Think my ID sent Bianco Ariston to me when i asked for marble too! But still far from the real ones... ><" HGtv kind of portrays that all the angmohs seems to go with granite & marble. I suppose it's cheaper for them because the mountains/stones are nearer to them? haha.

Wow mid November! Just nice can slowly pack & move in... and have your very 1st Christmas party @ your own crib!

Haha yep. It should've ended much earlier, but it's good too as I've been having a busy biz period.

The Gloria solid top looks almost 100% like real marble (even my contractor can't tell the difference), but Caesarstone and Silestone mock real marble quite well too, if you have the budget.

My place also use solid top. Most condo use solid top because it's cheaper than other materials. Go with what u think u want to use, it's your house anyway. Don't get sway by others. Just becareful. Even printed plastic bags like those NTUC Ones can stain the top. It happened to me.... Need to scrub quite hard to remove 90% of the stain. I went to buy the scotch brite blue/white one to remove them. Thanks for the magic counter top cleaner.... I'll probably go and get it.

Haha no leh, Corian solid top is more expensive than most Quartz! I have never had transfer issues... Maybe because I have a dedicated area for placing my groceries etc. Yes the blue/white magic sponge is the best! Also try rice vinegar, let it soak for quite a while but not till it dries up, and use the blue/white magic sponge to clean it! If you want better results, warm the vinegar in the microwave! I clean everything using vinegar and magic sponge.

Why you so pro! Be my stain consultant can? Haha. I completely panicked last year when I tried to grind my rempah ingredients with my landlady's marble mortar and pestle and her pestle turned YELLOW.

How's the mister?

Edited October 19, 201511 yr by Peachydurians

Why you so pro! Be my stain consultant can? Haha. I completely panicked last year when I tried to grind my rempah ingredients with my landlady's marble mortar and pestle and her pestle turned YELLOW.

How's the mister?

Cus I pai mia lang. From young need do housework. So picked up a bit here and there.

Baking soda and vinegar and magic sponge is like three MUST HAVES in every household. Then lemon also not bad.

That said, marble stains quite hard to remove one lor (almost impossible) Engineered stones / surfaces are much easier to clean than natural ones IMO. Like for floors, marble and parquet like once gone is gone one... Need special things to clean. But tiles / acrylic / quartz all easy to clean.

I heard people swear by Jif... But I personally find no use lor.

So did you remove the yellow from the pestle... You guys also renters? Wahhhh unite man.

He's resting now... Hopefully will feel better by 3pm!

Edited October 19, 201511 yr by bykaraanne

Haha no leh, Corian solid top is more expensive than most Quartz! I have never had transfer issues... Maybe because I have a dedicated area for placing my groceries etc. Yes the blue/white magic sponge is the best! Also try rice vinegar, let it soak for quite a while but not till it dries up, and use the blue/white magic sponge to clean it! If you want better results, warm the vinegar in the microwave! I clean everything using vinegar and magic sponge.

Thanks!

And guys, try buying these items from Daiso... They will save your life. Haha.

For cleaning rust stains... Not for edible things though (sink is fine, but not forks/spoons/insides of electric kettles imo)

(Credit Missy Elynn on FB)

The blue Melamine Cleaner sticks. Essentially the magic sponge (blue/white) BUT this works WONDERS for cleaning toilet bowls. Especially the concave parts that you don't see unless you bend down and look. Inside the toilet bowl. Eew.

Mould remover spray. I use this to clean my toilets and my walls and floors SPARKLE. SPARKLE. Just spray, leave overnight and rinse and scrub lightly in the morning when needed. Usually is don't need at all lor!

And their $2 a pack melamine sponge? Works WONDERS on glass panels (shower glass panels) and the chrome / stainless steel wear we have in the toilet. Makes them glisten like new with no effort. Water stains that are super hard to clean? Just one wipe with these!!

And the floor trap paper from Daiso also very good.

Don't say never share. Become the best housewife / househusband hahaahahahahahahaha!

Edited October 19, 201511 yr by bykaraanne

Thanks!

Try to buy the glass bottle kind, not the plastic bottle kind. Glass bottle one is pure rice vinegar, plastic is artificially created...

Smellier, but more effective!

I also use it to soak my vegetables. And I put vinegar/water solution in a spray bottle to clean up everything around the house!

Haha Edmund never bluff me. Price quoted at showroom was $250pfr, this is the ultra special range. The rest are indeed $110. $130, $150, $180pfr as stated at their showroom.

Anyway we saw in IRL and in big slab and it was meh... Nevertheless requested for a sample to see how much more "superior" it is to solid top since it carries such a premium pricing.

I fee like the most hardworking homeowner. Otw to Silestone now. Took bus everywhere today! Hahah

I'm so saving this post babe! I only know about white vinegar for cleaning anything and everything! Hahah!

And guys, try buying these items from Daiso... They will save your life. Haha.

For cleaning rust stains... Not for edible things though (sink is fine, but not forks/spoons/insides of electric kettles imo)

(Credit Missy Elynn on FB)

The blue Melamine Cleaner sticks. Essentially the magic sponge (blue/white) BUT this works WONDERS for cleaning toilet bowls. Especially the concave parts that you don't see unless you bend down and look. Inside the toilet bowl. Eew.

Mould remover spray. I use this to clean my toilets and my walls and floors SPARKLE. SPARKLE. Just spray, leave overnight and rinse and scrub lightly in the morning when needed. Usually is don't need at all lor!

And their $2 a pack melamine sponge? Works WONDERS on glass panels (shower glass panels) and the chrome / stainless steel wear we have in the toilet. Makes them glisten like new with no effort. Water stains that are super hard to clean? Just one wipe with these!!

And the floor trap paper from Daiso also very good.

Don't say never share. Become the best housewife / househusband hahaahahahahahahaha!

Anyway just asking. How come nowadays no one consider granite?

Thanks for sharing the buys from Daiso! Gonna buy them all! For the Melamine Cleaner Sticks... how many times can you use them?

You wash with bidet spray, will go back to being quite clean. But don't use it with bleach or anything, cus it will erode it. Melamine sponge is used on its own and will slowly disintegrate from use. Can use quite long la I haven't had to change it, but also can buy 2 refills for $2.

Anyway just asking. How come nowadays no one consider granite?

Cus granite never update their colors and patterns...

If u like dark colors confirm go with granite... So cheap now compared to Quartz IMO!

VERDICT (mainly for PeachyDurians, haha since you helped me so much!):

Brought back that $250pfr (quoted lower by contractor of course, near to $180-$200pfr) slab of marble-looking Quartz from Lian Hin, went to see Silestone at Duxton Road.

In short, not impressed. None looked as natural as the solid top we saw.

Did a quick scratch test (similar to what I did with the solid top) with kitchen scissors. Lo and behold, Quartz scratches too. But the thing is, on Quartz you can see the scratch (if it's really deep) but not feel it. It handles light scratches very, very well! Quartz is great in that way.

On solid top you can both see it and feel it! Of course, I believe it will fair much better on the stain test as well.

Shiny-wise, they're quite similar, but Quartz definitely felt more solid (since it's 20mm) and was cooler and smoother to the touch. More luxe to the touch than solid top!

That said, Edmund is trying to get me contractor price for my solid top so likely the cost will be brought even lower. At 2 - 4 times the price of solid top, I don't think Quartz is worth it for me at least, the designs are not what I want at all (in fact, I pretty much dislike it) and the ones that are closer cost a bomb (Caesarstone London Grey is quoted at $300 to $430pfr. YES $430pfr from Hafary) and Silestone was more reasonable at $197pfr for Lagoon. All in all, I think Silestone is very reasonable for what they're offering compared to the other Quartz brands. They have quite a big collection and are good in quality (think 93% quartz) and price very reasonable, especially during the promos).

I will wait for Evershine to give a better (hopefully, cross your fingers for me!) pricing to my contractor and get that one. After all, it really is super chio!

The decision has been made for me!

Edited October 19, 201511 yr by bykaraanne

Has anyone use Dekton?

http://www.dekton.com.sg/colours/aura/

Has anyone use Dekton?

http://www.dekton.com.sg/colours/aura/

I did see the range at the Duxton Road showroom, and they looked pretty good. I don't know of many people who have actually used Dekton though, because they also come at a super premium.

VERDICT (mainly for PeachyDurians, haha since you helped me so much!):

Brought back that $250pfr (quoted lower by contractor of course, near to $180-$200pfr) slab of marble-looking Quartz from Lian Hin, went to see Silestone at Duxton Road.

In short, not impressed. None looked as natural as the solid top we saw.

Did a quick scratch test (similar to what I did with the solid top) with kitchen scissors. Lo and behold, Quartz scratches easily too. But the thing is, on Quartz you can see the scratch but not feel it. On solid top you can both see it and feel it! Of course, I believe it will fair much better on the stain test as well.

Shiny-wise, they're quite similar, but Quartz definitely felt more solid (since it's 20mm) and was cooler and smoother to the touch. More luxe to the touch than solid top!

That said, Edmund is trying to get me contractor price for my solid top so likely the cost will be brought even lower. At 2 - 4 times the price of solid top, I don't think Quartz is worth it for me at least, the designs are not what I want at all (in fact, I pretty much dislike it) and the ones that are closer cost a bomb (Caesarstone London Grey is quoted at $300 to $430pfr. YES $430pfr from Hafary) and Silestone was more reasonable at $197pfr for Lagoon. All in all, I think Silestone is very reasonable for what they're offering compared to the other Quartz brands. They have quite a big collection and are good in quality (think 93% quartz) and price very reasonable, especially during the promos).

I will wait for Evershine to give a better (hopefully, cross your fingers for me!) pricing to my contractor and get that one. After all, it really is super chio!

The decision has been made for me!

Yayyy!!! Crossing fingers and legs! :) is this the Gloria one?