Diluted
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Posts posted by Diluted
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Nice progress on the reno! Coming together very nicely. I agree that the move to change the countertop to black was a good one. Everything seems to blend in nicely!
Btw, I was looking at Ikea’s website for the curtains. Was wondering if the measurement stated there is for 1 piece of the curtain or the entire pair (i.e if it is 250(H) X 140(W), is this for one piece or is it the measurement of two pieces together?) Trying to see here if it is still worthwhile to buy from Ikea if i need at least 2 pairs to cover my windows plus paying a seamtress to join one pair to become a longer piece.
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On 10/11/2017 at 11:27 AM, matchalatte said:i dont think quartz is porous. its a manmade stone, unlike real marble which is natural hence porous.
https://countertopguides.com/guides/pros-and-cons-of-quartz-countertops.html
Perhaps quartz isnt porous. But still need to be careful with white counter tops i think.
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11 hours ago, flowersinherhair said:@matchalatte I am super in love with your kitchen countertop, is it iquartz?
I chose a marble-ish solid surface for my countertop, a bit apprehensive on how it's gonna turn out.. 
iQuartz should be quartz, different from solid surface.
https://www.thespruce.com/solid-surface-vs-quartz-countertops-1821253
It is definitely more resistant to heat and water damage. So dont have to worry in that aspect.
But in terms of staining, as with all white surfaces, you need to be more careful because quartz is porous.
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11 hours ago, flowersinherhair said:@matchalatte I am super in love with your kitchen countertop, is it iquartz?
I chose a marble-ish solid surface for my countertop, a bit apprehensive on how it's gonna turn out.. iQuartz should be quartz, different from solid surface.
https://www.thespruce.com/solid-surface-vs-quartz-countertops-1821253
It is definitely more resistant to heat and water damage. So dont have to worry in that aspect.
But in terms of staining, as with all white surfaces, you need to be more careful because quartz is porous.
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11 hours ago, flowersinherhair said:@LalaMANx Hi, PM-ed!
@Diluted I asked the salesperson but he told me the 3 tone lighting only comes in 60 inches, no other smaller sizes. As I wanted the same fan design throughout the entire house, I went to look at other brands instead. I did considered Fanco as well but in the end settled for Crestar as the design is nicer.
Ahhh.. i see.. i was under the impression that the 48” one comes with 3 tone lights as well.. anyway, think crestar is also a reliable brand for fans? Kdk seems to have one of the shortest warranty around.
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7 hours ago, flowersinherhair said:@Diluted Yes I did saw this.. But I cannot get anything more than 50 inches due to my small living room, so KDK is out.
Think the 43 inch one comes with 3 tone lighting as well? Or does it not?
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On 06/11/2017 at 11:20 AM, ryanyth said:Hi thanks!
Actually yes, I did see some versions that are mounted on ceiling.
This is one of them. There are many more other versions of course.
Hope this helps!
http://www.ikea.com/sg/en/catalog/products/70299092/#
Thanks a lot for this! Will go take a look at Ikea’s website.
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Actually KDK has ceiling fans with 3 tone lights:
https://www.kdk.sg/products/ceiling-fan/remote-controlled/u60fw.html
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On 03/11/2017 at 5:23 PM, Firsttimereno said:Will there be any tax?
Think GST will be applicable.
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On 30/10/2017 at 12:35 AM, ryanyth said:Hmm....just a couple of days after I posted my How-To Guide for IKEA Curtains,
MAJGULL Block-Out curtains are SOLD OUT in IKEA Alexandra
Really funny, because when I was there, there were plenty of stock.
I wonder if my blog had something to do with it tho?
IKEA must thank me for helping push their products lol!!
Dear Readers, if you're looking for this MAJGULL curtain, IKEA Tampines still got stock. (For Now.)
On that note, the IKEA Smartphone app is also very useful because it can show you
which place got what stock and stuffs.
Thanks for the detailed write up on the parts needed for a day and night curtain set up!
Did you come across any curtain tracks that is mounted on the ceiling at Ikea?
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Anyone has a rough idea on how much it would cost to change the bathroom windows to a top-hung one? Mine is currently those louver type.
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On 21/09/2017 at 9:47 AM, Teebag said:Hello,
contractor applying for hdb reno permit. He requested for us to have our IC address changed to the new apartment. He said requirement by HDB. Please advise if this is required by HDB for themto issue the permit.
thanks
Dont think this is necessary. My ID just applied for the permit last week and I didnt have to do this. But maybe its because mine is a resale and the flat is still currently under the names of the sellers? We all have to sign an indemnity form though.
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36 minutes ago, infatuation1527 said:@fingerscross My electrical cables are concealed in the ceiling.
@Diluted I would say prices in Heritage are comparable to Hoe Kee. However, for Heritage, they provide discounts even if you purchase a single item. For Hoe Kee, my experience was that unless you purchase more than one item, no discount will be given.
Thanks for sharing! I guess I'll check them out since I'm getting most of the bathroom fittings locally.
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On 01/09/2017 at 7:49 AM, infatuation1527 said:@Diluted I bought my grohe stuff from Heritage Bathroom in geylang.
@infinity2015 thanks for the heads up! Will definitely compare the exact model first before purchasing!
I havent been to heritage before. How are the prices like there compared to Hoe Kee?
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14 hours ago, infatuation1527 said:Today we went to Choo Chiang Marketing (they have several outlets) at toa payoh industrial park to purchase our Le Grand switches. Bought a total of 13 matt black switches ($96) and a Hager doorbell ($11). Even Mr K himself says it's the cheapest place so I guess this deal can't be wrong. Hubby also went down to the house today and took some pictures. I love my PD door! But I thought my blue wall could be a darker kind of navy... oh well. Hopefully a few more coats of paint will help. Service yard and toilets lights (bought from taobao) installed too.
Is that a vento fino in your last pic? Nice matt black!
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On 26/08/2017 at 10:42 PM, infatuation1527 said:It has been a while since my last update. Today was a super productive and tiring day because aircon guys came to install piping, delivery of our Grohe items, delivery of our oven, hood and hob, City Gas pipe installation. Shall let the pictures do the talking!
So this is the usual messy state now.
We first unboxed our taobao purchases and I think most are hits! Except for my very pathetic quality hangers which I didn't take any pictures of.
Happy with our lights purchase, now just hoping that it works. No dents or whatsoever.
Our Bosch oven! Didn't manage to take picture of our chimney hood or induction hob because it was too troublesome to unbox them. They will be installed another day.
Pleasantly surprised that our shower head and bidet spray are Made in Germany whereas the wash basin faucet and shower faucet are Made in Thailand. The packing is also different as you can see.
Shower screen for common toilet is done! Glad that we went ahead with a rectangular shower area instead of a square one because we have a bit more space to bathe our dachshund now. Master toilet shower screen had to be sent back because the measurements were wrong...
Our overly-used craft stone feature wall. This made the hubby very happy because he likes it very much. This is before grouting.
And this is halfway done with grouting...
This picture shows that the aircon trunking has to "touch" my door frame as explained by the Gain City guys that due to some beam, this is inevitable. Mr K also said that this is common in many homes so hubby and I just ok ok accepted it. The Gain City guys took 4 hours to do the pipings!!! Hubby and I stayed throughout because we wanted to see the end product before signing anything. Really very tiring because we did not bring any chairs or stools so yes, I stood there for 4 straight hours. I'm just so glad that everything that's supposed to come did eventually come... oh wait... there was something wrong with our KDK ceiling fans. I remembered we ordered silver ones but the 4 that came were all white and hubby did not even realise! He said that we bought so many things until he blur. I called Heritage and they confirmed that we ordered silver ones, so the guy had no choice but to come back and collect the wrong ones. They will be sending us our silver KDK fans together with our Vento Fino fan on Mon or Tue. Also, the OTTO floor standing basins that I ordered from Heritage did not come with the OTTO name on it. I wonder if they ordered a look alike from Taobao? Was quite uneasy about it but it's very troublesome to have to question them how come the name OTTO is not there. Hubby also said they may just bring it back and "tattoo" the name there just for the sake of doing it. So I thought, heck never mind as long as the shape and size is what I wanted.
Paid another 35% of reno fees because carpentry will come in next Tuesday... Mr K says that my tempered glass and metal frames for bedroom 3 will take some time because it's a long process to treat the glass and whatnot, so I shall update when more works are done!
Did you buy the Grohe stuff from taobao as well?
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On 20/07/2017 at 9:53 PM, spooky said:Carpentry arrived yesterday and installation will take place over 3-4 days! Finally there's some progress again
Went down to check on the place today and the house is in a mess! Lol. Many random pieces of carpentry laying around. I have to say the worksmanship looks quite good so far. Can't wait till I can see the completed works!
My shower sets and mixers also arrived via DHL!! Finallyyy. Word of advice, if you are buying from xtwostore, buffer at least a month of waiting time! But in the end, the savings are still worth the wait.
Sharing some pics of the carpentry installation in progress
Shoe cabinet installation is completed! That's the only completed piece so far. Didn't opt to cover up the bomb shelter door because I'm fine with it, and I didn't want to make the space look even smaller
MBR casement wardrobe, no doors fixed yet. Frames are grey
Common bedroom wardrobe with mirror pull out
Kitchen cabinets with microwave cut out, I'm still sad the space I have is so small..
View of kitchen from the living room. Sink will be on the counter facing the living room. Wall has been painted grey too.
I think installation will carry on into next week. Hopefully the workers can complete by midweek!
Were the items bought from xtwostore shipped directly to your address or was it only shipped to Singapore's wharf/airport?
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On 28/12/2016 at 10:35 PM, osiris7777 said:Final Reno Journey
Our Reno is schedule to be completed in mid Dec but due to some small issues (not due to our contractor), therefore we have to extend 1 more week.
1st Issue
Initially we do not want to install window at our service yard cos we prefer the unblock feel without the window. One stormy night, we forgotten to close the service yard door before we left and the next day, the rain splash all the way into our kitchen. The whole kitchen floor was wet but luckily our washing machine is ok.
We were exploring other options beside window and we came across those outdoor roller blind. We gotten a few quotes from some supplier and was shock that it was pretty expensive. One supplier quoted me $2K for the outdoor roller blind and moreover HDB might not approve the installation of outdoor roller blind at the service yard.
So without any viable options, we ask E to install sliding window
2nd Issue
I have always wanted to install white window blind for all bedrooms and living area cos I feel that white blind will be more in-line with the theme of our design. Wife prefer curtain for master room as she feel that curtain will make the room more cosy. To make life easier for myself, I decided to give in and go for curtain for the master room.
When our curtain contractor came to do measurement for the curtain, he highlighted to us that the ledge above the window is too narrow to install double row curtain.
As my wife is very persistence therefore we ask our curtain contractor what are our options if we insist on double row.
Option 1: Use 2 x slim curtain tracks but both the curtain will be very close to each other and will not look nice. Sunlight might leak in at the top edge of the curtain and visible curtain track.
Option 2: Do single row curtain. Sunlight might leak in at the top edge of the curtain and visible curtain track.
Option 3: Extend ledge wide with window pelmet. Sunlight will not leak in at the top edge of the curtain and non-visible curtain track.
My wife were not prepared to compromise therefore we decided to go for option 3
Spoken to E about this and within a few days, the extended ledge with the window pelmet is done! Kudos to E for giving us a very good price for the additional job and arranging for the painter to come over again to touch up the paint.
Is there a reason why you didnt consider installing the curtains on the ceiling?
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15 hours ago, dietgalvon said:@izong I cannot say I disagree with this! But so far I don't think I heard of 'spoilt sinks'; perhaps leaking, yes. But leaking can happen with top mount sinks too haha. I guess buying a good sink + go for what you like is best.
I like the look of under mount sinks as well. But worried about the sink rusting. Heard of friends with stainless steel sinks but still rust. Thats why im concerned if it will be hard replacing and under mounted sink.
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Looking forward to seeing your completed home!
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On 13/07/2017 at 0:31 AM, dietgalvon said:Today while we were cleaning the house E brought someone up to view our flat! I think it's one of the readers here because E told us that they showed him a picture of our home.
Anyway, our home progress will be stagnant for a while till handover next weekend.
Meanwhile, some backdates of the home - mainly plumbing works!
RENOVATION UPDATE - 9 JULY 2017
MBR Toilet
PD Door
The reason why we took a PD door is due to the cramped space left between door and the vanity when the door is open. As much as I prefer a glass door, the fiance thinks that the mechanism of a PD door is needed. We went for the simplest design and glad we did so. It turned out pretty nice especially when the T5 lights are on; I was afraid it would look cheapo initially lol. After all, it's a plastic door mah.
This is how our MBR toilet looks like!
I prioritize counterspace, so we bought a smaller basin. I think the tap looks a little oversized here. But the way the water flows from the tap is really like a sheet of paper. Pretty! Fiance say it is not possible to achieve this if the tap is any smaller. Can only blame of the size of our toilet, that I can't get a bigger basin. Oh well.
I also have a hand towel bar at the side of our IKEA molger mirror!Really love this mirror.
Side view; how pretty is this tap!
Rainshower, glass shelf and bidet - all from taobao!
We will be installing 2 glass shelves instead.
Our toilet paper holder is a stick-on one, so we will stick it on when renovation is over.
Towel rack at the opposite side of the shower area. It's at a height perfect for me but a little dangerous for the fiance (it's directly at his eye level)! But the last I asked him he said it is fine as it is impractical if I struggle to reach it.
A clothes hook behind the door!
Common Toilet
A clearer shot of the Taobao vanity!
Single towel bar, bidet spray and toilet roll holder - all from taobao again.
Towel bar is not exactly centralized; think it's due to the water pipes at the left side. Toilet roll holder has a cover because we ain't installing shower screen here and the bonus is the handphone rest! Fiance likes this lol.
Shower set provided by HDB, and a simple corner shelf.
We have one issue though. Initially we wanted to put shower curtains here, but realised that the windows there is in the way and we can't install the shower curtain rod! I don't know what can be done but surely I cannot allow water to splash every day because I don't want me vanity to rot. Shall see how since we won't be using this toilet for quite some time, I hope.
Our silm storage heater!
Last but not least, our kitchen tap is also up! I love this tap a lot!! It looks sleek even though it comes with a pull-out sprayer.
And the quality is AWESOME!
It's a little big for my sink (55cm) but it sure will look great with a 65cm and above sink. Again I got a smaller sink to maximize counter space. But I underestimated the length of my kitchen. I have twice the amount of counterspace compared to my own home now. Lol.Is your kitchen sink undermount?
Will it be easy to replace the sink in future? Need to remove the entire table top?
My Modern Zen 2-Room 35sqm (Type 1) HDB BTO Apartment Renovation Journey
in Reno t-Blog Chat - HDB BTO Interior Design and Renovation
Posted
Wow.. your house with the lighting all installed really brings it to another level! Nice and cosy!
Actually the switches look fine to me now. Doesnt seem very crooked as compared to your earlier posts. Mind sharing what’s still not acceptable there?
I went to Ikea to measure the curtains. The dimensions stated on the website is for one piece of the curtain. So one pair’s coversge will be twice the width.