At A Glance
- Chris and Susan, with two daughters
- Area size: 116 sqm / 1,248 sqft
- Location: The Calrose
- Cost of Renovation: $62,000
- Interior Design Firm: Space Concepts Design
- Interior Designer: Joanne
Stressed out by the lack of storage options in their previous home, Chris and Susan’s top priority was to have enough space in their new home to store their things while also ensuring that their place looks spacious and neat. Learn how Joanne from Space Concepts addressed the family’s space woes.
Qanvast: What was the vision you have for your home?
Susan (S): I wanted a minimalist design so that the house will look spacious and clean. I believe that over the years, we will definitely accumulate more items so it is good to start with a minimalist design so that your house remains uncluttered.
Qanvast: Since this is your second home, was there anything that you were more certain about now as compared to the previous time?
S: As this is our second time renovating, we have a clear idea about what works for us and what doesn’t. Besides wanting a minimalist home, we wanted to have a neutral colour scheme so that when we come home, we will be greeted by a relaxing space.
I would say our number one priority for this renovation lay with the creation of more storage options around the home. I used to get very stressed by the lack of space in my previous home as I had to store my things in containers due to the lack of built-in cupboards. So this time round, I was determined to get a neat and functional home.
Qanvast: Tell us about your search for an interior designer.
S: We used the Qanvast app to search for interior designers. After coming across a few designs that we liked, we contacted the design firms and scheduled appointments.
We were mainly considering between two interior design firms – Space Concepts and Designe Couture. Space Concepts impressed us with the speed at which they got back to us and their pricing was reasonable. In addition, we felt very comfortable with Joanne, the designer that we had met from Space Concepts.
Qanvast: Tell us more about your approach to furniture shopping.
S: I prefer furniture which has a classy vibe and soft edges. We mostly shopped at retailers such as Exclusive Homes, OM, Scanteak or Cellini since we felt that their furniture complemented our theme well.
The bed in my master bedroom is from OM. It’s a storage bed and has many compartments to store bulky items such as extra pillows, bedsheets, blankets and even, winter clothing.
Qanvast: What were Joanne’s best qualities as an interior designer?
S: She is very friendly and approachable. We felt comfortable running our ideas by her as there was an open sharing culture between us.
Chris (C): Joanne was also quite down-to-earth and knowledgeable about the whole renovation process. When we went down to her showroom, she advised us on the different materials that we could use for different areas of the home.
Qanvast: What are some areas of improvement for Joanne?
S: Overall, Joanne was wonderful to work with but I feel she could have paid more attention to detail or get her assistant to take charge of these matters. During the renovation process, there were a couple of oversights on her part.
C: Since my working hours are flexible, I would drop by about three to four times a week to check on the progress of the renovation. There were a few times when I noticed that some things were amiss. One such instance was when the trunking for the phone cable stopped at the sliding doors. We felt that it looked quite unsightly and I asked Joanne to get her workers to extend it to the ceiling so that the trunking could be concealed by the curtains.
Qanvast: Lastly, do you have any advice for first-time homeowners?
S: Identify your needs and plan your design according to the way you live out your daily life. For instance, I can’t stand to see things lying about so I require many storage options for things to be easily stored away.
When it comes to shopping for furniture such as sofas, homeowners should avoid buying these items online as it is something that they should see and try before purchasing.
C: Space planning is also important. Prior to the renovation, homeowners should have a rough idea where they want their electrical outlets and router to be placed. To get the best wireless signal from your router, the router should be a central location in the home. Another way to enhance signal strength is to hack the walls so that the cables can extend into every room.
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