At A Glance
- Guang Wang, 31, and his wife, Shun Ying, 26
- Size: 93 sqm
- Location: Joo Seng Road
- Cost of Renovation: $50,000
- Cost of Furnishing: $55,000
- Interior Design Firm: Mr. Shopper
With only a vague idea of what they wanted, Guang Wang and Shun Ying needed an interior designer who could deftly steer the design process and propose creative and practical solutions for their home. They found the perfect match in Kate and Ben from interior firm Mr. Shopper Studio, who managed to translate their needs into a bright, airy home that was practical and cost effective.
We sat down with the couple to learn more about their experience, and how their home renovation inspired them to even produce a music video for their wedding!
Qanvast: What design concept did you want for your home?
Guang Wang (GW): We wanted a modern and simple design for our home. We also wanted a bright colour scheme for our home.
Shun Ying (SY): I also wanted a walk-in wardrobe that would be connected to my bedroom.
Qanvast: What prompted you to select Mr. Shopper out of all the interior designers that you met?
GW: We really liked the designs that they came up with. We also felt that their one-stop service was very useful since they would help us to choose furniture and furnishings that would match the theme of our home.
As we are not very design savvy, we felt that we might ruin the entire design if the furniture selection was left up to us.
SY: Mr. Shopper stood out from the other designers that we met. Some of the interior designers that we met would keep questioning us about what design concept we had and asked us to show them pictures.
However, we feel that the interior designers should be the ones who are proposing designs to us. That was exactly what Mr. Shopper did which was why we decided to enlist their services.
Qanvast: How did Mr. Shopper ease your renovation journey?
GW: As we only had a rough idea of what we wanted, they were very helpful in recommending designs to us. They helped us to plan the entire concept of our home and the furniture selection. They would shortlist some furniture pieces for us to choose from so we did not need to spend time looking for furniture on our own.
Qanvast: Can you share more about your experience with Mr. Shopper’s furniture selection process?
GW: Based on the budget which we had given them for our furniture and furnishings, they advised us which items could be purchased from local retailers and which had to be purchased from Taobao.
They asked whether we were okay with getting some of the items from Taobao as it was more cost-effective or if we preferred to increase our budget so that these items could be purchased from Singapore. We liked that they gave us options.
Qanvast: What were some practical designs that Mr. Shopper came up with?
GW: As we use our laptops quite a lot at home, Mr. Shopper helped us to plan spaces around our home where we could comfortably use our laptops. One of these spaces is the dining area.
Our dining area is in an open concept kitchen which makes it convenient for us to watch television while we are seated at the dining area.
Qanvast: Were there any renovation hiccups and how did they resolve these?
GW: We discovered that the cement screeding done by HDB was not smooth. We told Kate and Ben about this and they helped us to liaise with the HDB contractor. They even got him to come down to even out the flooring.
Qanvast: What do you love the most about your new home?
GW: I like the dining area. It’s a convertible space. When we are not having our meals, we will use our laptops at the dining table. I camp there quite often [laughs]
*Qanvast: How was your experience with Qanvast? *
GW: Qanvast helped to connect us to many different interior designers.
SY: I used the Qanvast app to source for home design inspiration. I would add ideas that I like to the Qanvast boards so that I could easily refer to them. I also found the articles quite helpful.
Qanvast: Any last tips for homeowners?
GW: Budgeting is important. Furniture and furnishings can add up to quite a considerable sum so homeowners should set aside money for that.
After the renovation, Mr Shopper Studio and the couple made an adorable music video for their then upcoming wedding. Click here to watch.
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