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A Three-Bedder That’s a Traveller’s Refuge from the Road

A house may be a place that you come back to, but home is definitely where the heart is – especially when you’re on the road most of the time.

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“I see my home as a refuge from the road – something’s that unique to me, rather than just being another generic liveable space, like a hotel,” says Jason Moy, a consultant and a self-confessed frequent traveller. “Because of my work, I am often away (from home) for about 3 to 4 days at a time, so it has to be a place that I’d want to come back to.”

With this vision firmly in mind, Jason enlisted the help of local interior design firm erstudio – specifically, to build a home with his preferred aesthetic that he describes as “clean lines, a more modern feel, and with a bit of warmth.”

But how exactly was this achieved at Jason's condo apartment at One Balmoral? We sat down with him to find out the details.


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On his renovation requirements

Jason (J): Other than clean lines and little visual clutter, I also wanted a way to make full use of the ceiling height, and to maximise whatever space was available – but certainly not by building more stuff, and making the rooms feel even smaller.

About the renovation works done

J: Going back to my requirements, a lot of the work done was to maximise the space as much as possible. A full-height TV console was built in the living room, along with the desk and cabinets in the study. Most of the rooms also came with bay windows, and we made use of them by building new shelves or seats on top.

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About the renovation process

J: I think for me, what was important, was to have the entire process be as efficient as possible, and for the work to completed within the schedule that I had. I wanted to move in by a certain date, and I wasn’t willing to flex on that.

Essentially, I wanted things to be done fast and accurately, and that was something, by and large, that erstudio was able to provide.

Their designers, Eric and Nicole, managed most of the logistics, the construction, and dealing with the various sub-contractors – things that I did for my first renovation, which was a more hands-on, but less enjoyable experience for me.

On renovation challenges faced

J: I am quite exacting about details. So, when the carpenter didn’t get things right, or when the design elements didn’t come together in the construction, I’d get them sorted out immediately. But it was mostly minor details, like ensuring the built-in study desk is level to the floor.

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About working with erstudio

J: It was a good experience working with Eric and Nicole. They were flexible about the needs that I had, the requests that I made. They were also honest about what they felt made sense versus what didn’t.

And most importantly, they were very accommodating about my schedule and the demands that I put on them in terms of time – on when I would be around, and when I could engage with them.

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On choosing to work with erstudio

J: I was looking around for design ideas when I found out about Qanvast. I then asked for designer recommendations, and I did my due diligence by meeting all five of them. The designers I met were capable, but quite frankly, I felt that some of them were the type of folks that wouldn’t give you the same level of attention if you weren’t spending much.

Essentially, it boiled down to the level of attention that they provided in the quotation phase, the willingness to be accommodating, their flexibility about design requests, and for the lack of a better word, the ‘hunger’ for doing the best thing for their clients’ homes – these are qualities that erstudio showed.

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About his favourite part of the house

J: I am a big fan of how the day beds were built. The same goes for the standing desk that is in the study; it was custom-built by erstudio, the (table) top was from their carpenter, and the legs were purchased from a third-party.

About his biggest renovation lesson

J: I think the biggest lesson for me, is to be more hands-on when things are about to take shape. That’s the point of time where the translation of ideas takes place, and sometimes you’ve got to make the necessary adjustments at that point, rather than at a later stage when it’s harder to make changes.


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