Ely1

Hey JCase, Take a trip down to Ideal Bathroom - Gloria is a joy to deal with and they have a 30% discount if you get 3 Bravat items from different categories, it could even be a $20 door hook to qualify. The seating isn't as comfortable as the Ideal Standard, but try it anyway - it could be my bony *** Felt there was no difference between the Bravat and the Ideal Standard when it comes to flushing as they both use Gerberit systems. They're quite value for money and the sinks are very nice too. - Ely

Yeah, I was complaining to May Dream yesterday about how "sian" I feel. Sigh. Any more sian I'll probably become catatonic. - Ely

LOL! I'm not the one you should be emulating - remember, I'm the one without 3Ds or pics of renovation process? I'll now head off to post some pics of socks I got online... - Ely

I love your space-planning layout too! Looks really clever. I, too, patronised Aron Putt from RT. Not too bad, but we got Mitsubishi systems with free armaflex upgrades. Tried it yesterday and the cooling power is excellent, and was super quiet. We made the steel brackets ourselves though. I have a Samsung for the bedroom and it's really sleek and nice. Everything is "smart" once you know how to connect everything. A lot of free software to even record TV programs, browse TV guides. Your computer needs to be DLNA compliant to make use of all the TV functions. Currently I even use my iPhone to control my tube amp music hooked to a laptop with WinAmp Pro (hate iTunes). Also have an X-Box and PS, 3 media players, 4 computers, NAS, so connectivity is going to be a headache. Not sure how everything will work together but that's another asprin moment I'll undertake much later once the reno problems are resolved. Post updates! - Ely

Haven't heard from you for some time El Loco - welcome back! Thank you for your comforting words. I certainly hope so - it's more than hiccups, more like a perpetual heartburn that even the strongest antacid can't remedy. You're right about how homes are reflective of their owners - that's why we're so interested in seeing other people's homes. Like an insight into a person's personality, and every one is so distinctly different with our personal individual nuances and style. I definitely had my share of it when visiting 55 homes! You're, of course, welcome to the RT housewarming come June - Ely

So, where do I park if we're meeting at MRT station? Or should I head to Friends78 first, then drive over to yours? (can probably only fetch 2 others as our car is small ) This is going to be fun - so many of us! Sleek, Friends78, Sng28, Ugene, Mae, footprint, Marsh, Kobelala (maybe) No kids here, and am not going to antagonise you with Maxey, so it's just going to be The Husband and I. Should I bring something (food/wine etc)? See you Sat!! - Ely

I love how the lights reflect on the ceiling - great choices there! Really adds some interesting depth. Such a beautiful cozy home - Ely

Abby, Day 19 and already planning for mover! That's pretty quick. It really makes me feel like crap when I consider my own situation. Nice paint jobs - I like the contrast of the gray. - Ely

May Dream, you're out of your mind! You're sooo sweet looking, and more importantly, you're such a warm and giving person. Abby is right - don't anyhow say! Silly girl - Ely

Kobelala, Such nice reno progress! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Caboche! I had it in my inspiration book but as things evolved, I got other lamps instead. I'm excited to see your foyer too!! - Ely

Hmm, we got an Ideal Standard for the Master and it cost $1.2k (before discount) as compared to the common's Bravat toilet which was $540. We thought we were investing in something with good Geberit flushing systems etc, but I've tried it and it's really not great. Flushing power was weak and we chose those 1-tick water efficiency ones. Sadness. Feel like we wasted a lot of money. Not even wall-hung, which was what I wanted but plumber said cannot do. A major aesthetic compromise, and it doesn't even work great!! Sigh. Lesson learnt, at quite a cost, like the island hood (Lady R's $850 pretty Hobz hood with installation vs my ugly Bosch for $2.5k with installation). Major sadness. Wish I had knew...We're not even aspiring chefs, or home gourmet fanatics (hi2u Nigella!). - Ely

Hi Hafiizh, Nice to hear from you again! I think too many of you have unrealistic expectations of the house - it REALLY isn't outstanding. All very boring and normal, really. Well, when you come by, you'll find that it looks like any other home you've seen and definitely not one of the highlights on RT (from the top of my head, I can already name several). Will definitely conduct seminar on online shopping during RT housewarming - Powerpoint presentation, take-home notes and Q&A sessions and all~ My HTS is nowhere near the awesomeness of RB's - he has a projector FFS! Our is actually quite an entry-level system. Inclusive of the TV and media player, it's about $7k - remember we got lots of stuff second hand. The real audiophiles have amps that alone cost $10k! Bedroom's "system" is only $1.8K (with TV). Even the KEC guys commented that ours is a very basic, entry-level set up. It'll suffice for us though. We even scrimped on cables (from Audioquest's S$190 for 3x HDMI cables to eBay's S$30 for 4x Gold V1.4 ones haha!). Here's a preview of the art piece I'm going to get : - Ely

Hi knownothing, Thanks for stopping by and showing such interest in a comparatively dull t-blog - there are no exciting show-and-tell sessions like many have, except my mindless rambles I'm glad we're not alone in our impulsive buying. As you can probably tell, I'm a shopping whore and a slave to designer chic. Ohhhh, our pockets are not deep at all. They are more like skinny cigarette pants' pockets rather than cargo pants' ones. Have to really squeeze in two fingers while holding my breath - totally not glam. It's probably why I turn to online shopping more - *some* savings to be made If we share that many things in common, then I'd INSIST that you come over during the RT housewarming! We're always open to making new friends, and sharing so much in common is definitely a good start. If you can make time, do start a blog too so we can see all your purchases! Like you, I find myself with purchases I don't know what to do with! All form, no function! haha The reason why I ended up designing the whole place myself was because I was kinda forced to - I did have a 27-page inspiration BOOK, but we started with selecting tiles, lighting points, etc without 3D designs. I never posted my 3D pics because they're a little embarassing, but will do so once I have pics of my place - it'll show you a better idea why I never posted them. They're not detailed and pretty like everyone else's I've seen here, and everything is inaccurate. In fact, there is so much deprecancy between the final product and the 3Ds that were basically redundant. In fact, we only used the 3Ds to indicate laminate choices as a guide for the carpenter. That was probably the ONLY use we had for it. Meanwhile, the updates will take longer than promised. We can only move in next week. Too many mistakes - the taps are not working, the glass doors are not up, the entire granite top has to be redone and refitted, mirrored vanities are not up, holes were not cut for the master bath's tap, BLUM system for dishrack is not here yet, things have gone missing and needed replacing - backsplash broke upon installation, shower shelf broke during installation, shower arm brackets were missing, light bulbs missing, switches were missing/miscalulated, T5 lights were wrongly calculated and needed to be replaced by some 2ft ones, even my Sony 3D glasses are missing!! The furniture from Hommage is wrongly made, and one side table needs major fixing. I think I've now gone to a place where I'm completely ambivalent. The carpenter blames the ID, the ID blames the granite guy, the plumber blames the granite guy, the granite guy blames the carpenter. Everytime I'm told of a new mistake, I just nod and say "Okay". The Husband has become passive-aggressive so the ID doesn't dare to deal with him. We took leave yesterday for nothing as we couldn't do anything. Once I started on a cupboard, the island hood had to be installed, so I move to the dry kitchen, and the granite guy is there. The whole house is just filled with stuff we cannot unpack and assemble. Once we start cleaning, someone is drilling and whole mess is made. I guess I'm also a lot more understanding. I feel that it's natural mistakes are made, and it's not *all* the ID's fault. He tries his best but there is only so much he can control. I was there when he insisted the granite guy installed the tops on Tuesday, but they simply didn't turn up till Thursday. All that scurrilous phone call exchanges I overhear doesn't help anything or speed anything up. I simply just sigh and say my acquiescent "Okay". So, another week. More than a month's delay. Did I mention the sub-title for my T-Blog is "A Fraught Adventure"? Oh, the irony! THE POSITIVE THINGS - Island hood was installed (though I had to pay for it) - KEC came by as promised and set up the HTS properly. It was the highlight of my day - New couch to arrive May 24, wallpaper to be installed next Friday. - Still winning that bid on the art piece!! - Ely

Had a weird time trying to reply via iPhone earlier, so I'm reiterating: It would be great to put a face to all the names I now find so familiar on RT! We have BBQ pits on the compound but not sure if people would rather be in the comfort of the home. Maybe a Subway fest? KEC came by as promised and set everything up - still need lots of practice juggling the remote controls and menus but watched quite a bit of The Dark Knight and it was fantastic!! The bass shook the entire room, especially during the opening scene of the glass shattering. Quite an experience. Still yet to install the SCV and X-Box. You and your lovely wife are welcome anytime though. We'd love to come for the baby's first month. Thanks for the generous invite! - Ely

That's true, May Dream. As for me - EVERYTHING is for myself LOL! Even the couch and every art piece on the walls. Home is ours, guests can come and either admire/enjoy them, be completely indifferent, or maybe even critical or repulsed. No biggie. We're not seeking to build a home to please others, right? That's why I'm not so enthused about getting a sofa bed for very, very rare overnight guests (perhaps only my Swede friend coming for my wedding). I know I smile everytime I walk along the corridor with the metal art on it That's really priceless! Mine is nowhere near $1.2k though - without shipping, I won the bid at US$80 so got lucky (gallery price at US$1,695). Sometimes when I'm really keen on something on eBay, I stalk and bid on it for months before getting it at a price I want to pay. A lot of it is timing, and you get lucky when the USA listings end at Singapore afternoon - evening time - Americans asleep and cannot outbid you! - Ely

By the time you visit in June should be all done! I'll gladly extend the invitation to all RT-ers interested to come take a look. Mid-June, I'd expect - snacks, drinks and blu-ray movies on the house! It's a little far for most, but I'll provide transport from MRT station okay? Definitely no popiah party as my island is not big enough. Mine is probably more suited for canapes~ - Ely

That $1.2k could have been spent on a really nice couch! I saw some on sale at >$1k at Lifestorey today when I was getting my new couch - you should go check it out. They're made in Malaysia though (but so is mine /shrug). Not sure what I'm going to do with the art piece - may sell it if someone wants it. I paid about US$200 for it (gallery price is US$1500), inclusive of shipping direct from the artist and signed/dated. It's by Vince K and called "MicroNano". The panels are just too narrow for the main living room wall, and the movement not as impressive. It's going to be replaced by another piece by Jon Allen too (the other metal art piece "Crosscurrents") - the colour scheme is definitely different now since we're replacing the grey couch. New couch is a massive 3.2m but we're going to separate the segments and use one for the common bedroom! A lot pricier than Hommage but we love it. I'll post pics of the pre-final reno, and you guys can see if you want it. Eric would rectify the measurements of the cushions to fit the couch and I'm sure it would be a showroom piece for less. We won't be using it either - calling Eric tomorrow to come get it as soon as he can because I really don't feel good using a couch for weeks then asking him to sell it to someone else. Won't be fair to him or the new owners. Besides, I have pets and it's really not the best scenario if he intends to sell it. We'd be leaving it completely covered till he comes to get it. It's really NOT ugly at all - was just disappointed with the wrong measurements and the colour and cushions was not exactly what I envisioned. Eric is really a breeze to work with. Cannot believe how understanding and easy-going he is. Really amazed at his committment to customer service and I cannot recommend him highly enough. Just don't expect the final product to be as perfect as the pictures, and make allowance for delays (no fault of Eric's) as the factory in China don't exactly adhere to timelines well. - Ely

Hi CutieCat, Damage already done, and solace is found in stuffing face. Definitely not going to make Ted proud when I fail to squeeze into first fitting even with 3 layers of Spanx. Super tired nowadays, but I'd have to admit that this is, by far, the EASIEST move I've made in my life (and I've made too many to count). The Husband brought a troop of workers with a lorry and they moved everything! If I were to even look like I'm going to pick a box up, someone quickly swoops down and grabs it from me "Nono, mam, you rest!". It's hilarious, their chivlary. So, definitely rewarded them with lunch, cookies, cold drinks, fruits, curry puffs and urged them to take 15min smoking breaks and lovingly presented my new ashtray for their butts. I also ask them to leave earlier so I can take over the cleaning up after, because they've done so much already. Feel really bad for them sometimes. >< They're all so genuinely nice too. I feel so blessed to be surrounded with people who are honest and reliable and hardworking. It makes all the mistakes and flaws so much easier to dismiss. I'm not as worked up as The Husband about 4-week delay, because I'm certain some things are beyond the ID's control. We can all make immaculate plans but when one person fails to deliver correctly, the entire schedule is upset, and minor mistakes do accumulate and escalate into week-long delays. Will post move-in pics soon, then the final pictures when items are replaced. No tormenting my fellow RT-ers! - Ely

Thank you so much, all! CutieCat: not sure if bathroom doors and sinks/taps (both kitchens and bathroom) are "minor" I expect another week of work to be done but it isn't so bad when you can see the house coming together a lot more. Also sprucing up the wardrobe doors a bit, adding shelves to the study nook in the common bedroom, shower arm etc to be installed in the common bathroom, paint, some outstanding T5 lights. However, we've rolled in the pineapple and announced "WE ARE HERE". Strange customs we have. Didn't know what to do with the pineapple so I gave it to the workers to eat On a good note, the fridge is stocked with beer, and the wine chiller is working its magic on 6 bottles of wine we picked up from NTUC We also have every form of household cleaner conceivable, and the cat litter box stand assembled is sooooo adorable! footrpint: Afraid you'd be stalking the blog longer than humanly possible. Too much work left to take pictures this week. Will wait for new couch and new art piece before the final pictures. But anticipation makes the moment sweeter, yes? - Ely

I post all my purchases so there's no secret! The place is really just very simple - black/white/grey. It looks just like any normal home actually. There's no real stand-out like many homes here on RT. As predicted, very cookie-cutter and boring. Won't be able to live in it yet - all the taps and sinks are not installed yet (except for the linen sink) and there's quite a few outstanding things to be done - no bathroom doors either, or vanity and bathroom mirrors. So it's simply cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. Should be able to REALLY move in next week. :/ NONE of my clothes are even packed yet but I'm super fast at packing/unpacking (great practice from being nomad in Australia) so it's not a problem, just organising where everything goes can be quite head-hurting. Didn't even have time to unpack as they were working on the glass panels yesterday, and we're badly in need of another paint job. Paint chipping everywhere from masking tape removed. Now we're hunting for a new sofa. Cannot live with the current sofa, and Hommage was soooo accomodating. Really need to give Eric credit for his kind understanding and great customer service. Full refund and we can use it for several weeks till we get a new one too. Cannot be more pleased with how it's turning out. He's also going to fix the outdoor bar table (extending it by 20cm to make it 2m long) and we're still waiting for our partition shelf from Hommage. Lead time for a sofa takes a while though, so hitting Lifestorey early and picking a sofa! We also liked another at FC at IMM but IMM suddenly seems so far...This time, I'm picking a sofa I've actually seen, sat on and felt! The main art piece from Vince K is also a disappointment. Am going to buy another - the Virgo in me cringes everytime I walk past it. Hmm, it's not like the picture depicted - the panels are too slim, it's much smaller than expected, and the movement from the metal just falls flat, especially when compared to Jon Allen's. I guess you win some, lose some when it comes to online shopping. Don't get me wrong though, it's still a pretty piece, just the narrow panels makes it look weird against the main living room wall. Fret not, my friends, I'm already bidding on another piece I'm adamant to win! More updates soon - Ely

Hmm, no such luck for me. They said I have to pay for it since they don't know how to do it. Will bring it up to my ID and sees what he says. - Ely

Thanks guys! No, May Dream, it's as cookie-cutter as I expected! But at least it's lasting (ie. boring). >< The main art piece is a little disappointing, definitely Jon Allen's is much better. Quite a regret. The pictures make it look bigger than it really is~ And I like keeping the best for last, just like your secret $1.2k purchase!! Well, in all honesty, it's just that the place is in a huge mess and I hate taking less-than-okay pictures. There is simply boxes, mess, more boxes, clutter, tools, more mess. Nothing worth taking! Can't wait to get in there tomorrow to clear everything up so I move my clothes in mmmm Looking at the shoe cabinet, I'm thinking I have to throw away more shoes than I anticipated. Sigh. Guess the hoarder has got to be practical~ Only pictures I've taken are those that demands rectification, like the bar stools that cannot be fit under the table - length AND width size. SIGH. Btw, did anyone have problems installing their island hood? Bosch gave me an installer to call, and it cost $400! The carpenter and electrician can't do it because it's an island hood instead of the slim chimney type. - Ely

DAY 80 2nd acid wash today and the whole place seems to be coming together WE'RE MOVING TOMORROW!(somewhat) Many, many more rectifications to be made - glass doors were wrongly measured so common bathroom has NO doors, painting touch-ups (someone actually used a blue pen to make all sorts of diagrams on the painted walls!!?!?!), all Hommage furniture needs to be changed (this will be included in my post-reno report), granite tops were cut wrongly and the taps cannot fit, save for the linen sink), mirrored-cabinet yet to be installed in master bathroom, faulty/missing lights have to be replaced, brackets for shower arm missing, glass shelf in common bathroom broke and has to be replaced. Tomorrow, we'll simply be moving the purchases that's hogging my parents' spare room to the place, after throwing in a pineapple (yes I know how ridiculous that sounds, perhaps I'll roll several canned ones in too for good measure), and do general cleaning of the house. The balcony glass and curtains will be installed, and will only start moving in personal effects like clothes on Sunday. Need a trip to NTUC and Ikea/Daiso first. It's going to be a loooooong day. Bondi and Maxey will move in Sunday too. Expect pictures next week I like photographing only in its near-finality (Virgo lah~). - Ely

I may be biased as the dog is unneutered (huge advocate on sterilisation), but the neighbours aren't friendly either. When they were moving, their dog ran into my house several times while I was cleaning, and they didn't once pop by their head in to apologise etc. Simply screamed for the dog at the stairs and ignored me. When their contractors were harassing me (making stupid small talk, deliberating hanging outside my door, waving etc), The Husband called the MCST to send a security guard over, and instead of apologising or anything, they simply said it wasn't one of theirs. Well.. the entire block has only 6 households (2 per floor), so only 3 others would pass my landing, and they were the only ones moving/having renovations, so... The dog barks everytime he hears someone out at their balcony, and they don't care to shut him up, or bring him into the house. Oh well. There's also a husky who howls every evening in the most eerie tone ever, but I'm more sympathetic than annoyed. I just hope Maxey won't participate in the barking matches because I know I'm the sort who would stop that behaviour for the sake of the neighbours. Here's My Main Man Max: - Ely