Inside Living Design

[jianxiang 1]

Hi, I would like to write a commendation letter/review for Mr Michael Chow. He is the designer in charge for my renovation Block 311A Clementi Ave 4.

We walked in to your office knowing that you guys did a similar style (country style) before and we liked it very much. However there were certain things we wanted to change. Michael has been very patient in listening to our requests and making sure the concept and 3D drawings are as per what we wanted.

During the renovation period, he has been prompt in replies when we have queries/changes along the way and has always ensured that we received updates on various status of the renovation. This is indeed helpful because we could not be onsite on a frequent basis and his updates allowed us to have a peace of mind. He also accompanied us to buy lights (which I understand not every ID will do it) and even gave us advice on issues like curtain colours and other furniture.

We are happy to have worked with him and your company! He is definitely an asset to your company!

Kudos and thanks once again! Will definitely recommend him and your company to others! Thanks!

[melvinkang 0]

Hi all,

I am new here and need some feedback for you guys. I have just received my keys from HDB and I saw some design done by Inside Living. Quite nice! Anyone have done the walk in wardrobe with them and care to share your experience?

Thanks!

Melvin

melvin_kang77@hotmail.com

[Cwtm2014 0]

Have my Punggol house renovated by Inside Living 9 months ago and have a pretty bad experience.

From design, 3D drawing to carpentry and after sales service has been a total disaster to me. My ID is not only unfamiliar with BTO flats, he's forgetful and shows a total lack of planning.

I took 3 months off from work (yes that's right) and attend to my renovation on site more frequently than my ID. I even have to deal with the carpenters,electrician, plumbers etc on site to the point that my ID will at times just tell me to instruct them what to do myself as he was not "free". I found out alot of defects/wrong stuffs along the way and have to correct them, even though I have informed my ID what I wanted several times.

I still have quite a number of left over defects which my ID promised to fix but after paying my last payment he did not bother to contact me unlike before payment. I just found out he had left the company and I have called Inside Living twice and waited more than a week, didn’t even get an acknowledgement from them.

That's very disappointing considering that my ID kept emphasizing Inside Living is very particular about after sales service.

My BTO come with floor tiles and door and I did not do tiling overlays/hacking for both toilets. For that I have paid more than 45K to inside living for renovation alone (not including furniture, lightings, appliances and toilet fixtures etc, I spent about 85K in total if including everything). I expect more than this kind of service for the amount I paid. Its sad when your friends came over during open house and comment "Why you spent so much but the house looks like this?"

When completing my ID ask me how i felt about the renovation I told him I'm not satisfied. He still have the cheek to tell me he agreed that there are a lot of mistakes, screw ups, workmanship and design problems and he will not use the carpenters and 3D designers again. If have a chance to renovate my house again next time he will do it much more better.

Really is WTF. I only have 1 house and I’m not renovating every year like I change clothes.

If as a ID you know you cannot put in 100% and you have problems with your carpenters/design team etc then let me know and I will engage somebody else from the start. Don't come and screw with my house and make me live with something that you as an ID is not satisfied too.

Here's a list of my problems:

3D Drawing:

Very lousy 3D drawing. The design, colours are all wrong and I think any amateur students can draw better. Keep delaying the 3D Drawing and cannot produce them on the time agreed. They started carpentry without completing my 3D drawing. In the end when I demand my 3D drawing my ID still ask me "Are you sure you still want the 3D drawing? Its no good..."

Seriously??? After I complaint that if I don’t require a 3D drawing I would have engage a contractor instead of

an ID then I got my 3D drawing.

I still kept the drawings with me and show to guest visiting my house. They cannot believe that the drawing is produced by a professional ID company.

My ID told me later that the 3D designer was sacked as the other ID/customers were not satisfied with the 3D Drawing, but once again it does not benefit me at all since my house design is already screwed up.

I have my living room ended up in a laminate i hated, but due to the lack of proper 3D drawing before carpentry, I could not see my design until they install it.

I keep thinking of the net renovation because of this, and seriously it don't feel good at all.

Planning:

My ID seems to be overloaded with other projects on hand. Have to kept calling him to get things going. Not only that he is very forgetful too. Alot of things I told him not to do and it will end up exactly the way I reminded him not to do, despite reminding him many times. He will give excuse like "I told the contractors but they forget."

He told me some of the common mistakes he said some novice ID will make which he won’t; in the end he does the exactly same thing. Again lots of excuses.

Keep asking me to get the LED lights ready but whenever i ask him what is the quantity to get he will say he will check and get back to me. After asking more than 3 times what are the quantity he still gave me a wrong quantity (even though the ceiling have already been done and power points laid, really shows a lack of planning/overloaded)

Carpentry:

Materials are of good quality and solid. But carpentry workmanship are bad and even my ID agreed. My guests keep telling me why the workmanship is so rough.

Blum cabinet not smooth still can tell me cannot do anything. Cabinet not flushed/aligned said cannot do anything.

A lot of mistakes on the design part, but I guess this is the ID fault for not informing the carpenters properly. Ex: Told ID specifically to put clear

silicon on an area, in the end it end up with white silicon.

I have even paid extra to redo works that are not thought out properly by my ID initially even though my friends and family told me that the ID should borne the charges since its their mistakes. My toilet cabinet the carpenters and ID keep telling me cannot cover the pipes and give reasons like "Not possible, cannot do" etc. In the end I have to tell them what design to do to cover the pipes.

Electrical:

During planning I emphasis I want whole house to be LAN ready and cables to be conceal within carpentry as I don't like to see wires cluttering around. My ID assured me their electrician are professional and I do not need to engage a outside party for the job.

In the end after I finished my carpentry then I found out from an outsider that my house is already LAN ready and I just need to change the socket cover.

When confronted, the electrician give me the answer that the conceal Cat6 point is done by HDB hence not reliable that’s why he don't want to inform me and I should not use. Hey my electrical power and water points are also conceal and done by HDB, so should I not use them too?

In the end he agreed to waive off 1 LAN cable laying charge, but I’m more concerned about the rest of the points which cannot change position anymore since my carpentry are done (I’m still being charge for shifting the rest of the LAN points due to carpentry).

Now I’m left with unsightly LAN wires exposed around my house, thanks to them. (My ID don't even know my house is LAN ready even though the third party told me that existed for about 1.5- 2 years for BTO flats)

Misc:

Never clean properly despite paying for 2 cleaning. I have to clean and buy the group filler to fill up whatever grout damaged/soiled by the contractors.

My laminate flooring also haven dents damaged by carpenters (My ID rectified them by filling up but don't look nice).

Some tiles are chipped away, showed ID and ID was surprised too.

Metal bar strip between kitchen rusted as when cleaning they did not remove the tape on it and water accumulated on it. ID bring acid clean, in the end become even worse. ID promised to rectified after CNY, till now no news.

Laminate flooring damaged, silicon on carpentry came out. ID promised to rectify after CNY, still no news.

I seriously learned my lesson. Never pay the last payment until everything is rectified no matter what the ID promised. Once you paid up they will just disappear and forget everything they have promised. I’m an easy going person who doesn’t pick on small things, but I guess Inside Living really test my limits.

Enough of my ranting, those who want to know the details of my problems can PM me and I can show the photos etc to you to prove what I have said are true.

I shared the similar experience with you. Don't have good experience with InsideLiving. In fact, if you choose IDs compare to contractors, the costs will be at least S$8k to S$10k higher.

IDs just simply charge every single service you request, unlike the contractors who can sometime provide free handyman service.

https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/much-does-really-cost-renovate-043047276.html

[helenlim 0]

Hi, I would like to write a commendation letter/review for Mr Michael Chow. He is the designer in charge for my renovation Block 311A Clementi Ave 4.

We walked in to your office knowing that you guys did a similar style (country style) before and we liked it very much. However there were certain things we wanted to change. Michael has been very patient in listening to our requests and making sure the concept and 3D drawings are as per what we wanted.

During the renovation period, he has been prompt in replies when we have queries/changes along the way and has always ensured that we received updates on various status of the renovation. This is indeed helpful because we could not be onsite on a frequent basis and his updates allowed us to have a peace of mind. He also accompanied us to buy lights (which I understand not every ID will do it) and even gave us advice on issues like curtain colours and other furniture.

We are happy to have worked with him and your company! He is definitely an asset to your company!

Kudos and thanks once again! Will definitely recommend him and your company to others! Thanks!

Hi , i m doing my resale condo renovation survey.

I found that this Id firm is not bad, can i have Michael contact please?

[zhiz 4]

Just did up 2 huge cabinet with inside living after my first reno with them 5 years ago. Will share pics after i get them uploaded

[rester 0]

wondering is should engage inside living or should i not after reading this thread....think there is quite a few fake reviews.

but again this in my opinion nia....finding a id sure is hard man...

[barryhu 0]

The qualify of design may be varied in quality and visual effect, depending on each individual's experiences and their knowlege on interior design. Their price is not cheapest, but in everage. My project was design and led by Carmen. We are satisfied by her working attitude and final visual effect of her design. Most (not all) of the contractors enaged by them are quite professional. In general, we are satisfied.

[YXChua 0]

Hi to all,

I'd like to share my positive experience with Inside Living Pte Ltd. I was recommended by my friend to engage Alex Tai from Inside Living for my BTO renovation. 
I wanted a design that is out of the norm with rounded edges (with the thought of having a child-friendly design). He came up with the design quickly and patiently listened to my feedback on his 3D drawings through several appointments.
He took my feedback into consideration and went through a few rounds of amendments before we finalize on the design I like. Through my appointments with him, he showed his experience in the choice of colors to match the look and feel I wanted. 
He brought me and my husband along to choose floor tiles, toilet and kitchen accessories and lightings. We had a good experience with the shops that he brought us to, where there is a wide variety to choose from and offered at a good price and also offer good after-sales service. He was able to recommend lights that are modern and also able to bring out the ambience. 
During renovation, I requested on exact measurements on some of my carpentry and kitchen top. Alex noted on my requirements and took the effort to check on the workers to ensure that the carpentry and kitchen top are done exactly to the measurements I wanted.
With his experience, he was able to recommend designs that is lively (the look & feel I wanted) and also ensure its easy to maintain. 
He helped to check on the finishings to ensure the workmanship is up to expectations and I am happy with the final workmanship and the prompt service provided.
His workers did a good job to clean up the house prior to handing over the house keys to us, this really helped cos we need not spend too much effort to clean the house prior to move in. His workers were also polite and ensured that their works are up to standards and we were satisfied. 
My friends and family also commented that the workmanship of my renovation is well done. 
I would highly recommend Alex from Inside Living for renovation as he ensures expectations are met with quality work delivered. He has also been patient and responsive to my queries throughout the renovation period and even after renovation. 

[jlim92 0]

Our experience with Inside Living and our project coordinator, Alex Tai (the owner), was an excellent one.

Alex was detail-oriented and organised in planning the renovation process.

He put in effort to understand our design preferences and lifestyle requirements, and tailored the design accordingly.

He was patient in answering any questions we had during and after the renovation.

Workmanship and quality of materials used were both up to our expectations as well.

We would highly recommend Alex and Inside Living.

[Renoheadach 0]

PM pls