At A Glance
• Yung Ket, property industry
• Size: 60 sqm / 645 sqft
• Location: Tanjong Pagar Plaza
• Cost of Renovation: $70,000
• Cost of Furnishing: $60,000
• Interior Design Firm: Elpis Interior
• Interior Designer: Chloe and Stepher
With a detailed idea of what design she wanted for her home, Yung Ket sought out an accommodating interior designer who could translate that design into reality.
We sat down for a chat with Yung Ket who shares with us her design plans for her 60 sqm home and why it was important for her to find an interior designer with top-notch service standards.
Qanvast: What made Elpis Interior stand out from the other firms that you met?
Yung Ket (YK): I was deciding between Elpis Interior and another firm. The deciding factor came down to their sincerity. The other firm was unwilling to fulfil some of my visions whereas the designers from Elpis interior were more accommodating.
Qanvast: Was there any particular incident where you could see the difference in attitude between these two firms?
YK: Yes. It was regarding my idea of hacking two bathrooms to form one bathroom. The other firm told me that it wasn’t allowed by HDB and they kept trying to convince me against this idea.
By contrast, the designers from Elpis Interior were more accommodating. Although they did advise me that it might not be allowed, they contacted HDB and in the end, we got the approval to proceed with the hacking. Hence, Elpis Interior’s level of service and their willingness to fulfil their clients’ wishes really impressed me.
Qanvast: Was there any other reason why you chose Elpis Interior?
YK: Yes. I had a very detailed idea of how I wanted my home to look and Elpis Interior’s proposals showed that they were able to follow through on my requirements. Prior to engaging their services, they even made amendments to their quotation five times to suit my requirements so I really appreciate that.
Qanvast: Can you tell us about how Chloe and Stepher designed the bathroom which you mentioned was combined from two bathrooms?
YK: They really impressed me with their planning of the layout for the bathroom. Previously, the wash basin was outside the bathroom and I wanted them to position it inside the bathroom. I also wanted a bathtub. They managed to connect the spaces as though as they are one.
To free up the floor space, they designed a wall-hung water closet. This made it possible for the wash basin to be placed within the bathroom.
Qanvast: What were some practical designs which Chloe and Stepher came up with?
YK: Initially, I wanted to have a floor-to-ceiling TV feature wall and do away with the window beside the entrance to my home as I felt that there was a lack of privacy. However, Stepher convinced me against it. He said that it was a bad idea as there would be no natural lights coming in.
Instead, he proposed to design a mid-height TV feature wall in front of the window. I really like this design as it makes the house look bigger. I’m glad that he said no to my request actually.
Qanvast: Did Elpis Interior provide any value-added services?
YK: Yes. During the discussion stage, Stepher made a 360 degree video based on the materials that I had chosen so that I could see how these materials would look like in a home. That was really helpful as it helped me to visualise things better and because of this, I even decided to change some of the materials that I had initially chosen.
Qanvast: What was it like working with Chloe and Stepher?
YK: It was good. At the start of the renovation, they were able to provide me with a full schedule of the renovation works. They also helped me to coordinate with the other contractors that I had hired for the door and the flooring. My renovation experience was less troublesome because they handled the coordination work on my behalf [laughs].
I am really impressed by Stepher’s level of service. Towards the last stage, I had some urgent requests and Stepher told me that he will get it done by 2am. I definitely appreciated his commitment to my project.
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