At A Glance
- Eunice, 32, and Darren, 34, both recruitment consultants
- Size: 112 sqm / 1205 sqft
- Location: Choa Chu Kang
- Cost of Renovation: $20,000
- Cost of Furnishing: $12,000 - $15,000
- Interior Design Firm: Project Guru
- Interior Designer: Thomas
After finding out that the contractor they wanted to work with could not give them practical advice or design ideas, Darren and Eunice needed a design guru for a perfect blend of aesthetics and practicality.
Qanvast: How did you come to enlist the services of Thomas from Project Guru?
D: He was recommended to us by Qanvast. Initially, we didn’t proceed with him but with a contractor. We could tell he was disappointed. He still kept in contact with us and offered to check for defects even though he was not obligated to. He even gave us suggestions on what we could do with the space in our home.
E: We then found out that it was very difficult to work with the contractor as he could not give us design ideas and practical advice. That was when we decided to engage Thomas.
Qanvast: Wow. It sounds like Thomas really went the extra mile even though you were not his client at that point of time.
E: Yes. After we signed the contract with him, he continued going the extra mile. He was diligent and hardworking. Whenever we had changes to make, he would redo the drawings promptly. And when we had discussions late into the night and he did not mind. He definitely delivered above expectations.
Qanvast: Was it easy working with him?
E: Yes. Whenever we proposed ideas to him, he was honest and told us if our idea wasn’t feasible. He would then give us alternative suggestions. He also made an effort to work with our budget. We were very impressed by him that we recommended him to our friends.
Qanvast: What vision did you have for your home?
E: We wanted a bright home with sustainable designs. We also emphasized to our designer that we needed many storage options for our home.
Qanvast: Tell us about a practical design that Thomas came up with.
E: We wanted a bigger wardrobe in the master bedroom and were thinking of hacking a wall to open up another room. However, we needed that room for our baby so he suggested building an L-shaped wardrobe that complemented the other storage units in our bedroom.
Qanvast: How did Qanvast play a part in your renovation journey?
E: The designs that we saw on Qanvast inspired us in our home design.
D: As Qanvast was very user-friendly, I relied on it a lot to search for home design inspiration. I saved a lot of pictures on my Qanvast board and used it to bounce ideas off my interior designer. Even after the renovation, I’m still using Qanvast.
Qanvast: Do you think it is important for homeowners to set a buffer for their quotation?
E: Yes. Sometimes during the course of the renovation, the quotation might go up if you choose to use better quality materials. As you spend a lot of time at home, it’ll be worth it.
Qanvast: Do you have any more tips for first-time homeowners?
E: It is important to know what you can accomplish with your budget find an interior designer that you have chemistry with. Homeowners should also consider practicality when coming up with design ideas.
D: When meeting interior designers, you should get them to come up with design ideas for you. That way, you can assess their creativity and see if they are able to come up with designs that you like.
Starting Your Renovation Journey?
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