"Having someone to love is family. Having somewhere to go is home. Having both is a blessing."
###At a glance:
- Wayne and Dawn, in early 30s, owners of an automotive company
- Home to: 2 adults and a kid
- Size: 1,238 sqf / 115 sqm
- Location: Punggol
- Cost of renovation: $35,000
- Cost of furnishings: $15,000
- Renovation period: 6 weeks
- Interior design firm: Fuse Concept
- Interior designer: YeenYee
Wayne and Dawn were on the hunt for an interior designer who can do up their second home in Punggol. The designer they engaged left them impressed and their home has then been an envy among friends and neighbours!
They shared with us their experience in creating a cosy home for the modern family.
Qanvast: The house is really beautifully done up! Mind sharing where did you get your inspiration from?
Wayne (W): We used a mixture of online platforms like Etsy, Pinterest and Houzz because we are into home styling, and a couple of home décor magazines. We skipped the forums because it’s typically a place where people vent out their frustrations and it is hard to find information.
When Qanvast came along, we used the app to get more interior ideas.
Dawn (D): Actually, this is our second time looking for an interior designer. In our first home, we secured a very good package deal from Cissern. Then after when it's done, we realised the design wasn't exactly what we wanted. Thus for this round, we decided to opt for something off-the-shelf and tailored to our preferences; this means more research needs to be done.
Qanvast: How was your search for interior designers like? Did you have any recommendations?
W: Well, when I asked my friends how their renovation went, I get more complaints and regrets than recommendations.
D: I wanted a different look from my friends so I didn’t ask for recommendations. We browsed through various interior sites and assessed their portfolios.
(Image: the dining area was where the dry kitchen counter once stood)
Qanvast: How does Qanvast fit in in your renovation research?
W: We found out about Qanvast first in our Facebook group and then we happened to see some of our friends sharing the blogpost.
When we used the app, there were a good variety of ideas and it’s very easy to save those ideas. Previously we were using Dropbox to save the pictures. Then after a while, it gets messy and we lost track on why we saved those pictures, and we weren’t sure where or whom the designs were from.
D: I like how I can filter to see what I am keen in; it helps to speed up the search process. I don't have to take photos nor bookmark the magazines.
W: The experience in using the app is really smooth and good. We do look at magazines but you’ll have to flip through many issues to browse for ideas. To me, one of the more important factors would be the firms’ reviews – I tend to favour firms with many reviews in the app. This is also something that the magazine wouldn’t have.
(Image: the washing machine was moved to the yard and extended the kitchen counter to allow more space for meals preparation)
Qanvast: How did you narrow down to Fuse Concept?
W: We met up with 3 firms after filtering those firms that did not respond to us. One of them was a friend’s contact. I like his designs and interior styling and he has the cheapest quote, but his proposal doesn’t match what we were looking for.
We spoke with another firm (not on Qanvast) and they quoted us 15-20% more! Fuse Concept was in between those two firms and it helps they have quite a lot of good reviews on the Qanvast app.
When we met up with Fuse Concept, the firm asked what were the projects we saved so that they can assign the designer that worked on them. When we spoke to YeenYee (the designer), she understood our requirements and came out with good suggestions on how to maximise space and accommodate the addition of our newborn kid. We knew that we could trust YeenYee to handle our renovation.
Qanvast: How was working with Fuse Concept like?
D: YeenYee came out with a good design proposal in modifying our layout and advised on some of the furnishings. Her project management skills was really good and everything was done according to timeline planned out, including the handover! Unlike our neighbours, we didn’t have to drop down often as she constantly updated us on the process.
There weren’t any major hiccups during the renovation. We had one with our developer on the tile replacement issues but she helped us to fix that. It was also quite sharp of her to rectify any mistakes before we spotted them and she will notify us once it’s fixed.
(Image: the small study room was converted into walk-in wardrobe)
Qanvast: Why were you impressed with YeenYee?
D: YeenYee was really helpful. She gave us a list of furnishing places to shop, detailing what is good or bad about the places, their service, and helped us narrow down to the shops that best suit our style. This helped us to save a lot of time.
I was pregnant when we were doing our renovation research so this was really a sweet gesture and it left a deep impression on us.
(Image: son's room)
Want to enjoy a smooth renovation experience as well? The Qanvast app can help with that. Browse thousands of interior design ideas, get the renovation cost breakdown and receive up to 5 complimentary quotes from interior designers. Download the free app; available on The App Store and Google Play.
Check out renovation journeys on family warmth under one roof:
- The Scandustrial Family Pad
- Family Warmth In Punggol
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