Think Scandinavian design and "bright", "light" and "airy" are probably some words that pop to mind. While Scandinavian interiors usually incorporate a lighter colour palette, homeowner Cedric wanted a Scandi-inspired space with a darker aesthetic.
To bring his vision to life, he enlisted the help of Ean from Happe Design Atelier; we sit down with Cedric for a chat and get him to share about his Happe renovation journey!
On engaging Happe Design Atelier's services
Cedric (C): I felt very comfortable with Happe Design Atelier because they were able to give me suggestions based on what I told them. They were definitely very responsive in that sense. Their pricing was also competitive. Furthermore, I felt like I could communicate well with them. They weren’t like other interior design firms who mostly centred their conversations on getting us to sign a contract with them.
On his requirements for the home
C: I initially wanted a Scandinavian design. However, I felt like the colour palettes for Scandinavian design were too light so I decided it’ll be better to go for something darker. Therefore, I settled on a design that had a little bit more of a contemporary feel to it, but still had some wood feature designs like Scandi homes.
C: To achieve a darker look, Ean helped me to pick out a few laminates, and highlighted which brand of laminates were better than others.
C: Overall, Ean was very professional, helpful and patient. Even though he gave me ideas, he wasn’t insistent that I used them. It was good collaborating with him on my renovation.
On planning the kitchen
C: We spent the most time planning the design of the kitchen. Initially, I wanted to do a glass backsplash. However, I felt like the kitchen would look more outstanding if I used subway tiles. Because I couldn't decide, Ean drew out a few versions of the backsplash for me to visualise what they would look like. After much consideration, I decided on subway tiles done up in a herringbone pattern.
About his furniture
C: My bed frame is from Taobao. My friend gave it to me when he realised it was too big to fit into his lift to be transported up to his place.
C: Besides that, some notable pieces would be my sofa which is from Castlery and the bed frames in the other two rooms which are from FortyTwo. I bought the bed frames from FortyTwo because the design and price point were in line with what I wanted.
On his biggest "splurge"
C: In terms of the costs, my biggest splurge would probably be the kitchen carpentry.
C: However, if you’re talking about a single item, one of the more expensive items I bought is my Hydroflux water dispenser in the kitchen. It’s one of the slimmest water dispensers on the market and it is tank-less. It can also be used to filter water for at least four years so if you compare it to the cheaper brands on the market which can be used for about a year on average, it’s actually very worth it.
His advice for homeowners
C: Do some research before meeting up with interior designers because it’s good to have an idea of what you want. Without any knowledge of what you want, it’ll be very hard for the designer to propose a design that matches your design preferences. The meetings will run very long if you don’t have a clue about what you want.
C: Renovation is a very long and tiring process. Having a good interior designer is very important because you do not want to have to worry about your designer as there’ll be a lot of other factors already adding to your stress level.