a mix of various design styles. Our living room and bathroom are decorated in a glam luxe style, while our home office is decorated in an industrial style. Our kitchen adopts a modern minimalist style, and our dining area a chic glam pink style. Last but not least, our outdoor patio has a boho minimalist design.
Q: Where did you find your design inspiration from?
(L): Pinterest was one of my favourite references in 2016, but nowadays I can find inspiration from the Instagram community, and it is more engaging by sharing ideas with others not only locally, but from all over the world.
Q: What improvements have you made to this house since you moved in?
(L): We began major renovations in 2016 after receiving the key from the developer. At the time, we expanded our kitchen size from 80 square feet to 360 square feet and added a 96 square feet laundry room near the kitchen.
To accomplish this, the entire kitchen structure was demolished, except for the wooden beam. Since the beam cannot be demolished without affecting the building's structure, we decided to incorporate it into the kitchen island design.
To complement the white hexagon backsplash, we chose tiles with a vinyl design in a light grey colour for the kitchen floor. The kitchen counter is made of concrete and is furnished with black marble tiles. We chose tiles and concrete because of their durability and ease of maintenance. On top of that, concrete and tiles are heat resistant so there is no need to be concerned if hot oil spills over.
We love how functional our kitchen is, and we spend the majority of our family time here.
Then, earlier this year (2021), we did another minor renovation for our 48-square-foot bathroom to achieve a luxe and hotel-like appearance. The existing floor tiles were changed to a herringbone pattern vinyl tiles, and white marble tiles were installed on the entire wall of the bathroom.
One of my favourite features is the built-in recess shelf which gives the bathroom a hotel-like feel. Meanwhile, gold elements such as the faucets, shower host, and bidets contribute to the luxurious atmosphere in our bathroom.
During the renovation, we encountered some challenges, the most significant of which was when the contractor incorrectly installed the marble tiles in our bathroom. We had to redo the entire bathroom which doubles the cost, but the result is worth all of the effort and resources!
This bathroom project went viral locally and even reached a few international pages and accounts.
You mentioned that your Instagram followers have increased because they enjoy seeing your DIY projects. What has been your favourite DIY project thus far?
(L): We love DIY projects! It's not only a fun activity for our family, but it also saves us money. The wall aquarium and Herringbone accent wall are two of our favourite DIY projects. We did these three years ago, and now we see that more decor lovers are following in our footsteps.
Before we started the aquarium DIY project, we surveyed aquarium installation costs from local aquascape shops, and the price ranged from RM7,000 to 12,000 for the sea tank. We then researched how to set up the sea tank ourselves and purchased the equipment from various online sellers. The total cost of the DIY aquarium project was around RM4,000, which was half of the price quoted by aquascape shops, and the result after working hard to complete this project was worth it!
To make the wall aquarium, we made a hole in one of the living room walls and placed an aquarium on top of a pinewood cabinet to give the illusion that it was attached to the walls. This also helps to conceal wires and equipment, resulting in an uncluttered appearance. Meanwhile, a gold frame and coral reef enhance the overall appearance of the aquarium.
As for the accent wall, the shiplap and batten patterns are popular at the moment, so we took the challenge to try something different - herringbone pattern.
Before starting the project, we did some research and planned how to design the accent wall. Once the design was finalised, we drew it out on paper and calculated how much pinewood was required to create the accent wall before purchasing them at a hardware store nearby. For this project, we used 3.0 mm width and a total of 20 units of pinewood in standard length.
The project took about three days to complete and cost about RM400 in total, and the end result is satisfactory! Taking group photos with this as a backdrop is now a must in our family.
Q: Which is your most favourite area in your house?
(L): The outdoor patio in our side yard is our favourite part of the house. The idea behind having an outdoor area is for my husband and I to get some fresh air and enjoy a cup of coffee while watching the kids play.
Rather than a standard outdoor awning, we chose to build a patio with a unique design pattern. We then hung sheer curtains and a rattan swing chair at the corner of the patio to create a serene environment to space. Aside from that, we also DIY’d a planter box and planted a variety of green plants to enliven the space.
Q: Are you happy with the overall look of your home? Is there anything else you'd like to change or enhance in the future?
(L): So far, we are happy with the current look of our home. However, as the children grow, we may need to rearrange their bedrooms to meet their needs!
Need professional help to renovate your home?
We’re here to help! Request for renovation quotes and we’ll match you with up to five talented designer firms based on your needs, budget and preferences.
All recommendations made by Qanvast will be protected under the Qanvast Guarantee scheme that covers 50% of your contract value, up to RM50,000, in the case that the recommended interior firm becomes insolvent.