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The thing about renovating homes is that, unless you&rsquo;re in the industry, everyone&rsquo;s a novice. Admit it &ndash; you can count all your renovations with only one hand. With that little experience, with a dash of inattentiveness, you are ripe for the picking by scammers.So how would you know if someone&rsquo;s trying to pull a fast one on you? Fortunately, if you know to look for, most scammers have pretty obvious red flags. Always check whether the firm is legitimate, whether they understand <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/7-things-you-ll-need-permits-before-you-renovate" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">residential renovation permit</a> requirements, and whether they&rsquo;ve ever appeared as a <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/how-to-avoid-disappearing-contractors-and-protect-your-dream-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">blacklisted renovation company in Singapore</a>.Without further ado, here are the top 7 red flags you should watch out for before you get scammed by an &ldquo;interior designer&rdquo;. 1. They Sound Good... Almost Too Good...&hellip; then it&rsquo;s most likely a scam. Just like all good things in life. There are two ways how an ID scammer would go about after sweet talking you into a &ldquo;great&rdquo; offer:1) &nbsp; &nbsp;They&rsquo;ll ask for a larger than usual deposit (usually over 30%). When you pay it, POOF! They&rsquo;re gone.2) &nbsp; &nbsp;They&rsquo;ll actually do the job but they&rsquo;ll a) use cheap materials unless you &ldquo;upgrade&rdquo; them b) slide in hidden charges, and/or c) charge for &ldquo;unexpected&rdquo; material costs.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Whatever they do, it&rsquo;ll snowball into a larger bill.&nbsp; What to do?Get many quotes. The more quotes you get, the better the idea you get of what is a reasonable price to pay for your renovation. And always insist on a tiered payment for deliverables achieved. <img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1677220829825-engineer-team-discuss-working-construction-property-site-inspection-village-project-estate-building.jpg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> 2. They Don&#39;t Visit The SiteThere&rsquo;s no regulation that says interior designers HAVE to visit the renovation site. That said, it&rsquo;s still industry practice to do so. If the ID shows no interest in the site, chances are, they&rsquo;re after a quick cash grab. Proper firms WILL be interested in hearing concerns and understanding the floor plan before showing their ideas to you. What to do?Ask firms about their processes and ensure that there&rsquo;s a site visit prior to committing a deposit. Of course, unless you have not collected your keys.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1677220867365-office-worker-with-tablet-pencil.jpg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> 3. They Give Vague QuotationsIf getting a detailed quotation is harder than getting a confession from a money-laundering politician, give the &ldquo;interior designer&rdquo; a pass. Quotations should include:&bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Cost by rooms or scope of works&bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Itemised material and service cost estimates&bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Payment schedule (see #1)&bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Timeline with key milestones (see #1 again)&bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Exclusions What do to?Insist on a detailed quotation and quiz the firm about difficult or vague terms for clarification. <img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1677220893946-creativity.jpg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> 4. They Don&#39;t Have A PortfolioWould you see a doc without credentials? Same thing applies to interior designers. Their portfolio is their proof of work. It pretty much gives you an idea if the interior designer you&rsquo;re talking to has the chops to turn your ideas into reality. If their sense of style jives with yours, great!&nbsp; What to do?Ask for their portfolio. If it&rsquo;s a firm&rsquo;s portfolio, ask for the interior designer(s) responsible for the work shown in it.&nbsp;To be extra sure, do a Google Image search of the images to see if the photos hasn&rsquo;t been stolen from somewhere else. 5. They Over-Promise On TimelinesEverybody wants everything yesterday. However, perfection cannot be rushed. Even more so with renovations. Everything is a process; from the planning to the building to the finishing. Skipping or rushing any of these steps is a recipe for disaster. If supposed <a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers">interior design firms</a> too eagerly promises quick turnaround, you probably should turn around and look for a new one. What to do?Get quotations and timelines from multiple agencies. Don&rsquo;t be shy. These timelines will allow you to make comparisons so you know what counts as a reasonable renovation period.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1677220931717-glasses-documents.jpg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> 6. There&#39;s No DocumentationIt ain&rsquo;t a promise &rsquo;til it&rsquo;s in black and white, AND signed off. Verbal agreements are only as good as hot air and even less useful in court if things take a turn for the worse.&nbsp; What do to?Because documentation involves legal matters, there&rsquo;s a lot to do:&nbsp;1. &nbsp; &nbsp;Get a contract for every little promise that the interior designer makes.2. &nbsp; &nbsp;Get itemised billing with a list of materials and services used/to be used.3. &nbsp; &nbsp;Take photos of defects and ensure they&rsquo;re fixed before making full payment.4. &nbsp; &nbsp;Be positively clear on termination clauses. 7. They Have Lots Of Bad ReviewsReviews are the end-all be-all to any business. It&rsquo;s fine if they&rsquo;ve got a couple of bad reviews. But, if it makes up the majority of the whole lot, buyers beware!&nbsp; <img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1677220995961-medium-shot-young-people-with-reviews.jpg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> What to do?Always check interior design firm reviews from MULTIPLE sources. Just because they&rsquo;ve got glowing reviews on Facebook, doesn&rsquo;t mean it&rsquo;ll be the same on Google Reviews.&nbsp; Be Alert And DetailedIt&rsquo;s a little harsh to tell you to distrust every interior designer you meet. And you shouldn&rsquo;t. However, you&rsquo;ll need to be very detailed and insistent about information so you don&rsquo;t fell prey to opportunistic scammers out there looking for a quick buck. Stay safe, be alert, and be mindful.&nbsp;

Match with up to 6 ID firms for

Match with up to 6 ID firms foryour reno needs

Find Your Perfect ID Firm

The thing about renovating homes is that, unless you’re in the industry, everyone’s a novice. Admit it – you can count all your renovations with only one hand. With that little experience, with a dash of inattentiveness, you are ripe for the picking by scammers.

7 Red Flags That Scream "Designer Danger!"

SIXiDES is an interior design tech and renovation platform that uses tech to change the way people renovate their homes. Conceived as a means to safeguard aspiring homeowners in realizing their space with ease and peace of mind. SIXiDES unique features provide an integrated solution that guides the users right from the very beginning till the end of the renovation journey.

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No homeowner has the benefit of hindsight when it comes to renovating their very first home. That comes much later AFTER you&rsquo;ve made mistakes and regret everything. However, hopefully, with this list, you&rsquo;ll be well prepared to avoid 9 of the most common mistakes first-timers make,&nbsp;especially if you&rsquo;re engaging&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">interior design firms</a>&nbsp;or starting a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/singapore-2024-renovation-budget-condo-renovation-cost-forecast" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">condo renovation</a>&nbsp;project. Doing It AloneEveryone thinks they are expert designers after a couple of YouTube videos. If that were true, the interior designer profession would have died a long time ago. Except they haven&rsquo;t. They have a particular set of skills that makes them indispensable: 1) they understand how different households interact with their homes,&nbsp; 2) they have experience with what does and doesn&rsquo;t work, and&nbsp; 3) they know how to communicate what&rsquo;s needed to contractors.&nbsp; Hiring one early can help you avoid irreversible mistakes from the get-go. <img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1678955429095-man-assembling-white-round-table-furniture-home.jpg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> DIYEverything is doable. However, not everything can be done well. Experts make it look easy because, well, they&rsquo;re experts. And even if you&rsquo;re quite handy, do you really want bog yourself down with DIY work AND manage the renovation? Pro tip: let the pros do it. Save the DIY effort for smaller projects. Wrong Interior DesignerAlright. You&rsquo;ve been advised over and over to get an ID. Now you need to vet your interior design firm. What do they specialise in? Homes? Shops? Villas? Offices? The right professional is crucial; they will know what works for each person and function. And don&rsquo;t just fall in love with the first ID you meet &ndash; go through a list of firms THEN make your decision. That way, you&rsquo;re more likely to get someone who &ldquo;gets&rdquo; you, instead of someone who&rsquo;ll just promise a low, low, price of one badly renovated home.&nbsp;Also make sure they&rsquo;re reputable &mdash; nobody wants to accidentally hire a <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/how-to-avoid-disappearing-contractors-and-protect-your-dream-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">blacklisted renovation company in Singapore.</a> <img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1678955461414-top-view-messy-full-moving-boxes-room+%281%29.jpg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> Rushing DecisionsIt might be cute. Or it might be a bargain. But it&rsquo;ll most likely just end in tears if you buy that piece of furniture right this moment. PUT THAT WALLET DOWN! Love is patient. And if you want to love the home you are going to live in, take the time to pick everything out. One by one. Matching sets are overrated anyway. The best part of doing this way? Your home will be uniquely yours and not something out of a catalogue. Not Measuring AnythingHumans are universally terrible at understanding the scale of things. Even the pros are no better. However, that&rsquo;s why they measure everything. So, when it comes time to get furniture and furnishings, it won&rsquo;t be oversized or undersized, but just right. Design Over FunctionLet&rsquo;s be serious &ndash; we all love beautiful things. But what good is a kitchen you can&rsquo;t cook in, a bedroom you can&rsquo;t relax in, and a living room you can&rsquo;t live in? Your home should work for you, not something you work around. Design your home in the way your household will use it first. Pretty it up later.&nbsp; Painting Before PlanningPaint is a lot like shopping for clothes; you&rsquo;ll only know it fits once you put it on. Paint colours have a way of looking quite different in the showroom than on-site. The best way to match paint to a room? Bring a paint swatch or a painted board to see if the colour works with the space. Far simpler to choose a new colour that way instead of having to repaint everything.&nbsp; Bad Lighting PlanningLight. The single most important thing at home. Especially since many spend most of their waking hours at home AT NIGHT. Light affects everything from your mood, to room utility, and even the colours of your wall paint. Plan it well and your retinas will thank you. Skimping On QualityQuality and price go hand in hand &ndash; a good dollar will last a good long time. However, that doesn&rsquo;t mean you have to splurge on everything. That&rsquo;s plain irresponsible. What is responsible is prioritising difficult-to-replace items like built-in cabinets or a kitchen island. Don&rsquo;t sweat the small things. Those can be replaced later. After All That&hellip;To be honest, even with this list, you&rsquo;ll probably still make some sort of mistake renovating your first home. It happens to the best of us. On the bright side, with this list, you&rsquo;ll avoid the worst of them, they should be fixable, and still end up with a home you can proudly call your own.

No homeowner has the benefit of hindsight when it comes to renovating their very first home. 

9 Mistakes To Avoid With Your First Home

Windows. Portals that let you see out. And lets the sun, and prying eyes, in. The latter two are good enough reasons to cover those windows up ASAP. But how, you ask? Brick up the windows, you say? Don&rsquo;t be silly. With curtains, drapes, shades, and blinds, of course! &nbsp; And while you&rsquo;re thinking about window treatments, it&rsquo;s also worth considering how they tie into the rest of your home &mdash; whether you&rsquo;re going for a calming&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/wabi-sabi-is-not-wasabi-design-la">wabi sabi design</a>&nbsp;aesthetic or figuring out practical spaces like your&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/bomb-shelters-to-dress-or-not-to-dress">bomb shelter design</a>. So, whether it&rsquo;s because you&rsquo;ve got a body to hide, or sun-sensitive vampire skin, or habit of spying on your neighbour&rsquo;s cat, here&rsquo;s a guide of the what, when, and how to pick between the 4 types of window treatments.&nbsp; <img src="https://s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/sixides/uploads%2F1754388854156-Drapes+article+image+1.jpg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> Photo by:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers/design-of-schatz" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Design of Schatz</a> CurtainsWant an ultra-unique look? Look no further than curtains. Typically sold in pairs, curtains are essentially fabric panels that is customisable in every way, shape and form. Pick your choice of width, length, fabric type, colours, patterns&hellip; the options are practically endless. For that reason, curtains are at home in any room.&nbsp; And it&rsquo;s not just the fabric choices that&rsquo;s endless; the rods and hanging alternatives are too! Rods designs can range from plain vanilla to garishly decorative. The manner of hanging them? You&rsquo;ve got metal grommets that are super slide-y; rings or hooks to attach to the rod; or even fabric tabs that hide the rods (think floating curtains). &nbsp; Because of their versatility, curtains are often paired with other window treatments shown in this list.&nbsp; Works best in: Any room&nbsp; Made of: Fabrics &ndash; silks, organza, linens, cotton, poly-cotton, acetates, nets&nbsp; Light control: Sheer to blackout&nbsp; <img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1679555478372-DSC00248.jpg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Photo by:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers/medina-design-interiors">Medina Design &amp; interiors</a>&nbsp; Drapes&nbsp;Drapes are like curtains but&hellip; extra. On most fronts, the two aren&rsquo;t really that different &ndash; come in pairs, lots of hanging options, and myriad of colours and patterns. The extra is in the choice of fabric. Heavy, stiff and, usually, lined. &nbsp;Velvet, damask, and silk the most common and are so dense that they block most, if not all, external light sources.&nbsp; Where curtains typically hang just below the window sill, drapes prefer to hang all the way down to the floor. Whether it ends just above the floor or puddles into it is a matter of preference. Either way, it&rsquo;s all very formal and elegant. Want more formality? Add pleats. &nbsp; Incidentally, its thick and heavy nature also makes drapes excellent thermal and sound insulators. Home theatre, anyone?&nbsp; Works best in: Bedrooms and home theatres&nbsp; Material: Heavy fabrics &ndash; velvet, damask, silk&nbsp; Light control: Moderate to blackout&nbsp; <img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1679555506269-WhatsApp+Image+2021-09-29+at+16.04.39+%287%29.jpeg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Photo by:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers/much-room-interior">Much Room Interior</a> Shades&nbsp;Shades. Mostly made of fabric and covers windows just like curtains and drapes. And that&rsquo;s where their similarity ends. Unlike their cousins, shades prefer single life; they are normally sold individually, not pairs. And while they also come in fabrics, they come in vinyl and bamboo varieties too.&nbsp; By and large, shades confined to fit within a window frame, not below the window sill the way curtains and drapes do. &nbsp; These cool covers don&rsquo;t just come in one flavour &ndash; they come in four:&nbsp; &nbsp;● &nbsp;Roller shades. The most inexpensive, these roll material around a rod at the top.&nbsp; &nbsp;● &nbsp;Roman shades. A step up from rollers, these pull up material into fancy pleats.&nbsp; &nbsp;● &nbsp;Balloon shades. Determined to one-up roman shades, balloon shades poof up into balloon-ish shapes when raised&nbsp; &nbsp;● &nbsp;Tie-up shades. A real classic among shades, these are fastened with a fabric tie to hold them up.&nbsp; While dressy on their own, many choose to pair them with curtains for more lighting options.&nbsp; Works best in: All rooms&nbsp; Material: Fabric, vinyl, bamboo&nbsp; Light control: Moderate to blackout&nbsp; <img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1679555560744-T0803+041+FSI+Sumang+Walk+1.jpeg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Photo by:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers/free-space-intent">Free Space Intent</a> Blinds&nbsp;Blinds are similar to shades in the way drapes are similar to curtains. They are raised and lowered like them and occupy the same space within the window frame. The real difference is in the form of the material - slats (a.k.a. louvers) in 1/2 inch, 1 inch, and 2 inch in depth.&nbsp; A fun feature for blinds is their ability to tilt the slats open and closed for more visibility or more privacy, without raising or lowering the entire thing. For this reason, blinds offer unparalleled light control that other window treatments can only dream about.&nbsp; With a name like &ldquo;blinds&rdquo; you&rsquo;d think they&rsquo;d be excellent at blocking out light. But, alas, there are gaps between the slats. That less than perfect seal means that some light tends to seep through. Homeowners often pair these with curtains to mitigate the problem. It also has the added benefit of softening the look of the room; blinds tend to look rigid&nbsp; Blind slats are often found in the horizontal position, but vertical ones exist too. These work best with sliding patio doors or large sliding windows.&nbsp; While blinds come in a variety of colours and materials, then rarely ever have patterns.&nbsp; Works best in: All rooms&nbsp; Material: Vinyl, wood, aluminium&nbsp; Light control: variable from moderate to high &nbsp; ConclusionNow that you&rsquo;ve got the lowdown of how to get those windows treated, it&rsquo;s time to get these windows covered.&nbsp;If this is part of a larger home upgrade, make sure you&rsquo;re also aware of the key <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/6-facts-about-renovating-in-Singapore" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">things to know before renovating a house</a>, so every decision aligns with your overall design vision.

Windows. Portals that let you see out. And lets the sun, and prying eyes, in. The latter two are good enough reasons to cover those windows up ASAP. But how, you ask? Brick up the windows, you say? Don’t be silly. With curtains, drapes, shades, and blinds, of course! 

A Guide To Using Window Curtains, Drapes, Shades, And Blinds

&nbsp;It&rsquo;s nice to have all the pretty things at home, but if you can&rsquo;t keep it nice, clean, and tidy, your lovely home won&rsquo;t be lovely for long. In most cases, some of your design choices can make a home harder to clean.&nbsp;If you&rsquo;re planning a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/singapore-2024-renovation-budget-condo-renovation-cost-forecast">condo renovation</a>&nbsp;or working with an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers">ID firm</a>, choosing the right materials and layout can make a huge difference.To help you keep your home looking great, here are 5 design choices for an easier-to-clean home. <img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1681440664079-Kaizen+Architecture.jpg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Photo by: <a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers/kaizen-architecture">Kaizen Architecture</a> 1. Consider Smooth SurfacesTextured and porous surfaces. They look awesome. And just as awesome. But really? They&rsquo;re dirt traps and sinks. Whether they be walls, countertops, flooring, or what have you, textured surfaces have tiny crooks and crannies that dirt and dust love so much. And porous ones? These tend to be permanent homes to the first thing you spill onto them.&nbsp; On the flip side, smooth, non-porous surfaces are ridiculously easy to clean, often only needing a wipe to make it shine. There&rsquo;s nothing to stick to so dirt and spills can&rsquo;t make themselves at home. They are like the Jennifer Lopez of surfaces &ndash; they hardly age over time.&nbsp;This makes them a top choice for <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/hdb-living-room-unleashing-the-charm-of-singaporean-lifestyles">living room design Singapore</a> homeowners who want spaces that look great but stay low-maintenance.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1681440803438-Lato.jpg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Photo by: <a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers/lim-ai-tiong-lato-architects-design">Lim Ai Tiong (LATO) Architects/Design</a> 2. Use Large TilesSure, small tiles make rooms look bigger. But they also increase your workload too. Why? There&rsquo;s so much more grout involved. Guess what loves grout? That&rsquo;s right &ndash; mold. This is especially true around bathrooms and kitchens, the most humid and moist parts of your home. Save yourself the work and use larger tiles. The larger you go, the less grout to deal with. That said, don&rsquo;t go too large when it comes to bathrooms &ndash; grout helps to make floors less slippery.&nbsp; If you really HAVE to have tiny tiles, for goodness sake, don&rsquo;t use white grout. Do yourself a favour and get tinted ones. And keep the place well-ventilated. That way, you keep mold from growing and, if they do grow, you don&rsquo;t have to see them. Even then, that&rsquo;s no excuse for not cleaning them regularly unless you want to turn your home into a giant biohazard.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1681444523127-Koze_New.jpg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Photo by: <a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers/koze">Koze</a> 3. Have Less GlassNothing says sophisticated like glass&hellip; right before all the dust, watermarks, and soap scum build up. Glass is notoriously difficult to maintain &ndash; they require near daily attention if you want them to look even remotely clean.&nbsp; Any sort of negligence on your part will be evident. To make it worse, if you leave it long enough, they&rsquo;re REALLY hard to clean off. The recommendation? Aside from windows, use glass sparingly around the house, the smaller the panels you have, the less glaringly obvious your neglect will be.&nbsp; <div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/sixides/uploads%2F1754388601854-Clean+home+image+1.jpg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Photo by:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers/quad-r-design" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Quad.R Design</a></div> 4. Reduce Flat SurfacesJust like desperate singles, dust eventually just want to settle down. And down is often whatever flat surface happens to be under it. More so in a home than outdoors simply because there&rsquo;s less air moving around inside the house. You could just vacuum it up, but that&rsquo;s just more work. Reduce places where dust can settle.&nbsp; Think about:<ul><li style="font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">building or buying shallower bookshelves. Large shelves usually tend to have lots of unused space i.e. ideal for dust.</li><li style="font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">opting for closed shelving. Open shelving is an invitation for dust to settle on everything that&rsquo;s uncovered.&nbsp;</li><li style="font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">increasing ventilation and air circulation. This has the effect of simply blow dust out of the home before it can settle.</li></ul>&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1681440939917-Cheng+Yi+Interior+Design.jpg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Photo by: <a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers/cheng-yi-interior-design">Cheng Yi Interior Design</a> 5. Include Ample StorageClutter is any homeowners greatest enemy &ndash; it makes it exponentially harder to clean a home. Often it&rsquo;s a sign that you don&rsquo;t have enough storage at hand. But don&rsquo;t just have storage in one room. Have storage in every room so that things that belong in that room stays there. Stuff without a home tend to wander around the house.&nbsp; Easy Peasy CleaningHome maintenance has never been fun and will be. For most of us. Either way, don&rsquo;t make it more difficult and painful than you have to. Design a dream home that isn&rsquo;t just beautiful but also a dream to clean. Banner Photo by:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/spaces/view/aois-tiong-bahru">Art Of Integrity Studio</a>

It’s nice to have all the pretty things at home, but if you can’t keep it nice, clean, and tidy, your lovely home won’t be lovely for long. 

5 Design Choices For An Easy-To-Clean Home

When choosing kitchen backsplash, ask yourself: Are you a Gordon Ramsey? Or a Simon Cowell? [Hint: One of them doesn&rsquo;t belong in the kitchen.]&nbsp; If you&rsquo;re a real chef, you&rsquo;ll probably agree that cooking&rsquo;s the easy part &ndash; it&rsquo;s the cleaning that&rsquo;s truly a chore. For the non-chefs, they just want a kitchen because&hellip; why not? Before you jump into any upgrades, it&rsquo;s worth checking if you need a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/7-things-you-ll-need-permits-before-you-renovate">residential renovation permit</a>, especially if you&rsquo;re planning bigger changes. And if you want it done right, engaging the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/best-renovation-contractor-in-singapore">best renovation contractor in Singapore</a>&nbsp;can save you a lot of trouble later on. Working out what you&rsquo;ll be doing, and not doing, in the kitchen will help you work out the kind of backsplash you&rsquo;ll need in the kitchen. For your convenience, here&rsquo;s a guide to 5 backsplash materials for your kitchen. <img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1682683776886-beautiful-green-kitchen-interior-design.jpg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> 1. &nbsp; &nbsp;Ceramic Or PorcelainIt&rsquo;s the most common. And the cheapest of the bunch. Surely, that means it boring, right? Far from it. For the very same reasons, the sheer variety available, from colours, shapes, and patterns is practically endless.&nbsp; As if that&rsquo;s not enough reason for you stop reading now and get some now, they&rsquo;re exceedingly durable. And easy to clean. Chefs among you can tell you how important that is. The only downside? Ceramics can crack due to heat. For something MORE durable, go porcelain. Waaaay more durable and heat resistant than ceramic. The only thing is that it&rsquo;s less common so there&rsquo;s less variety in patterns and styles than their ceramic cousins. For more inspiration on ceramic ot tiles, head to (<a data-fr-linked="true" href="https://www.sixides.com/vendors/brands/hafary">https://www.sixides.com/vendors/brands/hafary</a>) for more ideas.&nbsp; <img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1682683819060-minimalistic-kitchen-corner-with-appliances.jpg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> 2. Glass&nbsp;Clean. Sleek. Fresh. Glass lends a modern and sophisticated look to any kitchen while also adding brightness to place. Also highly versatile, glass can be cut to any shape or form such as mosaic and subway tiles. Despite its upper-class looks, it&rsquo;s surprisingly easy to maintain. It&rsquo;s essentially splash- and stain-proof. Any sort of cleaning is just a matter of wiping it with a damp cloth. The fact that it&rsquo;s also heat resistant is just icing on the cake. That said, it is somewhat more expensive than your average tile. And while it&rsquo;s easy to clean, you&rsquo;ll need to be OCD-level diligent about wiping marks off &ndash; &nbsp;dirt, food, and fingerprints, are more obvious than a dog at a cat convention. Also, compared to tiles, glass is more brittle i.e. prone to chipping and cracking. Another factor to consider is the proximity of heat from cooking. There had been reported cases of glasses cracking if there is a lot of heavy cooking. As such, always consider your cooking behaviour before deploying glass as a backsplash. And if your goal is to modernise your space &mdash; from smart lighting to hands-free appliances &mdash; this ties in well with exploring <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/how-to-create-a-smart-home-for-peace-of-mind-in-2025">how to create a smart home</a>, since glass backsplashes work beautifully with sleek, tech-driven kitchen designs. <img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1682683864043-grey-mirror-splashback-black-kitchen.jpg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Photo Credit: Kitchen with stunning toughened grey mirror. (<a href="https://www.imageglass.co.nz/blog/smokey-mirror-glass" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Image Glass</a>) 3. &nbsp; &nbsp;MirrorNeed more depth and light in the kitchen? Mirror your kitchen. They&rsquo;re a lot like glass but a lot better and bouncing light and making small kitchens look huge. They can come in solid, wall-spanning panels, or in tiles of varying shapes and sizes. Love all things vintage? Then you&rsquo;ll love mirrors more; they develop a patina with age. Also, mirrors are essentially glass with a shiny bit behind then, they mirror all the plusses of glass (pun intended) &ndash; easy to clean, and heat resistant. Unfortunately, it&rsquo;s also true that dirt, fingerprints, and grime show up too easily, and it can chip and crack just like regular glass. Grease from the cooking will also add to the list of the chores if you want your mirror backsplash to look glamourous!&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1682683917434-3d-render-modern-kitchen-with-wooden-cabinet-table-design-interior.jpg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> 4. &nbsp; &nbsp;Natural StoneGreat for those who lean towards to the rich and luxurious look. Natural stones include things like granite and marble. And just as you are naturally unique, so too are natural stones &ndash; one single one is alike.&nbsp; As a backsplash, natural stone is perfect &ndash; exceedingly durable and heat resistant. Usually paired as a table top and continuing as an upturn to form the backsplash, the use of natural stone is somewhat of a status symbol, albeit that the use of it is somewhat clich&eacute;. However, natural stone is a bit of a diva &ndash; you need to regularly coat it in sealant. If you don&rsquo;t, it&rsquo;ll stain. And just like a diva, it&rsquo;ll never let your forget how badly you treated it &ndash; that stain will be there forever. For more information on stones, head to our verified vendor Kstone (<a data-fr-linked="true" href="https://www.sixides.com/vendors/brands/kstone">https://www.sixides.com/vendors/brands/kstone</a>) for more ideas. <img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1682684167723-Fenix+NTM.jpg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Photo Credit: Fenix in the kitchen (<a href="https://www.fenixforinteriors.com/en/applications/residential/#residentialdesignstory" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fenix</a>) 5. &nbsp; &nbsp;Matt FENIX SurfacesAvailable in a multitude of hues, the Formica FENIX surfaces are just what you&rsquo;re looking for. We checked in with the brand and asked for their expert insight&mdash;here are a few solid reasons why the seamless Formica FENIX surfaces are such a great choice for your kitchen. This thing is strong and sturdy! The mix of paper and thermosetting resin makes FENIX surfaces particularly durable. &ldquo;During production, heat and pressure are applied simultaneously in order to obtain a homogeneous and non-porous product,&rdquo; she elaborates.&nbsp; &ldquo;The external surface has a multi-layered coating of next-generation acrylic resin, hardened and fixed with an Electron Beam Curing process.&rdquo; While they&rsquo;re all united by strength and longevity, each of the FENIX surfaces has its own unique features. &ldquo;FENIX NTM is an innovative, matt material that&rsquo;s pleasant to the touch and very versatile. FENIX NTM BLOOM addresses sustainability challenges by reducing the amount of phenol included in the resin by 50%. And FENIX NTA is an empowered metal surface that is scratch-resistant, soft to the touch and visually comfortable.&rdquo; For more inspiration on FENIX, <a data-fr-linked="true" href="https://www.sixides.com/vendors/brands/formica">https://www.sixides.com/vendors/brands/formica</a>.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1682684342340-close-up-steel-sink-integrated-into-worktop-modern-kitchen-with-its-steel-faucet-some-apples.jpg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> 6. &nbsp; &nbsp;Stainless SteelIf you&rsquo;re a hardcore chef (or wish you&rsquo;re one), you can&rsquo;t go wrong with a stainless steel backsplash. It looks ultra-modern and exceedingly professional. The best part, compared to all the other choices, it&rsquo;s pretty affordable.&nbsp; In case the name didn&rsquo;t clue you in, stainless steel doesn&rsquo;t stain easily (shocking!). Easy to clean and super hygienic, it&rsquo;s at home even in the busiest of kitchens.&nbsp;Just remember, it&rsquo;s stainless steel, not scuffles steel or damage-less steel. They can be scuffed. They can be damaged. Over time, these thing build up. And the only way to fix it? Replace the whole thing. The other reason one would want stainless? It tends to give kitchens a cold look.&nbsp; Well? That kitchen isn&rsquo;t going to backsplash itself. Get out there and tell your ID you want [insert favourite backsplash material] for your kitchen!

When choosing kitchen backsplash, ask yourself: Are you a Gordon Ramsey? Or a Simon Cowell? [Hint: One of them doesn’t belong in the kitchen.]

7 Red Flags That Scream "Designer Danger!"

The thing about renovating homes is that, unless you’re in the industry, everyone’s a novice. Admit it – you can count all your renovations with only one hand. With that little experience, with a dash of inattentiveness, you are ripe for the picking by scammers.

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