At A Glance
Yin Chong and Vanessa, late 20s, FX trader and finance industry
Home to: 2 adults
Size: 108 sqm / 1,162 sqft (5-room resale)
Renovation duration: 8 weeks
Cost of renovation: $65,000
Cost of furnishings and appliances: $10,000
Interior design firm: Ascenders Design Studio
Interior designer: Jayson
After a lot of research by reading the reviews on Qanvast, Yin Chong and Vanessa discovered that Jayson from Ascenders Design Studio was one of the most reviewed interior designers found on Qanvast. Trusting these reviews, the pair sought Jayson’s help to spiff up their resale apartment.
Continue reading to see whether – for the couple – he lived up to the rave reviews given by other homeowners.
Qanvast: How did you come up with the design?
Vanessa (V): We were lucky that both of us were on the same page when it comes to the design style – a simple Scandinavian style. We eliminated a lot of ideas and tried to refine those complicated ideas into simpler ones.
A designer we spoke to had some good ideas which he mapped out visually for us – he used a correction fluid to remove the walls that can be hacked. He asked us to think from a fresh perspective about how we want to design our house instead of basing our planning solely on the floorplan. That was really useful, and that was how we got started.
I knew I wanted a regular-shape living room and our flat has this awkward triangular layout at the back. Thus we came out with an idea to conceal the corner by turning it into a storeroom.
Qanvast: Tell us, what made you pick Ascenders Design Studio?
Yin Chong (YC): I browsed through the Qanvast website and read the reviews on most of the interior firms listed there. From there I shortlisted firms with the most reviews and met up with them.
There was one review that really stood out for me for Ascenders Design Studio – one homeowner had compared quotes from 9 firms and ultimately went with Ascenders Design Studio. I rode on their research done and trust that the firm is reliable. [laughs]
Qanvast: Wow, that’s a different approach from most homeowners! Were you skeptical about the reviews?
YC: She is (points to Vanessa), as she thinks the reviews are done shortly after the house is renovated so the faults and issues may not have resurfaced until a few months later.
V: [laughs] I was lazy to do the research so I left it to Yin Chong to do the work.
Qanvast: How many firms did you meet before deciding on Jayson, and why?
V: We met about 3 firms, but Jayson from Ascenders Design Studio was the one who offered a more reasonable quote and who we could get along well with. His attitude and service was really good. It was easy to work with him as he is really friendly.
YC: Jayson is also one of the most reviewed interior designers on Qanvast.
Qanvast: After working with Jayson, did you find that he lived up to the praises given by other homeowners?
YC: Definitely! He is responsive and would reply promptly even when I text him late at night. The renovation progress pretty much kept to the timeline with no delays or issues. The after-sales service was good too.
Qanvast: What are the enjoyable and painful moments of the renovation process?
V: The whole renovation was tiring particular when it came to selecting the materials – I didn’t know it would be this tedious! Jayson did narrow down a few options for us to pick from, but still it wasn’t easy.
The fun part would be in knowing that you are going to move into a new house, and the joy of looking for home ideas.
Prepping for your home renovation involves lots of hard work and research. Skip the legwork of having to look for interior designers with Qanvast quote request feature. Simply fill in this form and we will match you with trusted 5 interior firms for free!
Not ready to meet up with interior designers yet? Get the free Qanvast app to browse and save ideas, view home furnishing items on cashback and read homeonwers' reviews. The free app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.