Renovation Journey: Modern Monochrome Ensemble

At A Glance:

• Wei Jie and Charmaine, early 30s, in investment advisory and venture
  capitalist firm
• Home to: 2 adults
• Location: SkyTerrace @ Dawson (BTO)
• Size: 99 sqm / 1,066 sqft
• Renovation duration: 10 weeks
• Cost of renovation: $90,000 (includes design fee of $5,000)
• Cost of furnishings and appliances: $15,000
• Interior design firm: Habit
• Interior designer: Yanling and Denise

If interior design styles like Scandinavian and industrial are not your cup of tea, why not take cues from this modern monochrome interior? Certain that they wanted a classic black-and-white interior, and a home like no other, Wei Jie and Charmaine entrusted their home to Habit and had their expectations exceeded in every way. Find out the secret behind their cohesive working relationship.

Qanvast: How did you find out about Habit?

Charmaine (C): We had some friends who used Habit and were quite impressed with their reviews on Habit. Their workmanship and design are good.

Wei Jie (W): But we wanted to keep our options open and speak to another 2-3 more firms and so we turned to Qanvast and requested a quote.

C: It was quite apparent that Habit stood out among the rest of the firms we spoke to in terms of design, communication and ideas.

Qanvast: What did you like about Habit?

C: We wanted a non cookie-cutter look and we liked how Habit creates a design identity in each home, catering to the homeowners’ personality and requirements. It’s quite evident that our friends’ (who used Habit) homes don’t look identical. They gave a lot of good suggestions and managed to work around our layout constraints.

They also put in a lot of thought in their designs. Take, for example, this cabinet where we wanted to display our frames (see picture above); Habit meticulously included grooves to ‘hold’ the frames in place. They also customised a dining table for us with the table featuring rounded edges and a base in the middle so that it doesn’t protrude (see picture below). This is very thoughtful of them as the table is just beside the entrance to the main door and we want to prevent any unexpected injuries.

Habit was really prompt and we could get along well with them. Initially we didn’t know what we wanted but Habit could understand our requirements pretty quickly and nailed down what we want.

Qanvast: What was the look you were going for?

C: We wanted a classic look with a black-and-white theme. We got a lot of inspirations from Pinterest which we tried to fit into the concept of our home.

W: We weren’t interested in Scandinavian and industrial interior design so we eliminated firms and portfolios with that style.

Qanvast: How would you describe your renovation journey?

C: The search for the right interior designer was time-consuming. You have to go for several discussions and wait for them to get back on the quote and design proposal. Luckily we decided to meet only 3 firms otherwise the process has to be repeated many times! We met them after work and each meeting took about an hour long so it was quite tiring for us.

W: Once we settled on the design style, it was time to hunt for the right furniture to fit our theme. While Scandinavian and industrial-style furniture are really popular, it is harder to find monochromatic pieces and we had to go to several shops to find furniture that suits our theme.

C: Thankfully, Habit provided a list of places for us to use as a guide. Although those furniture pieces were definitely pricier, we felt that the price is worth it as those items brought out the design of our home. Furthermore, it was a struggle to find designs that matched our theme. We also got Habit to customise furniture (the wardrobe, dining table, cabinet in the living room and kitchen, platform bed) for us so that we don't have to scour for them (laughs).

Qanvast: What will your advice be to new homeowners?

C: Before speaking to a designer, have a firm idea on what both you and your partner want. It’s more efficient than deciding when you are at the discussion with the designer.

Looking for an interior designer is almost like finding a needle in a haystack. If you are looking to design your home soon, we can match you for free with 5 interior firms based on your requirements and budget. Request for quote here and we will followup with you shortly.

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