Free Space Intent

After meeting different IDs and having heard horror stories from friends about their experiences during their renovation journey. We were quite apprehensive when embarking on this journey to select one ourselves. And truthly, we met with an irresponsible ID! who fired us due to various PERSONAL reasons, ie. decided to leave the company during the permit application process without proper handover. It is with blessing that Raymond and Perlinda decided to take on this project during this difficult period, Raymond is fast to pick up the vibe and our requirements with many counter proposed against the design faults from the previous ID. In fact, he changed the whole design within 2 weeks! Perlinda is detailed and carried out the work without us worrying and update us the status/ progress almost daily since we could only visit the site on weekend. And in 4 months, (yes, inclusive of design changed!) this amasing tac-team provided us with such beautiful house. We could felt the passion and attentive towards our project during the consultation stage till handover. Its such blessing that we have found this amazing team! And how we tell our friends, its all thanks to that irresponsible ID - ( I ), that we have such a beautiful place we could called - Home!

About three months before starting renovation, I started to meet different IDs. Irvin has the best design idea and very pay attention to the details. she is very responsible and organized during the project. She is also very professional for each process. When we discussed the details, it is always very efficient and respond promptly when we had some new request. When the work start, she almost handle everything. Although the price is not the lowest, it is totally worth. I am quite happy to choose Irvin at the first place and definitely recommended.

Having heard horror stories from friends about their experiences with IDs, as new homeowners we were quite apprehensive when embarking on the journey to select one ourselves. After meeting 2-3 different IDs, we still felt quite discouraged as the requirements we had in mind seemed to be unrealistic to them. However, at our first meeting with Irvin, we immediately connected with her. We finally realised that what was most important to us was not just the aesthetics but the functionality of the space. Within our first session, she was able to help us to conceptualise and put down on paper a coherent space plan that met our initial requirements. She has also been a flexible person to work with. Her priority is for the space to be functional, and while she would have her own opinions, she also gave us room to consider all different perspectives (including hers) before deciding on what we really wanted for ourselves. She was respectful of our differences in lifestyles and also tried her best to help us future-proof our home for changes that we may want to make in the future, such as avoiding too much built-in storage in our living area and smaller bedrooms, so that we have the possibility of changing the configuration in the future. She also took responsibility in making sure certain errors were rectified, and was thorough in her regular updates to us. She made sure necessary precautions were done – such as ensuring our door was wrapped right from the get-go and that we had adequate floor protection after our tiling was completed. We also really appreciated her commitment to our project throughout the process despite having multiple on-going projects on her end. We also felt that the scheduling was well done – she did not overpromise, and managed our expectations well. Overall, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we are thankful that our home renovation journey has been relatively uneventful. Settling into our beautiful and extremely functional home has been really satisfying as well. Credit must be given to Irvin and the FSI team for making this possible!

We started the ID search for our new place way back in 2019 before the pandemic. We had the luxury of time and shortlisted 6 ID firms that had the best online ratings. We wanted a loft which added to the complexity of the quotations and designs. Finally, after numerous meeting with all 6 ID firms, we decided to engage the services of Irvin from Free Space Intent (FSI). While FSI’s quotation was certainly not the cheapest, Irvin impressed us with her earnest and professional attitude and was able to provide us with 3D drawings at the 2nd meeting when we’re still shortlisting ID firms. Then COVID-19 happened and construction on the new place was delayed. We took advantage of the delay to review our designs over and over again, and each time Irvin was very patient in providing her advice and 3D drawings. When we finally got TOP, Irvin jumped on our project immediately. She also took the extra mile to inspect our new place for defects which I am so grateful. Because COVID-19 restrictions were still in force and manpower was scarce, Irvin had to constantly juggle the on-going works and was frequently on-site to supervise. The loft was the most complex part of our renovation where at least 5 different contractors were involved in different stages (metal structure, carpentry, electrical, glass, vinyl), and I was very impressed that Irvin was able to coordinate them all efficiently. Our new place turned out great due to Irvin’s efforts. Its great to have an ID who is professional and efficient, and yet fastidious to a fault. We do not regret engaging Irvin and would recommend her to all our friends.

We came to Free Space Intent at a friend's recommendation. After looking through the company's portfolio we decided to give u a try. We engaged the ID, Irvin's service, and very fortunately, we clicked right away. She is very meticulous to details, able to grasp many of the ideas and concepts I had in mind (I am quite particular about many things and quite OCD). She was able to suggest appropriate changes and alternatives which are still in line with my original concepts and overcome some of the limitations that my original concept had, such as space limitations or practicality. Irvin is very knowledgeable and experienced, often able to propose innovative ideas which suited our needs and preferences. Throughout the conceptualization, she always respected our ideas and did not attempt to stray away from them based on her own opinions. We had multiple rounds of 3D rendering before finally finalizing the designs and she never had any complaints. During the renovation phase, Irvin always made sure that I get constant updates on the progress and the communication between her and contractors. She gave advance notice on potential delays and also tried her best to over-deliver in terms of deadlines and quality. She even helped to manage the neighbours who came to our house to complain about the dust and noises due to renovation. Despite delays due to COVID, the renovation was only delayed very slightly. The company managed to get manpower from other sources and made a tremendous effort to complete the project as early as possible. Overall a great experience with the company and Irvin despite the service and products slightly on the premium side but you pay for what you get. The project management was pretty smooth and gave us peace of mind so that we could focus on our work and wedding planning. I would definitely recommend Irvin and FSI especially if you are not entirely sure about how to go about the whole renovation process.

Thoroughly enjoyed my entire experience with Irvin Mun from Free Space Intent as she is patiently guides us to design our first ever home. She is attentive to details and takes into account our lifestyle and propose recommendations accordingly. She is easy to work with and very responsive. The materials and workmanship are very good and we are happy to trust her advise. We are very satisfied with the outcome of our house! :)

I would like to give a 5 stars rating to Irvin Mun. She is very attentive to details and able to relate to what we need. Responsible, responsive and always take into consideration of what we want. The service and quality of carpentry are good! Besides those she quoted for, she goes out of the way to suggest furniture, lighting and colour scheme in order to achieve the overall effect we want. She will be there to advise every single thing relates to renovation and interior design and provide lots of practical ideas. She also put in effort and time after the work is done to do any rectification if required. Good experience from start to end!

Raymond and Jasmine were awesome. Raymond was extremely patient and helpful. He gave us plenty of design ideas and could very quickly pick up the vibe we want in our 1st home. We sat through hours discussing about our expectations and went through a few rounds of meetups in a bid to establish our ideal design. Raymond injected fun and laughter throughout these sessions. No matter how tired I was after a day of work, he always managed to make me feel excited about the design. Both Raymond and Jasmine are professional, responsible and reliable. Raymond is super creative and we really love the ideas he gave us. He listened to our needs and came up with the design that we fell in love with. Highly recommendable, do not hesitate to engage fsi!

The entire renovation experience with Irvin Mun from FSI was one that went beyond our expectations. This is the second time I’m going through a renovation and to be very honest I wasn’t looking forward to it due to the less than desirable experience I had the last time I did my renovation. Having gone through one previous renovation with another interior design firm and the lack of responsiveness I experienced, Irvin totally changed my perception. Irvin is super responsive and responsible beyond words. She handled the entire project as if it was her own house that she is renovating. She was at the site almost every other day to make sure the works went on smoothly and provided us with updates on the progress of the renovation. We had to go through a few major changes and Irvin was very patient and tried as much as possible to accommodate these changes. But having said that, she is also not afraid to stand by her views when she feels that some ideas that we proposed are not feasible or are aesthetically not pleasing and not able to blend into our overall theme. Even after handing over the house, she continues to maintain contact and as we went around looking for accessories to beautify the house, she also readily offers her professional advice via WhatsApp. I can see Irvin’s passion in this industry and her professionalism. It has really been our blessing to have met her and entrusted our renovation works to FSI and more importantly to Irvin. Thank you for the great job done!

It is almost a year since we took over our lovely renovated home designed and renovated by FSI (Free Space Intent), Irvin Mun. I held onto the review for so long as I wanted to gauge the quality of after-sales services and workmanship quality. Now, I truly believe Irvin deserved an honest review from us. The renovation was for our matrimonial home. A resale condo we bought in 2018. Our concept was tropical colonial or Balinese styled resort home. Open and in touch with nature. No permanent fixtures as we will re-arrange the furniture when family member increases. A place where we can wind down and relax. We almost awarded our renovation contract to another ID firm before we met FSI. We found FSI through magazines. FSI was the 8th ID firm we met. I was reluctant to call FSI as we were really damn tired after meeting so many ID firms. Luckily we did. It was the best decision we made throughout our “ID hunting” journey. We called FSI to make an appointment and Irvin served us. Over the phone, we gave her an idea of the concept we wanted, emailed her our requirements, floor plan, time line and budget. We scheduled the meeting on the following evening after my work. On our first meeting, Irvin impressed us by her preparation. Irvin was the only ID that has the conceptual design ready during the first meeting. Despite only a day notice, Irvin has already prepared some conceptual design layouts and drawings, material samples and a budgetary full cost breakdown offer to us. The design she proposed was interesting and was along the concept we wanted. Irvin was able to fully understand, conceptualize, verbalize and visualize the concept we wanted. Although the design is not quite there yet, at least she understood what we were looking for and she is willing to listen to our feedback to make changes. Out of all the 8 ID firms, Irvin was the only ID that can bring out the design we wanted. The rest of the other firms were trying too hard to impose their ideas (Scandi, industrial, muji, retro etc) and knocking off walls that were totally out for us. If FSI was the first ID firm we met, we would have a lot of time. FSI is located at Ubi Ave 2. The office is well connected by bus and MRT. There are food courts around the area. You won't go hungry after the meetings. Of course, we did not sign the contract on the spot. There were several meetings to fine-tune the requirements, site visits to her projects to check on workmanship quality and site visit to my place. The site visit to my place was like a competitive event; we have 2 ID firms from our initial list plus Irvin (FSI) all presented at the same time. This event was mainly for me to gauge which ID firm has the best design know how, technical knowledge and an eye for details. Irvin was impressive. She was open and confident to share about her ideas and concepts to us in front of her competitors. Both the other firms were not able to see what she was seeing during the site visit. They eventually copied her ideas and proposed them to me after the visit. With the confidence of good reviews, good quality workmanship from inspecting her projects and an ID who understand what we wanted, we awarded our renovation contract to Irvin. FSI’s offer was not the highest or the lowest of all the offers. We knew we had a fair offer and the confidence of getting what we wanted. Working with Irvin is (still is) a wonderful journey and stress free. We spent the next 4 weeks meeting almost every week for design reviews, changes, materials and color selection. We enjoyed the design reviews a lot. Irvin did not prepare just one design. We had several designs to choose and mix around. We found her designs were very authentic and unique. Not copied from somewhere else. She really pushed the design to show the full potential of our home. Irvin also advised us on the dimensions and color shade for our teak wood furniture, placement of furniture, what kind and size of paintings and decorations to use. I think the design term for this is called “Compositional flow, rhythm and harmony”. If you are hungry during the design reviews, get her to order the Chili Noodles delivery. The noodles are delicious. Irvin was in controlled of everything, what to do, when to do and when to end. She knows what we wanted. I am a micro-manage person, but with Irvin, I will just leave everything to her. The trust is there. Irvin has the knowledge beyond our expectation. Irvin proposed several changes in our requirement to make them more practical and outstanding. Examples are, 1) No false ceiling for the living room to make the space much bigger and with a rustic wow look. At the same time also saving me some money. 2) Knocking off a useless beam in the master bathroom to make the space brighter and spacious. Definitely, there were requests from us to make changes along the way. The biggest change was raising the false ceiling in both bedrooms up by another 1.5 meters. We discovered we have a high roof space. It was a technical challenge considering various aspects. For example, electrical wiring, air con piping, mood lighting design and overall safety. Irvin did it. The original agreed design for the master shower area was 3 pieces of 2.4(H) by 1(W) meters glass sliding doors. After discovering that we can moved the bathroom ceiling to 3.2 meters, my wife insisted to change it to 3 pieces of 3(H) by 1(W) meters. Once my wife insisted, no U-Turn. My wife is not into physics. She expects Irvin to do magic. In other to convince my wife, Irvin got a 3(H) by 1(W) meter of ply wood board from the work site to test whether it can carried via the stairwell or the lift. Luckily Irvin did, it was just too big for the stairwell and the lift. Having proved this, my wife changed to the maximum allowable dimension of 2.9(H) by 1(W) meters, which was just nice to be carried into the lift. One main concern for most people is the shops that your ID bring you to shop for bathroom accessories, water closet, kitchen accessories, tiles etc. Will we be introduce to some shops that are selling at higher price so that the ID can earn from it? Do not worry. I did a market research. The shops that Irvin recommends are good at their prices and services. In fact, I stubbornly insisted to purchase my water closets from my own source. In which later, I found out that my source was more expensive than Irvin’s recommendation. Damn. To make thing worst, my own supplier failed me on the delivery and caused a delay on the renovation. Double damn. For our teak wood furniture, we already have identified a shop. Irvin was there to help us on the design, size and wood shade selection. Anything that is too high, too short, too big, too small, too dark or too light will spoil the compositional flow, rhythm and harmony of the design. I think Irvin was pretty happy throughout the shopping process as she was the person to say yes and I’m the person to make the payment. Our renovation completed in Jan 2019. It is almost 11 months since the handover. Some minor defects were rectified. We caused these when we moved in. No major defects. Quality and workmanship was at its best. There are many outstanding qualities about Irvin; authentic design, eye for details, will not say yes or no until proven if it is possible. The most outstanding quality is her approach on safety. No shortcuts or compromise on quality, always safety first for the workers and us. Her team of subcontracts were outstanding and professional workers (carpentry, electrical work, masonry, and plumbing). It was a joy to watch them working together as a team. An area she can improve is to have a longer list of air con installers so that we can benchmark their prices. We did not select the air con installer from her list. We found our own installer. Irvin was able to work with them seamlessly on the timeline of the air con installation. We busted our budget by about 10%. We discovered our unit has a high ceiling when we removed the false ceiling. We have a very high space between the false ceiling and the building ceiling. We pushed our false ceiling height from 3 meters to 4.5 meters. This contributed a significant increase on our spending. The renovation completed 2 weeks ahead of schedule despite making several major changes. Just nice for a Chinese New Year 2019 celebration at our new resort home. My wife and I are willing to use our place as Irvin’s reference project. We welcome her customers to visit our place for a reference showcase. This is a way we can show our gratitude to her efforts for making our dream home.