Renovation planning, on the go
Save your favourite home ideas, enquire with firms and explore home deals.
Switch to the app
📢 [27-28 Apr] Skip showroom-hopping! Meet multiple interior designers on one weekend. Find out more ›
ARTICLES

The Best of Renovation Journey 2016

From the good, the bad, to the downright scary and hilarious, these homeowners have been through it all — and achieved their perfect homes in the process. This year, we got the chance not only peek into more amazing spaces, but delve deeper into the interesting lives of those who made it happen.

As the year comes to a close, this special edition of Renovation Journey thus recaps some of the memorable home renovation stories we have encountered in 2016. Once again, we thank all the homeowners who were willing to share their homes and hearts with us!

1. Opposites Attract

Siti (S): We quarreled over the budget. [laughs] I told my husband that the budget was not a small budget, and we had to carefully consider and calculate our finances. We disagreed over the tiles because he chose the more expensive ones. Calvin would jokingly tell us to go to a corner to thrash it out.

A little can add up to a lot in the end. He’s the kind of person who spends but I’m the kind of person who keeps track.

S: It’s important to keep track of each other’s ideas, and to keep communicating and sharing ideas. If you don’t like something, just say it so that you can move on to new ideas.

Siti and Reduan, A Modern Batik Home (read more about their story here)

The Best of Renovation Journey 2016
Save to Qanvast Board

Interior Designer: Boon Siew D’Sign
Costs: $70,000 (renovation) / $30,000 (furnishing)
Location: Jalan Tenaga

2. The Inspiration Seekers

Suyin (S): We referred to Qanvast to get ideas for HDB homes and to learn more about what can be accomplished within a certain budget. We also browsed other websites like Apartment Therapy and Pinterest for general inspiration.

Hairul (H): We created our own Pinterest board where we added pictures of homes or designs that we like - quite a few of the photos are from Qanvast [laughs]. We also referred to Home & Décor magazine for inspiration.

Suyin and Hairul, The Good Old Times (read more about their story here)

The Best of Renovation Journey 2016
Save to Qanvast Board

Interior Designer: Superhome Design
Costs: $50,000 (renovation) / $10,000 (furnishing)
Location: Telok Blangah

3. Long-Distance Home Renovation

Ji Wen (J): The whole experience was memorable and the painful part that I faced was I had to make certain decisions alone! My wife is currently studying overseas and it was a bit difficult to discuss certain matters given that we are 12 hours apart! While we ran through the overall gist of the design together, there were some matters I had to do it alone, like when I had to shop for tiles designs – there were so many colours and variations to choose from!

Ji Wen & spouse, By The Waterway (read more about their story here)

The Best of Renovation Journey 2016
Save to Qanvast Board

Interior Designer: Voila
Costs: $32,000 (renovation)
Location: Punggol Waterway Terraces

4. The Talk of The Town

Fairil (F): The right interior designer can make a world of difference. Go with an experienced designer since they are in a better position to advise you on your renovation.

Bernadine (B): Yes. We’ve had friends come over and they all love it. Many of them are drawn to our kitchen tiles. We’ve also had strangers knocking on our door to ask if they can see our house. I guess it’s because they can see the tiles that Jia Jia chose, from outside.

Fairil and Bernadine, A World of Difference (read more about their story here)

The Best of Renovation Journey 2016
Save to Qanvast Board

Interior Designer: Free Space Intent
Costs: $72,000 (renovation)
Location: Kallang Trivista

5. A Change of Heart

Ivine (I): When we first met Buzz, we didn’t have a great first impression of him as he sounded uninterested when he spoke. However, we could tell from his ideas that he is experienced and really knows his stuff. He was the only interior designer who brought us to see one of his completed projects and that spoke volumes about his confidence.

He also had many good reviews from his former clients on the firm’s Facebook page, unlike designers from other firms who were just awarded stars. The fact that his former clients made the effort to write a review for him shows he did an impressive job.

Alwyn and Ivine, Advice to Heed (read more about their story here)

The Best of Renovation Journey 2016
Save to Qanvast Board

Interior Designer: Inzz Studio
Costs: $45,000 (renovation)/ $15,000 (furnishing)
Location: Choa Chu Kang


Every beautiful home has valuable renovation lessons and stories that others can learn and be inspired by. Check out our Renovation Journey column for handy home renovation tips by real homeowners!

For more interior design inspiration, download the Qanvast app from the App Store and Google Play now to browse and connect to over 200 interior designers!

Renovate with assurance, only on Qanvast. Find and meet interior designers verified by homeowners, with no hidden costs and no commissions involved. Find an ID

Advertisement
Recommended for you
Chat