It can be a daunting experience when you are trying to figure out how to renovate and design your home based on your lifestyle. Getting some help to achieve your dream home is needed. Here is a home that has been tastefully done with the help of an interior designer.
See also: Engaging the human experience
Andrea Rodriguez Junquera, assistant general manager & chief designer, Livspace
See also: From the runway to the home
The task of renovating a new home or giving the existing one a new look can be a complicated design minefield to tread. It is a good idea to work with a qualified designer or organisation who is able to listen to your needs and guide you through the process.
Founded in 2014, Singapore-based Livspace is an omnichannel home interiors and renovation platform. The company uses proprietary technology platform to provide a one stop shop experience — from design to the included products, fitted furniture and contracting services with managed last mile fulfilment — for homeowners who are looking to renovate their new and existing homes, remodel their kitchens and bathrooms or buy simple face-lifting services.
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One of the most recent projects Livspace worked on was a two-storey condominium penthouse at Yong An Park with four bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, outdoor rooftop and an entertainment area. The property is just under 7,000 sq ft.
Working on this project is Andrea Rodriguez Junquera, assistant general manager & chief designer, Livspace. Andrea is a trained architect specialising in interior design. She has collaborated with design studios across Spain, the UK and Singapore in both residential and commercial projects before founding her own design consultancy.
Here she shares with Haven the project at Yong An Park and how she was able to meet with the client’s brief and what the future of homes are going to look like.
Firstly, tell us more about your company’s design/ethos principles?
Our vision is to deliver beautifully designed homes to our customers. We desire to make our designs count by helping homeowners identify what suits their palate and bring them to life. At Livspace, we seek to deliver the results that homeowners want based on their preferences via the Livspace platform.
What is exactly the collaboration with Livspace? How does that work?
Livspace helps to ease the standard ways in which home buyers reach their ideal home design. This disrupts the interior design and home renovation market, creating an extremely efficient process that would have been unthinkable before we were introduced.
We offer an omnichannel platform and experience and seek to provide an end-to-end home renovation experience that is predictable in terms of price, timelines and quality. This predictability is attributed to our proprietary technology and streamlining of the supply chain of products and services.
To put it simply, Livspace is a one-stop destination for home interiors and renovation — design, furniture and decor, modular solutions as well as services such as tiling, flooring and ceiling design. When homeowners sign up with Livspace, we match them with one of over 100 design professionals perfectly suited to what is desired of the homeowner. Our pool of designers includes in-house designers and certified design partners.
Based on factors such as home type, scope of the project and the designer’s expertise, availability, your preferred style and more, Livspace helps match our customers with the right design partner to bring their dream home to life.
Thereafter, a designer reaches out to the homeowner to further understand the project in detail.
For our designers, the Livspace platform also gives them an array of fittings and furnishings to choose from, speeding up the design process.
Which is more challenging to do, residential or commercial?
Both projects have a fair share of challenges and also opportunities for our team to explore and break boundaries and capacities of what we can and cannot do.
Commercial projects tend to come with certain guidelines in terms of colour schemes and materials, to name a few. These projects are also more visually appealing and more risks can be taken to impact and attract customers such as lighting, installations, displays and more.
For residential projects, it is important to align with the client’s lifestyle requirements, as well as personal style and functional needs. These projects are also more muted and neutral, aiming for a more tailor-made and cosy space.
What was the client's brief to you?
We were given a clear brief to undertake a full home renovation and transform the condominium with a focus on plush materials and premium finishes for a luxurious look. The family also requested for a quiet corner dedicated to praying.
The family loves to entertain so we focused greatly on the rooftop and entertainment area, where projector, outdoor speakers and marble bar were built.
What were some of the challenges you faced?
We had to be careful while selecting the colour palette in each of the spaces as one wrong shade could significantly alter the entire ambience of the place. The challenge for the living room was creating different pieces of wall panelling and wall finishes. We had to find a way to section long walls and so we used trimming and wood laminate to really divide and create a smaller perception of the long walls.
Please take us through the design process from start to finish?
We wanted to give the space a contemporary and chic look, replete with lush greenery in balconies and rooftops along with a modern and luxurious interior while sticking to a neutral colour palette.
We started with a mirror and marble inlaid entryway, tastefully designed to provide a warm welcome as one steps into the home. This is followed by a large, spacious living and dining room accented in grey and gold with high ceilings that open up the space to let natural light in.
The homeowners love throwing parties and having get-togethers hence ample space dotted with tasteful furniture is perfect for hosting large gatherings or parties. Next, we designed the master bedroom with the TV unit set in the wall to tastefully hide all the cables as well as the open terraces in the green sit outs and rooftop to lounge in.
What were the highlights?
We were especially excited to have contemporary chandeliers in common areas, a delightful rooftop sit out with a great view and even a walk-in wardrobe in the master bedroom. One of our favourite parts is the display cabinet with a boutique feel with custom-designed jewellery drawers. In the bathroom we have an onyx wall, which is quite an unusual material to work with, and created a backlit effect with LED lighting. We were also particularly pleased with the decision to go with vinyl wall coverings that provided a premium upscale finish with minimal maintenance.
What is the current trend in the design space?
With the work from home trend increasingly becoming the norm, a dedicated work zone is an essential feature that we cannot do without these days. We have designed a beautiful enclosed area with walls of glass as a home office which neatly divides the space from the rest of the house yet seamlessly integrates with the overall design aesthetic.
Stay-home cooking is increasingly seen as a popular activity today. With the kitchen, storage space is critical and homeowners also prefer lots of walking room for people to cook. With the River Valley project, in particular, we designed a fully modular kitchen with ample storage space and appliances and a pull-out pantry that blends seamlessly with the rest of the space.
In terms of trends across construction and design, we are seeing interiors that include more green features. These include interior gardens and green facades. Trends like these present an opportunity for designers, like us, to explore and experiment with spaces and push boundaries of traditional design.
How do you see the future of design changing over the next few years as we recover from Covid-19?
Much of the entertainment happens at home nowadays, therefore customers are prioritising public areas of their residences. In addition, working and learning from home has become a lot more prevalent in the current times, directly impacting home design and space planning.
What are some of the most exciting opportunities in Singapore in terms of design, architecture and interiors?
In Singapore, homeowners are generally embracing urban-centric lifestyles, with many opting for modern themes and contemporary touches. With our extensive portfolio of projects within this scope, we hope to attract homeowners and demonstrate ease of attaining their ideal home which is in line with current design aesthetics while ensuring an unparalleled ease in the entire design and renovation process.
The Livspace platform in itself promises to deliver quality outcomes for our homeowners. We are constantly innovating to introduce new and exciting developments which will further revolutionise the interior design and home renovation market in Singapore.
What’s next for you? What projects are you working on at the moment?
As a designer we are constantly on the lookout for ways to bring our customers’ dream home to life! My team and I are currently working on a three-storey new build landed project, with a contemporary and minimal design.
