My 5 Room Bukit Merah Flat T-Blog

[timothyng27 0]

Hi adidaem,

I'd like to go down to Mandarin Gallery sometime soon also to confirm pricing and how long they can hold the purchase for.

Will you be interested to go down together? PM me if you're keen; maybe we can organize a group buy to get a better discount!

The turkish lamp is kind of an accent piece to be placed at the balcony or a small cozy corner; a little bit "tak match" but the colours are supposed to show the texture in my cement screed wall.

You seem to know where to get a lot of nice stuff; please do share some resources with me. Thanks!

Great furniture featured. I esp like the simple Maruni Hiroshima dining chairs. Shall try to make time to go to Mandarin Gallery to have a look. But I think the turkish lamps may not fit your scandinavian theme?

All the best for your reno!

[timothyng27 0]

Just checked out Furniture Club at Parkmall today, and here's some of the pieces I'll probably be purchasing:

Camerich Moodie Sofa (3-seater)

Loved this sofa since we laid eyes on it. The dark olive green colour of the leather really stands out

Camerich Arc Day Bed

Rested on this at the Keppel showroom before. Super comfortable and matches the sofa

Camerich Plato Coffee table

Easier to get a matching set of furniture from one brand than to put together separate pieces

Buil-in side table / lamp

Pretty cool-looking multi function lamp and side table. Saw this at the showroom today and snapped a pic. Think the black version looks better.

Now I have a set of matching furniture for the living room, but the black of the furniture seems not to match the Scandinavian theme of neutral, whites and woods.

I'll still be keen to use a light laminate flooring / parquet and white for the walls, but I'm worried the furniture might be too dark for the theme.

Also, the living room set probably won't go well with the dining set I intend to get (which is probably slightly woody).

Can anyone offer some advice please?

[adidaem 6]

Hi adidaem,

I'd like to go down to Mandarin Gallery sometime soon also to confirm pricing and how long they can hold the purchase for.

Will you be interested to go down together? PM me if you're keen; maybe we can organize a group buy to get a better discount!

The turkish lamp is kind of an accent piece to be placed at the balcony or a small cozy corner; a little bit "tak match" but the colours are supposed to show the texture in my cement screed wall.

You seem to know where to get a lot of nice stuff; please do share some resources with me. Thanks!

Hi Tim, just saw your post. Thanks for the offer but I think we probably won't be getting anything major from there... more the decor or accent pieces. SO n I think we have finally found "the" dining table and chairs.

Have you been to Style Nordic? 402 Orchard Road, #01-01.

If I come across other nice Scandivanian stuff I'll let you know.

[hafiizh 0]

I was just about to comment that your furniture pieces (esp in black) would be a step away from your theme.

From here I see either 2 ways you can go. Keep in mind the furniture is bold (design and colour) so either you choose to make them stand out or soften the look.

To make them stand out is easy. Considering the amount you've spent on the furniture it makes seems to make them the focal point of your rooms. That means going simple for other parts of the room ie no loud feature walls, neutral colours, simple lighting ie no chandeliers. I love the flyol lights, they should be a nice focal point for your dining so go simple modern for your dining table. To put the flyol and sofas together would be taking the shine off each other. That's why when you see sofa model shots you don't see fancy ceiling lights together. Less is more in this case.

To fit your theme ( or else what I think your theme is hehehe) you would need to fade the bold looks color of your sofa. Get a nice throw to soften the black. Neutral cushions. Get a nice looking rug and maybe consider wood grain flooring (parquet or laminate) to give it a softer Scandinavian touch. Do the opposite of the above, the idea is to fade away the sofas so that you appreciate the room as a whole.

Ps I wish I had your budget for furnishings! All I have are my two cents

[timothyng27 0]

Hi adidaem,

Yup! I think this is pretty much "the" dining table and chairs, only problem is my finance director (aka spouse) might not approve! Haha

Some more we just bought our Serta Willow Spring king-sized mattress today. Pocket got a bit hole already

I actually saw one of the lamps (the Northern Lighting Diva lamp) when I passed by Style Nordic at Delphi Orchard.

If I'm not wrong this should cost about $3-4K, which I think is a pretty ridiculous price for a lamp

My ID mentioned she might be able to source something similar for less though.

By the way, I also went to check out Proof Living at ION today - a lot of pretty pretty things!

But the prices make me feel sad so I stepped out. Haha

Hi Tim, just saw your post. Thanks for the offer but I think we probably won't be getting anything major from there... more the decor or accent pieces. SO n I think we have finally found "the" dining table and chairs.

Have you been to Style Nordic? 402 Orchard Road, #01-01.

If I come across other nice Scandivanian stuff I'll let you know.

[timothyng27 0]

Hi hafiizh,

I might be looking out for a fabric sofa from Avanni Design at Sungei Kadut instead. I saw a few previously which have the soft memory foam-type feel. Quite shiok.

Also, much more easy on the pocket! Feel the pinch after buying my bed. Think I need to check it out again this week to see if it matches better.

If I stick with the current selection, I'll have to tone down everything else as you suggested. So no Flyol lights etc.

I'll still stick with my choice of light parkquet or laminate flooring and white or light grey as the base colour.

I think this will look ok in the living room on it's own.

However, when I try to picture the Hiroshima dining set I really can't see it blending in well, as:

1. The wood colour and texture doesn't really match the sofa and day bed

2. The wood colour of the dining set will probably blend into the parquet floor, which will be a little weird

What I could probably do is either:

1. Get a slightly darker coloured wood; grey or black, for the dining table (and risk losing the original Scandinavian concept and look)

2. Just choose a fabric / lighter coloured sofa as mentioned above

3. Have a divider between the living and dining areas to demarcate the space (but losing a bit of the open concept feel)

Any other suggestions?

My budget for furnishings is just to be spent on a few vital pieces - bed, tv, sofa and maybe dining. I'll probably get everything else from IKEA.

However, I think I need to look around more to find out more viable alternatives

I do feel the pinch, especially buying the bed + mattress today. Really not cheap to do up a house nice nice man.

Anyway, thanks for your 2 cents! It'll go a long way to helping my house look nicer

I was just about to comment that your furniture pieces (esp in black) would be a step away from your theme.

From here I see either 2 ways you can go. Keep in mind the furniture is bold (design and colour) so either you choose to make them stand out or soften the look.

To make them stand out is easy. Considering the amount you've spent on the furniture it makes seems to make them the focal point of your rooms. That means going simple for other parts of the room ie no loud feature walls, neutral colours, simple lighting ie no chandeliers. I love the flyol lights, they should be a nice focal point for your dining so go simple modern for your dining table. To put the flyol and sofas together would be taking the shine off each other. That's why when you see sofa model shots you don't see fancy ceiling lights together. Less is more in this case.

To fit your theme ( or else what I think your theme is hehehe) you would need to fade the bold looks color of your sofa. Get a nice throw to soften the black. Neutral cushions. Get a nice looking rug and maybe consider wood grain flooring (parquet or laminate) to give it a softer Scandinavian touch. Do the opposite of the above, the idea is to fade away the sofas so that you appreciate the room as a whole.

Ps I wish I had your budget for furnishings! All I have are my two cents

[adidaem 6]

Dining chairs - Maruni Hiroshima

I love the simplicity and the simple clean lines of this dining chair - 2 different versions of the same series.

It's available at the Mandarin Gallery, but it pretty ex though. Will burn a small hole in my pocket

The Maruni chairs are a beauty! Went to Mandarin Gallery yest and am captivated by them. But the price is!!!! The price makes me think that the 10/10 Wishbone chair offer from Space is "affordable" in comparison! (And it's not, not for me anyways...)

But they are really nice.

I was just about to comment that your furniture pieces (esp in black) would be a step away from your theme.

If I stick with the current selection, I'll have to tone down everything else as you suggested. So no Flyol lights etc.

I'll still stick with my choice of light parkquet or laminate flooring and white or light grey as the base colour.

I think this will look ok in the living room on it's own.

However, when I try to picture the Hiroshima dining set I really can't see it blending in well, as:

1. The wood colour and texture doesn't really match the sofa and day bed

2. The wood colour of the dining set will probably blend into the parquet floor, which will be a little weird

What I could probably do is either:

1. Get a slightly darker coloured wood; grey or black, for the dining table (and risk losing the original Scandinavian concept and look)

2. Just choose a fabric / lighter coloured sofa as mentioned above

3. Have a divider between the living and dining areas to demarcate the space (but losing a bit of the open concept feel)

I've to agree with hafiizh. Black/dark colours seems to be a step away from the muted Scandinavian look... or have you considered a modern Japanese design? Think will still have the clean lines like the Scandinavian look, but can accommodate bold colours/statement pieces better? E.g.

I'll hate to see the open space being divided/cramped with a divider - again seems to me a step back from the bright Scandinavian look. If you choose dark colors for both the dining table and the sofa, I think you may lose the Scandinavian look... Or stick to the muted (gray?) sofa you shared a few posts ago?

Just my amateurish 2 cents...

My ID mentioned she might be able to source something similar for less though.

Mind sharing where you will get the lights from? I'm also looking for nice (and pocket friendly lights). I like the ones you've featured so far (other than the turkish one lar ).

My budget for furnishings is just to be spent on a few vital pieces - bed, tv, sofa and maybe dining. I'll probably get everything else from IKEA.

However, I think I need to look around more to find out more viable alternatives

I do feel the pinch, especially buying the bed + mattress today. Really not cheap to do up a house nice nice man.

Agree on the pocket busting bit but luckily now got GSS.

Ha, I thought of that too, but Sleek shared that her Ikea stuff didn't last long - saggy shelves etc. And my IDs strongly discouraged us from Ikea.

But if you do want Ikea, think July have their annual sale right?

By the way, I also went to check out Proof Living at ION today - a lot of pretty pretty things!

But the prices make me feel sad so I stepped out. Haha

Yes, lots of pretty pretty things! Actually the discount is quite good lar, just that a 10K chair is still a hefty 6.5K after discount... nice to see n window shop tho.

[jar 0]

Hi,

wanted to ask you some question but I think you mailbox full already... wanted to find out more about your designer

Pls PM if you can. Thanks.

[timothyng27 0]

Hi adidaem,

Yeah I really really love the dining set from Maruni. Think they are available in darker wood also.

But you can really see the quality of the wood and the workmanship that goes into it.

I can't quite remember the price though. Was it about $300-400 a chair?

I think there are a few alternatives to this pretty exhorbitant dining table:

Royal Oak Dining Series from Cellini (pretty nice looking and minimalist light wood table) but I can't find any pictures

Lush's Wood + Wood collection looks pretty nice too: http://www.lush-lush...d=47&Itemid=119

Motto has some pretty good stuff too: http://www.motto.com.sg

But I've yet to check them out myself, might do so this week.

One of the IDs I was talking to proposed a long metal table protruding out from a pillar (left over from the kitchen wall I want to hack) which I though was pretty cool.

As for the Scandi look, I think I might not adopt it in it's entirety, maybe just have certain elements of it (flooring, neutral palettes, clean lines etc).

I'll be checking out Avanni Designs at Sungei Kadut tomorrow to see if I can source a cheaper, matching sofa but let's see how that goes.

Your (and everyone else's) 2 cents, is most appreciated! Good to hear feedback. And don't worry, this is the first time I'm doing this too, so I myself am a noob

I have the brochure for the lights from Veillux. I can email it to you if you want. Unfortunately, prices are a little bit to the high side (but I haven't bargain yet. haha)

Think I probably need to look around Balestier, Joo Chiat, Changi etc for more nice-looking alternatives.

I'm a bit scared of the costs of furnishings now that I'm getting quotes from IDs and I just bought my bed

The Maruni chairs are a beauty! Went to Mandarin Gallery yest and am captivated by them. But the price is!! The price makes me think that the 10/10 Wishbone chair offer from Space is "affordable" in comparison! (And it's not, not for me anyways...)

But they are really nice.

I've to agree with hafiizh. Black/dark colours seems to be a step away from the muted Scandinavian look... or have you considered a modern Japanese design? Think will still have the clean lines like the Scandinavian look, but can accommodate bold colours/statement pieces better? E.g.

I'll hate to see the open space being divided/cramped with a divider - again seems to me a step back from the bright Scandinavian look. If you choose dark colors for both the dining table and the sofa, I think you may lose the Scandinavian look... Or stick to the muted (gray?) sofa you shared a few posts ago?

Just my amateurish 2 cents...

Mind sharing where you will get the lights from? I'm also looking for nice (and pocket friendly lights). I like the ones you've featured so far (other than the turkish one lar ).

Agree on the pocket busting bit but luckily now got GSS.

Ha, I thought of that too, but Sleek shared that her Ikea stuff didn't last long - saggy shelves etc. And my IDs strongly discouraged us from Ikea.

But if you do want Ikea, think July have their annual sale right?

Yes, lots of pretty pretty things! Actually the discount is quite good lar, just that a 10K chair is still a hefty 6.5K after discount... nice to see n window shop tho.

[timothyng27 0]

Hi jar,

I don't have a designer (yet). But I'm currently looking out for one.

I've sourced all the pictures and inspirations online.

What would you like to ask me?

Hi,

wanted to ask you some question but I think you mailbox full already... wanted to find out more about your designer

Pls PM if you can. Thanks.

[gyber77 0]

Ah bang, never seen you for awhile and you've got yourself a 5-room flat already!!! Well done... we should meet up and K soon!!!

[timothyng27 0]

Eh eh, siapa ini? Should meet up and K soon! But tell me who you are first abang! Haha

Ah bang, never seen you for awhile and you've got yourself a 5-room flat already! Well done... we should meet up and K soon!

[adidaem 6]

Hi adidaem,

Yeah I really really love the dining set from Maruni. Think they are available in darker wood also.

But you can really see the quality of the wood and the workmanship that goes into it.

I can't quite remember the price though. Was it about $300-400 a chair?

I thought it's much more? Do let me know the price k?

I rem it as a 4 figure amount?

I think there are a few alternatives to this pretty exhorbitant dining table:

Royal Oak Dining Series from Cellini (pretty nice looking and minimalist light wood table) but I can't find any pictures

Lush's Wood + Wood collection looks pretty nice too: http://www.lush-lush...d=47&Itemid=119

Motto has some pretty good stuff too: http://www.motto.com.sg

But I've yet to check them out myself, might do so this week.

One of the IDs I was talking to proposed a long metal table protruding out from a pillar (left over from the kitchen wall I want to hack) which I though was pretty cool.

Have fun shopping and I'll love to know what you eventually get. Still, I've to say I really love the Maruni chairs. Thanks for sharing your finds.

One of the few I've seen that made my heart skip a beat.

As for the Scandi look, I think I might not adopt it in it's entirety, maybe just have certain elements of it (flooring, neutral palettes, clean lines etc).

I'll be checking out Avanni Designs at Sungei Kadut tomorrow to see if I can source a cheaper, matching sofa but let's see how that goes.

Your (and everyone else's) 2 cents, is most appreciated! Good to hear feedback. And don't worry, this is the first time I'm doing this too, so I myself am a noob

I have the brochure for the lights from Veillux. I can email it to you if you want. Unfortunately, prices are a little bit to the high side (but I haven't bargain yet. haha)

Think I probably need to look around Balestier, Joo Chiat, Changi etc for more nice-looking alternatives.

I'm a bit scared of the costs of furnishings now that I'm getting quotes from IDs and I just bought my bed

Unfortunately I don't have much budget left for expensive lights. Bought a few lights that are movable tho... if they last they'll travel with me to my next home. Think I've like 40 downlights to buy?

Yes, furnishings are expensive, esp as I see that you have excellent (but expensive!) tastes. But do shop around. Quality varies a lot for stuff that look similar. Example I experienced is leather sofas. After sitting on those lovely Italian ones, the MIM (made in Malaysia) or those with dubious leather origins just couldn't make it whether in terms of comfort or leather quality. What I thought was of good quality when I first started my sofa search completely failed my test when I went back the 2nd time.

Btw have you been to Going Dutch? They hv nice but pricey stuff. You can get the web address from my wordpress blog.

[timothyng27 0]

Hi adidaem,

I think it was about $3-400+ for chairs and about $2-3K for the table - which is still A LOT of money!!

I've actually been looking around a lot. Just went to 3 different places today:

Avanni Design at Sungei Kadut:

- Good selection of not too bad-looking fabric and leather sofas

- Fully customizable fabrics, combinations (L-shaped, 3-seather etc) and even dimensions

- New "memory foam" type sofa which feels a little hard, but indents to fit your butt shape after a short while

- Salesperson claims memory foam helps to regulate the temperature of the sofa

- Spring-coil type sofa (like those used in beds) also available

- We liked a 3+2 sofa combination for the memory foam one and was quoted $2780 for both, which looks like a pretty ok price

Lush at Upper Paya Lebar

- Very nice designs; mostly good quality replicas of modern classics

- Extremely fitting with my theme, especially the Woods + Woods collection

- Saw a couple of very nice dining sets. Tables should set you back about $2K onwards and chairs available from about $300+

- I also saw some very similar looking chairs to the Maruni Hiroshima chairs! $3-400+ also, depending on wood combi

- Nice collection of Scandi looking armchairs also, priced from $700 up

- Prices are a bit high (before bargaining though), and the furniture is made in china

- Does anyone know where to source these pieces directly? Alibaba or taobao? How much does it cost to ship?

Executive Living at Upper Paya Lebar

- Stepped in and walked right out in 3 minutes

- Totally doesn't match my theme

- "Modern-contemporary" designs which are totally commonplace

- I came up with a new term for generic-looking leather sofas: "Marshmallows" because you can't tell the difference from one to the other! Haha

Also took a look at IFC Sungei Kadut, saw a very nice solid wood dining table but not much else.

You have 40 down lights to buy??? That's a crazy lot of lights! Sounds like you're going to celebrate Deepavali at your house! Haha.

Want to go check out lights together? I went to lighting.com.sg today at Balestier too. Pretty decent stuff.

And yes I've been to Going Dutch opposite Valley Point Shopping Centre. It's freaking ridiculous!!! I think I saw a $25K sofa there.

That place is for angmohs with too much money to buy furniture from la. I think you see me to up already; I'm really not that rich at all. Heh

PM me if you're keen to go check out lights. Always good to have a kaki who needs to buy 40 down lights to go with so I can enjoy bigger discounts! Haha

I thought it's much more? Do let me know the price k?

I rem it as a 4 figure amount?

Have fun shopping and I'll love to know what you eventually get. Still, I've to say I really love the Maruni chairs. Thanks for sharing your finds.

One of the few I've seen that made my heart skip a beat.

Unfortunately I don't have much budget left for expensive lights. Bought a few lights that are movable tho... if they last they'll travel with me to my next home. Think I've like 40 downlights to buy?

Yes, furnishings are expensive, esp as I see that you have excellent (but expensive!) tastes. But do shop around. Quality varies a lot for stuff that look similar. Example I experienced is leather sofas. After sitting on those lovely Italian ones, the MIM (made in Malaysia) or those with dubious leather origins just couldn't make it whether in terms of comfort or leather quality. What I thought was of good quality when I first started my sofa search completely failed my test when I went back the 2nd time.

Btw have you been to Going Dutch? They hv nice but pricey stuff. You can get the web address from my wordpress blog.

[ne0mesis 0]

i must say fine taste on the choice of furnitures - exquisite and with class.

with that, you must have a matching deep pockets too. ha!

no offence, just joking ya. well, better late than never, welcome to RT!

really nice squarish layout you have there and 2 balconies?? wow

if i may suggest, if you have a kitchen island, incorporate it with the the kitchen column facing the living room. surely conversational if done properly!!

i guarantee that! ha

inspiration / looks you opted really apt these amount of space btw.

now is the critical task to find THE ONE id that can help to gel and translate the space with your pieces.

gd luck with your id selection!

d a r n exciting times ahead.

cause i'm already excited for you!!

and i will be stalking your blog. ha