Nicole Chen’s Frustrating Studio Siris Renovation Experience
Singaporean homeowner Nicole Chen - known online as Nicole Liel—publicly recounted her ordeal with Studio Siris, a boutique interior design studio, over her Yishun BTO flat renovation. What began in April with a firm 1.5‑month deadline remains unfinished as of late August, with numerous unresolved issues. A predicament she chose to share in a viral Instagram “home tour” video posted on August 18, 2025, which attracted over 500,000 views Mothership+1.
Key Problems Raised by Nicole Chen
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Kitchen Cabinet Mis-measurement
A newly installed cabinet in the kitchen ended up improperly sized, leaving a conspicuous gap between the backsplash and the cabinet Mothership. -
Oven Cabinet & Ventilation Oversight
The cabinet intended to house an oven lacked proper ventilation. Installers said they were not informed of the requirement—and the provided drawings also omitted the vent. Additionally, the kitchen hob’s clearance at the counter edge is a mere ~2 cm—far below expectation Mothership. -
Faulty Cabinet Closure Mechanism
A concealed cabinet was designed to close when any part of its surface received pressure. In reality, it only closes at one specific spot, revealing poor craftsmanship. Nicole also discovered hidden switches inside this cabinet that controlled lights elsewhere in the home Mothership. -
Ill-placed Wall Switch Impacting Design
A wall switch was installed centrally on a wall where Nicole planned to hang a mural she designed (with help from ChatGPT), thereby obstructing her layout Mothership. -
Toilet Tiling Not Executed as Planned
Despite plans to line her toilet walls with sintered stone, the contractor failed to do so. Nicole resorted to painting boxes black to obscure the incomplete finish Mothership. -
Poor Bedroom Lighting Design
Lights in the bedroom were illogically placed—one directly in front of the air‑conditioner, three clustered around the ceiling fan, and one located far from the fan—compromising the room’s ambiance Mothership.
Homeowner’s Response
Nicole emphasized the emotional and financial toll of the renovation’s delays and failures. She noted that Studio Siris failed to provide a confirmed completion date and gave inconsistent explanations, often shifting blame Mothership.
After posting the videos, many Singaporean homeowners reached out to her, revealing they too had faced costly renovation errors or felt helpless when mistakes arose. Nicole remarked:
“Beyond my own case … how many Singaporean homeowners reached out with similar stories — people who also had to spend thousands more to fix mistakes, or who felt helpless when things went wrong.” Mothership
To push for resolution, Nicole proposed that Studio Siris place an S$25,000 deposit to cover potential rectification costs—agreeing to refund any unused portion—because she no longer trusted verbal assurances alone Mothership.
Studio Siris responded that they are “currently preparing a detailed timeline of events”, requesting that the public refrain from judgment until their side of the story is told, citing behind‑the‑scenes factors not yet public Mothership.