nerrad

stop paying them

what's the floor area of your completed house?

such a small sliding window doesn't make sense.

Has anyone done it before? temporarily?

Hi just wondering if anyone here know where I can find black, or partially black water closets (toilet bowls)? Thank you...

staggering pattern is definitely doable. it's just more troublesome to lay.

it's up to the developer whether they will attend to your special request. They do not have the obligation to do so. Larger projects usually no. Smaller projects maybe.

yes.... because only the surface is polished, and only the polished part will be truly black. the unpolished part, which is the body of the granite beneath the granite top, will be gray... this is normal.

Honestly, the lightings in JB from decent lighting shops will be just as safe. It's only a very convenient excuse from the insurer to not compensate you should anything happen.

Hi Jo77, it's high gloss white PU spray paint.

Gustavsberg's toilet bowls are not too pricey and look good.

Hi! The owner is a big fan of stones and marbles. It's related to his business. : )

Hi all We completed the interiors of a 6000-sqft 5-bedroom bungalow for a couple in their sixties, and would like to share some photographs with home owners and forum readers here at Renotallk. We believe that the information below will be useful for readers who are preparing or working on their home renovation or decoration. The S House is an approximately 6000-sqft partially strata-titled detached bungalow house, sharing a cluster of communal facilities together with the other houses in the residence. Conceptualised for a retiring couple in their sixties, scope of works for this project includes internal repartitioning and interior design for the living, dining, bar, kitchens, four bedrooms on the upper floor, and an external pavilion and basic landscaping. Taking into considerations our clients’ programmatic requirements and their aesthetic preferences, we conceptualised our design interventions as a series of simple insertions that can be clearly differentiated from the other parts of the house that are not intervened (e.g. the bathrooms). These insertions, consisting of a combination of ‘timber boxes’ and full-height vertical planes of various materials, consolidate the different functional needs and requirements at different parts of the house. Referencing our clients’ ancestral roots from the southern part of China, and taking a cue from their personal collection of oriental collectibles, stone sculptures (e.g. image above), natural crystals and other travel memorabilia that are largely Chinese in character, we decided that the interiors ought to be sleek but equally rich in textures, natural in materiality, and subtly imbued with a sense of Chineseness. With these in mind, and as a collaborative process working with our clients’ preference in polished stone surfaces, a palette of muted materials was carefully selected. There is a combination of marble and granite in multiple shades of white, grey and black; high-gloss white acrylic and crystal white glass cabinetry; Italian tiles with faux-stone textures; and bookmatched walnut veneer that provides the necessary warmth. This monochromatic colour scheme is a subtle reference to the shades of grey in Chinese ink wash paintings, as well as the material palette prevalent in traditional Southern Chinese residential architecture, or more specifically Huizhou-style architecture, usually with an abundance of white-washed walls, grey tiles, and timber structures. Setting the tones for the rest of the house, the original entrance door was replaced by a pair of full-height pivot doors in walnut veneer finish. Flanking the sides are full-height marble walls in Grey Emperador, expressed as large planes that are folded and cut short, revealing the contrasting timber texture in between. Upon entering, one realises that the entrance doors are actually a part of the first ‘walnut box’ on the first storey.Large drawers for shoes and the like are flushed and concealed as a part of the timber box. Wall planes in the same Grey Emperador marble extends beyond the entrance to the interiors of the house. Close up of the display niches, expressed as smaller timber boxes within the larger timber box. As our clients generally entertain at the dining room and hardly use their living room, furnishing at the living area is kept simple with essentially one large sectional sofa. A feature wall in bronze-tinted mirrors adds visual depth and interest to the space. Sofa, coffee table and floor standing lamp are from BoConcept. A full-height tv-cum-display shelf divides the large living space into two smaller sections that are more intimate in scale. The double-volume section (as seen in this photo) now works as a cosy family area with direct views to the adjoining gardens. The white open square shelves maintain visual connections between the two spaces, and the TV swivels between the two for additional flexibility. Arm chairs, side table and floor lamp are from BoConcept. Accessories are from Crate and Barrel. A second ‘walnut box’ provides more display niches, while concealing doors to a powder room and a store room. With the removal of a guest room, our clients now enjoy a larger and better-lit dining room with pleasant views to the gardens. On the left, a full-height feature wall in white acrylic finish conceals a large amount of storage spaces while hiding the entrance to the maid’s room. Dining table is custom-made locally in a polished Sea Wave granite finish. Immediately next to the dining area is the third walnut box – a simplified version of a ‘bar’ that combines more display niches and concealed storage spaces with a bar-height dining for five. Custom-made from polished white Arabescato marble, the circular bar table occupies a smaller footprint in the tight space and creates an interesting dialogue with the rectangular dining table next to it. The bar is effectively an extension of the dining room as guests are expected to spill over to the bar, should the need arise. An open dry kitchen next o the bar works as an immediate serving station for both the bar and the dining. Worktop and backsplash are cladded in a polished black marble that contrasts with the minimalist cabinetry in crystal white glass finish. The monochromatic palette extends to the wet kitchen, with a combination of faux-stone Italian tiles, crystal white glass cabinetry, and open shelves in powder-coated aluminium finish. The grey worktop is made of engineered stones. In between the living and dining is an external timber pavilion that provides a shaded patio space for a quiet respite – the fourth ‘box’ inserted on the first storey. Responding to our client’s brief for a traditional koi pond with artificial rock mountains, we counter-proposed an infinity-edged version in polished Shanxi Black granite finish that adds a contemporary and sophisticated touch to the garden. Moving on to the second storey, more colours are introduced to the bedrooms’ interiors, while largely maintaining the same design language and material palette. Common areas outside the bedrooms are left untouched as per the clients’ request. The elder son’s bedroom is an immediate extension of the monochromatic palette from the first storey. Conceptually, full-height grey vertical planes fold and wrap around the room, occasionally cut open to reveal a faux-concrete feature wall, windows, and a white acrylic tv wall (not in picture). The long timber bench is custom-made from locally-sourced retired KTM railway sleepers. Accessories are from IKEA and Habitat. The younger son’s bedroom features minimalist white walls, teak and rubber wood loose furniture, a dramatic muted dark green curtain, and a full-height library wall that also acts as an oversized bedhead. In a grid of cascading squares, white acrylic shelves with a clear mirror backing reflect daylight coming from the only window in the bedroom. Bedding with prints of large tropical leaves was ordered from Society6. Continuing the language of folding planes, a dramatic wallpapered ceiling in the daughter’s bedroom – the smallest of all – appears to fold down and becomes a feature wall for the bedhead. Flanking two sides of the bed are full-height storage walls in white acrylic finish that also conceal the bathroom door. Loose furnitures and accessories in shades of beige, champagne, taupe and off-whites add a feminine touch to the bedroom. Wallpaper with oriental gold brush strokes are from Goodrich Global. The master bedroom viewed from the walk-in wardrobe. In a similar but reversed fashion, a full-height wallpapered plane, slightly folded at the edges, defines the focal point of the large bedroom. Full-height navy blue curtain walls wrap around the rest of the bedroom and blur the boundaries between windows and walls. Deviating from the shades of grey, green and champagne in the preceding spaces, shades of blue on cream give a different character to the master bedroom. The colour blue is specifically chosen, partly due to it being one of the more restful colours for a good night’s sleep, and partly for its symbolic ties as the predominant colour in traditional blue and white Chinese porcelain wares. Rug is from BoConcept. Wall-mounted lights are from Artemide. Nesting circular nightstands are from Crate & Barrel. The master bedroom is certainly the most complicated in terms of the functional requirements that needs to be incorporated. Multiple components, including a TV, fridge, safes, work table, medicines cabinet, a concealed karaoke system, CCTV system, concealed speakers, mini pantry, display of collectibles, dressing table, walk-in wardrobe, storage for alcohols, bags, scarves, accessories and the like, are consolidated and expressed as one large (and the last) walnut box in the room. Entering the box, a pocket sliding timber door in the same bookmatched walnut finish can be used to close up the walk-in wardrobe when more privacy is required. A full-height clear mirror at the dressing table gives an illusion of a larger space while providing a glimpse of the blue-and-cream feature wall at the back. On the far right, walnut paneling hides a concealed door to the attached bathroom. A glass table top at the dressing table is designed for the accessories in the large drawer to be highly visible and easily accessible. While ‘his wardrobe’ of the master bedroom is isolated and placed outside the giant walnut box, ‘her wardrobe’ is contained within the timber box and expressed as a high-gloss white box in the timber box. At the end of the wardrobe, the clear mirror door panels of a full-height cabinet are detailed to work like a giant three-panel dressing mirror. This project has since been featured on Home&Decor Malaysia (September 2016), Square Rooms Singapore (July 2016), My Home Singapore/Malaysia edition (Sep + Oct 2016) and Home&Decor Singapore (coming out soon). Feel free to PM us should you require more information. : )

Seriously's what's the point of getting everyone to PM you for the name. Just announce the name if these are facts.

it's too early.

Definitely get rid of the old paint

It doesn't necessarily mean that the 30K quote will be more superior than the 37K quote, or that the 37K guy is overcharging you by 7K. Sometimes they have slightly different content in their quotation that you might not be aware of.

Yes that's completely possible. In this case, you won't be engaging design and build contractors, or ID with their in-house contractors. Instead, you should look for interior designers who only produce design / produce drawings, find and select contractors (this step may be skipped for your case), and inspect the projects during construction. Please check your PM for more information. : )

ambiguous quotation is a big turn off. it's sloppy to not even mention the type of glass in one's quotation.

Very very dangerous. 5% at the end is NOT enough. They don't need this 5%. That means they don't need to complete your job.

Hi. Please check your PM. There is no such thing as a 'fair' construction value in terms of PSF rate. Without a set of drawings, everyone is just trying to estimate, or making a wild guess, based on rates established from projects in the past. In fact, without any drawings, guessing the cost of a project is so tricky, that an entire profession is established for essentially this purpose - Quantity Surveyor.

i remember replacing the soil to some kind of sand helps. am not botanical expert but heard this from a gardener before. need to dig away 1m of your soil and replace it to something that is not suitable for weeds to grow... not sure if it's just purely sand or something that sand-like...

You can also buy your own knobs and give them to your contractor if you don't want to be chopped by the contractor.

take a photo?

yes brass/metal knobs are very expensive on their own and usually it's not included upfront unless the owner asked for it day one.