Singapore: Urban Architecture

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ThianYong

November 03, 2025•

We engaged Jess from Urban Home Design 二本設計家 for the renovation of our 100sqm home. From our first meeting, Jess left a lasting impression with her professionalism and thorough preparation. Even before we engaged her officially, she had already produced a CAD drawing of our unit, studied the space in detail, and checked on the feasibility of reconfiguration. That gave us assurance in her capability and commitment to delivering a well-planned project. Throughout the renovation journey, we felt at ease knowing that we could trust Jess to handle the work well. Her space planning is exceptional; she reimagined the layout to feel more spacious and efficient, with thoughtful touches that catered to our needs. She was able to combine technical precision with practical design. Almost everything we envisioned, she managed to turn into reality. She strived to meet our requests where possible, and for the requests that were not feasible, she proposed good alternatives that still worked beautifully. Jess was also very transparent in the quotation provided. Unlike many who would give vague lump sums, she gave a detailed breakdown for each item quoted. This gave us clarity when making design changes because we always knew where every dollar was going. This level of accuracy gave us great peace of mind. The carpentry work was done nicely; the plumbers and tilers did a clean and neat job; and the electrician was meticulous in following every single request. Communication with Jess was always clear, responsive, and systematic. She kept us updated throughout the renovation. Despite a few design changes along the way, she was still able to hand over the project on time. After handover, she continued to follow through and coordinate all the small touch-ups and adjustments we requested. This kind of dedication is rare. For anyone looking for an ID, it’s unrealistic to expect a renovation to be perfect and free of hiccups. What matters is finding someone who is professional, meticulous, reliable, able to balance aesthetics with practicality, and willing to follow through until the home is truly complete. Jess is exactly that person. We’re very grateful to have found Jess. The renovation turned out beautifully, and we love every bit of our home.

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Tabitha

October 30, 2025•

Having Xyden and Kai Yi as my IDs is truly a blessing. They were the only ID (out of the 14 we met) that instantly got what we envisioned and one that we could vibe with. The design and planning process was smooth. I was thoroughly impressed by how quick Xyden could make changes to the mock ups on the spot for us to better visualise and make decisions. I also appreciate how the team made recommendations for certain design choices that were not only cost effective but also practical and easy to maintain. For example, after looking through one tile shop and not being able to find a suitable tile for our kitchen floor, they helped to look through other tile shops to find one that was not only within our budget but just as good. Besides making great recommendations, Xyden and Kai Yi were also open to hearing our crazy ideas, of which one made it into the renovation. We liked the idea of a hidden door but didn't know if it was possible, especially because I didn't like fluted panels which are what most hidden doors use. After discussing and playing around with various concepts, we made our master bathroom door the hidden door which I feel is my favourite part of the house now. When there were issues, even those caused by our own stupidity, Xyden and Kai Yi were prompt to help us resolve the problem. I felt assured and didn't feel the need to be onsite to inspect. Kai Yi updated us regularly on the progress and communication was smooth. Enough said. If you are looking for an ID, you can find Xyden and Kai Yi from Urban Home Design.

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Lawrence

October 12, 2025•

We just completed our 4RM resale HDB renovation journey with Chai Hwa from Urban Home Design and it was a 10/10 experience. We envisioned a very colourful and cozy home and Chai Hwa's great eye for colour and design truly made it come to life. We felt that she was personally invested in designing the house and that passion shows! We felt her excitement as she came up with many creative ideas about the tiles, carpentry, layout, even the appliances we should consider buying. But at the same time she was considerate about our budget and provided us with many alternative options when we realized something we wanted would have cost a bomb 😅 Being renovation noobs, she also advised us very well whenever we suggested something concerning or "wrong" and we appreciate her 10+ years of experience as an ID for this. One experience that stood out was when she herself went to find the exact model of TV and soundbar we ordered to check where the wires plug in. We wanted a TV console that could hide all the wires and she went to make sure that the holes line up perfectly with the appliance so that it was very aesthetic! She is also well connected with many vendors and most of the time we really just let her handle all the deliveries and some shopping which really took a load off our shoulders. Last thing: Chai Hwa was very kind. After we bought our lights from shopee (which we had to deliver to our previous rental as shopee deliveries are unpredictable) she offered to drive us with our barang to the new home. And many times we would ask her to design something, then cancel it last minute. Or sometimes we would take very long to come with a decision. She always smiled even when we felt like we were being annoying and we really thank her for that. The workmanship of the Urban Home Design contractors was really well done also. Tiles are cut such that the grout lines match as much as possible, our cornice/cove lights were done up very nicely, carpentry are all aligned and they even added those bumper dots to where door handles hit so that they wont damage the walls :)

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Carey

July 20, 2025•

We recently completed our home renovation with Urban Home Design under the care of ID Xyden and had a fantastic experience from start to finish. From our very first meeting, we were impressed to receive a 3D design proposal that thoughtfully incorporated both our ideas and Xyden’s creative suggestions. He introduced unique design features to elevate our space while remaining flexible, never pushy, and consistently offering sound advice on functionality, practicality, and aesthetics. The renovation was completed on time, and after moving in, we encountered no major issues. Minor touch-ups were swiftly addressed by Xyden, who remained responsive and reassuring throughout the process. We appreciated being able to trust him to manage the entire project without needing to micro-manage. The final result has exceeded our expectations. The workmanship is of high quality, and the thoughtful design elements suggested by Xyden really enhanced the overall look of our home. We are especially thrilled with the large display cabinet for our figurines and the beautiful curved glass feature in the study, both of which have received many compliments. Overall, the entire renovation journey with Urban Home Design and Xyden was smooth, professional, and enjoyable. We highly recommend their services!

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Samuel

July 02, 2025•

It’s been over a year since the handover of our project from the UHD team, with Jess and TS serving as our IDs. We chose UHD because they stood out during our initial meeting and came prepared and presented several mock-ups that aligned well with our brief. Our project was on a moderately tight timeline, as we wanted to avoid having the handover extend beyond the Chinese New Year holidays. UHD met this deadline, and we also appreciated their effective budgeting, with minimal avoidable overhead charges. In our experience, UHD engages different teams of tradespeople for various aspects of the renovation. As a result, we observed inconsistent quality across some of the works. For example, painting, plumbing, and carpentry varied in standard depending on the team assigned. Some tradespeople delivered excellent results, while others did not meet expectations. Project management and communication were among the more challenging aspects of the renovation. Additionally, we felt the design process was more reactive than proactive, with UHD primarily executing our instructions rather than offering new or creative ideas. Jess was our main point of contact and was consistently responsive. However, it seemed she had limited oversight over the tradespeople involved and faced challenges coordinating them effectively and ensuring quality. For instance, about two weeks after handover, we experienced a flood in the kitchen. The plumber who attended to the issue informed us that it was caused by a rock lodged in the drainage area. Separately, we had repeated issues with paintwork. It wasn’t until the final rounds of touch-ups that we encountered a painter who clearly explained what could and couldn’t be fixed, and who ultimately delivered high-quality work. That said, we do want to commend UHD for standing by their warranty policy and following through on their commitments in that regard. Overall, our experience with UHD was mixed. While they delivered what was scoped and stayed largely within budget, the quality of execution was inconsistent, and the process could have been smoother