Ando Tadao

One year into the new place and we are still loving our home. Just sharing some of the lived-in pictures as things progress...

I did not proceed as the PE told me there are still plenty of restrictions (e.g. colour) and it really doesn’t worth the effort.

HDB officer’s information is accurate.

Since there is no way to verify it it was a manufacturing defect or installation fault, Hoe Kee eventually let me purchase a new sink at discounted price (around 30% off RRP). I didn't like the outcome but was acceptable. The "crack" on your sink looks normal, it was an inevitable outcome from the molding process. During installation your contractor should do a water pressure test to be sure.

Thanks for the kind words. You are right these lights are extremely hard to locate. There are 2 types actually, one type utilizes embedded led (threecubes sells them, lazada and taobao too), the other uses generic light bulbs (more difficult to find). Mine are e27 bulb version 4” size so I can fit with Philips HUE bulbs. I got them from Malaysia e-mart at Nuda Bestari. Around sgd 10 per light (no bulb). The official name is Surface mounted downlight, in Malaysia they call it milo-tin light.

Hi sorry I kept forgetting to take a photo for you. Yes it is concrete support and the carpenter has constructed wooden frame support inside.

My shelf width is 880mm with a depth of 340mm, I specifically requested 18mm thick planks. Based on my experience even with this thickness the planks will sag in 2-3 years time, when it happens I will turn the planks 180deg and counter the deformation.

Just put on 4 legs and it's good to go, around 15 mins including unpacking. Here's the link: https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z09.2.0.0.18ba2e8dk1R7Xh&id=557980653651&_u=j1m9o3paeb1b Thanks. You are right, it's pretty hard to maintain even for just the 2 of us. lol

Metal clinking was referring to the sound generated while cooking, it can be pretty annoying especially when it's facing the back of your husband during his "work" time. Noise from the back is far more annoying psychologically. Maybe if you can change the position of the work desk to the side instead of facing out then the annoyance could be reduced.

There are 2 types of sounds that travel/transmit furthest within a household, water slushing and metal clinking. I am not sure if the placement of your sink and stove is the best idea.

The solution to your needs could be architectural interior design. You need foundational changes in floor plan layout and structural ideas to transform spaces and forms.

Shorter tiles definitely yield flatter floor. But it all depends on your tolerance level. I for one does not care too much on the lippage as long as it does not hurt my foot. But some home maker requires a penny to roll forever. My contractor happens to prefer Hafary as he mentioned Hafary is pretty flexible in terms of excess return but SBH not. So I think it's all about relationship than quality.

Hope I did not create a panic over Blanco Silgranit sink No doubt Blanco Silgranit sink is a good product, Naya 6 is a good product, but nothing is perfect. So here's the first half of the story: My Naya 6 was installed in February, during the installation my plumber did a water leak test. Being a super careful person I did another water leak test 2 weeks later. Both test came out fine. 3 months past and one morning last week while I was cleaning my mug I saw a tiny yellow line on the left side of the sink, thought to be a stain initially I tried cleaning it off with detergent but without success. It was when I checked under the sink then I realized that was a six inches hairline crack with water seeping out. So I went down to Hoe Kee showing them the pictures and invoice, the staff then told me they will report it to the office. A staff called me the next day and arranged an onsite inspection. During the inspection we were told that there were many possibilities to the crack, e.g. installation, handling, etc. Of course these are not new to us, when more than one pair of hands in the process chain then all kind of theories or benefit of doubts will definitely surface. Although we stressed that there was no sign of impact or mishandling during the inspection, we are prepared to have to pay a certain amount of fee to have this situation rectified, for Singapore is not exactly a country where consumers are protected like in the State or EU, although there is a Lemon Law in place but somehow I see certain ambiguity within the clauses. Anyway we are still waiting for Hoe Kee's final disposition, till then I can only hope for the best. I see no reason to worry about Blanco product quality, but do pay extra attention and effort during receiving inspection, and doubt every single uncertainty. According to Hoe Kee if the sink has not been installed they will exchange without a question, and if possible, engage Hoe Kee for sink installation instead to avoid doubts on "installation mistake" or "mishandling".

Finally a side table that matches the house, at great price too! (SGD200 off Taobao, the seller was said to be one of the furniture CM to Muji) (Having some problem with my Blanco Naya 6, but that's another story for another day!).

Warped tiles are common, and the level of warpage is of course depending on the price and Country of Origin. In general you should expect a warpage tolerance of approx. +/-2mm for wood like tiles at 15 x 90cm. At worst case, the lippage can go as high as 4mm. To minimize this you should have a grout width of 3mm or larger, and overlap within 30% of the tile length. I have not heard a particular agent selling worse tiles, more of the manufacturer that matters. Spain and Italy produce generally better wood-like tiles, you should select from price ranges 4.50 onward for better quality and consistency. i have friends using tiles @ 6.70/sqft and even with 2mm grout width the floor remains flat.