At A Glance
- Kelvin and Sharon, early 30s, hospitality and autombile industry
- Size: 91 sqm / 980 sqft
- Location: Punggol Waterway Woodcress (BTO)
- Cost of renovation: $32,000
- Cost of furnishing and appliances: $20,000
- Interior Design Firm: Aart Boxx Interior
- Interior Designer: Katherine
Needing their house to be ready for their ROM ceremony, Kelvin and his wife turned to Katherine from Aart Boxx Interior to help them achieve a cosy 'Scandustrial' look for their home. Though there were a couple of setbacks, the lovebirds ultimately managed to rectify it in time for the joyous occasion. Find out how they did it below.
Qanvast: Out of all the interior designers which you met, why did you decide to hire Katherine?
Sharon (S): We met about six to seven interior designers, including a contractor. Although the contractor could offer cheaper rates for the KompacPlus kitchen countertop, we liked Aart Boxx’s flexibility in adjusting their quotation to match our budget. We felt that they were very accommodating in that sense.
Initially, we were leaning towards engaging an interior firm called Space Factor, as they are very experienced. However, I felt that there was greater chemistry between me and Katherine from Aart Boxx. She is very sweet and it is easy to communicate with her.
Qanvast: How was it like working with her?
S: It was really nice working with Katherine as she is always very positive. She looks towards our needs and tries to accommodate our requests. Whenever we tell her our suggestions, she will listen patiently and tries her best to meet them, unlike some designers whom we met were blunt in their declines. She is also very responsive.
Katherine is good at colour combination and she helped us to narrow down our choices. Going into the renovation, we didn’t have any concrete idea of what we wanted and she was able to come up with good designs for us.
However, when it comes to matters of practicality, we feel that she can improve further.
Qanvast: Could you tell us more about that?
S: Kelvin and I usually have to compete when we want to charge our handphone [laughs]. I guess it would be good if the position of the power points were thought of before we mount them. Right now, it’s either hidden behind our furniture or positioned too far from where we are usually seated.
It is a small component but nevertheless very important to us in our daily lives. We appreciate if Katherine could advise us on where would be best to mount the points.
Kelvin (K): So in terms of practical advice, we felt that Katherine still has room for improvement. Overall, she was accommodating and helpful though so we definitely appreciate that.
Qanvast: Were there any other bumps during your renovation journey?
S: There were some minor issues with the carpentry which needed to be rectified, such as there were small gaps between the wardrobe drawers which makes cleaning tricky, and it caused a minor misalignment on the doors. Katherine got her contractor to return to seal up the holes and fixed the door.
We feel that the carpentry works from Aart Boxx's contractors can be improved.
Qanvast: Were you happy with how your home looked after the renovation?
S: Yes. After the renovation, our home looked very similar to the first sketch that Katherine did. When we held our ROM ceremony in our home, we had some friends coming up to tell us that they liked the design of the home, particularly our kitchen. We even recommended Aart Boxx Interior to some of our friends.
Qanvast: Do you have any advice to share with new homeowners?
S: Our experience taught us that the quality of the carpentry is very important so homeowners should engage an interior designer who can provide them with quality carpentry works. Also, know where you want to put your power points.
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