She shares that how she did it was to shop around – online and overseas – for the best deals. “Affordability is a priority to me but I also wanted to create a home that is cosy and pretty. Unfortunately, local high-end home furniture shops are quite overpriced so I turned to other outlets to source for things that are still nice but within my price range,” says Ms See.

Online furniture stores and home inspiration accounts on social media have made their presence known especially to millennial home owners, and in turn they are getting more resourceful.

The couple also makes it a point to do homeware shopping whenever they travel out of the country for a holiday. They spent the bulk of a recent Australia trip scavenging flea markets and prowling the aisles of giant retailers Kmart and Target to look for cheap homeware items. 

Ms See does her homework by prowling through research to see items she wants online before visiting flying over and visiting the stores

She also brings along a packing travel kit – in it is tape, scissors and big pieces of bubblewrap – to wrap fragile items such as ceramics.

“There’s a thrill in searching for the piece in person. Plus I can check the quality of the items, which is something you cannot do if you buy online,” she adds.

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She also visits local second-hand furniture shop Hock Siong and flea markets overseas to “personalise” the knobs on Ikea furniture with vintage models for a more personalized touch.

They also try their luck at “finding interesting items such as refurbished cabinets, picture frames and knobs and sometimes chalk-paint the items in other colours,” she observes.

Ms See, who works from home, delves into DIY projects to “exercise her creative brain”, as well as to keep costs down. She crafted her own floor-to-ceiling flower wall for the balcony by stringing together over 70 single artificial flowers on a fishing line.

When she couldn’t find a minimalist-looking clock she liked, she constructed her own using a Ikea rattan placemat and a clock motor and hands bought off Taobao.

Text: Michelle Ng/ Straits Times  Additional Reporting: Seah Pei Jun

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