At A Glance
- Sid and Julia, 35 and 28, in advertising industry, and finance director
- Home to 3 adults
- Location: Still Road (walk-up apartment)
- Renovation duration: 10 weeks
- Area size: 96 sqm / 1,330 sqft
- Cost of renovation: $65,000
- Cost of furnishing and appliances: $30,000
- Interior design firm: Chapter One Interior Design
- Interior designer: Jonathan
An apartment with a history of over 40 years and had only undergone a renovation 20 years ago, it was no mean feat when Jonathan from Chapter One Interior Design took over and transformed the tired-looking apartment into a party-ready Airbnb-worthy apartment.
Find out how the Jonathan worked hand in hand with the young couple to achieve the look they wanted for their new abode.
Qanvast: This is a really old apartment, and renovation must be tricky. How did you and Jonathan pull off?
Sid (S): Indeed, there were a lot of surprises when the renovation started. This place was falling apart and it was a major renovation for us. We had to replace a lot of things – from flooring and rusty gas pipes, to spatial planning for the living spaces.
Naturally, these caused delays and top-ups due to the unforseen circumstances, and Jonathan, it was his first-time doing it, but he managed to pull a rabbit out of a hat.
Qanvast: What was the design concept you have in mind?
S: We do host gatherings time to time hence the kitchen island, overhead bar rack and open spaces. Other than structural beams we could not touch, we pretty much hacked what we could.
Bathrooms were the trickiest to handle. Since it’s an old apartment, there’s only one common bathroom, and a separate one in the master bedroom. We had to make sure both have shower facilities.
Qanvast: Where do you look for ideas?
S: For furnishing ideas, we turn to magazine as they can suss out good deals and products. When it comes to design ideas and looking for designers, Qanvast has been a great help. I really love the app as it has good concepts that are relevant and it’s easy to use.
My mum is into interior designing too – she has lots of books and ideas, and even went to the showroom, so she did contribute a couple of ideas.
Qanvast: Why pick Jonathan from Chapter One Interior Design?
S: We could resonate well with Jonathan and he was receptive to new ideas. We would tell him what we have in mind and if the idea is not feasible, he will politely reject.
Jonathan brought a lot of good ideas to the table and among the 5 firms we met, he was the one who showed passion and interest in our project and he will think of ways to get the look and stay within the budget.
Qanvast: What key advice(s) would you give to new homeowners?
S: Homowners should have an idea on what they want and the budget they have in mind. Do up a moodboard, so that’s easier to convey the ideas to the designer.
Also, renovation is not a smooth-sailing process. Have a chat with 4-5 designers and understand what they can offer you. Meeting more sometimes makes the process tiring and at times confusing.
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