Having moved from a rental apartment into a 3-room HDB at Serangoon that she could call her own, teacher Yvonne saw in it an opportunity to pursue her passion for cooking. She then engaged the help of Dap Atelier designer Daphne and set about breathing fresh life into her cooking space, together with the rest of her new home.
To learn all about Yvonne's Renovation Journey, we sat down with the bubbly educator herself who shared all about the process of achieving her ideal abode in six weeks.
On selecting Dap Atelier as her interior designer
Yvonne (Y): Dap Atelier came highly recommended by my colleague’s sister who shared that they were able to bring her ideas to life.
Because I didn’t have the time to search for an interior designer on my own, I decided to go ahead with her recommendation, and I eventually hired Daphne who was very likeable because of her approachability and willngness to listen.
About her home's design
Y: My new home had to be practical and easy to maintain, I hate dust and I didn’t want to have to clean the house often. Therefore, I needed plenty of storage units so that my belongings aren't out in the open.
I also wanted my home to be bright and airy, even though it has plenty of dark accent colours. In terms of design elements, I really liked wood and Daphne helped me to put together a look around that. She also incorporated a barn door, which I really wanted, into her proposal.
As for the decor theme, I didn’t really have any specific look in mind. All I knew was that I wanted to have a cosy space where people would feel comfortable to sit around, have a meal and chit-chat. I have visitors coming over every week and I wanted my home to be a welcoming space for everyone.
About her kitchen's design
Y: I love to cook and because of that I often spend hours in the kitchen, I wanted a space that I'd feel comfortable in; it had to be spacious, with a huge countertop for both dining and food preparation.
Also, because I didn’t want my countertops to be cluttered, appliances such as the rice cooker and electric kettle are all stored inside top and bottom cabinets; the same goes for the water heater and my mother's tea sets.
On working with Daphne
Y: During my initial discussions with Daphne, I stated my budget and she reassured me that we could remove items so as to keep to my desired sum.
She was also very prompt in her service. I was away in New York while the renovation was taking place and Daphne updated me on the progress of the renovation daily. In fact, I didn’t visit the site at all until the renovation was almost complete. I trusted that she would do a good job with designing my home and she definitely delivered.
Rectifications were also very prompt and timely – I just needed to send a photo to Daphne, and she would send her workers down two days later or come down personally to fix the issue.
Advice to homeowners
Y: Have a good idea of the budget you can set aside for the renovation. And try not to add too many items to your renovation list, otherwise you may easily end up bursting your budget.
Also, you should try to get a good feel of your space. Your designer may give you suggestions on what you can add, but ultimately you should be the one making the final decisions, based on what you think will suit your home best.
To sum up
Y: I am very pleased with my renovation and I will highly recommend Daphne to other homeowners who are looking to renovate. She was able to design my home according to my requirements, and she even finished the renovation a week and a half early.
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