When interior design firm DS 2000 Interior & Design was set up 12 years ago, its founder David Sim had a single goal in mind: To create homes, and to do so with heart.
“I feel that as interior designers, it’s our duty to provide every owner with the dream home that they desire, and that’s because everyone deserves a house, which they can live comfortably in,” says David, who has an extensive background in carpentry and plumbing himself.
In this Designer’s Spotlight, we caught up with David to learn more about DS 2000’s heartful approach to renovation, its strengths as an interior firm, and how it differentiates itself from the crowd.
Qanvast: What’s the story behind DS 2000?
David (D): 12 years ago, I started this firm because I felt it was the best way I could do more for my customers’ homes while breaking into the renovation industry.
At that point, I already had experience running a carpentry firm for 11 years, and I wanted to utilise this edge to provide a quality interior design service that’s as efficient as it’s affordable – and this purpose hasn’t changed since.
Qanvast: What’s the DS2000 team like?
D: It’s a good mix of people across different generations. We have old hands who possess years of experience in the renovation industry to a group of young designers, led by Bernard and Joseph who are our branch managers.
We believe that having a team of all ages is beneficial because there are things that different generations can learn from each other, including both ‘new-age’ and ‘old-school’ skills. For example, we recently started experimenting with influencer marketing as a new way to get the word out about DS2000.
Qanvast: Tell us more about DS2000’s renovation services.
D: We’re able to handle a wide range of tasks across the renovation timeline, from space planning and 3D perspective drawing at the conceptualisation stage all the way to the manual work needed to bring our designs to life.
On top of that, we also offer a number of complimentary services, including free quotations for interested walk-ins as well as an HDB defect check to help homeowners start their renovation on the right foot.
Qanvast: Could you tell us more about DS2000’s latest project(s)?
D: Our most recent project is a 2-bedroom condominium home at The Gardens by Bishan, which is shared by a loving couple. The goal of the renovation was to create a space that they could age comfortably in, which we took into account when revamping their home.
One of the things that we did was to replace the existing natural stone flooring with vinyl because it’s warmer to the touch and thus less likely to trigger rheumatism pains.
For safety reasons, we also installed new drawers in the kitchen that require a smaller range of motion to open. There’s a new glass countertop as well, which is fairly rare for local homes.
Qanvast: In what ways does DS2000 differentiate itself from the competition.
D: When it comes to renovation services, I would say that our greatest strength lies in carpentry works. Because we operate a carpentry service, DS2000 has its own in-house craftsmen, which gives us better quality control over any end product as well as greater flexibility when it comes to rectification works.
Other than reducing the amount of downtime needed for repairs and cutting out middleman costs, being a direct carpentry supplier also allows us to provide more solutions and options.
For instance, we carry one of the largest range of polykem finishes (a layer of polymer film) in Singapore, which gives our customers more choices to choose from when it comes to cladding the insides of their home’s carpentry.
Qanvast: What do you feel are the hallmarks of a good interior design firm?
D: Quality service, good workmanship, and plenty of heart – I believe these are the keys to customer satisfaction and a successful interior design firm.
