At A Glance
- Terence and Rena, mid 30s, in marketing communications industry
- Home to 2 adults, a kid and a dog
- Area size: 125 sqm / 1,350 sqft
- Location: Jalan Tua Kong (resale condo)
- Cost of renovation: $130,000
- Cost of furnishing and appliances: $40,000
- Interior design firm: Habit
- Interior designer: Yan Ling and Denise
Impressed by Habit’s portfolio, Rena and Terence sought them out to bring a touch of uniqueness to their apartment. Read on to find out whether Habit was able to live up to the couple’s high hopes for them.
Qanvast: Tell us more about your home design.
Rena (R): I like designs that are modern rustic so I tried to incorporate vintage touches and accents – like the antique typewriter – around the home. I also prefer a simple design and for the home to look clutter-free.
Qanvast: What make Habit stand out from the other interior designers that you met?
Rena (R) : We had seen Habit’s past projects on the Qanvast app and we like that their designs are very classy and classic. That was important to us as we wanted an interior designer who could come up with unique designs for us.
There was also chemistry between us and the designers. They understood us when we told them what they wanted, and they were very open to our ideas and suggestions.
Qanvast: Which is the feature highlight of your home?
R: The 4.2 metre tall ceiling. We bought this place because we really liked the high ceilings so it was really important to us that the ceiling be designed in such a way that its height is accentuated.
Yan Ling and Denise were very excited about the ceilings as they could play around with its design. They came up with the idea of a pitched ceiling to give it a sense of height as well as depth. We love it.
Qanvast: What were some creative suggestions which Yan Ling and Denise gave?
R: When I told them that I wanted a brick wall for the dining area, they asked if it was okay if they did something different as they always try to steer away from convention. In the end, they came up with the idea of painting a layer of grey over the cellophane blocks –which are the raw materials of any renovation. We really liked this as it is a harmony of the industrial style that my husband favours and the design style that I like.
Yan Ling and Denise also pointed out to us that our home had a colonial feel to it so they suggested that we could go with darker furniture to match that theme.
Qanvast: What do you think are Yan Ling and Denise’s best traits as interior designers?
R: What I liked best about Yan Ling and Denise were that they would always give us their honest opinion. Interior designers should not just be focused on catering to their clients’ needs and we really appreciated that Yan Ling and Denise were unafraid when it came to sharing with us their creative views.
Qanvast: How does Habit’s carpentry reflect their attention to detail?
R: Yan Ling and Denise paid a lot of attention to detail when it came to the finer parts of the renovation. They asked me to measure the average length of my dresses so that they could plan the height of my wardrobe accordingly. Within the wardrobe itself, they also made sure that all the drawers were aligned.
Even when it came down to the fixtures of the shelves, they would make sure that the screws are aligned with the grout. I really applaud them for their level of detail.
Qanvast: Did you have a pleasant experience working with Yan Ling and Denise?
R: Yes, we did. They were really great. They were always keen to give us suggestions but at the same time, they would take our views into account, and incorporate our feedback into their design ideas.
They were also very responsive. When we went furniture shopping, we could just text them for advice on whether to buy a certain piece and they would get back to us with their feedback.
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