At a glance:
- Home to: Kris Soh, in her early 40s, business development
- Size: 74 sqm / 797 sqft
- Location: Hedges Park condominium
- Renovation duration: 3 weeks
- Cost of renovation: $17,000
- Cost of furnishings: $13,700
- Interior design firm: Space Factor
- Interior designer: Dolly
A beautiful house, a delighted homeowner and a close to flawless renovation process; it's certainly an uncommon situation for most homeowners. Just asked anyone who have just completed their renovation.
Kris was initially apprehensive and worried when it comes to renovating her own home, but after meeting her designer, Dolly, her worries were unfounded. Scroll down to read her story and her raving reviews she have on Dolly!
Qanvast: How did you get to know Space Factor?
K: Space Factor came as a recommendation from Qanvast, and I'm thankful that I signed up with Qanvast because initially I was pretty reluctant to. I relented and gave in after seeing many good images and informative content on the app.
It also helps that the renovation prices were listed in the app and I can select what I am interested in instead of aimlessly browsing for ideas on magazines.
Qanvast: Why did you pick Space Factor?
K: I started off with looking at interior designers in Expo, but those that I met were green and inexperienced, which makes it hard for me to have chemistry with. I'd feel more at ease with an experienced designer after hearing about some issues my sister had with her renovation previously.
I spoke to a few other firms as well but Dolly stood out because she is experienced and her quote was reasonable. Plus, Dolly offered very practical design ideas. I didn't feel pressurised when working and talking to her.
Qanvast: Can you share what it is like to work with Dolly?
K: It was a very good experience to work with her. Being the boss, I can see that she has a good rapport and control over her workers. I've seen instances whereby the designer couldn't coordinate well with the workers, resulting in miscommunications and delays in the renovation. In this area, I think Dolly does very well. The contractors really get their things done and they updated Dolly on the progress of the renovation.
Dolly is also very meticulous and takes care of all the details. My communications with her is also perfect. I really have no complains.
Qanvast: Was the renovation all smooth sailing? Any memorable incident happened during the renovation?
K: There was an incident whereby I trusted her professional team of workers so much that when I was presented with the quote on the electrical wiring, I didn't take a second glance and agreed to it before checking. After I did some checks, I realise the quote was a little expensive. I spoke to Dolly if she could speak to the electrician to revise the quote. The electrician offered to instead charge a lower rate for the installation of switches.
It was a gratuitous favour from Dolly and I really appreciated it, knowing that it was my oversight for not checking beforehand.
Qanvast: How would you describe the whole renovation process with Space Factor?
K: Comparing to my sister who renovated her house a year ago where she encountered some issues with her interior designer, I'm quite surprised that my whole renovation turned out to be smooth and the workmanship is decent.
Initially I was a little zealous and I thought not much work needs to be done. After nailing down the requirements and speaking to Dolly, the idea proposed by Dolly starts to sit in. The service from Space Factor is really good as I've mentioned. She's like the perfect designer to work with [laughs].
Looking to have a smooth renovation journey as well? Qanvast can help you! Simply drop us a complimentary quote request here and we will connect you with 5 interior designers who best match your renovation requirements.
Not yet ready to meet with an interior designer yet? Why not start with collecting awesome ideas for your home? The Qanvast app lets you design your home with thousands of local ideas at your fingertips. Download the free app today from the App Store or Google Play!