At a Glance
• Siti and Reduan, in their early 30s, accounting and shipping industry
• Size: 121 sqm / 1302 sqft
• Location: Jalan Tenaga
• Cost of Renovation: $70,000
• Cost of Furnishing: $30,000
• Interior Design Firm: Boon Siew D’sign
• Interior Designer: Calvin
A renovation journey that started with Scandinavian intentions but ended up in contemporary territory, Siti and Reduan kept their minds and hearts open in their renovation adventure and now have an apartment that reflects both their personalities.
Qanvast: How did you find out about Qanvast?
Siti (S): It was through my husband. We were looking for interior designers, and he is good at searching for information so he came across Qanvast on a forum. He read that Qanvast had “quality” interior designers, so we decided to give it a try.
Qanvast: How did Qanvast app help your renovation journey?
S: My husband said that the app is user-friendly, and there are many pictures for our inspirations. We sourced for other interior designers outside of Qanvast, however the ones from Qanvast got back to us the fastest.
Qanvast: Why did you choose to work with Calvin from Boon Siew D’sign?
S: Calvin from BSD was friendly and approachable hence we decided to work with him. We had a very easy working relationship because is very frank and straightforward. He suggested us to go for functionality instead of aesthetics. You know how it would be like if you have a 1 year old toddler! [laughs]
What we like about him is that he was transparent and accommodated to any changes that we made along the way. He also had a working schedule to keep us informed of the progress and completion. We were surprised that everything went according to the plan.
Qanvast: What made you decide on a contemporary concept?
S: My husband and I wanted a bright and clear house without a lot of clutter and the typical colourful paint. We initially wanted Scandinavian concept, but in-between, it progressed into contemporary design. We decided to go with the flow and ensuring that the house will turn out clean and bright.
Qanvast: How did you set the renovation budget?
S: My husband who is in-charge of the budget used the Qanvast app and took note of the average renovation cost for 5 room flats. The cost also varies according to the different interior design firms.
We did our due diligence by getting different quotation to have a rough estimate how much it would be required. We initially set our budget at $60,000. We had an idea for a pantry and activity room that is heavy on carpentry works. To have that materialise, we had to top up an additional $10,000.
Qanvast: What were you and your husband in charge of during the renovation process?
S: My husband left everything to me for the kitchen, so I got to choose whatever I wanted. He is more technical person hence it was particular about the lighting and wiring. He made sure that all the pipes were also conceal. Actually, he did most of the research while I just agree with what he has in mind. He even went to the extend of sketching out his ideas. [laughs]
Qanvast: Were there any disputes between the two of you?
S: We quarreled over the budget. [laughs] I told my husband that the budget was not a small budget, and we had to carefully consider and calculate our finances.
We disagreed over the tiles because he chose the more expensive ones. Calvin would jokingly tell us to go to a corner to thrash it out. We also fought over the fan because he wanted a good model after doing some research, but I told him to reconsider because everything had to be kept within budget.
A little can add up to a lot in the end. He’s the kind of person who spends but I’m the kind of person who keeps track.
Qanvast: Do you have any advice for couples who are going to renovate their home?
S: It’s important to keep track of each other’s ideas, and to keep communicating and sharing ideas. If you don’t like something, just say it so that you can move on to new ideas.
Boon Siew D’sign’s portfolio is available on the Qanvast app. Download the free app now from the App Store and Google Play to browse their projects and client reviews.
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