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Reno part 2 completed My simple self designed book case is up! Happy with the raw plywood trimmings with no laminate. The carpenter told me that he had to saw the wood 8 times!

Thanks for the very kind words Tripper!! And is that the old SBC sign as your avatar? Brings back very fond memories I must say. To be honest, most IDs out there seem like contractors to me. They are good in terms of giving you some practical tips, but when it comes to design, there are only a rare number of ID firms out there worth giving a "design fee". And they are usually pretty **** expensive. Since it sounds like you already have your design in mind, I guess no harm going to a contractor. Any intention to set up a t-blog?

why would you want your bathroom to look mouldy? haha. But yes, it gives a very nice rustic and worn look for sure You know, when it comes to reno, what to do and what not to do is largely a subjective choice. The owner has to be careful not to listen too much (or too little) to the contractor because what they suggest could be motivated by a few things: - too lazy to go and source for things and liaise with other contractors (where they earn v little relative to their efforts) - suggesting something you don't really need which will boost their profits - their lack of confidence to carry out a piece of work Of course, there are the good ones who actually tell you as it is - all the advantages and disadvantages of some of the things that you want. As long as the contractor is able to substantiate his reason for suggesting something to you, then that's ok. In your case, I have a bit of problem with the contractor saying that it's a waste of money. What is considered a "waste of money" is really up to you. If you feel that you will derive that much more pleasure by having the glass doors (and provided it is within your budget), then who is to say it is a waste of money cos to you, that would have been money well spent. Put it this way, if one wants to be really an*l about it, one can view a renovation as a complete waste of money, especially if the house is in a "move in condition". BUT, why do people still pour so much money to do up their homes? It's cos they see the value in moving into a place which they can truly call their own. Of course, we cannot then treat that as a license to overspend. With all things, spend within your budget, where some have the luxury to have a bigger budget than the rest. It's all relative. Whatever the case, ask for what you feel will give you as the home owner the most pleasure when staying in your own home. Remember at the end of the day, your contractor isn't staying there - YOU are. Glad you like the stools! The stools and sewing machine legs are both from Second Charm. We intend to use them as a vanity stand! Interesting eh? *edit* oh yes we don't exactly have a firm handover date yet because even after we've done everything, we still need to wait for the contractor from Closet Design to come fix up our walk in wardrobe before our ID comes in to do the touch ups etc. We are targeting a mid Feb deadline for all this to happen. Won't be able to make it for CNY i'm afraid!

For people who are looking for budget sofas - ikea is the way to go - esp mid-century/scandinavian designs But of course we want something unique and special, with minimial inconvenience and effort to customize We also don't want people to recognize that it's from ikea Some ideas to share: 1. Change the legs. Site here. They create legs specifically to fit ikea furniture 2. Change the fabric. Site here. All customized to fit ikea dimensions Yup that is an ikea sofa with a bold, repeating bird print heh