Interior Design
Renovating
Houzz Matches Made a Haven for These Homeowners
Finding the right designer is like dating; and like everything we do now, an online platform can do wonders
When Courtney and her husband moved from the US to Singapore, she was already familiar with Houzz (in the US) and used it to look for a designer who could help her fix up their rental apartment. She found one and has written a rave review for her designer.
Courtney, whose house appears below (home number 1), is not alone. More homeowners are finding their perfect match on Houzz – and these matches have helped them realise their dream homes.
Courtney, whose house appears below (home number 1), is not alone. More homeowners are finding their perfect match on Houzz – and these matches have helped them realise their dream homes.
Design brief:
Naik says that she was engaged “to make the entry, living and dining areas more cosy and inviting as our clients love to spend time at home. The rental apartment came with some existing furniture which was not really to our clients’ taste, however we cleverly used the art of interior decoration and styling to take the focus away from those pieces and onto the new items we added”.
Naik says that she was engaged “to make the entry, living and dining areas more cosy and inviting as our clients love to spend time at home. The rental apartment came with some existing furniture which was not really to our clients’ taste, however we cleverly used the art of interior decoration and styling to take the focus away from those pieces and onto the new items we added”.
Houzz review:
Courtney wrote, “Priya was wonderful to work with. She helped me find beautiful pieces to fit our style and helped me branch out on a few items that have now become my favourites! She is very detail-oriented and organised, so I felt we always made the best use of our time shopping and sourcing for decor. My husband and I are so pleased with how our apartment turned out.”
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Courtney wrote, “Priya was wonderful to work with. She helped me find beautiful pieces to fit our style and helped me branch out on a few items that have now become my favourites! She is very detail-oriented and organised, so I felt we always made the best use of our time shopping and sourcing for decor. My husband and I are so pleased with how our apartment turned out.”
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2.
Home: 1,450-square-foot (135-square-metre) condo on Oxley Road
Owner: Kim Han, Yen Leng and their three daughters
Houzz Pro: Interior designer Bryan Low of Chapter B
Home: 1,450-square-foot (135-square-metre) condo on Oxley Road
Owner: Kim Han, Yen Leng and their three daughters
Houzz Pro: Interior designer Bryan Low of Chapter B
Design brief:
The clients had been renting the apartment for a year before deciding to plunge into a full-scale renovation, says Low. “We revamped the whole house, from hacking, tiling, plumbing, ceiling works, carpentry and electrical works to painting and decorating.”
The clients had been renting the apartment for a year before deciding to plunge into a full-scale renovation, says Low. “We revamped the whole house, from hacking, tiling, plumbing, ceiling works, carpentry and electrical works to painting and decorating.”
Houzz review:
The owners wrote, “It was a pleasure to work with Bryan and Lynn on the renovation of my home. I like the fact that they listened to my ideas and added their insightful views. The detailed questions asked (e.g. number of shoes/bags/clothes, lifestyle habits etc.) went into every bit of the design of the home. Storage space was well resolved. Special thanks to them for coming with me to shop for all the renovation materials. They were very patient when we changed our mind about designs, colours and layout. I was often out of the country and was grateful that they went the extra mile to manage delivery and collection of my entire shipment of furniture from China. Bryan’s dedication to his job made the renovation journey enjoyable”.
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The owners wrote, “It was a pleasure to work with Bryan and Lynn on the renovation of my home. I like the fact that they listened to my ideas and added their insightful views. The detailed questions asked (e.g. number of shoes/bags/clothes, lifestyle habits etc.) went into every bit of the design of the home. Storage space was well resolved. Special thanks to them for coming with me to shop for all the renovation materials. They were very patient when we changed our mind about designs, colours and layout. I was often out of the country and was grateful that they went the extra mile to manage delivery and collection of my entire shipment of furniture from China. Bryan’s dedication to his job made the renovation journey enjoyable”.
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3.
Home: A black-and-white bungalow in District 10
Owner: An expat couple in their thirties with a newborn
Pro: Interior stylist Caroline Chin-Geyler of Arete Culture
Home: A black-and-white bungalow in District 10
Owner: An expat couple in their thirties with a newborn
Pro: Interior stylist Caroline Chin-Geyler of Arete Culture
Design brief:
“Their general brief was that they wanted a calming Hamptons feel,” says Chin-Geyler. But before her team could get to the interior styling part of the project, they had to address some structural changes. Repairs were made, the kitchen and terrace refreshed, and the bathrooms completely gutted.
Chin-Geyler says, “The couple had previously spent some time on the East Coast of the US and liked the classic Hamptons style. The second request – which proved a bit challenging – was to have each room decorated in colours determined by a feng shui master. As a stylist, that can be quite a challenge as colours are a huge part of the design vision! The final request was that we had to incorporate the colourful Chinese artwork they had collected from their time in Hong Kong. If you are familiar with the Hamptons feel, you would know that colourful Chinese artwork is not a signature of the style, so we definitely had our work cut out for us! The installation of the furniture and soft furnishings took two days.”
“Their general brief was that they wanted a calming Hamptons feel,” says Chin-Geyler. But before her team could get to the interior styling part of the project, they had to address some structural changes. Repairs were made, the kitchen and terrace refreshed, and the bathrooms completely gutted.
Chin-Geyler says, “The couple had previously spent some time on the East Coast of the US and liked the classic Hamptons style. The second request – which proved a bit challenging – was to have each room decorated in colours determined by a feng shui master. As a stylist, that can be quite a challenge as colours are a huge part of the design vision! The final request was that we had to incorporate the colourful Chinese artwork they had collected from their time in Hong Kong. If you are familiar with the Hamptons feel, you would know that colourful Chinese artwork is not a signature of the style, so we definitely had our work cut out for us! The installation of the furniture and soft furnishings took two days.”
Houzz review: “I discovered Houzz through an Internet search when I was looking for someone to help me style my new home. This was how I discovered Caroline of Arete Culture. She has been a godsend and has helped create the most beautiful and comfortable living space for me, my husband and our two-month old baby,” says the homeowner.
Additionally, Chin-Geyler shares that they looked at photos on Houzz for inspiration. “The client really liked the visual inspiration she could draw from the platform. As a working mother, she didn’t have the time to source for ideas and designers, so she worked with us over email by sending her ideas with pictures from Houzz”.
See more of this home
TELL US
How have you used Houzz in your renovation? Let us know and we may just feature your home.
Additionally, Chin-Geyler shares that they looked at photos on Houzz for inspiration. “The client really liked the visual inspiration she could draw from the platform. As a working mother, she didn’t have the time to source for ideas and designers, so she worked with us over email by sending her ideas with pictures from Houzz”.
See more of this home
TELL US
How have you used Houzz in your renovation? Let us know and we may just feature your home.
Home: 3-bedroom condo in River Valley
Owner: Courtney and her husband
Houzz Pro: Interior designer Priya Naik of Interior Design Journey