30-04-2025
Raising standards for interior designers
PSST, are you an interior designer? Did you know that non-existent regulations allow you to call yourself one even if the only project you did was redecorate your own bedroom? Much to the chagrin of professional designers who have undergone the rigorous channels of education and practical experience, such is the scenario in Singapore. Influencers, renovation contractors and even homeowners are marketing themselves as designers, creating an industry prone to unscrupulous players who prey on unsuspecting clients.
Such is the problem that the Society of Interior Designers Singapore (Sids) faces as it enters its 30th year with little headway made in raising professional standards, including a government-supported but voluntary accreditation scheme that has seen slow take-up. Complicating matters is the existence of other professional bodies, and a public that is not familiar with any of them. So, what needs to be done for a fragmented industry that suffers from a less than stellar reputation? And what can established designers do to protect their craft and reputation? In this week's BT Lifestyle, we speak to Sids and other stakeholders to see what lies ahead.
Still on the topic of home design, we visit a long house. Literally. At 10 m wide and 53 m long, the architect of this semi-detached house created courtyards and added lots of green spaces to break up the length and provide privacy for his clients, a family of five.
In the Arts, a new art show opens in an unlikely space – a former World War II bunker hidden under Fort Canning Hill. And in Dining, the concept of Spanish tapas and Japanese izakaya come together in a compact package at the new eatery Humo in Keong Saik Road.
For all this and more, don't miss this week's Lifestyle coverage in BT.
