Young married couple Priscilla Goh and Gentai Lim, aged 25 and 27 respectively, love their home. Since they spend more time playing computer games than cooking, the heart of their home is not the kitchen, but the gaming room. Their ID, D5 Studio Image, sorted their priorities and married both their tastes in a winning design.
Name(s) of Homeowner(s): Gentai Lim and Priscilla Goh
House Type: 5-room BTO Flat
Size of Home: 112 sq m
Duration of Renovation: 2 months
Cost of Renovation: $45,000
Interior Design Firm: D5 Studio Image Pte Ltd
Name(s) of Designer(s): Glenn Chuan
The open concept kitchen is rarely used for cooking, but comes in handy for snacking between computer games!
HomeRenoGuru: How and why did you choose your interior designer?
Gentai: The reason why I chose Glenn as our ID is firstly because he’s my friend. But it was not just because of friendship. I’ve seen his work and I love his work. Furthermore, D5 Studio Image is one of the most popular ID firms in Singapore.
The design is a little bit Scandinavian, a little bit industrial, and entirely successful
HomeRenoGuru: What was your design brief?
Priscilla: I wouldn’t say we have the same taste, though our home is a reflection of both our tastes, with some compromise. Gentai wanted an industrial look, and I wanted a Scandinavian design. In the end, we met somewhere in the middle.
HomeRenoGuru: How was the renovation process?
Gentai: The whole process took about two to three months. As we were in no rush to move in, I told Glenn to take it slow and then do everything nicely for us. What I really appreciated about Glenn is that he always kept us updated on the progress of the renovation. He sent us pictures of the progress, and always answered our questions properly.
HomeRenoGuru: Was your renovation completed within your budget?
The full-width CraftSone wall was an amendment to the original design that cost the couple an additional $5,000
Priscilla: Originally our budget was $40,000, but we topped it up to $45,000 because the wall behind me, that used to front the study area, was initially supposed to be CraftStone. However, we changed it to a full-length glass panel to make it feel bigger and more open, so now the larger wall in front of me is now a full-length CraftStone.
See-through wire mesh cabinets allow Priscilla to keep stock of what’s inside
HomeRenoGuru: What are your favourite parts of your newly renovated home?
Priscilla: I like everything about my home but if I really had to choose one it would be my open-concept kitchen. I particularly like the cabinets in my kitchen. They are made of wire mesh, which is see-through, so I can see everything that’s inside the cabinets.
For this couple of passionate gamers, the gaming room is the heart of the home
Gentai: For me, the best part of our home is the gaming room (formerly the study), because we spend most of our leisure time in that room, playing games. I really like the blue cove lighting in there. In fact, it was gaming that brought us together, and we play together still!
Priscilla: He’s a great player – likes to command a lot. (Laughing) He’s a great husband, too!
Gentai: I like our floor-to-ceiling built-in wardrobes. It keeps our room very neat and everything looks very simple. That appeals to me because I’m a neat freak!
HomeRenoGuru: Do you have any general advice for homeowners embarking on a renovation?
Priscilla: In general, when looking for an ID I feel that cost is a very important factor.
Gentai: And chemistry with the ID is also important. Priscilla: Basically it’s a combination of both.
HomeRenoGuru: Would you recommend your interior designer to other homeowners?
Gentai: I would definitely recommend Glenn and D5 to my friends and relatives. I really love our home. It’s everything we were hoping for…
Priscilla: … and more!
