"I eliminated those who quoted me without a meetup as I felt they had no sincerity in wanting the job..."
At a glance
- Angela, in her early 40s; working in civil service
- Home to a family of 3, with their dog
- Size: 1001 sqf / 93 sqm, 4-room
- Location: Waterway Woodcress in Punggol (New BTO)
- Cost of renovation: $20,000
- Interior Design Firm: Chapter B Pte Ltd
- Interior Designer: Bryan
Knowing what you want in your new home would better facilitate your renovation planning and minimise any regrets later on.
In the case of Angela, a homeowner who recently moved into her new flat in Waterway Woodcress, it wasn’t an easy journey as she remains unsure of what she wants at home despite starting her renovation research early and having to speak with a dozen of interior designers.
That was until Chapter B came along, and they worked together with Angela to give Angela’s family a place to call home.
Qanvast: How did you commence your renovation research?
Angela (A): I started researching quite early and explored quite a lot of channels since I don’t have any specific themes in mind. I started off with a renovation forum and tried to contact some of those companies mentioned there but they didn’t get back to me. Then I ‘googled’ for interior design themes but I couldn’t figure out what I really want for my home. I also did some ‘window shopping’ through friends’ recommendations, went to Expo events and spoke to those companies. It was really when my house was approaching then I turned serious in my search.
Qanvast: Without a theme in mind, was it difficult to nail down to what you want?
A: Pretty difficult to be honest. Up till now, I still have no idea what I want! Thankfully, I have a filtering criteria to shortlist the designers:
- A good proposal on my irregular dining layout, and of course, the overall design of the house
- Must be able to fit my budget of $15,000 to $20,000
- Good reviews of the designers
I spoke to a couple of firms but did not consider them as they couldn’t fulfill my criteria.
(Pink shaded area is the dining area)
Qanvast: What made you use Qanvast?
A: I first saw Qanvast’s blogpost shared by friend on Facebook and I thought it was pretty interesting. No harm trying to see what other ideas I may get. When I used the app, I find it to be extremely convenient as there were lots of interior design ideas and I can save these ideas, but also confusing as there are too many choices.
I like the fact that I can access these saved photos from my iPad and on my Samsung phone. Previously, I had to take a screenshot when I surfed for ideas on both my devices and I had to recall which device the photo was saved in. This was really tedious. With Qanvast, all the ideas were consolidated. It was also useful that there were prices stated there.
What I remembered best about Qanvast is, after I sent in quote request, I got a followup call on my enquiry. I thought it was a really sincere gesture because there are some firms who weren’t keen in my business given my tight budget.
Qanvast: Tracking back your journey, you actually spoke to quite a lot of people! What made you settle with Chapter B?
A: (laughs) I spoke to about 10 companies at least even before I started using Qanvast, but it wasn’t difficult for me to narrow down to them because of my filtering criteria that I mentioned.
I eliminated those who quoted me without a meetup as I felt they had no sincerity in wanting the job, and also firms who gave me inappropriate solutions to the dining corner such as turning into a bar counter when I don’t drink and I have a kid at home, or hacking the wall which will remove the space where I store my kitchen appliances.
From the list of recommended interior designers I received from Qanvast, I met up with 3 out of 5 from the list. Chapter B was the only one who really listened and came out with a proposal that aligns with what I want, plus they insist on meeting up with me first before giving me a quote; which I didn't feel dismissive like other firms.
Before I engaged them, I read reviews and did a background check on the designers that I’ll be working with and I felt that I could trust them with my house.
Qanvast: How was it like to work with Chapter B?
A: I met up with 3 designers from Chapter B. I could really sense that they paid attention to my need and implemented designs that really fit the requirements, particularly the dining area and the feature wall in the living room.
Qanvast: Are you satisfied with how everything turned out?
A: Yes, I like how the dining area problem was solved and also the feature wall in the living room. With these subtle curves, it wasn’t the regular recessed wall you see in magazines. It brings out the overall fuss-free design of the house.
###Designer Thoughts
Bryan: We had a budget to work with and we had to coordinate with a couple of external vendors which the owner engaged herself during the renovation. Thankfully, all were cooperative, understanding and forgiving which resulted in a smooth delivery. The best part of this project was the dining area where we managed to do up based on her requirement.
Angela agrees the Qanvast app does help simplify renovation research and have since recommended Qanvast to her new neighbours in Waterway Woodcress.
And now, you too can benefit with Qanvast. Kickstart your renovation journey with us and experience it for yourself how much simpler it will be with Qanvast. Download the app today!
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