tristesse

Hi blossom0501, One way to save a bit on mark-ups would be to engage your own roofing contractor instead of letting your ID handle the co-ordination. After all, roofing works is pretty straightforward and just takes 1-2 days. That's what I did to save some as well. My roofing works (clay roof tiles, painted grey) cost $1.8k and the workmanship was pretty good (even my main contractor commended the finishing!). Btw, if you are erecting the roof at the balcony, then wouldn't it make sense to do away with the balcony doors since it would break up the space even further? Unless of course you don't intend to have windows in place (which would mean that the massage chair would get wet!).

RENO DAY 33 - Carpentry In Progress The skeletons of our wardrobes have arrived. We popped by late yesterday afternoon to be faced with wardrobe doors and rows of wardrobe structures. Wallpaper style laminate for my 9 ft wardobe. M's 7.5 ft wardrobe will feature the same print, but in white. Wardrobes awaiting installation - they have all but filled the master bedroom. Most should be in place when we check back tomorrow evening. Can't wait to see the finished product! Partition wall for the under-stairs storage space up, and the staircase railings are now a glossy black instead of the former dull chocolate brown. What difference a paint job makes! We were surprised to see the skeletal structures of our kitchen cabinets (with one section already in place) when we dropped by to show some family members our new home this evening. They must have been delivered in the later part of last evening. Talk about working overtime!

You can always consider a free-standing one - the new generation of bathtubs are lightweight enough to be shifted around for washing.

Thanks for the thumbs up! Am very relieved now that the sanitary ware is installed in the master bathroom and there's still space event with the chubby bathtub. Whew!

Heh. Actually, after scrutinising the tile pattern and compared it against the combi displayed at the Hafary showroom, I realised that to get the damask pattern to match, the will have to placed as a mirror image vertically - i.e. the top tile upright with the flower petals pointing upwards, and the bottom tile placed upside down, with the flower petals pointing downwards. Oops. Anyway, I can live with this imperfection (the print just hits you in the face and it's not noticeable unless you look at it from a photo) - it was partially my fault as well - I told them to lay the tiles with the petals pointing upwards.

RENO DAY 32 - Doors Installed The main door gets a new look with black wrought iron grills. The door will be painted a matte white for contrast. Classic doors installed for all rooms - they will all be painted white. And the bathrooms no longer look so bare with basins, and toilet bowls installed. A gold baroque inspired mirror over the mini basin will complete the look. A close up look at the claw leg of our Bravat acrylic bathtub, purchased from Ideal Bathroom. Carpentry works will commence on Friday. Things are really progressing fast! Defects (the laminate flooring on the staircase) spotted by our contractor are being rectified concurrently.

It uses one bulb, and yes, it allows the use of standard E27 base energy saving bulbs. I'm using an OSRAM 60W one.

Heh. Actually, it's the tile supplier's fault! If you notice, the print on each tile is exactly the same. So looking at the manner in which the print is cropped at the top and bottom edge, there's absolutely no way they can match (and cutting the tiles to ensure they do is such a waste!).

RENO DAY 21 - WE HAVE LIGHT! Finally - we're now seeing light, even in the dark, after a month of renovation. Most of our light fittings, with the exception of the bird cage and gold leaf chandeliers, have been installed. We're still hunting for a suitable light for our master bedroom - hopefully we'll find something unusual in BKK. Guest washroom - Rimfrost pendant lamp from IKEA, $25 Balcony - Rustic white wall lamp from Hing Yuen Electrical Co, $40 Kitchen - Fado pendant lamp from IKEA, $49 and rectangular box light (2-tube) from Lightology, $140 Our upper storey also sports a new look - check out the completed laminated flooring. Window grills have also been installed, as well as our first door - the bifold door for the guest washroom, in black and white (but of course) to complement the interior. Works in the pipeline for the week ahead: - Installation of sanitary ware - Installation of doors - Carpentry works Our furniture and electrical appliances are scheduled for delivery on the 3rd Saturday in November and we target to complete all works by 20 Nov to ensure sufficient time for some fastidious cleaning.

Do check out the Chesterfield from Asenses as well. They have a gorgeous Chesterfield there for $1.9k (3 seater, leather). It looks a little more glamorous than the one from HN, thanks to the gold trim (the gold ball chain that trails around the bottom half).

RENO DAY 23 - PAINTING & LAMINATE FLOORING It's close to a month since we embarked on our reno and the main works are almost complete: 1) Hacking 2) Wet works (tiling and plumbing) 3) Electrical Rewiring & Air-con 4) Roofing 5) Windows 6) Painting 7) Laminate Flooring (50% complete) It fills us with such joy to see our house slowly transforming into the home that we envisioned. Laminate flooring on the stairs up to the bedrooms will lend a warm, cosy feel. Lined up against the wall all ready to be installed are laminate floor planks - Power Dekor in Black Hickory. Where creative ideas are born - ICI Dulux Capri Blue adds a touch of zing to our study's walls. The actual colour should be more intense (this is just the first coat).

Not really... the original Chesterfield has detailing at the armrests - more like this (the true authentic sorts come in dark brown) The white leather ones are really cool, but are tricky to maintain.

Ooh... I love Chesterfields! Am not getting a Chesterfield but a tufted leather lounge sofa (with buttons) instead. If you're looking for an original looking set, Harvey Norman has one of the most comfortable ones (abt $4k+). The one at Barang Barang is expensive and far too stiff (though it has the very prim and proper English look). If you prefer a slightly modern version, check out Asenses (hope I got the spelling right). They're got a showroom at Delta House (in case I got the building name wrong, it's the one with the Classic Design showroom at the ground flr) along Delta Road - $1.9k for a 3 seater. I saw it at Singapore Expo during a reno fair recently - the nicest Chesterfield I've seen by far. Comfortable too. Happy shopping!

Hi Wendily, The bathtub you're looking for is a free-standing one (as opposed to the built-in variety). ;0) I purchased a Bravat claw foot bathtub from Ideal Bathroom along Balestier Rd recently. The model is not available in the showroom - I selected it from a catalogue. However, we will be mounting the mixer tap on the wall instead of the floor. Based on your dimensions, I don't suppose the same tub will fit your bathroom (1500mm x 770mm), but you can check to see if they've got anything smaller I guess!

RENO DAY 21 - ROOFING WORKS We've finally got a roof over our heads! Well, or our balcony has at least. The efficient workers from Perfect Deco arrived at 10.20AM this morning and got started with installing the rafters and roof support for our grey (my idea as I didn't want to have the same predictable orange clay tiled roof as everyone else!) tiled roof. It's almost all complete except for one section - the workers made good progress. A peek at the underside of the roof from the balcony: And here's how the top of the roof looks from the master bedroom: A tad grimy, but I reckon the rain this evening would be able to wash off some of the dust! That's the power of nature for you. Painting works have also commenced and the first coat of paint has been applied all around. The new look of our brick wall (the painters were aghast when they realised that we wanted it painted!): Perhaps it looked better in its original state, but the effect we wanted to achieve was a peek-a-boo brick wall. It still looks a bit too neat and clean now... I think I shall attempt to alter the look when I've got a bit of spare time over the weekend. ICI Dulux's Goldust on the wall flanking the walkway on the upper floor - this will be the backdrop of the Ineke Hans "Golden Birds" vinyl wall decals. Other works going on this week - installation of laminate flooring, window grills, doors and possibly lights and sanitary ware. In another 3 weeks or so, the makeover of our humble haven will be complete!

Thanks for the review! Good to know the Toshiba Lucent Washer-Dryer's a good one - I decided to bite the bullet and get that despite the price instead of the cheaper LG model cos I liked the ergonomical design of the tilted drum. Just one other question - did you encounter any shrinkage of your clothes after using the dryer function? Have heard stories of clothes shrinking after being through the dryer and have yet to decide if I'd just use the dryer for towels and bedding or for regular clothes as well. Thanks! ;0)

Cool! You've got a really lovely place - certainly unusual. I especially like the look of the place when lit up with warm light. Do share more pix, perhaps of the bedroom? Am keen to see what type of bed you got to fit in with your oriental theme!

Heehee... The house's a labour of love for me and my better half, so the time spent is well worth it... We visit to check on the progress 2-3 times a week on average! I'm sure that you'd be able to find the energy for your home as well! Reno cost will possibly total around $40k... but considering that the reno cost of some smaller units end up close to this figure as well, I guess it's still quite reasonable. The contractor we hired gave us quite a competitive package (amongst the contractors and contractor/ID we obtained quotes from) and we're happy with the progress and workmanship to date.

RENO DAY 19 - Plumbing & Rewiring With tiling works completed, things are moving at speed. Here's a peek at the rest of our tiling work. The completed brick wall - it will be painted over in white: Our tilers encountered a tricky problem when tiling the wall - the overhead beam was apparently not straight and there was an unsightly gap between the top row of tiles and the beam. To rectify this, our contractor boxed up the uneven gap. Two coats of white paint later and no one will be any wiser. Plumbing works (piping at least) has been completed and electrical rewiring will be complete tomorrow. A look at the copper pipes laid in our guest washroom. All our windows are finally up - window grills will be in place next week, after painting works are done. A look at our kitchen windows. The new refuse chute cover's up too. Our 4 feet high sliding windows at the balcony:

SETTING UP HOME IS AN EXPENSIVE VENTURE We've been slowly but surely bleeding our piggy bank dry with purchases for our home. Setting up home is definitely an expensive venture - from home appliances to sanitary ware to furniture... and we're still not done! The only saving grace in this is that we purchased our home at a relatively cheapish price (certainly before the property market started heating up with a quarter million cash for a 5-roomer HDB!). We spotted an ad for a unit in our block in the papers today. Apparently the asking price is close too $70k for what M and I paid for our place! We made a trip to Singapore Expo this evening and made away with a 37" Toshiba Regza TV (display set of course!) for $1.6k. M was really pleased he got to choose the telly (let's just hope we won't eventually squabble over who gets control of the remote!). KER-CHING! PURCHASES TO DATE Sanitary ware: Poh Joo (taps, mixers, storage and instant heater, shower sets and one corner basin), Bacera (Rubine JUX double-bowl sink and large semi-recessed square basin), Genova (small round basin) - total spending approx $1.8k Corner basin for guest washroom from Poh Joo Semi-recessed large square basin for common bathroom from Bacera - amongst the largest and deepest we found. Perfect for handwashing delicate items of clothing. Small but deep round basin for master bathroom - not much space left for anything else with the bathtub in! This was M's choice. Bathtub: Bravat standalone bathtub with claw legs from Ideal Bathroom Oven: Teka, purchased during a recent 20% storewide promo. We purchased a no-frills model, the 2nd cheapest in store. M is looking forward to making pizzas with it. Cooker hob and hood: Rinnai RB-38V glass hob and RH972C chimney hood from Everjoint (the best deal we could find) for $719 Refridgerator and Washer: Toshiba Lucent Stainless Steel 5-door refridgerator and Lucent Washer/Dryer. These two items really burst the bank. Thank goodness for interest-free instalment plans! We had every intention to get a basic 3-door Mitsubishi stainless steel fridge, but there was some "special promo" for these two items together (I really wanted the Lucent washer/dryer - the ergonomic design will certainly make laundry less a chore than the more affordable LG model) and it was more worthwhile to get the "atas" fridge. Just for the record, I still think the fridge looks a bit like a monster! It will take some getting used to. Lights: IKEA, E lite Illumination, Citilights (and soon to be Lightology). We also purchased three chandeliers off eBay. Sofa: Black leather lounge from Furniture Warehouse - thank goodness we confirmed our purchase early and paid a deposit. The price is now $200 more than what we got it for! TV console: BAGO TV stand from Barang Barang during the warehouse sale 2 weeks back. We saved some $200+ compared to the store price. Some minor nicks on the set we chose, but since it would only be a matter of time before it got scratched, what the 'ell right? Teak dining table, bench, coffee table: custom made from U-NIQ Curtains and roller blinds: Olive metallic shimmer blackout curtain for Master Bedroom and white roller blinds for Dining and Utility. We'll wait till we have more cash at hand before we install anything for the other two bedrooms. Mattress: Serta Maryland (King) from The Bed Shop at Ubi. We purchased it before really doing much market research and on hindsight, would definitely not have purchased it from there. Am not sure we got a good deal after all, after reading a disgruntled post on the misrepresentation of this model by staff at the store. Oh well... lesson learnt! ... despite all these spending, we're still not done! The hunt for 2 toilet bowls will commence next week. These are the essential items for a start - we'll add on the frills and fancies when we've got more to spare.

RENO DAY 15 - 2ND LAST DAY FOR TILING It's the 2nd last day for tiling works and almost everything's complete, with the exception of the pebblewash flooring at the balcony (to be left till after painting works) and the brick feature wall. Our tilers have been experimenting with the layout, and here's how it would look like when placed: Grouting of all tiles is also complete, and we're pleased to find our glossy white rectangular kitchen tiles cemented with grey grout, just the way we wanted. We left a little reminder, just in case. Our inspiration: The end result: The neatly laid turquoise gloss tiles in our common bathroom - such a happy shade! And the pile of sand on our balcony floor the day before has disappeared - all used on our freshly screeded floor.

Wow! I dig your gate - would love to have one of these but my other half would definitely not be agreeable. Very eye-catching, am sure it's a talking point in your neighbourhood!

RENO DAY 14 - TILING ALMOST COMPLETED After not visiting our place in two days, M and I were surprised to find the tiling works almost completed! The mound of sand has also been greatly reduced. Our efficient tilers screeded the floor and laid the tiles in 2 days - regardless to say, we were as pleased as punch with the progress. The molehill of sand (reduced from the original mountain) in our balcony: The floor tiles in all three bathrooms have now been laid to rest. Here's a peek at our guest washroom: The damask print turned out fantastic - M and I are delighted with the results. The brick feature wall (blackened area) should be up by Saturday. Hooray! The corner for our washer/dryer - after redoing the measurements, we have decided that we may have to abort the construction of the base as the model we purchased is too wide for the width of the wall!

Hmmm... that's strange. I don't seeem to have a prob even on another comp. Maybe you'd like to refresh the page?

RENO DAY 11 Kitchen half wall up! This 4 feet tall wall will shield our Toshiba Lucent Washer/Dryer from prying eyes. All wall tiles in the kitchen have been laid as well. The waterproofing and screeding in two bathrooms are also complete - floor tiles will be laid tomorrow. The mound of sand in our living is slowly but surely depleting. The balcony walls have been plastered, and the feature wall is ready for the laying of brick tiles. The new look of our entrance - the hacked kitchen wall and window opening lends a touch of spaciousness. Dark grey grout will provide contrast and add definition to the white rectangular gloss tiles.