theitsybits

very very nice! i love how the white carpentry enlarges the space and reflects light to keep the place bright. i'm curious which ID did this for u too!

I will try to post up some pictures soon. Hawaii Five O was like a workshop stacked full of chairs and very dusty. It's impossible trying to 'shop' there! It's probably easier to look at their website/catalogue and ask prices instead of going down. There are a few shops around that area, but most of them are really like warehouses and it really takes quite abit to look for things.. I'm quite practical too! I only got plain white plates with scallop edges and a big soup bowl..I liked the teacups there, but find it too difficult to carry back..i also got things like place mats, a bamboo lacquered tray, some bamboo teaspoons and rice scoop, a condiments tray with container, and silk cushion covers from Jim Thompson's factory outlet for the sofa..

i'm very excited too~! but solid top was only measured friday, hopefully it's up by this week..

I'm back from Bangkok and it has been an extremely tiring trip though I managed to get some household items. Bangkok is still so humid and crowded.. I did visit Hawaii Five O and the few shops around that area, but did not get any furniture..most of the household items were from JJ market and Asiatique..I actually backpacked 10kg worth of plates home, because they were so pretty and cheap..I tire out easily after buying some stuff, its really no joke trying to shop with a 5-10kg load when it's do hot and crowded..we barely combed much of JJ market despite spending hours in there..! Meanwhile, the remaining of the carpentry will be delivered tomorrow! They are 2 weeks late and I'm glad that they're finally here..solid top measurements were just taken last Friday, one whole week after kitchen carpentry was ready..I've arranged for lights to be up on Friday..we're left with plumbing once solid top is up and painting.. I would have loved for the home to be ready for cleaning by this long weekend but looks like its not possible now.. Hopefully, there'll be pictures to share soon.. =)

Hmm, it will be quite challenging to buy on taobao without knowing chinese.. I have added the link I bought the white dixon lights below..quality was pretty good..you can try to buy using daigou65, it's quite simple and the correspondences are mainly in english..just register for an account, copy and paste the link below and leave a comment e.g. a set of 3 individual dixon lights and ask them to confirm price and shipping cost with the seller..there are many variations, like individual lights, 3 lights on a rod, 3 lights on a circle plate. http://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?id=10496519267# good luck!

Hee just in time! I'm flying off in awhile and have these places in my list.. Thanks! =D

About renovation cost, IDs and contractors. I've been getting alot of questions about my renovation costs, what's the difference between IDs and contractors, and I'll try to share my take on these: I will share my total renovation cost, but not the breakdown by items since every project is different, and it's not fair to compare quotes item by item. From my understanding, every contractor/ID would calculate individual costs and also ensure that the whole project earns a certain profit margin, usually at least 30%. This is to cover things like transport cost, potential rectification costs etc, and is also why some contractors who charge cheap prices would refuse to rectify works since it would result in a loss. IDs generally charge more than contractors, as they are on a commission based pay package, and provide services such as 3D drawings, space planning, working with you to design your homes. They are also supposed to supervise all works for you and coordinate all sub-contractors and manage the whole project timeline. Having said that, not all of them actually manages your project actively and hardly visits your site or do enough follow-ups! I chose a contractor instead of an ID, mainly because I have not met any IDs who actually understands the look and feel I wanted. Of course budget played a part and I preferred to get more bang for the buck. IDs usually show me a huge portfolio of typical modern contemporary styles which I was trying to avoid. I wanted something Scandinavian inspired, something rustic with some elements of industrial, country and mid-century. Space planning wise, I have more or less decided on what I wanted and just needed someone to get it done for me, unless anyone can convince me otherwise (my mum and orangecrab did). I hate it when IDs try to change my layout, seemingly just to change it for the sake of showing that they contributed to the design process. It went against my basic principle of enlarging my living space visually, and enhance the circulation of air in the home. Some gave me weird comments like insisting on a plastered brick wall looked like the real thing, and asked me if it was because of Fengshui that I wanted my whole living area white. Apparently it seems like white is outdated and boring and nobody does it anymore. There are IDs specializing in my themes, but they are waaaayyyyy out of budget and I didn't even bother to approach them despite knowing that they exist. After many frustrating meetings with IDs who did not understand what we wanted but gave quotations way out of budget, we went to contractors. Mr K was the 3rd contractor I approached, and his quotation at about 40k was pretty competitive all-in, but obviously we chose him for his attitude, workmanship, trust, and ease of communication. We also got a quotation from a relative who quoted us at 'cost', but he charged us 35k after discounts but excluding electrical, haulage, before upgrade of tiles, additional hacking and brick wall, 3 toilet doors and service yard windows. We eventually got the relative to do carpentry on the insistence of MIL, while Mr K did all things else. Looking at how our carpentry went, I can only say that luckily we didn't agree to use him for all our works. The chasing and lack of progress updates and delays would have killed us. My cheapest quote was 33k before additional brick wall, electrical, windows, 3 toilet doors and additional hacking. My most expensive quote came to about 60k. My major works are hacking of 6 walls, flooring for whole house (excluding toilets), 2 brick walls, 1 cement screed wall, overlay 2 toilet walls with shower screens, MBR false ceiling, living L-box, 2 wardrobes, 2 toilet vanity, shoe cabinet, feature wall,~30ft kitchen, electrical and painting for about 40k. In terms of renovation cost, IDs usually cost quite abit more than contractors. Although I've heard instances when IDs are cheaper than contractors, every ID quote was pricier than contractors' quote for me. However, alot also depends on what materials you choose. To keep costs low, you can use laminated flooring instead or tiles or parquet wood or use china solid tops instead of banded solid tops or granite. Also, look at the details of your quote. For flooring and tiling, some IDs price indicates 60x60 tiles up to $2.20 - and this is a huge limitation, the selection for $2.20 tiles is very small and you will need to top-up a substantial amount if you choose say $3.20 tiles. Also, the workmanship for laying 15x60cm wood-grain tiles is more expensive. Carpentry quotations also vary widely, do check the thickness of wood and laminates used, whether you can choose laminates from any brand or only a certain range, what accessories are provided e.g. blum drawers or china-made soft-closing, dish racks and pull-out trays? Do clarify and ask for quotes if you require any upgrades. Also check if electrical is charged by points or a lump sum, if haulage and sand is included. Apart from cost, it's important to confirm time frame. If you IDs are giving you your 3D drawings and quotations late, not answering calls or replying your queries promptly , it may be a sign that your works might be delayed and would be less smooth. Even if prices are right, and you work well with them, can you accept it if your renovation works drag for 3 months or not having prompt updates of your renovation progress? Do also try to view their finished projects and talk to other owners and observe their relationship. If workmanship is good and they are still on good terms, it's a good sign. Do not be too impressed by sales talk, pictures, pretty showrooms and freebies and follow your gut feel! This applies to both contractors and IDs. Personally, I feel that sometimes contractors work with a better and more experienced network of sub-contractors. For Mr K, he does the customer facing and also knows all his sub-contractors very well. In terms of working relationship and experience of how things are supposed to be done, contractor are more hands-on. I've experienced and heard about instances when wants were communicated to ID/coordinator, but it did not flow down to the sub-contractor level, resulting in rectification works and delays. Having said that, I'm sure that there are experienced IDs who are hands-on and work well with their sub-contractors too, and it's better to get some referrals or research on the ID firm before getting them. Do meet up with a few IDs/contractors to get ideas to compare quotes and to find someone who 'feels right' and communicate well with you. If in doubt, it's better to strike them off the list instead of taking the risk. Do keep in mind that contractors are usually chinese speaking, no 3D (unless you request and pay for it) and you have to have an idea of what you want done. Experienced contractors can give you comments or advise, but will not do space planning and sit down to work with your needs and ideas. The pros are getting more value for your money, since contractors do coordination work and gives constant updates nowadays too and are not that different from IDs. It seems like Mr K is pretty busy these days with the 7th month upcoming, and people scrambling to start renovation works before the 7th month starts. But I do like it that he lets his potential customer know that and set a realistic time frame for new meetings/jobs instead of over-promising and end up not delivering on time or quality work. Hope this answers some of your concerns, and I'm going to refer people to this post if I do get similar questions. I will be away for the week, heading to Bangkok with the girls, hoping to find some treasures for my home while I'm there. Will share the shopping list when I'm back, and perhaps answer more questions.

i'll be away this weekend, but should be around next weekend..hopefully by then all carpentry/solid tops are up..u can drop by if you like.. pm-ed i see, is it cheaper? i'm not that inclined to ship big items from taobao as i'm worried abt quality and high shipping cost.. i'll collect my curtains next week, will post pictures and let you know then..i suppose their sewing workmanship should be alright and fabric can't be that bad..but since it's cheaper than the ready-made curtains i get here, i reckon it's worth a try..there must sell blinds too, they sell everything! installation of rods will be done by my contractor, it's very easy, just 2 brackets, curtain goes through the rod and put it up..even the traditional types are just a track with holes for hooks..

yea, it's probably to meet on site.. =) then again, it might be better to meet up with a few IDs/contractors for ideas and price comparison..it's important to be able to communicate and click with someone who will build your dream home..

i forgot to mention alittle trivial which i wanted to share.. Mr K brought pinkwhale to visit my place last Saturday, and we were slightly late while they let themselves in..and when I arrived, Mr K was near the entrance, sweeping my floor very embarrassing, because i haven't swept my floor at all since my husband insisted on cleaning up only after all works are done.. i kept telling him to stop sweeping, i cannot afford to pay him for sweeping my floor! still very thankful to have him do up my place..he's always beaming with pride when he shares his project pictures, and he really takes pride in his work..he refers to his potential customers as 'guests'..he never fails to call back or reply all our questions, and trust me, we've quite abit of questions! no, i'm not paid to advertise for him, and i've paid him quite abit of money instead.. many thanks to pinkwhale for sharing and recommending her contractor!

okay! actually it has already arrived, just that i'm putting off getting it delivered as my place is not ready yet.. haha yar, if the kitchen is all yours, it's easy to maintain it.. i think i'll be the only one using the kitchen too, so i suppose it ain't that bad!

it's really turning out really nicely! =) anyway, did you manage to get anything from bkk? i'm flying there in 2 days and wonder if you've any tips or places to recommend?

i think different people thinks differently..haha..i think if u build your place from scratch and really love your white kitchen, wiping it often isn't a chore..how long does it take to give the surface a wipe? but if you've a whole family staying together, perhaps with a less hardworking maid or other family members who are less enthusiastic about cleaning it when dirtied, can have heart attack if they don't clean it and leave stains..or some thinks, can't see dirty means not dirty and no need clean! the yellowing part sounds logical..but that is the common concern or perception people have about white kitchens..

Buying from Taobao I'm using Daigou65 for buying at Taobao. I have bought quite a few items from Taobao, mainly track and pendant lights. I have also bought a few Phillips downlights, but have decided to buy those from Singapore instead since it's fixed inside the false ceiling and I'm somewhat worried about potential quality issues. I've less concerns about pendant lights since they're essentially a piece of metal. I have also custom-made curtains from Taobao, they will sew based on measurements provided, and it's so much cheaper than doing it here. I have also bought Eames fibreglass chairs from Taobao. However, I have not received them. For the pendant lights, I have received all of them in good condition. Things like Tom Dixon lights, Spinning lights are selling for like SGD$10-$30 each, but shipping is expensive for bigger items, like the big spinning light. Prices are still at least half-price as compared to Singapore. E.g. I heard Tom Dixon replicas are selling for 100++ each, but I got 3 of them for SGD$97 including shipping. My large spinning lights are retailing for 200+++ in Singapore, but I got it for SGD$129 all-in, mainly because of the expensive volumetric shipping fees. I also got track lights track. Everything came in good condition, except the spinning light which I found to be yellowish/cream in colour instead of pure white. Mr K is helping me paint it glossy white. For me, I buy from Taobao with the mentality that it's really cheap, and even if it turns out bad, I wouldn't be heart pain. I was willing to take the risk and ain't that particular about quality. Moreover, the light shops import from China too!So I think that if you have similar mentality and isn't too bothered about quality and workmanship, the items are pretty decent and at least half-price (for the things I bought). I had fun searching for the chinese names of things I wanted to buy, surfing the endless products. Anyway, I was surfing in Chinese, so if you do not have a decent command of Chinese, this won't work! A few tips for buying from Taobao: (1) Find out the chinese name of the things you want to buy. Google translate helps. (2) Surf the first, say 10 pages of the products. Many of them are similar, and there's a range of prices. (3) Try to choose sellers with better ratings, just like buying from ebay. (4) If possible, buy a few items from the same seller and request for them to pack them together to save shipping (5) Confirm volumetric or actual weight before confirming the orders. Due to different packaging by different sellers, you can save quite abit e.g. same item, one seller might pack into 15kg volume box while the other packs it into 8kg volume box. It helps if you have an idea of the prices of similar pieces here, and some items are more worth it and 'safe' to buy from Taobao than others. E.g. Phillips lights do not have much savings compared to Singapore pricing. But if you do not mind their China brands, they are very cheap, even LEDs. But that was one item which I wasn't comfortable with buying online as it's troublesome to change. Will post pictures once my stuff are up!

opps! i cleared it le.. =)

i think what people mean by 'difficult to maintain' is having to wipe them often, since it's visible..so it's more cleaning work to do on a regular basis..some would prefer not to see that it's dirty, so no need to clean at all..that's why low maintenance lor.. my only concern is whether it will turn yellowish after some years..naturally, like paper or white clothes..but then again, that should be many years later.. we've same taste..

hee, it's a matter of preference for me la..cuz everytime i look at magazines, it's the white kitchens that always wow me..i've a vision of bright and airy kitchen, so i was bent on getting a white kitchen..my other alternative was wood grained kitchen and white flooring.. some people like black kitchens or colorful kitchens too, so as long as you love it, that's enough! afterall, the person who uses the kitchen most should be the main decision maker, gives them the motivation to cook more delicious meals.. =D

I've got an open kitchen and dining, got a mitsubishi inverter system 4 with 9,9,9,24 BTU..no separate compressor needed..got it from Hong Liang for below 4k after upgrading the pipes..

hee, i heard that glossy white is quite easy to maintain and sometimes darker colors are as difficult to maintain cuz can see dust and scratches..but ay, i love white kitchens, so it's a sacrifice i must make lor.. still seem like a long long way, even after 2 whole months! enjoy the process, K works really fast and it's a joy seeing the transformation in the first few weeks.. it's still possible to hang clothes on the rack using hangers..i can reach them while standing..just that cannot let it down if they do not rectify the top cabinet.. but yes, i've got a dryer and is used to using it as it saves so much time.. thank you, i love them too..pm-ed.. pm-ed.

thanks! pm-ed.

I realized that i do not have a proper picture of the hideous pipes, especially after hacking..this is the best before and after photos i managed to put together.

Day 62 cont Common toilet vanity also up..we wanted this toilet to be really nice since it's huge..but somehow, i find it a tad disappointing, perhaps the look i wanted needed cement screed/concrete kind of feel..this one felt very ordinary.. and the tiny MBR vanity.. This is our concealed pipes..The tall cabinet has shallow shelvings while the pipes are behind and unseen when i open up the cabinet.. For some reason, the insides look very strange..the carpenter did not saw the wood properly and left them sticking out from everywhere..we wanted to add a metal plate below in case of leaking, but couldn't when the wood isn't level inside!!! the only problem is, the top part is slightly wider and is right beside my hanging clothes rack..which means that I can't lower it down, else I'll scratch the whole top part at the side.. they were supposed to give us full metal drawers, but delivered wooden drawers instead, which is why my drawers weren't fixed yet..not sure if they would change it for us..and i'm not sure if this concealing of carpentry could be changed to leveled insides and flush the sides of the cabinet..otherwise i will not be able to lower my clothes rack..

Day 62 Kitchen carpentry is almost completed! There are a few issues and rectification needed, but otherwise I'm pretty happy with it.. View from the door. The sink, hob/hood and fridge in a row. Another view. The other side is a long counter. View from service yard. The toilet louvre door.

yesss!!! kitchen and toilet vanity done, left with 2 wardrobes, L-shaped book shelf, shoe cabinet and feature wall..still sounds like a lot hor.. pm-ed. nope, this is aluminum but sprayed white..i got the SQM stainless steel sink, 68cm wide..was abit concerned abt white Blanco sink, so got stainless steel instead.. yes yes thanks! finally things are moving again! yes, very thankful for that the ledge is made of half a tile (triangle shaped) and finished with cement..the made a slit in the wall to slot the tile in for support before securing it with cement..i suppose it's possible to get it tiled up too, but they told me it's very difficult to cut the tiles to very small pieces..i don't mind cement finish though, especially since he did not charge me for it..

yes, my pipes were horrendous but they managed to conceal it with carpentry..it's not completed though, will post pictures tonight..