At a glance:
- Home to: Meng Kean and Jillian, tech infrastructure support in a pharmaceutical company and data analyst in Global Blue Tax Refund
- Location: Trivelis (DBSS)
- Size: 80 sqm / 861 sqft
- Renovation duration: 8 weeks
- Cost of renovation: $25,000
- Cost of furnishings: $25,000
- Interior designer firm: Wee Studio
- Interior designer: See Wee
After hearing unhappy stories on home renovations, Jillian was feeling apprehensive when it comes to doing up her home. Being a detail-oriented person, she did her own research and came to learn about the trusted interior firm, Wee Studio. Here’s an account on how her renovation journey went.
**Qanvast: We heard about the building issues for Trivelis. Were you affected and did it affect your renovation planning? **
Meng Kean (MK): Yes, to a certain extent. The defects checking took longer than usual and we had to start the renovation at a later date.
One of the common gripes we faced was the location of the (thick) kitchen piping in the service yard. We were initially told that it will be outside the unit, but it turned out otherwise when the building was done. This affected the spatial planning for the kitchen.
Jillian (J): Our neighbours complained and the developer had promised to compensate us based on the square metre the piping took up.
MK: There were some inconveniences we have to leave with it, such as the parquet flooring provided by them. It scratches easily and it is not water-resistant. You will have to mop with a dry mop.
**Qanvast: How did you begin your search for interior designers? **
J: We made a trip to the exhibition at Expo and we spoke to four firms. We didn’t like the vibe as the designers we spoke to were pushy and some were inexperienced.
We also chanced upon some firms on Facebook and that’s how we found Wee Studio from there. The reviews given by the homeowners who engaged them were good as well. As such, we contacted them and then decided to go with them shortly after. We trusted the quality and design that Wee Studio provided after going down to their showroom and viewing the samples See Wee showed to us.
**Qanvast: Where did you gather ideas for your home design? **
J: Magazines, online websites and Qanvast. Interestingly, I found Qanvast on the app store and when I was looking for apps relating to renovation. It’s quite an interesting and insightful app. It’s very convenient and there were a lot of ideas in there.
I also took some ideas from Wee Studio’s showroom and implemented them in my study.
Qanvast: How was working with See Wee like?
J: We told him what we wanted and he proposed four designs for us to choose from.
We like how See Wee pointed out things we may have missed out or won’t be practical in the long run.
I am particular about the materials and details that go into the house and I was happy that Wee Studio’s workmanship and quality fit what I am looking for. I could trust him with the house without having to pop by often to check on the progress.
Qanvast: Where did you buy your furnishings?
J: See Wee recommended a few places and told us which stores are more suitable for our home. He set aside a day and went out with us to settle our furniture and furnishings. It was really helpful and we like this value-added service. He suggested to us what is and isn’t practical and it speeds up the buying process.
I didn’t consider Taobao because the designs of the items don’t suit us and I think it’s risky to buy from them. It would be a hassle to deal with defective items.
MK: We joined the Trivelis group on Facebook as well and there were a few group buys orgnanised by the neighbours and we bought our digital locks from there.
**Qanvast: How was your renovation experience? **
J: It wasn’t too bad. There were hiccups during the renovation but it was smooth overall and I’m very thankful everything was well-planned and nothing bad had happened, after hearing some horror stories on renovation from others.
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