At a Glance
- Joyce, a teacher, and her husband
- Size: 90 sqm / 969 sqft
- Location: Ghim Moh Link
- Cost of Renovation: $40,000
- Cost of Furnishing: $8,000
- Interior Design Firm: Flipside Design
- Interior Designer: Daniel
Having toyed with the idea of becoming an interior designer previously, Joyce clearly has a passion for design. She was so excited about her new home that she even started pinning Pinterest boards way before she and her hubby bought their house!
We sat down for a chat with Joyce as she excitedly shares with us about her fun renovation journey with Daniel from Flipside Design.
Qanvast: What were some factors you considered while shopping for an interior designer?
Joyce (J): I wanted an interior designer who spoke well and whom I had chemistry with so that ideas would not be lost in translation. The quotation was also important to me. Lastly, I also took in account how conveniently located the interior design firm’s office was.
Qanvast: What made Daniel from Flipside stand out from his competitors?
J: I picked Daniel out of the five interior designers I met because I felt that he could communicate very well. He knew that there were certain things which I wanted for my home and he respected my ideas. He was also the fastest to get back to me.
Qanvast: How were your experiences with the other interior designers that you met?
J: One of the interior designers I met was very experienced. However, when I talked to the interior designer, I felt that he was quite insistent on his designs. He kept shutting down my ideas and I knew that I didn’t want to work with someone like that.
Another interior designer that I met had very nice designs but they were all in 3D form; he could not produce any pictures of actual designs for me to see. This was a huge red flag so I did not proceed with that interior designer.
Qanvast: What was your brief to Daniel?
J: I told Daniel that I did not want too much built-in carpentry because I like having the option of moving my furniture. I also told him that I didn’t want any feature walls because I feel that they are quite overrated.
Qanvast: How was it like working with Daniel?
J: Things went quite smoothly with Daniel. He was very responsive and polite throughout the entire process. The chemistry was also there and I could joke around with him.
Daniel also provided me with timely updates of the renovation progress. He would let me know what had been completed in a particular week so that I knew what to look out for when I came over to check on the progress.
Qanvast: Tell us about one thing Daniel did that impressed you during the renovation.
J: Whenever I dropped by my home for visits, it was always very clean. Everything was packed! If there were boxes of things, they were placed in the storeroom. I actually wouldn’t have minded if things were lying around since the renovation was ongoing so the fact that Daniel and his workers made an effort to keep things neat reflects well on their high standards.
Qanvast: Were there any hiccups during the renovation and how did Daniel rectify them?
J: After the renovation was complete, my husband noticed that water was dripping from one of the water pipes. We let Daniel know about this and he shared with us that most homeowners just let it drip.
However, my husband felt that it would not be good to let it drip because it might cause mildew. Hence, we asked Daniel if he could rectify this and he got his plumber to build a transparent pipe to let the water flow into the drain.
Qanvast: Are there any areas where Daniel has room for improvement?
J: Yes. It would have been better if Daniel proposed more design ideas. I would also have appreciated if he could have given me more suggestions on where I could shop for different kinds of furniture and given me more advice when it came to lighting.
Qanvast: Is that because there is something about the lighting that you’re dissatisfied with?
J: I wished that I had used less white lighting around the home. I find that white light makes the place look stark as compared to warm lighting. Fortunately, this is something that I can change down the road.
There’s also too many lights in my master bedroom. This was something that I didn’t really think about then which I wish Daniel had advised me on. In fact, if I didn’t install so many lights in the bedroom, I could have saved about $200.
Qanvast: What is the best part about renovating a home?
J: Seeing what I envision being brought to life. I started pinning boards on Pinterest way before my husband and I bought this house. Thus, when the renovation started, I was really excited about everything. Although it got boring sometimes when it came to the little details like picking out colours for the laminate, I still had fun overall – especially when it came to shopping for accessories for the home!
J: As compared to my husband who is very laidback about the entire renovation, I have a lot of requirements in terms of design. I was hence the one who was liaising with Daniel on design matters while my husband was the one who held the purse strings.
Qanvast: What tips would you give to new homeowners embarking on their renovation?
J: Homeowners should have a clear idea of what they want and not be afraid to communicate it to their interior designer. They should also be open-minded about scouring Carousell as there are quite a lot of good deals on Carousell.
Qanvast: Any final thoughts to share with new homeowners?
J: Enjoy the renovation process. You shouldn’t treat it as something that you tick off a list. Instead, try to see it as a process which will culminate in all your hard work being realised.
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