Renovation Journey: Mod-Scandi Simplicity

At a Glance

• Bing Hong, 30, and Eileen, 29, both scientists
• Size: 110 sqm / 1184 sqft
• Location: Boon Lay
• Cost of Renovation: $48,000
• Cost of Furnishing: $25,000
• Interior Design Firm: Ascenders Design Studio
• Interior Designer: Jonathan

Constrained by the layout of their HDB flat, Eileen and Bing Hong wanted an interior designer who had the expertise to come up with designs that fulfilled their requirements.

Taking some time out from their busy work schedule, Eileen and Bing Hong sit down for a chat with us and share about their fuss-free renovation journey with Jonathan from Ascenders Design Studio.

Qanvast: What were your requirements for your home?

Eileen (E): I wanted a cosy living space where I could comfortably watch my TV dramas while my husband wanted a gaming room because he likes to play games. Both of us also wanted a lot of storage space because we knew that we might need it in the future.

Bing Hong (BH): Design-wise, we wanted a clean modern Scandinavian look that would be easy to clean and maintain.

Qanvast: What were some of your criteria for an interior designer?

E: It had to be someone whom we could connect with. We also wanted somebody who is transparent and open.

Qanvast: What gave Jonathan from Ascenders an edge over his competitors?

BH: Qanvast recommended five interior design firms to us and our final decision came down to either Jonathan or a designer from another firm. We felt that both Jonathan and the other designer were patient and transparent with us in terms of their pricing. Both Jonathan and the other designer also came up with designs with a similar style.

E: However, Jonathan stood out more than the other designer because he could answer all our detailed enquiries. We also felt like we had a better connection with him.

Qanvast: What was one challenge that you encountered on your renovation journey?

E: As our bomb shelter was located very close to the front door, it meant that we had no space to store our shoes. We couldn’t build a shoe cabinet as it would block the entrance to our home. Neither could we place a shoe rack by the door as it would prevent the door from opening fully.

Qanvast: How did Jonathan deal with this challenge?

BH: He proposed to build a storage cabinet that would conceal the door of the bomb shelter and which would extend slightly forward so that we had more space to store our things. We could hence store our shoes in one of the compartments of the cabinet although the space limitations meant that our shoes would peek out from the cubbyholes.

E: We felt that Jonathan really made the most of our house and was able to maximise the space in our home.

Qanvast: How did Jonathan ensure that you had a smooth renovation journey?

E: Although there were quite a lot of delays on our side as we were getting married around the time that the renovation was set to take place, Jonathan was always patient. He also made the effort to explain the technicalities of the renovation to us.

BH: Jonathan was proactive and made sure that we provided him with the measurements for our furniture and appliances so that he could plan the space accordingly.

Qanvast: Was there a particular instance when Jonathan went the extra mile to help you?

E: Yes. We wanted a particular laminate for the inner lining of our wardrobe and were informed by Jonathan that his supplier was discontinuing the sale of that laminate. After looking at alternatives, we still felt that the laminate which we had initially set our eyes on looked better so Jonathan went out of his way to persuade his supplier to provide us with that laminate. It felt like a dream come true for us when we knew that Jonathan helped us to get what we wanted.

Qanvast: Were there any defects and how did Jonathan help you to rectify them?

E: While doing our defects check, we noticed that there was a small scratch on our glass door and highlighted this to Jonathan even though we didn’t mind if he did not rectify it. Little did we know that he arranged for the glass door to be replaced with a new one! We were really surprised and very impressed by his service standards.

Qanvast: Do you have any tips for new homeowners who are planning to renovate?

BH: Homeowners should always plan out their timeline beforehand. They also need to anticipate their needs and think about where they want to place their electrical sockets.

E: Homeowners should do their research so that when they meet up with the interior designers, they can be more discerning about what they want for their home.

Qanvast: What was the most fun part about renovating your home?

BH: Seeing everything come together. Nothing beats seeing the final product and knowing how far you have come in building your own home.

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