A tricky room layout is bound to pose a challenge for any renovation project, but overcoming it usually makes the resulting dwelling all the more impressive – which is exactly the case with Keilya Jan’s home at Compassvale Walk.
“Renovating this house wasn’t easy at all, because the space wasn’t ‘squarish’ like other flats,” says Keilya. “But, Vinc, our designer from Metamorph Design was able to come up with a unique layout that really captured our attention.”
Building on the idea of an open social space, Vinc integrated the apartment’s living room, kitchen and study to create a spacious zone where Keilya, her husband, and her (future) cat can spend quality time with each other.
About her home’s design
Keilya (K): My husband and I wanted a MUJI-Scandinavian theme for our house, because we felt that it would be easy to maintain.
Also, we wanted the house to be designed as a social space where we can go about our daily activities, like gaming, cooking and eating, together. We intend to get a cat in the future as well, so we had some tall shelves built in too.
About working with Metamorph Design
K: Vinc, who is from Metamorph Design, was one of the 5 interior designers that we met through Qanvast. And out of all the designs that they proposed, only Vinc’s ideas caught our eyes immediately – which is why we decided to hire his services.
Vinc was also very professional throughout the entire course of the project, and his experience is the main reason why we are glad that we chose him. He was patient and responsive when answering our questions, even though he has probably been asked them many times.
We really appreciate how he helped us to understand the various aspects of renovating a home, including the works to be done, the types of décor styles, and the various materials that are used.
About her renovation experience
V: As we are both working full-time, I’d have to say the most tiring aspect of this experience would be finding the time to handle renovation-related tasks. Most of our weekends were spent discussing design concepts, choosing materials and shopping for appliances and other home essentials.
Because of that, I’d say that it’s important to be mentally prepared for a long journey and expect hiccups to occur because of the scale of the renovation works are that huge. If possible, do not renovate on a tight timeline, because quality requires time – by itself, the process of finding the right person for the job will take up several weekends.
About shopping for home furnishings
V: We didn’t splurge on the furniture because it would hard to keep them in perfect condition with a cat around. Because of that, we ended up looking for comfortable seats from stores like IKEA and Comfort Design. Their prices are pretty reasonable!
We also managed to save a lot by getting our décor items from Taobao through Ezbuy, and making our purchases during the Great Singapore Sale, that’s how we got our Omazz full latex mattress and LG OLED TV for less. If you want to keep costs down, it’s a must to look for discounts, and to be aware of what current prices are.
About budgeting for the renovation
V: Vinc did his best to keep to the initial budget, but as the project progressed, it became clear to us that we had to spend more because of unanticipated, but essential works.
Because of that, I would definitely advise homeowners to have a comfortable buffer and to adjust their expectations accordingly.
In our case, we actually wanted to keep the parquet flooring in the bedrooms because they were still in relatively good condition, but we ended up replacing them after discovering that they weren’t level with the living room’s new flooring.
To sum up…
V: I think we’re very comfortable with how the house turned out, and this renovation has been a great learning experience for us too. We really like how the wet/dry kitchen sections are directly connected to the main living area. Having a convenient layout like this allows me to chat with my husband and watch the TV, even while I am doing the laundry.
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