A Home Makeover Story: How I Brought My Vision to Life

Hello. Like everyone else, I’m an ordinary person whose life revolves around home and work. I’ve always been interested in interior design, and whenever I have free time, I look for interior design materials and spend my time browsing.

I had a chance to move and conducted an entire remodeling, one of my bucket list items. I could reflect on what I’ve dreamed of and wanted to realize in my house.

Many people said they had difficulty remodeling, but it was a delightful time for me.

I want to express my gratitude to the president of the interior design company, who perfectly realized what I wanted.

1. Blueprint Before

From the moment I decided to do interior design, I decided to proceed with turnkey. I didn’t have the confidence to do self-interior while studying on my own with my poor physical health, and no matter how hard I learned, I didn’t have the confidence to do as well as a professional.

I roughly knew that the interior design price had risen significantly compared to a few years ago. Still, as soon as I started receiving estimates, the price was so far beyond my budget that I received more than ten estimates from different places to check if the price was reasonable.

I had a few concepts I wanted, but the price was already exceeding my expectations, so in the end, I decided to go with the person who understood the concept I wanted the most.

Blueprint After

I’ve looked at interior design photos for a few years, and the walnut-colored floor was the most impressive. Even after a few years, I didn’t get tired of looking at that picture, so I thought taking this as the overall concept would be okay.

A few people opposed it because the area was around 711 square feet, but once it was realized, I thought it was good that I didn’t give in!

Overall Concept: White + Walnut Wood Point

🔨 Detailed Request in Construction
– Extension, Chassis, middle door X
– Ceiling: Negative molding or Minimal molding
– Wall: Silk wallpaper
– Floor: Hardwood
– Door: Hidden door or 9mm door
– Lighting: Indirect lighting
– Shoe cabinet & built-in cabinet & drawer
– Kitchen: Sink replacement and additional shelf or refrigerator shelf (in the extended kitchen..) installation
– Bathroom: Zendai brickwork, porcelain tile 600*1200 (changeable), entire sanitary ware replacement, bathroom cabinet
– Study: After demolishing the free-standing wall, install a middle door

2. Foyer Before

Since the house’s entrance is not in a straight line with the living room, I thought I didn’t need a middle door.

Foyer After

I used 600*1200 tiles to make the entrance look wider and extended it to the inside of the living room.

3. Living Room Before

I didn’t need to expand it because expansion was already done, and I didn’t want to change the structure, so I did not. I considered replacing the chassis, but they said I could use it more, so I only applied a film without replacing it.

Living Room After

The walnut-colored floor was the most important to me. There weren’t many options. The designer introduced me to the Donghwa Floor(Well… It didn’t look bad too).

When I looked up in the interior cafe, many people recommended NovaMaru “Classic Walnut,” so I chose it. It looks expansive and luxurious because it’s wide and dark!

I flattened the well ceiling and installed recessed lights and wallwashers to maximize the lighting effect. I didn’t know much about lighting work, so I completely trusted the designer’s sense, and the completion was perfect. People who come to my house compliment the lighting.

The sofa is one of the furniture I struggled with. I thought about getting a leather sofa, but it didn’t go well with our house, so I posted an article on a cafe and looked for 300 pages on the websites.

Amidst this, I finally chose the Taloryyppy’s snug sofa! It goes well with our house, and it’s comfortable when it’s not very big, so I think it was a good choice!

The interior designer recommended the molding to be stair-shaped but also said that it could be changed to no molding in the future, so I changed it to no molding. It seems to give a very neatly painted feel.

I don’t remember the wallpaper number… But it was LG’s wallpaper, and the designer strongly recommended it, so I chose it. It gave a painted feeling, and the seams were hardly visible!

I did a semi-buried TV, which looks cleaner and broader because I didn’t put a living room cabinet.

Since the kitchen was narrow, I planned to put a dining table in the living room. Considering the space, I changed the square table to a round table. It is an extendable Vintage furniture, so I use it wisely when guests come.

I had looked at about 100 dining chairs, but I bought the one that caught my eye the most, the Carl Hansen chair. I plan to use it for a lifetime.

4. Study Before

The view from the entrance room was so good that I decided to make it a study from the beginning. There was a second-floor bed and a built-in wardrobe, so it looked small when I came to see the house, but once I demolished it, it was a big room.

Study After

Since the outbreak of Covid-19, I have been working from home and still do, so this is where I spend most of my day.

Initially, I planned to demolish the entire free-standing wall and install a middle door, but it was too expensive, and there were restrictions on using the space, so I replaced it with a gallery window.

I feel frustrated when I’m locked up at home, working all day, but the space is open, and it seems to have the effect of looking wide, so I think this choice was excellent when I look back!

There is a lot of wooden furniture in other spaces, but the study is decorated with modern furniture. This also seems to be in harmony more than I thought.

When I first bought a desk, it was expensive, so I had a lot of worries, but thinking about using it for a long time, I boldly chose it. I bought it about three years ago, but it’s still clean and sturdy, so I think it’s worth the expensive price!

The bookshelf is from IKEA. When I moved, I thought, “Should I replace it?” But there was nothing I liked, so I brought what I had, and it went well, so I used it! I wanted to hang a wall system, but the cost was high, and it hurt to nail a renovated house, so I gave up.

I was going to install point lighting, but at first, I thought of other lighting. The price range was too expensive, and there was no discount, so I chose Bonakia Bat 3 as a compromise. When I installed it, it fit well to our house, so it was satisfying.

5. Kitchen Before

When I first saw the house, the kitchen was so narrow that it was a big concern. It doesn’t show in the pictures, but a 4-door refrigerator and a kimchi refrigerator were blocking the window.

The interior designer said he wondered why kitchens in South Korea are made so small when the appliances and furniture going to the kitchen are all big… He had concerns about the structure itself. So, he suggested that if we replaced the chassis, we could change the structure and switch the kitchen and living room.

Kitchen After

There were budget and structural issues for changes. Since moving into a smaller house, I installed an II-shaped countertop and refrigerator compartment to maximize storage in the kitchen.

When looking for interior design references, I found that there was a way to see how the space would be implemented after inputting the size of an apartment and setting an interior concept. Based on this, I installed the countertop and refrigerator compartment similarly. (In truth, the kitchen was so narrow that there weren’t many options)

My criteria for choosing the appliances! First of all, I had a preferred brand of electronic products.

The details changed a bit depending on the price, but I wouldn’t say I liked having too many features, so I chose the product that was most faithful to the basics. However, I chose a beige tone that would match the color of our house’s floor and countertop.

I replaced the refrigerator with a built-in model, and while considering whether to install a 1-door refrigerator and freezer, a Hi-Mart employee advised about it, saying that there would be heat loss compared to a 4-door model. I replaced the fridge, dishwasher, and microwave oven with built-in models.

The induction range is a 3-burner De-Dietrich model I used before, which I think has the best design in the induction range category. I referred to many products like Legrand and Jung for switches. Still, I was unsure about investing in these areas, so I went with the Regen model the designer recommended, which was surprisingly satisfactory.

I also installed a coffee bar and requested additional built-in lights. After extending the refrigerator compartment to the dressing room entrance, I got a lot more storage space than I expected. A narrow but highly utilized space is born!

I chose a Swan sink, and since I live alone, I chose a size of 730. I happened to see the water purifier on Instagram, and it was cost-effective, so I ended up recommending it to the designer.

I was going to replace the door to the utility room with a turning door, but I was told that it couldn’t be replaced due to fire regulations, so the designer came up with the idea of installing a fake door. It’s one of the spaces that I’m satisfied with.

6. Bedroom Before

The bedroom was planned only to have a bed and a side table, so there weren’t many concerns.

Bedroom After

As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t think there would be any significant issues, but once the demolition was done, I found that the outlet was not in the position I wanted. Initially, I had planned to install a pendant light next to the bed and use the switch with the room switch, but I ended up installing them together when installing a new outlet.

Every day during the interior work, variables occur. I didn’t have many variables, and they looked trivial, but when added to the budget, they became a concern. But in the end, I’m delighted because I don’t have to go to the switch at the room’s entrance when I go to sleep!

The bedroom furniture was a gift from my siblings when I moved in from my previous house! The side table is a Wekino product I found to match the bed. It seems to be discontinued now. I bought it from my last home, and I’m pleased because it also goes well with this house.

I think furniture is worth paying for because I will use it for a long time, so I tend to splurge. The only furniture I replaced when I moved was the dining table and sofa.

I bought the bedding from Peter Reed, and on my sister’s recommendation, I tried a wool pad and liked it. I recommend it! I also hung blackout curtains and only remodeled the living room curtains when I moved. For the rest, I visited Dongdaemun Shopping Complex and had them fitted and hung directly.

It’s great to be able to save money and choose it yourself! Even though it’s a bit of a hassle, I’m still using Dongdaemun.

7. Dressing Room Before

I decided to use the small room directly connected to the kitchen as a dressing room. This room is smaller than I thought, so I’m slightly disappointed.

Dressing Room After

I built the styler into the built-in cabinet to keep it clean.

I bought a separate drawer from Wekino to match the walnut color, and I’m using the drawer instead of a vanity.

The full-length mirror and stool chair are ones that I made myself at a woodworking workshop a few years ago. The room isn’t very spacious, but fortunately, I use it only in the morning and evening, so I don’t feel much inconvenience.

8. Bathroom Before

Having two bathrooms in an 818-square-foot apartment was one of the reasons I chose this house. They say it’s a significant factor when reselling later. The master bathroom was so narrow that I had a lot of concerns about how to change it.

Bathroom After

As I mentioned earlier, I fell in love with the bathroom in the portfolio of the designer I chose when I first decided on an interior company, and I got ambitious with it. Most companies suggested adding a room and using 600*600 tiles, but this company suggested demolition and construction with 600*1200 tiles from the start.

He aimed for a bathroom like a hotel, and I think he implemented that feeling, don’t you? The sink is from a brand (Lauche) that I stumbled upon while looking for a small sink, and I liked it so much that I discussed it with the designer and replaced it with this product. And I also installed a product from Hugent, which is good. I highly recommend it!

The master bathroom, a big concern, was also reborn into a more plausible and larger-looking bathroom by omitting the brickwork and filling it with a large mirror.

The master bathroom didn’t get much use, so we substituted a storage cabinet with a towel rack for the point!

Closing remarks

I think there are a lot of worries for those who want to do interior design. “Is it worth this amount of money?” ‘Will there be problems with the interior company?” “What variables will occur when I start?” Especially for those who live alone, which is not the usual case now, there is also surprising opposition from parents.

In my case, I had quite a lot of trouble and worries until I started interior designing… Fortunately, I got an excellent result and feel more satisfied with my life. I want to give courage to those who are considering it.

Set your own concept and try it!