“Appreciation To our Interior Designer, Erika”

“No frills and an I.D. with attention to details.”

YY from Areana Creation is the lady to go to if you are looking for a no-frills overhaul of your unit.

My home is a typical 30-over years old HDB which I was envisioning into converting to a dual-key apartment, the first of its kind in Singapore. I went online to search for potential ID and chanced upon a project done by Areana Creation which I was very keen to incorporate into my unit. I called the firm and spoke directly with the ID who actually did that project that caught my attention.  Truth be told, as a typical Singaporean, I did not engage her immediately, but went on to share with her my ideas and obtained a quotation, to compare with 4 others which I have contacted as well. During the meet up to discuss the quotation details, YY came across as a person who is very genuine and sincere, someone whom I cannot anticipate that we will have disagreements over, certainly not a mercenary I.D. Her quotes were reasonable, and she was confident of adhering to the completion timeline (though the timeline was of secondary importance to me).  However, it was only after painstakingly scrutinising through all the quotes, and looking at all the other ID’s actual projects, before I decided to engage her for my renovation in Nov 2020.

After confirming all the items that I required for the overhaul, the renovation started with a slight delay, as she explained that her best worker for tiling would need a few more days to complete another project. I wasn’t too concern about the delay though, but she still reassure me that the project would be completed within the given timeline. Throughout the renovation, she would update me regularly on the progress with photos and I felt very assured that the project is in good hands. She was very patient in rationalising her suggestions during the choice of materials, whenever our choice differs, and she would not force her ideas on me, but is very open to contrasting views. I can tell from the various stages of the project that her project management skills are close to impeccable, portraying her as a veteran in the industry.

Like all other renovations, there are bound to be defects that need to be rectified towards the end of the project. She ensured that all the necessary rectifications are done, even the finer details after the handover of the unit. To be honest, the project was completed after that actual timeline by 1-2 weeks, but that was partly due to my request of an alternative window which required time for HDB’s approval.  Ultimately, I managed to move in before Chinese New Year, which is a cause for celebration.

I must say that this was a very pleasant renovation experience for me. There was never a time which I had regretted engaging her as the ID throughout the project.  The final product, though not perfect, is one which I adore very much, and would show off to anyone who would like to take a look. My appreciation to YY and her team of dedicated and highly experienced in-house contractors from Areana Creation.