At A Glance
- Jean, working in advertisement sales, and Jia Yong, a finance analyst, both 27
- Size: 92 sqm / 1,000 sqft
- Location: Sumang Walk
- Cost of Renovation: $25,000
- Cost of Furnishing: $10,000
- Interior Design Firm: Superhome Design
- Interior Designer: Daniel
With many creative ideas for their home, Jean and Jia Yong needed an interior designer who could translate these ideas into practical designs. With the help of Daniel from Superhome Design, the decisive couple got the laidback industrial pad that they wanted.
Qanvast: What prompted you to choose Daniel from Superhome Design?
J: We met only two designers – one which was recommended by our friend and Superhome Design. As our friend did a lot of research, we knew that she had meticulously picked her designer and that he must live up to his standards. After meeting that designer, we felt that he was quite good.
When we met Daniel from Superhome, we compared him with that designer and we felt that he really understood what we wanted and could give us great ideas like the blackboard and incorporating the wire mesh sheets for the suspending table.
Qanvast: How was it like working with Daniel on the renovation?
JY: We worked well with each other and Daniel was very cooperative when he had revisions that we wanted to make. He provided us with the 3D drawings and we made amendments to it to show him our preferences. For instance, he planned to place hanging lights above the suspending table and we told him that we wanted to use pendant lights specifically. We also drew on the drawings to show him where we wanted the track lights to be and to specify the length of the panel lights and the height of the wire mesh shelving.
J: We felt that it was important for us to give him our input for all these nitty-gritty details so that we will get the home that we want.
Qanvast: What was one problem that came with renovating your home and how did Daniel solve it?
J: We hacked the kitchen wall and were planning to replace the tiles around that area. We thought it would be an easy task but Daniel informed us that the floor between the kitchen and the living area were uneven and replacing the tiles will make it bumpier. He proposed doing a strip of pebbled flooring over the uneven area.
Qanvast: Were there any times when Daniel went above and beyond his duties?
J: As we were pretty busy during the renovation period, Daniel would help us to take care of the receiving of deliveries for things like the air-conditioning. He would also arrange to be there to oversee the trunking which was being done by the air-conditioning servicemen.
JY: Daniel was also very helpful. He helped us to purchase the fan from Malaysia which helped us to cut costs. It was something that he did not have to do so we definitely appreciate his goodwill.
Qanvast: Why did you decide to go with a nautical design for your bedroom?
J: Right from the start, we knew that an industrial theme would not work for the bedroom since it would look too fierce and raw, and not warm and cosy enough. We were inspired to do a nautical design for our bedroom when we bought our bed as it was white and navy blue in colour.
Qanvast: Tell us more about how you executed the nautical design in your bedroom.
JY: As there was a concave area, we decided to use that space for a feature wall. Since it’s a nautical theme, it came naturally to us to decide on a blue and white striped design for the feature wall. I also decided to alternate between blue and white for the beams and walls in the bedroom.
Qanvast: You dedicated an entire room for your open closet. Tell us more about it.**
J: Since our bedroom is quite small, we not want a built-in wardrobe in our room as it would make the space look very cramped. Instead, we decided to convert one of the rooms into an open closet.
Qanvast: How did Daniel plan for your open closet?
J: Daniel reached out to OPSH, a supplier which specialises in full system closets. Although OPSH usually sells off-the-rack pieces with default layouts, Daniel helped us to get them to install additional features in our closet such as a full-length mirror and more shelving. We were very grateful to him for his assistance.
JY: He also helped us to solve a problem that had to do with the concave structure of the room. This structure meant that we could not use an OPSH closet that stretches across the entire length of the wall since it would not be flushed. Daniel worked around the problem by suggesting that we use the OPSH closet for the straight length of the wall. He also built us an additional shelving unit to fit in the concave area. He used the exact same laminate so that it would match the OPSH closet. We were wowed when we saw it.
Qanvast: What were some of the things which you did to ensure a smooth renovation journey?
J: In the WhatsApp group that we were in with our designer, we kept a list of outstanding items that needed to be done for the renovation. We felt that this was a good way to keep track of what needed to be done because if we just mentioned it in passing to him, there might be a chance that either him or us might forget about it.
