The day has come!

Finally after these few months of decisions and decisions and spending and spending, I finally get to move into a place of my own!

Yesterday was shifting day and since I am only shifting very minimal stuff over, it's not really that tough! Reached the house, did some prayers and then started unpacking the bowls and cutlery, washed them and packed into the kitchen. Basically, packed and washed the stuff for the kitchen so as to prepare a simple home cook dinner for the family!

It's simple but still blessed! 

Few more days!

In just a few more days I would have officially shifted to my new home! It's almost all ready, all the furniture are in, the big appliances item are also in.

It's just leaving the final clean up and some decorative work to hide the cables and such! More things to do but they are mostly the minor stuff!

It's been a while but the day is finally here!!

Curtains and Blinds!

Was a super busy and hetic day for me last Sunday! WEnt down to ikea to do some exchange; bought a bedside table at ikea. Met my ID to identify defects for rectification and settled my broadband connection for my new house!

Finally had sometime in the afternoon to make a call to the curtain guy. This guy was recommended by one of my friends who just had her roller blinds installed in July. He's shop is at JB but they will come down to your house to take the measurement, show u the sample and thereafter do the installation. Hassle free, all you need to do is call them and be at your house! haha... I called them in the afternoon, and it so happens that they are in Singapore to meet the customers and so arranged to meet them after their scheduled appointments. Suppose to meet at 730pm but they were late; reached at 8pm. Talked and did the measurment for my 2 roller blinds. And i did it again! Choosed the more expensive material. IT's total blackout with a plastic lining behind, and fabric like material infront. Seems to blend very well with my living room.

THen i enquired about the curtains for my room. Decided to go with ikea for the common room; but was quite interested to do up a full lenght curtain at my own room. Initially the showed me the usual curtain materials, which are mainly a single relatively dull colour which is not what i wanted at all! asked for more colours and they showed me a sample book ; mainly for kids and i saw something that i liked! haha me and the kid like taste! whahah but it's about SGD$200++. Hesitated and decided to just go for the roller blinds.

My aunt was interested in installing the blinds as well, so after my place, brought the curtain guy to my aunt house, and measured her windows for the blinds. she choosed the plain cheaper ones, and it's about SGD$130 for her windows (mine was around $170 for the same size) and she did a curtain (much bigger than mine) for about RM400+. End up talking about my curtain again, and looked through the kids sample again, and i realise the original fabric i chose was not that nice. End up saw a gifrafe's curtain that matches the colour of my room! beautiful. Perhaps i recommended my aunt to him, he decided to charge me cheaper, RM$400 for the curtains instead. Mine was more expansive as i wanted the eyelets with the curtain rod instead of the hook on type of curtains. Decided to go for it at the end!

Paid a deposit, installation next week!! hmmm... hope it all turn out nicely!!!

Almost there..yet??

On my last visit, on saturday, most of the things are completed with the exception of the Platform laminate. The lights are all up, the fan, the grills, and a final cleaning. MOst of things seems ok, but upon close inspection, i can still spot some imperfections.

Listed out some of them:-

1) Loose handle at kitchen casement windows

2) Dirty ceiling in the living room (think due to fan installatio) - some markings can be seen

3) Gate - colours of the flowers are still WRONG!. should be 3 different colours - yellow, blue and green! but it's only 2 colours. Though, i can accept, but still...

4) Window grills - finshes seems rough, not very nice

5) Groove lines for store carpentary - not very even

6) Heater - not connected yet? no hot water

7) Painting at entrance thershold, master bedroom - not even

8) WIndows @ living room - paint spray marks and bubbles from the film

9) CUrtain rods not installed

10) mirror not installed (Masterbedroom wardrobe)

And another thing, hmm.. the living room now seems quite dark. Is it the colours? hmm... it's a offwhite for my living room walls. But somehow the whole room seems dim. Or is it coz of the windows - blue tinted with the frosting film. Not much light can pass through the windows. ANd the LED downlight (daylight) is pretty yellow. so at the end, it seems the whole room is kinda dim.. hmmm.. not the clear white that i like. but doesn't seems to be anything i can do about this. haizz...

now, really waiting for the whole reno to complete, get my keys, and really start setting whatever i need to buy and get the furniture in. ANd of course the curtain and the blinds. Dun want to wait any long. Seems like a long long journey. When is it ending?!?! can't wait for it to end! i want to move on to the next phrase!!!

At the tail end

Works really seems to slow down at the end. True, it's still progressing but at a slower rate. Finally the doors are up, carpentary are up , but the final details are taking it's time. Maybe I'm just impatient but it's ending but yet not ending. Some of the lights are not up, touching up on painting, fixing for the few electrical sockets, the taps, bathroom stuff are outstanding .

True these are minor stuff buy since it's so minor, would not it be better if it's just done? Hmmm

The main thing is my platform laminate... Just told last week it's out of stock and would need a about one mth for the nxt shipment! Haiz.... And the gate's flowers is in the wrong colour buy it's suppose to be rectify when they install the gate. Well hope everything is ready by nxt week and hope everything turn out great... 

I really hope everything to be ready soon, so that I can do my washing up a start my decoration!!

All about plastering!

From initial start, have never paid much attention to the alps, the ceiling and it's roughness vs smoothness. Quite sometime back, the ID did ask me about plastering but then everything looks ok to me.

Just few days back, went and saw the walls and ceiling painted (I really loved the green and the orange!) and against the contrast of the newly painted walls and also the L-boxes and false ceiling, the living room ceiling seems to be very rough and UGLY! And it has never seems that way before! 

Met up with the ID on this... Alternative is either false ceiling or smoothen by plastering but it means additional cost! Decided to take the plunge and Sadi it for the living room ceiling. The rest of the walls and ceiling upon close inspection is really not so smooth but I'll just have to live with it till the nxt round of painting perhaps 3-5 years later! 

Hmmm details details. The small details that never seems important does matters at the end!!

Wardrobe and handles!

The 3d perspective of my wardrobe is finally out. Not too much of a problem, just wanted to change the front panel to the pearl colour and have a dummy door at the smaller panel to make it look more consistent at the front. Design is simple but kind of classic.

But the handles is another story. Wanted to go handless but my id advise me against it. Reasons being that there will e thicker groove line between the door leaves (2cm) and I need to open door 1 before can open door 2. 

With handles, he can do the doors much closer to each other, so it will look prettier. But the handles looks quite out of place with the look of the cabinets. But going through lots is pictures, and I realise the handle he is providing is one of the most widely used! 

Options that I'm thinking of now is 

1) go for a clear / small metal knob 

2) longer handle but more rectangular type or

3) horizontal placement of the handles

Hmmm still churning away... Wonder is it me, or is everyone so particular about all these small detailing? Hahaha 

Lights! Finally Confirmed!

Finally found time to revist the shop recommended by my cousin, and settled the rest of the house lights. Wanted to go on budget actually. Intended to get a simple florescent lights for both the bedrooms etc. but at the end, the glaring tubes stopped me. I simply dislike the 2 bars shining from the lights! AT the end, i chosed the LED lights, with frosted panels which help to diffuse and even out the light. I.e this means that i won't see 2 tubes of lights from the lamp when it's on. And that means more $! Each light set me back by about $200+ while the normal light only cost less than $100. But on 2nd thoughts, i got to be able to live with it right? hahaha.. me and my excuses. Got my simple bathroom lights. A normal fittings with 2 holders for energy saving lamp as well as my kitchen light. Got a super cheap plastic light holder for my storeroom, but now i'm considering changing to a better one.. hahah see if i have time to shop for a better holder. Anyway, after that, went to the shop next door, and saw my crestar fan. Decided to save myself the hassle and just get from the shop. Afterall his price is pretty comparative to the shops i have been asking. Ok! all set and confirmed! now it's for delivery, and installation!

Another round of decisions

Met up with the id yesterday to. Inform on the Aircon, electrical routing, the socket points etc etc all at the house. And as expected, the number of socket points exceeded what was quoted! Hahah means add money again ;( but well, this hopefully will help to save the hassle nxt time! 

Anway after that hour plus session, it's back to his office for more discussion. Confirmation on the carpentary works for kitchen, wardrobe, and my store feature. He's really detailed especially when matching colour, he's really very serious when searching for the right colours to match and so far, the colour combi and advise he gave me are very good advise. Like the colours of the tiles all turned up to have the effect I wanted! So this round, after putting in my input, I again did listen to his advise on the colours and hopefully it will turn up as expected! 

Nxt was confirmation on the doors, gates. Again, his seriousness in his work can be seen. He was really flipping through the catalogue a few times just to get the kind of gate fence I wanted, even after I have already gave up. Hahaha 

So far, so good and hopefully all will be done soon and in good time!

Anyway it will off for my lights shopping again today!

Orange lights obsession

From the start, somehow I just wanted to have a pendant light over my dining table and it just got to be an orange colour light! A simple lampshade that is orange in colour, but I never realise that finding such light in Singapore is actually a tall order! Orange lamp shades is simply unheard of!!!! 

Whenever I told the sales that I wanted an orange colour pendant light, most of them go huh!?? Even when there are, it's either too complicated or the wrong kind!

Was browsing the web and saw my dream light! I simply loved the look of it but when I research further, I realized that it's actually a designer light! It's orange fly suspension light by kartell!!! 

Never heard of it, but on research, only places like the life stores, Rhodes designers shop actually carry this brand!!! Me and my atas eye;( .. Anyway just to try my luck, emailed life story asking if they do carry this particular light and the price.. Hoping for a favorable answer! 

Of not, it's back to my backup... The round, semi circular orange "ball" from ikea!

My Kitchen!

Finally got the 3D perspective drawing from my ID and i Simply Loved it!! It's got the kind of feel that i want! Did not waste the time and effort in the research I've done previously and of course, the many hours (at least 2-3 consultations) with the ID to develope the design into this simple but very pretty kitchen, my kind of kitchen! and with the dining table that i just bought, it would be near perfect!! Now, the only lacking is my orange colour lights.. is it really going to be my ikea light? hmmm..
Floor and wall tiles of the kitchen is almost completed, and the tiles are really beautiful. Of coz with some input advise from the ID, who did advise me against and for certain matching. The effect is really what i wanted. Clean and white, and to me .. just beautiful! Can't wait for the rest of the work to be completed, and with the carpentary in.... can't wait.. getting so excited! Oh, just spoken to him just now, and he told me that the tiling works will be completed by this week! Next week would be the aircon, and the electrical works!!! getting more exciting! hahaha.... Going to arrange for a meet up this weekend, to discuss on the routing and such!!! yeah!

Hommage! My furnitures!

Another busy but productive weekend for me! Went back to my ID recommended lights shop and negotiated with him on the led down lights and the other stuff and finally settled it... May be a bit more ex but within a reasonable range and it's one load off my mind!

And off to my ex-coll's housewarming all the way at Bukit Panjang but was a great gathering but I digress hahaha. After that fun time, went back all the way to hommage at Jalan peminpin. 

Didn't really know what to expect but heard that prices are reasonable with a wide range of nice furnitures. Browsed their web and Facebook and saw quite a few pieces that I like but the looked more of designers piece and looks ex! So I actually went with the thinking of just see see bah, no harm anyway. Hahah

Walked and and realise it's quite a big place with quite a lot of furnitures on display, in particular the japanese's range which really looks good and the workmanship was really good! If only I have the budget for it! Anyway went in and saw the dining table I was interested in. The sales was busy with other customers so I just browsed around and flip through the catelogues available. 

Finally after quite a while, the customer left and Charles attended to us. He was very knowledgeable and shared with us lots of information on beds, furniture and even on Id! In my 2 hours visit, I really learnt a lot and keke even got some "expert" advise from him! Anyway there was really no hard selling and in fact, he keep discouraging me from wasting money on the unnecessary pieces hahah which I am very prone to! Gave good advise on what can fit into my space and what's can't! He felt that the most important pieces that we should spend more on is on safa and bed which is what we will be spending most of our time on, which is very true.. The rest are more of an eye candy! But I love candies though! Lol

Anyway managed to see a tv console that I like and within my budget.. (There were so many that I like! Just that my taste are just too fantastic for my wallet! Hahah) and decided to just place my order with them straight away! Felt great! 

Went back tired but happy, and was chatting the whole night with my mum, and showed her the dining tables and chairs I liked. Mum had the same taste as me and decided that I saw go down again today to get the dining. Hahah so went down after lunch. Charles was there  again and we had another round of chat hahaha and again, my impracticality got pointed out by both him and my mum hahahah . Anyway got my tables, chairs and even sofa today! Hahah now all I left is actually the most important , bed and bed frame! Hahaha already said,I'm not really practical hahaha in fact I really feel like getting the lounged chair and the super big but beautiful coffee table which is really too big for my space hahahah but anyway thanks to the advise not to waste money especially now, I hold misled back!

But I will be back!!! hahahah when I have the spare cash.. And then I will get the good sofa set that I can really lounged on! Hahahaha 

Furniture SHopping

Got so sick of the lights, that i decided to skip the lights and move on to furnitures instead. Budget wise, well i dun have much budget left, and so, as far as possible, spend as little as possible. But style wise, i want something nice, unqiue and suits me. Nothing too dull, but yet, not too exaggerated. SImple but yet not boring. Hahah with these requirements, and the budget constraint, i realise it's a super tall order!

Started going through the internet, forums for recommendations. Went to a few place where they are having big sales (those up to 50-70%) but those are super designer shops! nice beautiful furniture, but even with the discount, it's still burning a big hole in my pocket! Saw an online shop, and it has a dining table and a console i like. The dining table is only $139 but the console is $499. Still wondering if i should take the risk with the online shop!

Came across this shop called Hommage. Lots of good reviews from this shop. ANyway i decided that i shall visit the shop and see how good the pricing and the furnitures are before i make my decision. if there's really nothing suitable within my price range, guess it's either the online shop, or prob, ikea for a temp measure!

HDB Approval

My ID have applied for renovation permit since the mid of June 2014. Got the general permit to start the hacking works for the finishes, but the permit for the hacking of the store wall was pending. ANd it's been 2 weeks! Got a bit anxious and decided to check it out.

Checked on the status this morning, and it's still in PENDING mood! Called the HDB officer who was quite a nice chap. He did a check and called me back, telling me the application is still in the HQ, at the STructural deparment, and i should be able to get the permit by this week.

But guess what? just shortly after he called me around 11am, i did a check again, and the permit was approved!!! haha.. wonder if it's due to that phone call, or it's simply by chance? but either way, it's still a blessing! hahaha

thanks!!!!!

Day 5 - Tiling! & LIghts shopping!

Went lights shopping today, and before that, made a short trip to the flat for a look, and guess what? THere's actually someone there working! On a Sunday Afternoon! Boy, am i amazed! Yesterday morning was all dark, with just screeding, and today, the masterbed toilet tiles and parts of the Kitchen wall tiles are up!

I loved the masterbed toilet tiles! it's so pretty and bright! loved it! as for the kitchen wall, it just looks white! maybe of the lightings. I took out the tiles sample and realise that i can only see the dots under bright lights. SO i gues, only when the kitchen lights are on, will i see the dots on the tiles. other then that, it would be clean and white wall. But well, it still gives of a clean and white look! :)

After the visit, it's off to balestier for lights shopping! Went to the ID's recommended shop the day before to see the lights, but overall, including all the LED lights and what's not, i was quoted a $3600!! It's so expensive. Seems like the pricing is pretty steep. Really know nots about the LED lights, and when i asked around, everyone seems to be different. SOme are china made, some are taiwan made, differnt wattage, and differnt drivers etc etc. it's really confusing. But the ID's quoted me about $85 per pcs for 12w with dimmer. The rest are mostly 9watts, without dimmer. and on the net, saw quite a lot facing problems with defective led downlights, which requires replacement and hassle. haizz... this is really a headache.

As for the other lights, i saw this hanging lights that i would love to have for the living area, but it's $400+++! still considering. Perhaps i shall do another round of shopping at Jalan Besar nxt week before deciding on what i should get.

Day 5 - start of tiling

Decided to do an early morning jog with my friend from my place to my new home! A slow jog of 2.4km which took us about 20mins but the feelings great!

Can excercise and well inspect my new home at the same time!! Reached the unit just before 8am and obviously no one was there yet! Hacking of all the finishes had completed and all the debris had been cleared! Tiles has been deliverd! Saw some of the tiles being soaked in water and the bathroom has been laid with prepacked waterproof screed! Everything looks black and grey! Hahaha 

Door frames have been removed! New frames have also been deliverd! Really can see the progress on site!! 

anyway met up my id today and visited his recommended lights shop... Doesn't seems cheap but yet it's such a hassle to  find my own led lights. His is more exp but it's of aluminum casing and with dimmer... Maybe that's what accounted for the price difference??? Hmmm but it's off  from my initial budget for lights!! 

Anyway I will be visiting more lighting stores tml... Hopefully will get my ans tml!

Cooking.. Cooker.. and the Hob..

Visited a fair sometime ago, and saw this VitreousCeramic Cooker hob by Roman Deli, and that was my very first encountered wtih this kind of electric hob. But it made me decide that I shall have an electric hob at my new place and not the usual tradition gas type. Why? Coz i don't want town gas, with the pipe running into my home, and I don't want LPG gas! haha.... And having a timer for the hob is so attractive, especially with the decrease in memory power lately. BEst to have a "safety" feature and so i thought.

Through my search, and quite a few friends did questioned me, WHy Electric? my Ans : i just want! hahahaha... anyway, after deciding to go the electric way, the next question is what type and which brand?!!? Looked around, and sort of decided to go for Induction. Although more expensive, from all the reviews and renotalk etc, it seems to be efficient. Just as i decided, a friend pop up with the "radiation" question. Induction is via electromagnetic induction (i.e higher level of radiation). And now i got confused all over again. Should i or not? Eventually, i decided that Virtreous Ceramic won. Less radiation risk, can use any kind of flat based pots, and i like the direct grilling function!

Was introduced to the Teka brand by my Contractor, but it was the first time i ever heard the brand. Knew nuts about all these, and eventually i realise quite a few of my friends is using this particular brand and even the reviews on the web was seemingly good. But the price is super good too! more expensive then the other brands, but it's made in Europe (forget where) Sourced around, and so far the cheapest quote i got was $730 for the Vitreous Ceramic Hob.

WEnt to the gym this morning, and managed some time to flip the papers and guess what i saw?? Teka having it's sales! called up this morning and ask for the sales price. It's only $640 all in, with delivery thrown in! Ok, end of thinking. I have decided, shall go over either today or tml to get my teka Hob!!! Yippe!

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And guess what? when i reached the shop the next morning, it's not even selling at $640! it's at $599! No need to think further! Snatch and go! haha ordered my dream hob, and it's just waiting for the time to arrive and for it to be delivered!

Day 1 - Hacking

Guess i'm too excited over this whole reno process! haha. Anyway had dinner with some of my dear friends last night near my new home, and since it's so near, the group of us decided to pop over to take a look. Reached the place around 8pm, meddled with the lock and got the front door open and wow, seems like the hacking most of the floor tiles was completed!

Parts of the kitchen wall have not been hacked. As for the bathrooms, i'm not too sure as i did not walked right in. Too much debris around for safe walking, especially in the dark!

So exciting, to pop in and see different things each time. HOpe for a smooth and quick progress of my dream home!

Finally Got a PLace of My own!

As of 11 June 2014, i'm offically a flat owner! haha... yeah, it's a kind of accomplishment for me. Saved up for a few years, on and off, and finally, early this year, decided to just browse through what's available in the market, and within a few weeks, managed to get a flat of my liking, and that's it, after all the paper work and stuff, i got a flat under my name, and of course, with it came liablities! haha but that's another story!

Anyway, with the flat, next would be renovation! Orignal idea, is a simple basic reno, changing the kitchen and bathrooms, and perhaps, do a bit of re-wiring, and painting. But as i explore the options available, and all ideas available on the internet, my basic simple reno got devleoped as i started having more wants! haha i wanted to create my dream home....

And that's how it all started. Souced for Id/Contractors since early May 2014, and finally managed to confirm the ID end May/ Early June. Got my renovation loan from DBS, but it took about 2 weeks for the cashier order to arrived. But lucky, my ID was quite nice, and agreed to wait for the cashier order and not make me pay a deposit in the meantime. He applied for the permit on the 12 June (the day after my completion) and managed to get the general approval on the day itself!

Work commenced on TODAY! and i only got my cashier order last night. And so I made a trip down this afternoon, to confirm on the windows dimensions, which to keep and which to change, and finally gave him the cashier order!

Hacking has started! Can't wait for my dream home to be reality!