JohnB

Day 0: Door Holder We saw it on @DaddyWinter 's t-Blog and thought we would get ours replaced too, to make it easier for the renovation guys making deliveries. The holder that comes with the new flats does not quite hold the door open. After you have pushed the door open and released your hold of it, the door will close (albeit slowly and gently). With this new holder, if, for whatever reason (making deliveries, better air circulation, etc.), you would like the door to remain open, simply push the door open to 90º (you will know when you are there, for you will feel something, a slight resistance of sorts) and release – voila! the door stays open. @DaddyWinter shared the guy's name and number with us (thank you ). His name is Kelvin. He is a nice chap. Prompt service, as in he was ready to visit our new home to install the holder on that very day that we texted him! Installation did not take long. He did it cleanly too, no mess! The holder is priced at $68, which includes installation. Note that only the 'arm' part gets changed. The 'box' thing remains the same. That does not affect the function, but the aesthetic appeal is somewhat lacking (in our case, that is). Seeing as Keith is going to paint the door white, we are thinking of asking him to paint or spray paint the entire arm+box thing white as well. Hopefully that will work. It appears My Digital Lock carries the product too. The price is higher, at $150. Perhaps it comes with the 'box' part? It sure looks sleek and nice.

Thanks for the advice, BlueBottle! 1. True. I should temper my expectations! 2. I see. I'm afraid I hadn't thought of that. I think the washing-up liquid and sponge worry me the most; they may not match the colour scheme. Also, I popped into Cold Storage today and the mops were pink, a bright pink! 3. I worry about taking the industrial style to the extreme. So thank you especially for this reminder. I'll try to pare the industrial elements. The thought of living in a garage-like home certainly doesn't appeal to me! "Home first, theme second, and never garage" – I like that! 4. We're going to do our best to reduce and avoid clutter. But I get what you mean! I wish storage is more affordable though. That's very kind of you! Thank you again.

Congrats, Edwinlow7!

I’m afraid we are often out and seldom home! When at home, our time is spent primarily in front of the computer – studying or shouting at it (watching sports ). Sometimes we have some close friends over. We try to build this into the space when planning our new home. A ‘floating’ sideboard beside the study desk, perfect for housing our notes, his network storage, network switch, PS 4 and other toys – while serving to hide power points. Yet leaving the rest of the wall free, hopefully resulting in an open feeling for the little space! And adhering to the minimalism in the design. A small dining table, sufficient for some cosy entertaining, but would not feel overwhelming on those times when he is home alone (when I am away).Here’s Keith’s drawing of the sideboard. Electrical Plan We thought @RumbleInStyle ’s electrical plan looked useful and decided to draw a similar one for our new home too! Most of the lighting will be in the form of concrete pendant lamps – another common thread tying the design together. Please feel free to share your thoughts! We are a tad concerned that the lighting might be too soft, and not quite enough to light up the house.

I hope it will be fixed before you move in!

Thank you, MintyVintage! We are quite excited! This will be your first Christmas in your new home, won't it? How fun

Looking For ID We were not quite sure how to go about doing this at first. Our friends and family helped us! Some even sat in on discussions with the first few IDs and contractors we met. We also found Greglhc’s and OceanEleven’s posts helpful. We contacted seven IDs and contractors in total – five were recommended to us by our loved ones, while two had positive reviews here on RenoTalk. We found all of them good! We enjoyed the process. After some months of meeting after meeting with them, the list of seven was eventually whittled down to a shortlist of two and finally, one. Keith, Vän HusI think we signed with him because among the IDs and contractors we met, Keith made us the least apprehensive about the renovation. MemoryDuring the discussions, even though he had the quotation on the desk, he seldom referred to it. He remembered details we had discussed several weeks ago.This showed us he was sincere about wanting to work on our new home.And that he has a good memory for details and would be less likely to forget things during the renovation! PatienceHe is patient. We went through multiple rounds of meetings with him and each time, he would explain things to us patiently, for hours on end, always understanding and tolerant of our concerns as we deliberated over the quotation and design. We require someone with considerable patience, for we often have to spend some time hearing loved ones’ opinions, reading up on and studying the various options, and sleeping on it before committing and making decisions – we simply cannot afford mistakes with the budget we have. ExpertiseDuring our discussions with him, we found his ideas and solutions demonstrative of his creativity, and technical expertise! Take our concrete sink and stove support, for instance. We wanted a thick edging. He pondered over our request for a bit, and told us it could be done. He then proceeded to explain to us how it could be achieved, with Method A yielding Thickness A, and Method B yielding Thickness B. And when asked, gave us his recommendation of which method to go for. TasteThe things he suggested and pointed out as nice tended to make us go “Yes, that!” and not “Oh. Um…” We liked, and trusted, his taste. AttitudeHe is enthusiastic about his job. This is important to us, for we feel that an ID who approaches his job with zest and loves it is more likely to do a good job! We had a chance to speak to one of his colleagues and he seems to possess that same boundless zest too. FrugalityThroughout the various meetings, we noticed that he would try to propose more affordable ways of achieving what we requested! Sometimes he would tell us outright when the things we wanted were not worth getting. When we wanted to remove the clothes-drying hanger in the service yard, he tried to negotiate a better deal (with the Haulage & Debris Removal Services folks, I think) for us! It did not quite work out as hoped, but we appreciated him trying. OrganisationHe works in an organised manner. Given the many variables involved in renovation, we felt we would stand a higher chance of getting a good renovation (to say nothing of emerging from the process sane) going with an organised ID! ID FirmVän Hus made a good first impression:One of his colleagues was reviewed favourably here on RenoTalk: @soloqueen ’s home.We thought a pencil sketch by one of his colleagues reflected well on their artistic ability. We liked that sketch*; it contributed to the first impression.We liked the decor in their showroom!Their works seemed to have covered some of our preferred looks. (* When we asked if they could draw a similar sketch of our new home, they agreed – gratis. We appreciated the gesture of goodwill!) Complimentary WorksBlum hinges, coloured carpentry interior (internal laminates?), replacing the existing household shelter ventilation plate cover with a more aesthetically pleasing air vent grille, plus a few other works, are complimentary – things that they provide for all of their projects.Keith also offered to throw in some of those metallic switches with an industrial feel to them.

Thank you, Diva79! We are looking forward to it too. Hopefully – fingers crossed – it will turn out well.

I know, right? Just need to figure out how to pay for all of the renovation works I want. Very hard to figure that part out, and tends to put the brakes on.

Yes, I think we should. But I'm afraid we haven't got around to it yet. Would you, by any chance, have any tips or advice? We are new to mattress-shopping. Bed linen, I think I know what we are going to get, but I can't say the same for the mattress.

Thank you! You are right! The aircon part was not quite as easy as we had hoped. Thankfully, the house is small. It has taken us some weeks but we have finally found two suitable aircon combinations, and with our ID's help, picked one. We are really glad to have got this sorted out. I shall do a post on AC in a bit. Thanks again!

Thanks, Kindaichi24! I'm afraid it clean slipped my mind, the floorplan. I'll add a post for it now.

Budget Tight. Much of our savings have been set aside for our studies.

The Wall Behind The Bed We like the simplicity of the bedroom in the pic below and are thinking of doing away with our headboard, and having a similar dual-coloured wall behind our bed. But reversing the colours – with the lower part in the same grey as our flooring (thus giving the illusion of lengthening the floor?), and the upper part in white. I think, ideally, the grey should only go up to the height of the bed or slightly above it. Source Or going a step further, by giving a cement-screed look (love MintyVintage’s) to the lower part of the wall behind our bed, thereby upping the industrial feel? Or some texture, perhaps: Source 1 | 2

Congrats, Hazelline! Enjoy your beautiful new home. Everything looks great!

Design: Somewhat resembling a studio. Minimalist blended with a little bit of industrial. Studio We are removing the bedroom walls. Thus turning the main bedroom, the other bedroom and the living room into one open, airy space The kitchen entrance wall is going too. Minimal Simple lines guide the design. We like the bare, empty look and are hoping to keep it basic, and understated. Preferably no clutter, just the things we need for everyday life. And in keeping with the minimalism in the design, we are aiming for a uniform look in the storage: we are hoping that the kitchen cabinet will look the same on the outside as the sideboard, which will hopefully look the same as the wardrobe. Industrial Because, concrete. The electrical conduit will also be left exposed, thereby adding another industrial element to the design. Bathrooms For the bathrooms, the design will take a turn: to keep within our budget, sadly we have to leave them as they are Colours We are aiming for a light palette. Predominantly white, as the colour is said to enlarge, reflect light, enhance decorative elements and look clean. Plus grey (hopefully light, soft shades), bits of black and blue (the colours, not bruises ), and some cool-toned wood. We are partial to cooler colours, such as those found in the following spaces: Source 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Background Our new home is a small, three-room BTO flat. Getting a flat from HDB was fun! I was particularly interested in the process as my research touches on public housing. More importantly, everyone we interacted with at HDB was easy to talk to, and eager to help. Because of them, the experience was made all the more enjoyable and memorable. After getting the keys, we looked forward to visiting our new home! To say we were excited would be an understatement. We live-tweeted the first visit. (Though that proved to be somewhat of a challenge due to the telco coverage ) Then came the checking of defects. I’m afraid we checked everything. Painstakingly. We wanted to be thorough and took a few months. The BSC folks made every effort to accommodate our wishes. They took care of the defects in less than a week so that our renovation could begin as scheduled. We are now in the midst of our renovation. I can’t help but view renovation with some trepidation. Hopefully everything will go well!

Table of Contents I have found Ks Toh’s table of contents useful and would like to create one too: Background Design Wall Behind The Bed Budget ID Floor Plan and Electrical Plan Door Holder Day 1: Removing Walls Day 1: Floor Tiles Day 2: A Little Mishap Day 5 and 6: Wiring Day 8: Plastering Kitchen Sink Flooring Our Floor Tile In Which Direction To Lay The Tiles? Day 9: Laying Tiles and Windows Permit Day 14: Kerbs Day 15 Solid Surface: Concrete Colours Quartz and Hafary Service

Hi everyone! This is Mrs JohnB here. We have learnt a great deal from the users on RenoTalk. Which heater to choose, where to route the air con trunking, how to spray paint, etc. What a treasure trove of helpful homeowners and information this forum is. Thank you. We are excited to finally have a t-Blog. Please feel free to share your opinion; we are new to renovation and would appreciate your advice. So, here goes.

Congrats, Songz!

I have been revisiting your tblog. Your new home looks really beautiful. Also, it seems to me it is as spacious as what was depicted in the 3D drawings. How nice. My favourite is the harmonious blend of your woody cabinet laminates.

How pretty! I think I shall get a basket for my pineapple too! Congrats on your new home, Chococat. Your niece is simply ADORABLE.

All the best for the unpacking.

Congrats, Bianzi! Everything looks so good.

Thank you, Harriette! Most kind of you. I really like your integrated sink. Not having to worry about the silicon wearing out sounds really good to me. I like white, and have been planning on getting a white sink and an all-white kitchen. Like yours, which looks very nice! (But on a much smaller scale, for my new house is small.) But I think I shall now have to rethink the colour scheme due to the stain issue. I hope the new kitchen line arrives soon. I am looking forward to it! I heard that the US stores would be getting it in February. Australia release is scheduled for next year too, I think. The oily floor thing worries me a little. Maybe I should look for alternatives. Thanks again.