My project in Interior Design from Start to Finish course

I started this course, with little to no formal knowledge of interior designing. Projects in the past were done by intuition. The journey through this course has been imperative to my project converting a space without any thorough design elements. The space is a 30sqm. space, a small/tiny space. So using the techniques I learned from the Nook Architects and other resources have been detrimental in knowing what's important in creating spaces and utilizing space with the right, furniture, colors and architectural priorities. I think, my wife and I were able to create a truly unique place for our current home and future transient stays. This course was truly used effectively for my start to finish project and I wouldn't have done a job that I am proud of today without this course. There were a number of incidences and issues along the way, but it was resolved with knowing the right people and the help of family and friends it became a reality.

The first observance I made was definitely the architecture of the building and the surrounding area. The second thing that we observed was what our intention of the space would be. A very unique space. The space would be for our starting family and when we do move abroad we'll be using the space for transient space, since the space is near the international airport. Third was the budget, the budget presented was doable and definitely there would be a concern of possible overages (And there were plenty!). The fourth was the space and how it will be formed. Getting the correct measurements was crucial for this small space and making sure we can implement as much storage space as possible and creating a design idea that would work for us. The small space was no easy task. The fifth, was purchasing the required materials as the construction began. From then on it was trying to stay the course and still many shifts and finalizations on placement of form and objects throughout the project. Getting the workers to finish the job in our environment was difficult but it was doable. This space is a second floor space of my wife's family home and that we intend to give to our daughter when she decides to use it in the future. But in the meantime, it's for us to enjoy as a home and for transient travelers to experience in the near future. The style we chose was a modern, contemporary with some Scandinavian and traditional Filipino elements.

The materials and textures used, we wanted to try and implement the wood finishes as much as possible for the closet and storage space to create a natural texture. Finish issues and changes did occur with the natural wood and varnish used to protect the woods longevity. Lighting was also very important. We upgraded the electrical and lighting fixtures to placement where we thought it would be a critical area to have lights. Trying to understand shadows and natural light and implementing it correctly was also an understanding to be learned. The materials we first decided to purchase was the bathroom, in which where we would reconfigure the space to a budget friendly choices of tiles and textures for a very very important part of the renovation design. Many of the build is custom built with local carpenters. In this 30sqm. area we were able to create two living spaces with the use of curtains/drapery to separate areas and a sofa bed for extra persons. The materials used, were bargain deals we scavenged around the city for; searching for premium quality rather than the modular cheap styles that are prevalent in many home shopping stores in the Philippines. Technology played a large part in the build, from Pinterest, Keyplan 3D, Autocad and drawing applications on the IPad.

The architecture and theme of the original architecture, we wanted to keep the tiles in care of the owner, so we implemented a laminated wood tiling design to the whole space. We wanted to also keep and use some of the color in line with the architecture of some of its accents, such as the trim of the kitchen counter and utilize bright neutral colors such as white, black and teal as much as possible. The form of the space was very critical, using every nook and cranny was important in creating storage space and decisions of putting cabinets and not building cabinets in certain areas was critical to the design. The use of sliding doors in the bathroom was crucial to maximize space, which I feel was the center point of the whole space. It is where it all started was critical in flowing the design throughout the whole space and was a determinant of which direction we wanted to go.

Making the space feel open was detrimental to the design. So knocking down the walls was imperative to making the space feel as open as possible. And which were able to accomplish! Using premium furniture and fixtures in certain areas was also important to create the WOW factor and give a premium look and design to crucial areas. But of course finding budget reused material where you can is also imperative. And the most important of course is the client and I believe we were able to build a home with all the clutter and comfortable colors, textures and form to make it feel like home. Here is our project from start to finish!

Here is our project from start to finish. Hope you like it! Thank you so much!