Unfazed, calm and cheerful, nothing is too challenging for Raymond
21 February 2022
When we say that Darwin Interior has over 23 years of experience in interior design, our experience is merely second to our Chief Project Consultant, Raymond Lim (Bendemeer Branch), who has handled the toughest and most challenging projects throughout his 28 years of experience in this industry. We find out why Raymond persistently chose to pursue his passion in interior design despite facing maybe setbacks not just at work, but also in life.
Why did you join the interior design and renovation business?
I was deeply involved in the regional sales development of a mechanical engineering firm, but deep down inside, I was looking out for something more creative and challenging – a career that would provide me with a sense of accomplishment apart from chasing sales figures. My brother was roped into an interior design firm and I jumped at the opportunity to join him at creating dream homes.
You must have seen through a lot of challenging renovation projects. Can you share with us one of your “unforgettable memories”?
We usually tell our customers that a standard renovation project takes at least six to eight weeks to complete. At two points of my life, I completely lost track of day and night when we clinched two commercial projects that had a strict timeline of one month’s completion. One was a hotel, while the other was a space that spanned over 50,000 square feet. There was no shortcut to completing the project, we had to manage the subcontractors schedule very tightly, and convince all of them to work overtime…it was a crazy time for everyone and at some point of time I felt like I haven’t seen my family for many days because I only reached home in the wee hours of the night.
How did you cope with these stress and challenges?
We worked hard but we played equally hard as well. Between the staff we had many bonding sessions during the off-peak seasons and also went on overseas trips together. I also picked up bowling as a hobby and managed to hone my skill in it, clinching 2nd place once in a national bowling tournament during the peak of my career.
From your rich experience what is some advice you would like to share with us?
Home is a feeling, it is not about extravagance or trends, but how we design the home to give our homeowners a sense of belonginess, a bit of a personal touch and a comfortable space to share with their loved ones.
