adrian_john

CARPENTRY UPDATE - 14 to 18 SEPT Most of the carpentry's up and assembled. Just a couple of minor details on the insides left, plus another console/drawers for my parents' room. The kitchen cabinet's almost done up as well as the vanity tops for both baths, but haven't taken any pics of those as yet. The 'Invisible Grille' vendor should be popping by this afternoon to do up the balcony grille. Final coat for parquet will be settled tomorrow. We've more or less confirmed a move-in date - We should shift in by 3 October. Shoe Cabinet at Foyer MBR Sliding Door Wardrobe Swing Door Wardrobe for my Parents Swing Door Wardrobe in the 4th Bedroom - To be used for Kids and Misc stuff.

Ahahahaha .. you all **** cute lah! *Add on by sparying more air freshner* At this rate, we all get poisoned by both bawu and air freshner! Ahahahahaha!

If I recall, if you terminate during the period where the maid is still repaying the loan, I believe you'll have to give her back to the agency, where she'll be classified as a 'transfer maid'. While the agency seeks to get her a new employer and find you a new maid, you'll have to pay a daily rate for her accomodation/lodging via the agency. Even if the maid has paid up her loan, the arragement is similar if you return her to the agency. Or alternatively, if you choose to send her back, you have to pay for her air ticket if she goes back under the agency. The best way is to have the termination come from the maid herself. If she wishes and makes the decision to go home, then its no issue. She buys her air ticket (or out of goodwill you can always buy it for her considering budget airways quite cheap these days), then the contract is terminated by mutual consent and she goes home. Just ensure whatever salary she is owed is given to her. There is no need to involve the agency in this process. But this is provided the maid has already paid up her loan to agency. Thereafter, you just need to terminate her work permit and you can look out for the replacement.

PJ, if you need a recommendation for good indon maids. Let me know. I pass you a contact.

Blackcar, you can contact Certis Cisco or other private companies for what you described. I'll check for you on any recommended companies if you'd like. Some companies do set-up systems at reasonable rates too. A typical set-up usually involves a DVR unit that has from 4 channels upwards in multiples of 4. As such, a single DVR unit can accomodate up to 4 camera units. Usually 4 is adequate for a typical apartment unless you wish to add on more. If you want the web access, there are some additional components involved. From the DVR (storage media is a hard disk drive), you can hook it to a computer or even your LCD TV. If ou want to get the appropriate coverage I believe there will be accompanying software/controls to scroll through and record or save. The normal package goes with the DVR unit and 1 camera (incl installation etc.), that's abt 1+K, thereafter any additional camera units will be around $200/unit. Web access unit will be separate cost. You can check with them on the most up-to-date cost. Also, when getting a surveillance system, do also check if there's charges for testing and commisioning. Some things to note with regards to cameras. - The norm for installation in the house is at an angle which can capture a wide area. These should be the key areas that you'd have concerns over (be it for safety against theft, entry/exit points, monitoring of maid/children, blind spots etc.) - If you intend to put it in the rooms and even bathrooms, do bear in mind privacy issues in terms of both yourself/own family as well as guests/visitors. If you will have the latter changing in rooms under ongoing surveillance, please do inform them to take note as this has legal implications. - If you are living in HDB, note that by law, you are technically not allowed to conduct surveillance on common areas outside your unit lease line. However, in some cases, where people want to survey their entrances. The camera has to be deployed from within and angles adjusted accordingly to the entrance point. For private residential areas, you'd need to check with the MCST as there are different rules. Some private estates/condos already have surveillance on common areas, so you need not affix a unit at that point. - The camera units supplied are usually visible dome cameras. If you want those pin-hole types, only some private companies can do that. And this again, has legal implications pertaining to privacy issues. - Installation will involve quite alot of trunking and wiring. If you're having a false ceiling, its best to run it under before putting the false ceiling up. Otherwise, if a false ceiling already exists, you'd have to make openings and patch it back to ensure neat running of wires/cables and minimise visible trunking. Hope this helps.

Aiyah, if Angkor Wat look so old and rustic still can get UNESCO World Heritage Award. What's wrong with old look right? Haiz ..... some people just know it all don't they? Geez....

You are indeed a very 'colourful' character I'd have to say. But I think somehow from your posts, you somehow seem to lack some real 'colour' in your life.

Thanks Reiki! Yup, we're pretty excited, but at the same time stressed. Haven't exactly started packing but I think once most of the carpentry's up this week, we'll swoop in and do some fast cleaning of the wardrobe interiors, so in the evenings after work I can start bringing over some stuff bit by bit to fill the wardrobe and some miscellaneous items into the store. We still need to get a lock, lever and dead-bolt set for the main door ASAP by today. Not to mention, bathroom accessories as well. Looks like this evening will be a major rush-around.

Dyleen, good idea with the change of colours for all seasons. Gives some live and more refreshing changes to ordinary switches.

Actually its quite nice leh the flourescent pink! Then again, maybe I never look at it for too long. But I guess red is nice and more subtle lah. Would blend well with your Barca chairs and the red/green theme for your main door. Have you made a decision on your door design yet or not?

Eh, if call you kopi siew tai, then your name totally change liao leh. Kopi siew tai means coffee with less sugar right, whereas kopi o is kopi without sugar hor? Wah, wait your wifey complain you're not 'sweet' anymore! Ahahahaha! Wah lau, where got buy whole shop? A couple of drawers only mah! Er, actually hor, my lady boss today went to the store and got another 3 more leh ... Kekekekekeke! She ar ..... Hey, nice work with all the switches! Really makes alot of difference and 'spice' up the colours in your house! No worries about taking up my blog space. I think you should create a link to those demo posts so that other people can benefit from your DIY 'tutorial' also!

Lord Vader and Kopi: Just to give you some feedback. I met the 'Invisible (Grille) Man' this afternoon and saw the sample of the gilles. Essentially, its framed in powder-coated aluminum, while the internal grilles are made up of a single tensioned stainless steel cable that will run through the entire grille. There's the option of putting stiffeners in between to make it extra taught if you require. Just to give an estimate, an entire set of 'Invisible' Grilles for the a unit like mine - i.e. 4 bedroom and a balcony will cost about $1.2K. Security-wise, its not exactly ideal - The salesperson said so himself. I saw the sample and thought I could probably snip it off with some heavy duty wire cutters. I'm not so worried about this aspect cos' my unit's and balcony's on the 21st floor and the thief would need to repel into the unit to get through. Anyhow, just for everybody's info, even the standard normal aluminium grilles are easily broken into as demonstrated by a window grille salesman I met a few months back, unless some additional safety locks and catches are installed.

CARPENTRY INSTALLATION - 15 SEPT Here's some pics of the carpentry work in progress. Whole house now is full of the loose bits of our carpentry. I must say, so far the installation's been quite fast - The kitchen cabinet and tall cabinet's shell's in place, so is the shell of the Living storage, Main Wardrobe and both bathrooms' vanities. I think they'll be doing the other 2 rooms' wardrobes today. Carpentry bits all over the Living Area The shell of the main Kitchen Cabinet and Tall Unit

Thanks Rondy! Like I mentioned lah, although we chose all simple downlights, we thought maybe having one of those effect lights will help break the monotony and make it more lively and not so boring. My little son likes the light - Very thrilled at the patterns. Ya, I also call Coffee_o Kopi .. easier lah!

Thanks Skyblue. Hoping for it to be completed soon. Then it'll be the next stage of rushing with cleaning, packing and moving.

Kopi, thanks for the tips on invisible grille. I think I'll try contacting them to see how it works and also get the cost. From the web it sure looks quite good in minimising the blockage from grilles.

Ynove, good choice of lights. It looks really unique and glam! I was at Marxx on Sunday but didn't see this set of lights though. Actually, alot of the bigger stuff like furniture/shelves/sofas at the Marxx store has already been sold. Only the smaller stuff remain.

I believe stainless steel is a cheaper option compared to tempered glass backing of course. But naturally, the latter looks better aesthetically and you can play around with colours too. (e.g. KTHC's blue glass backing).

Hey, no hor, I very neutral one leh. I even back you and encourage you to snap nice pics to prove people wrong somemore leh! Even if u pose I offer to touch up and 'enhance' you somemore! Where got other people so good to you one leh?!

Ya agree with Dyleen Kopi. For the kitchen, go for a full red glass backing. The look will be really sleek compared to mixing s/steel backing with red tiles. Also, glass is relatively easy to maintain.

Congrats Pronto! A very beautiful house you've got there. Very nicely done up and stylish!

Yes, its an even bigger pain when people who arrow you to go don't even tell you what you have to do and what your inteniary is! For regular cooking, have you perhaps considered glass backing instead of tiles?

Yup. If I could have it my way, I'd do without the grille anyday lah. But since we're above 20 storeys. Better not take any chance lah. What we did was to settle for a grille which somehow looks minimal and tidier so as to minimise the 'eyesore'. We initially wanted just a s/steel frame with thin steel cables across (Like what you see between some stairs), but somehow this would've cost us quite abit. So in the end, settled for wrought iron with flat horizontal 3mm bars staggered at 4 intervals to minimise view disruption.

Haven't gone yet though. Quite annoyed about it at the moment cos' this trip is rather last minute and the people who 'assigned' me aren't exactly giving me any details of the arrangements. They're quite disorganised and messy. I'm supposed to go for 1 day this week for pre-trip recce, and then for next weekend from 24 or 25 Sept; which is quite bad cos' that's when we're supposed to be cleaning up and preping for shifting. Haiz ... If your kitchen's gonna be black/silver, the red will definitely stand out more. But it will be very striking. The other alternative for a black/silver theme is like what ripples did, which came out quite nice. I love the infinite possibilities of the word 'abstract'. It can mean anything... from the good to the bad to the ugly.

Pose! Pose! I support! You want me to help you take picture or not? Maybe can even help do some 'enhancements' with Photoshop also! Transform your image to be the next idol liao. See Here