At A Glance
- Vincent, 38, Candice, 29, sales support in Singtel
- Size: 90 sqm / 968 sqft
- Location: Edgefield Plains (BTO)
- Cost of renovation: $45,000
- Cost of furnishings: $25,000
- Interior design firm: Hall Interiors
- Interior designer: Ing Hou
Like many first-time homeowners, Vincent and Candice were captivated by the many beautiful interior designs they seen but was not able to settle on a design that they really like.
Being busy professionals, Vincent and Candice succumbed and took the easier way in their search for an interior designer. Shortly after, they settled with the one that gave them a cosy, luxurious home without breaking the bank.
Qanvast: Your house is really beautiful! How did you design your house?
Candice (C): Credit goes to Ing Hou; most of the design concepts came from him. When we started looking for ideas, we were overwhelmed with the ideas we saw online and he helped us to weave the designs together, keeping in line with the requirements of a cosy home that we set out for him.
Qanvast: How many firms did you speak to before settling with Ing Hou?
C: We met up with 4 firms, and out of these firms, we were most impressed with Ing Hou because he had out-of-the-box solutions when it comes to spatial planning for our small home. Other firms didn’t impress us – their ideas were not creative and they merely suggested on where to put certain items.
Qanvast: Is that why you choose Hall Interiors?
Vincent (V): Candice and I had our own reason for choosing Hall Interiors. For her, it was mainly the design proposal. We wanted a walk-in wardrobe for the bedroom but the area size was too small. When we bounced the idea to the other firms, they told us it’s not possible. Only Ing Hou counter proposed with a suggestion and it showed us that he really goes out to think of a way to do it.
For me, I also took into consideration the price factor. After comparing quotes from the various firms, it seemed that Hall Interiors’ quotation was more value-for-money; in terms of the design creativity and quality. Thus, we decided to go with them.
Qanvast: How was it like working with Ing Hou?
C: Ing Hou was patient with our requests. We had some last minute changes in the design that led to a delay in the renovation works. Towards the end, he even helped us in our furniture shopping. Take for example this rug. We wanted a colour like this but it was really hard to find. We saw a similar rug in Courts but they did not had stock and Ing Hou went the extra mile to help us search for a similar design online and purchase it from us.
Needless to say, he is also an artistic person. He gave us 3 of his artworks, hand-painted by himself as a gift (see the 3 wall frames in the living room).
V: I was surprised that despite being the youngest among the designers from the other firms, Ing Hou seemed to be more experienced than them. He has the drive and the creativity, and his designs were so interesting that we were keen to try it. In a way, Ing Hou had actually expanded the design horizon for us as well.
Qanvast: How has the Qanvast mobile app helped you?
V: The app is really easy to use. As new homeowners, we don’t know where to start and the app was really handy. We could search by budget and style. The quote request was also useful because it saves us the hassle of having to look for interior designers. In fact, we were quite surprised that someone responded to us soon after we sent in the quote request form.
C: It’s like a one-stop solution to your home renovation needs. It’s great for busy people like us. It also saves us the effort from walking around and signing blindly.
Qanvast: Where else did you search for interior designers?
C: We tried to head to the fair at Expo and I didn’t have a good experience as the designer I spoke to was pushy.
Qanvast: Any tips to offer to new homeowners?
C: You should always take your lifestyle and habits into consideration when doing up a home. For example if you are one of those who do not like to do house cleaning, try to have less décor ornaments. I tend to be detailed in cleaning and I do spend some time cleaning even though it’s a small apartment.
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