Yuan Ching (DBSS)

We got 4 quotes and decided to go with Kenny from Fifth Avenue. His quote was middle priced compared to the rest but he seemed more experienced and had done a project at the same building as us before. Design: We wanted a Scandinavian theme and as much storage as we could squeeze into our small apartment. This required quite a bit of carpentry, and Kenny managed to deliver a design that was not garish or overbearing, knowing exactly where to stop with the carpentry so that it was not "too much". He also suggested off the shelf items to save some expenditure. Color wise, we liked what he picked immediately and there was little that we had to change. When our tastes differed, he tried to understand what we liked and recommended accordingly. If not practical, he would advise against it strongly. Generally, when it came to design and aesthetics (for a Scandinavian theme, anyway.), his taste and recommendations can be trusted. Work/management style: An ID's personality should be somewhat balanced, not a pushover so that he can control his contractors and not be a yes man to your stupid ideas, but also not too overbearing that you can't get what you want if your own personality is on the softer side. Between 0-100 (0 being a pushover), I'd say Kenny's about a 60. He has been very responsive, even at weird hours of the day, answering our queries. When we raised defects or things we didn't like during and after the works, he gets them resolved with no complains. That said, the process cannot be entirely hands off, and we had to make weekly trips down to check out the progress and spot some of these things before they became entirely set in stone. Which is somewhat to be expected, after all, when instructions/ ideas during discussion with the ID are transmitted to the contractors, they may not do things exactly as envisioned. He also takes responsibility for his contractors. When one of the air conditioning units were mistakenly discarded, he replaced a brand new one for us at his own cost. When the carpenters chipped the floor, he got his floor guy to fix it with no protest. There was an issue with the store that we bought our toilet accessories from and Kenny settled it simply because he had recommended that store to us, even when the store really is not his problem. The project did take very long though, due to the COVID restrictions and the lack of manpower. Work started in August 2020 (COVID CB phase 2) and finished only in Feb 2021. Workmanship: Door work was great. Floor work was great. Tile work was great. Electrical work and plumbing was well done. Defects one shot all settled. Carpentry required a few rounds of defect fixing but everything was sorted out in the end with Kenny's support. The painter initially just painted and didn't fix stuff like chips in the false ceiling and existing uneven paint. With personal supervision and pointing out everything to him on site, all the walls were eventually smoothed out and the cove lighting/ false ceiling was nicely done. Overall, we love how our place was done. We definitely don't regret choosing Kenny and Fifth Avenue and are grateful to him for making our apartment a home. Thanks Kenny!