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!