NID Design Studio at 110 Geylang Lor 23 Victory Centre

[Squall Leonhart 0]

Hi, new to this forum and read quite good reviews on NID, so just to share my short experience. Due to some of the nice reviews on NID, I decided to visit them 2 Sat ago. I asked for Sam himself. Was pleasantly surprised that he took over my case himself and started drawing on my floor plan immediately. As mentioned from someone earlier, he was a nice guy and gave his opinions to our suggestion. He also mentioned the same thing, he was helping us to save cost. Mine is a 4 room resale flat. After he was done, I asked him for a rough quote. He quoted ard $50k for doing up only the basics, like hacking and changing flooring, toilets, kitchen... This excludes rewiring and 3 bedrooms of build-in wardrobes and other designs. He was telling us that he has done a complete project of a 4 rm resale for up to $90k before.

Till now, I'm still waiting for him to get back to me for a complete design and quotation. Maybe mine is a small project and he has got other bigger projects to attend to...

Just wanna share as I was looking for their prices here earlier on but none posted. I'm still looking out for a reno coy, so if any of u has good recommendation, pls do let me know. Thanks!

[Loki 2]

Phew! Where do I even begin? Well, the very beginning would be a good place to start I suppose...

So, almost a year ago I got the keys to my 2-room and started searching on RenoTalk for a design firm to take on my small, but challenging project. Balinese Resort was the theme, but I had some weird ideas and elected the use of some unconventional materials, namely coconut husks, discarded wood blocks, bronze, and 4 guitars! Due to the nature of 2-room apartments, space constraint was naturally a problem, compounded by the fact that I wanted to incorporate a mini-studio for jamming sessions with my guitars. I was thus in the search for a decorator creative enough to put all these things into perspective, and bring my ideas to fruition at a realistic budget.

Shan’t go on about other firms whom I approached, they are not relevant here. Walked-in to Nid Design Studios one day, and despite the good reviews about some of their personnel, I wasn’t seeking anyone particular. Dressed looking for all the world like a member of some outlaw motorcycle gang, the folk there were understandably somewhat apprehensive about my intentions at first. But to his credit, Hafiz, one of the senior designers, approached me like any other customer and we breezed through the preliminaries like old friends. Talking to Hafiz, I found him personable, creative, and full of space / budget saving ideas. He is a good listener, makes good suggestions for things that I have in my head but can’t quite form a solid concept around. He also had prior experience in designing Balinese-themed residential and commercial projects. So we ended that session with a rough idea of how things would pan out and the promise of another session to finalise matters.

The second time we met, more ideas were tossed around, materials and colour schemes were discussed, and initial quotations were given. One thing that struck me was that Hafiz had himself produced a 3D rendering of the living room, with coconut-husk feature wall (guitars included!), without me asking, nor having signed on the dotted line. All other firms I’d spoken with merely came up with some rough sketches on the blueprints I initially provided, or described their ideas and intentions verbally. The worst simply blabbered on, hand-sketched (badly!) some designs, and hand-wrote the quote in pencil! 3D renderings would only be produced after the formal contract had been signed, and then you’d have to wait for their graphics department to prepare them for you. We all know that pictures say a lot more than words alone could ever describe, so it was pleasantly surprising that Hafiz had taken the initiative to prepare one for me at no behest.

So, fast forward to renovation time and it was mostly smooth sailing except for an issue with the solid surface top. Being a slave to the grind, I couldn’t afford the time to oversee renovations during working hours, Hafiz stepped-up to the task admirably, liaising with several different contractors, and ensuring that the work was done to standard. Though he wasn’t on-site all the time (which quite honestly, is a ridiculous expectation), he was always on call to analyze and resolve problems, absconding from none. Once, when I was shopping for furniture, I was worried that my choices were either too large or too small to fit into the spaces planned for them. A buzz to Hafiz, who had all my measurements at his fingertips (my flat that is, not my vital statistics ah!), was enough to set my mind at ease. Together with the wonders of mobile communication, he managed to, from a remote location, measure and fit the dimensions of the furniture I wanted to buy, with the designated spaces in my flat. Gone was the need to run back and forth measuring walls and stuff!

Can’t comment on meeting datelines though, as I wasn’t in a hurry to move in, I didn’t give any datelines! But the project was completed in about a month and a half, all except for the coconut husk wall cladding, whose supplier didn’t quite seem to understand the meaning of the word ‘reserved’ and gave my stock away to someone else, leaving me high ‘n dry upon completion time! ****in’ unbelievable! But this has nothing to do with Nid, fortuitously for them! Anyway, this story had a happy ending so let’s just leave it at that!

Overall, I’m delighted at how my place turned out. Being quite the handyman, Hafiz’s hands-on approach extended well above the call of duty, taking-on jobs that AWOL, irresponsible contractors left hanging. Like fitting all my toilet accessories himself, touching up some paint work, changing my lights, and even modifying the bronze pendant lamp so that it’ll fit nicely at the entryway. This is after final payment had been made. He can be quite temperamental at times though, and is not exempt from taking offense at something one might have commented on, but the pros far outweigh the cons! Don’t be too tight with your purse-strings and he may even surprise you with a little gift or two, like the kitchen’s glass-backing, which was supposed to be of normal tempered glass, the ones with a little greenish tinge around the edges? At no extra charge, Hafiz upgraded it to a higher-end, low-iron glass that won’t show those nasty green edges. And he didn’t even tell me about it until I spotted the difference and asked!

After all is said and done, more will be said than done. That is a universal truth! But I’ve got my own little hideout now, done to my specifications, and rockin’ out with my mini-studio. As you can well imagine, I’m not great friends with the neighbours! Did we manage to stick to the budget? Errrrr…Nope! But that’s mostly my fault haha! Sure I blew the budget a little, but you know what they say about monkeys and peanuts doncha?!?

[sunshine79 0]

Me also intend to engaged them & had shortlisted them too.

Hope someone can share their love nest and lovely house done up by Nid Design

[Sun Diamond 0]

Hi greenforest,

PM you Sam's contact liao. I contacted Sam initially and he pass my case to his ID.

[Sun Diamond 0]

Hi

Nid is one of the ID firm I have shortlisted, besides Moseng and Designer House. Anyone has comments on these three ID firm. I wanted to make my decision soon and hope to receive feedback.

[greenforest 0]

can someone kindly pm me sam's contact? thanks

[Shafiq Kamal 0]

Hi,

I want to ask if anyone had any experience by Hafiz? Called up NID just now and they referred me to Hafiz.

[TengLiJun 5]

they quoted me very high, so I cant afford them

[chiang80 0]

How come your picture you took is exactly the same as the one posted on their facebook?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=412484548825076&set=a.412484248825106.95274.412476798825851&type=3&theater

Recently I went to my friend's house for housewarming and was quite amazed with her newly renovated home.
I love the design of the kitchen(took a photo of it) as I am a person who loves to cook.

According to her the whole renovation including hacking and renovating the whole house was cheaper compared to big IDs Firms along balestier.
As I am getting my keys soon and would like to get the same ID firm as recommendeded by her (she can't remember the designer but she
asked me to look for sam the boss) I would like to find out from others who got their house renovated by this ID firm before
I approach them for the drawing or quote.

[librasha 0]

Hi junior0303

Jane from NID contacted me. I'm planning to do up my 3-room resale flat too. Mind sharing your quote - what u did and costs? Would be great to see pics too if you have the time and know-how of how to upload them. Would appreciate it very very much if you can pm or email me the info- librasha@yahoo.com

[Myraleez 0]

Hi after reading the positive reviews in this forum on this ID, can anyone PM me Sam's contact? Just got my flat and would like to engage them for a quote.

Thanks!!

[amyong 0]

Just had a little renovation a few months back. Although it's a small project but NID design studio are willing to take up the project, as there's some ID firm which I went to, they say that the project sum is to small and rejected me. The ID I met is Ron, he is very a patient and efficent guy. Always willing to give me little advice along the way, although there's little hiccup during the process but he will give alternate solutions to resolve the issues. Not sure about other ID firm but I see that NID design studio has good quality check as there are time whereby his manager John come up to see the process as well as sharing some useful tips with me. Overall I would like to thanks Ron for the cordination of the project and his team of contractors for the good workmanship. I would reccomend him to those who are looking for ID.

Edited April 24, 2014 by amyong

[wowme 0]

DeFong's quotation for my 3rm flat was within my budget. Same as NiD Design. Who to choose?

[red11devil 1]

My TOP is just round the corner! So will be hard pressed to cfrm my ID...

So far choices are between NID, Summit and DeFong after reading all the reviews. Had not talk to any of them though.

Will probably make arrangements to see them soon!

[cj8888 0]

Hi,

Appreciate if someone can pm me the contacts for Sam?

Thanks!!