Xian Yi, 33, and Eileen, 28
A young couple who are fans of running man
Size: 108sqm / 1162 sqft
Location: Yuan Ching Road
Cost of renovation: $23,000
Cost of furnishing: $30,000
Interior design firm: Space Factor
Interior designer: Eric and Dolly
Sharing their love and similarities on various aspects from having adoration for Paris, being fans of Liverpool, and avid followers of the Running Man series, Xian Yi and Eileen embarked on the journey of creating a home of their own and shared their fascinating journey with us.
Their home effortlessly reflects two themes that the homeowners love, with those two being Scandinavian and Industrial. Through the help of professionals, the vision for their home was achieved reflecting a smooth combination of earthy tones and raw, grey accents.
Qanvast: How was the whole process of looking for interior designers like for you?
Xian Yi (XY): Since we were first-time homeowners, we put in a lot of effort and got inspirations through multiple avenues such as magazines, websites, mobile apps and home expos. We tried using Qanvast and we liked how there were plenty of pictures in there and it felt very personal to be able to read up on the renovation journeys and experiences of other homeowners.
**Qanvast: How did you find out about Qanvast? **
**Eileen (E): ** We stumbled upon Qanvast when our friends posted articles on our Facebook profiles, which then led us to Qanvast’s website when we clicked onto the links.
**XY: ** The great thing about Qanvast is that it provides a convenient way for gathering information and for viewing portfolios of the interior designers. The other thing I like is how Qanvast generates and publishes blog posts regularly. The blog posts are really interesting and it has since become a site which I would browse every morning.
Qanvast: Which Interior Designer did you end up engaging? What do you like about them?
XY: We actually met with five interior designers before finally deciding to go with Space Factor, with Eric and Dolly handling our project. We like how both of them were extremely personable and talking to them felt like talking to friends! Additionally, it was definitely good how they were honest and not pushy in selling things that you might not need.
E: To us, it is incredibly important to have chemistry with the interior designer, as we need be able to communicate our needs and have a level of trust in them in order for them to execute the home renovations to our preferences. We are lucky to have found Space Factor, with the renovation works exceeding our expectations.
Qanvast: What kind of theme were you going for for your new home?
E: We initially wanted an industrial theme to it but we made some changes when we had more ideas in mind. In this case, Space Factor was nice because they were very receptive towards changes and accommodative towards our requests.
XY: Eventually, we agreed on modern Scandinavian with a touch of industrial, a mash up of both things we like.
E: From our conversations, Eric and Dolly managed to accurately tell what we liked and did not like. For example, when I told them that I prefer not to have dark colours at home, they would try to make it as bright as possible to my liking. They would propose colours to us and explained why they have chosen those colours for us, but ultimately, they would still take our opinion into account as to whether we like them or not.
Qanvast: We notice there are quite a few Eiffel Tower-related decorative items in here. Is there a story behind it and do share with us more on the other fascinating aspects of your home.
**XY: ** One reason why we both like Eiffel Tower is because it holds a special meaning for us, from me asking her to be my girlfriend seven years ago to me proposing to her at the Eiffel Tower. We even went back to Paris for our wedding photo shoot.
**E: ** We had thoughts of incorporating more of Paris into our home but decided to drop the idea because we did not want to incorporate too much of the element as it could come off as being slightly tacky. We are happy to keep it to what we already have.
As for other aspects, when we were designing our house, we wanted our house to stand out so we decided to have a bar counter replacing a platform, which we wanted earlier. When we had friends over, it was normally the bar counter that most of them take notice of and compliment on.
Qanvast: Are there any disagreements between both of you during this home renovation journey?
E: We do have our disagreements on certain aspects, but we usually come to accept each other’s ideas pretty fast. Initially, I wasn't fond of the grey walls that looks coming from the X-Men movie. I have eventually came to accept it. [laughs]
XY: I had to accept the pink chair as well! [laughs] Nevertheless, we came to a compromise to accept each other’s ideas.
Qanvast: Before we end, any advice for the new homeowners?
**XY: ** When sourcing and researching for interior designers, it is best for homeowners to start 3-4 months prior to getting their keys. It allows them to have an idea of what they want, be able to start work immediately, and move in quickly when everything is finished. This prevents a lag time between getting the keys and having the renovation works completed.
It is certainly good for homeowners to at least talk to a few interior designers and get different perspectives from them. Get to know the interior designers well enough before committing to one whom you can work with.
Looking for 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.