SINGAPORE OUTSTANDING ENTERPRISE AWARD

Summerhaus D'zign Pte Ltd

A house is an abode, where one unwinds and feels completely at ease in. It is within the rights of a homeowner to exercise his/her own individuality into their homes. It could be a walk-in wardrobe to postmodernist exposed piping – the home is built for its owners’ preference.

Despite that, many homeowners are finding it difficult to implement their dream décor into their homes. There may be myriads of reasons for that, be it in the sourcing of materials, right down to a clash of aesthetic direction. Creating personalized luxury is thus something that gave birth to the idea of Summerhaus D’zign Pte Ltd.

Founded by husband and wife team, Larry Lim and Jess Koh, Summerhaus has been providing clients with their unique brand of interior design consultancy and renovation services since 2012.

Going back to the beginning, Larry mentions that he was working as a banker, while Jess, who has been an interior designer for ten years – decided to start their own business.

“It was a natural progression for the both of us. We really couldn’t see ourselves working (for someone else) for the rest of our lives,” quipped Larry. Larry elaborated that after taking a Master of Business Administration (MBA), he felt that his job at the bank has hit a plateau. Thus, his alternative was to take a chance and start up a business with his wife.

During that time, the couple had a lot on their plate, as the company was incorporated a few weeks after the birth of their second child. This posed a huge gamble for the couple, as they decided to give up a stable income in order to start up a business of their own.

On top of having to support a young family, both Larry and Jess had to multi-task and overlook every aspect of their new venture. In order to handle this, they said that they had to take into account the time management factor. Furthermore, they had to limit the amount of projects that they take on.

When asked about brand differentiation, Larry says that Summerhaus D’zign specializes in private residential property. In this case, since the founding of the company, the company has set down a clear market position.

“Personalized, valued services – client-centric approach; not taking more than 3 projects per person at any point in time,” summed up Larry when he was asked to talk about his company’s philosophy.

In addition, the company also stands by the ethos of “Bespoke. Novelty”. They believe in customizing their design in accordance to their clients’ wishes. Jess and Larry both believe in the idea that a home is a sanctuary for homeowners, and will attempt to create a dream home for all of their clients.

Already with an eye on the future, Summerhaus plans to create growth for both manpower and organizational structure. Additionally, they also plan to take on a bigger portion of the projects from Good Class Bungalows (GCBs).

Furthermore, they also plan to take on more overseas interior design consultancy projects, more specifically, in countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia.

Larry says that his biggest source of motivation comes from customer satisfaction. He goes on to elaborate that this is a sign that customers value the work done by Summerhaus.

When asked about the origin behind the company’s name, Larry said: “We wanted to come up with a name that is easy to remember. Summerhouse relates to a vacation place, it sounds cheerful, happy, and positive.”

Larry is very glad that he chose to start a business with Jess. He says that they wanted to become entrepreneurs because it means that they get to choose a path for themselves. Additionally, it also allows them the rare opportunity to grow and work with like-minded people. All these allow them to grow both professionally and personally.

Perhaps the biggest driving force behind Summerhaus’ success is the fact that both Jess and Larry are devoted to their children. Larry says that starting a business will give their children a chance to get a head start in life.

He also talks about the most important thing he learnt from being an entrepreneur. He says that qualities such as patience, vision, empathy, and respect, are the major tenets of entrepreneurial disposition.

All that being said, it would not surprise anyone to see the level of success achieved by Summerhaus. With their vision and ethos in place from the beginning, Summerhaus is a company that has engraved their trademark in the world of interior design.