At A Glance
- Christopher and Kendra, in their early 30s, oil & gas industry
- Size: 83 sqm / 893 sqft
- Location: Skyville @ Dawson (DBSS)
- Cost of Renovation: $28,000
- Cost of Furnishing: $25,000
- Interior Design Firm: Superhome Design
- Interior Designer: Ethan
From contacting up to ten interior designers to conducting intensive research before settling on their furnishings, Christopher and Kendra pulled out all the stops when it came to building their first love nest. Their efforts certainly paid off as the lovebirds can now sit back and relax in their beautiful Scandi-Industrial apartment with a wonderful view.
Qanvast: How did you go about looking for an interior designer?
Christopher (C): We had scouted out a few companies on our own. Along the way, we found out about the Qanvast app and decided to use the quote request service where you will hook us up with interior designers. We were pleasantly surprised when the quote requests started coming in and we felt that the recommendations were good. It definitely helped us in shortlisting interior designers that suited our requirements.
We went to the exhibition fair as well but most of the firms there were quite pushy and we decided to stick with Qanvast.
Qanvast: What made you decide to work with Ethan from Superhome Design?
C: It all boils down to the chemistry and the practicality of ideas that are being suggested. Prior to enlisting Ethan’s service, we had visited other interior design firms. The designer which I spoke to at one of these companies had many funky ideas, some of which I felt were not practical or workable.
We also visited another interior design firm which showed us some of their projects. Looking at the projects, we felt that the carpentry was iffy. That was an instant red flag as it showed that the company didn’t have total control of the quality of the carpentry. For interior design companies, it is crucial for the company to have control over the sub-contractors. So, we also passed over this company.
Thankfully, we met Ethan from Superhome Design. We felt that he was passionate about what he did and had many constructive ideas. He was prompt with responding to our quotations and we liked how he focused the discussion more on the interior design ideas rather than focusing on price and budget.
Kendra (K): Ethan showed us one of his in-progress works which reflected the quality of his designs. That definitely won us over.
Qanvast: How did Ethan help with the pre-renovation process?
C: We wanted a Scandi-Industrial home which is a mix between Scandinavian and Industrial. Prior to our meeting with Ethan, we had done our research on the industrial look and wanted black track lightings and exposed conduits and piping. Ethan was able to offer constructive suggestions – he persuaded us to opt for white track lightings, highlighting that it would not be too harsh and would add brightness to the industrial look.
K: Ethan also contributed interesting ideas for our kitchen. At first, we were set on having floor-to-ceiling cabinets but after much discussion, he persuaded us to go with a suspended cabinet to visually enhance the space. Not only that, he proposed that we install both recessed lighting and top lighting as it would make the kitchen look bigger. Now, the kitchen is definitely my favourite part of the home!
C: With Ethan, we were able to have constructive discussions as we would suggest ideas and he would use his designer sensibility to fine-tune our ideas. He even disagreed with us at certain points but we didn’t mind that as we just wanted him to give us his views; ultimately, it is up to us to decide what design we want to implement in our home. After all, I want a designer who has his own opinions. If not, I could just hire a contractor [laughs].
Qanvast: What do you like most about the Qanvast app?
C: The pictures! As the saying goes, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’. The pictures on the Qanvast app made it easier to communicate with interior designers. For instance, when I mention that I want a Scandi-Industrial home, some people may be confused about what I mean exactly. However, with the Qanvast app, I can show the interior designers what kind of home design I am looking for and get them to make suggestions.
K: We had seen this interesting shoe palette on one of the interior design projects on the Qanvast app. So we showed Ethan the picture and he was able to expand on the design and come up with something similar for us.
C: We showed Ethan a lot of other pictures that we had saved onto our Qanvast boards and this formed the basis of the interior design suggestions which we made to him.
Qanvast: What advice would you give to BTO homeowners who want to maximise the space in their home?
C: Nowadays, HDB homes are quite small so it is important to work with the space.
K: We wanted to maximise the space in our home without hacking any of the walls. One way in which we saved space was to do without a coffee table as it was not an essential piece of furniture.
C: Yes, the idea was to reduce the amount of furnishings in our home. Besides adding clutter, it also means that your expenditure goes up. Homeowners can think of using what furnishings they have to highlight the design of their home. For example, our home’s Scandi-Industrial look is enhanced by furnishings like the vinyl flooring and we feel that we do not need funky feature walls or TV cabinets to achieve such a look.
About Superhome Design
Superhome Design has been picked and enlisted by Qanvast as one of their ‘SuperTrust’ ID firms. See more about the assessment criteria here.
Contact Superhome Design directly or if you’d like to get quotes from experienced home professionals, drop us a quote request today!
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