$35K Massive Overhaul - Single Lady 1st Abode

[bipps 4]

In a dilemma on my kitchen floor tile choice! Planning to do ikea style beech wood cabinets for a soft clean look. Something like this type of color...However I still unsure what type of wood tile color should I be choosing to match with this beech color cabinets... my walls are laid using creme white tiles and no top hung cabinets.

TILE CHOICE 1? My personal favourite! Feels warm to the touch (in denial cause tiles is cold) and printing of the grains looked super realistic too! Anyone on my side??? Please tell meeee

TILE CHOICE 2?

TILE CHOICE 3? 

[OceanEleven 203]

On 3/30/2016 at 3:50 PM, bipps said:

Wall tiling for common toilet  

Selected travertine look tiles that should be laid horizontally for the raw marble effect, JL lay it vertically without my knowing and managed to convinced me this looks trendier and tilers charges a little more for vertical laying. WHATEVER..It actually didn't look that bad.. and my friend whose house is also undergoing reno says it looks more posh this way  in betweens are kinda dark but once grouting is done the tiles will look pieced. 

Anyone noticed I did a box up? Didn't hesitate to box it up so I can have a huge a** mirror flushed against the wall where my sink is gonna be (follow ex owner sink location). JL initially discouraged me saying 哪里好。。这里可以放东西吗。。你放mirror then 你怎么放牙刷？？but I insisted.

 Let the before/after pictures do the talking....

BEFORE BOX UP

Actually I prefer JL's idea. Keep the recess area and let the mirror sit in there. 

Then you wouldnt need to do a full walled mirror or even need to frame it.

The small recess area is good for all the nitty gritty small items, and height seems good enough to avoid any splash.

 

[OceanEleven 203]

8 hours ago, bipps said:

3rd April - Grouting for Master toilet wall tiles looks nicer now and the vertically laid tiles didn't look so obvious anymore. Still, would prefer horizontal ones...lemme grow into it a little more....

 

My opinion, after grouting, it look nice. 

[bipps 4]

16 hours ago, OceanEleven said:

Actually I prefer JL's idea. Keep the recess area and let the mirror sit in there. 

 

Then you wouldnt need to do a full walled mirror or even need to frame it.

 

The small recess area is good for all the nitty gritty small items, and height seems good enough to avoid any splash.

 

 

 

I agree with you! Sometimes to make better decisions, I need more than just one JL to keep me in check....that's why I'm here! 

 

16 hours ago, OceanEleven said:

My opinion, after grouting, it look nice. 

Yay +1 ! I realize after tiling that alot of coffeeshop uses this type of tile pattern...my 60 year old aunt also said so...but what's more important is owner have to like it! 

Check this out! If only the water piping didn't exist, I could play pretend I live in a palace.

 

[bykaraanne 30]

Looks good after grouting!!

 

[OceanEleven 203]

5 hours ago, bipps said:

I agree with you! Sometimes to make better decisions, I need more than just one JL to keep me in check....that's why I'm here! 

Yay +1 ! I realize after tiling that alot of coffeeshop uses this type of tile pattern...my 60 year old aunt also said so...but what's more important is owner have to like it! 

Check this out! If only the water piping didn't exist, I could play pretend I live in a palace.

Nah, dont worry too much about other's opinion. Different folks, different strokes.

The white marble look makes the washroom look bigger and airy, especially after a hot bath.

Key point now is to match with ideal carpentry, table top and sink.

 

I deem a top as a very important point in the washroom.

A good one can house toilet rolls, shampoos, detergents and what not. Couple with a top to line up all the lotions, potions and solutions. 

 

[laknock 0]

Nice color out there ! ! 

[pipsqueak 3]

i like your tile choice 1 too! i think it will make your kitchen look warmer and more cozy, but if you want it to be similar to the inspiration picture, then it would be choice 2  

[bipps 4]

7th April - The day I got angry over nothing...today is the day JL went overseas for 10 days so I did my due diligence to check on progress since he is not in town... opened the main door, kitchen floor in a mess...why are my wood kitchen tiles not up yet!!!!?? only screeding done??? 

 

walked around a little and as I was about to leave....I saw this....the dark wood tiles have been up! I didn't notice as the area was powdered with so much dust and plasterceil. And the tiles looked goooooood......! *feeling silly with myself for getting fed up over nothing

 

So folks, I ended up NOT selecting SBH tile choices as I bought tiles from both HAFARY and SBH. Decided to return HAFARY toilet floor tiles as they were too slippery to be used in the shower area, never thought of slip factor when I selected it from the start. Therefore I can only reselect my chorchor toilet floor tiles from HAFARY though the SBH wood floor tiles priced similarly looked so much better....plus made in Spain somemore... eh....I thought I could be once proud I have Angmo tiles instead of Made in China ones...

My HAFARY chorchor floor tiles... at least I can rest assured my Mom won't slip while she is in the bath..these 2 in 1 tiles looks like I could have my feet exfoliated at the same time whilst bathing. Save time sia!

 

 

[bipps 4]

9th April - TAOBAO UNBOXING DAY!!!! 

Loot 1 from Peeka - 340KG approv $550 shipping and agent fees

Armed myself with the hammer I borrowed from my angmo boss, (wonders why he has so much hand tools at home)...ended up the friendly and nice workers unbox all these crates for me...would have gotten myself injured with the nails and sharp wood edges if I were to DIY all these myself. The workers put everything else aside just to do these for me.. ho touch wor...

 

Loot 2 from Amcom Express - 1.88cbm approx $480 shipping and paperwork fees 

If you think this is nothing, think again, 40 packages big and small just from this Amcon shipment, ah this one I can DIY as all I need was a cutter, scissors, and my arms. Time spent to unbox EVERYTHING??  10AM - 1PM.

Not too bad for my Saturday morning activity! Specific item updates will be done once my entire reno is done and things fixed up. 

 

Some of the wood trash left behind....Carton boxes goes next to the recycling bin downstars...Wood trash will have to wait for workers to dispose it the proper way...Of course we can place it downstairs but kinda asking for unwanted attention as I'm the only unit doing reno works now and I want to avoid having unhappy neighbours and unhappy cleaners in my new estate. 

 

[bipps 4]

Unhappy Purchases that I used Peeka for...

This standing vanity set from taobao (inclusive of tap, sink, marble top) is beautiful! But did not come perfect...

One of the defects of the inner wood bar withholding the marble top...Use or don't use? Use! Use till damage and rot and I will never purchase such thing from taobao! Worker told me they won't be able to replace the defects with their carpentry as the risks of breaking the entire vanity is way too high... 

I will be happy if this can lasts 3 years. And definitely not cheap cheap type of vanity hor...

 

This mirror CHIO SIA.....! From taobao seller's page that is...

 

The actual thing...

PUI PUI PUI PUI PUI!!!! I wanted to tell the worker that this mirror is so awful! Like ah neh color! You know the dark yellowish gold jewelry... But I didn't as all of them also ah neh... very nice people too.

Going to spray paint it myself with either Silver, or Gold...which one better??

The 80KG sink....Super like it, Just not practical for old resale HDB as there will always be a gap behind it for pipe to pass through..unless condo or new BTO with concealed piping. Isn't it funny despite being as prudent as possible, things like that still happens after you make that massive decision to purchase items online.

Now I ought to build a box up just like what snowy89 did...Here . Thank goodness I picked up the t-blog by chance otherwise I would feel like I'm in this alone. 

 

 

Edited April 11, 2016 by bipps

[bipps 4]

What else happened between 10am - 1 pm on the Saturday??

The painting of the 2 guest rooms!!! Hey these workers have surpassed 'HIGHLY EFFICIENCY' already can!!!

That morning when I arrived, NONE of these rooms were painted, AT ALL. So I was chatting to the lead worker for awhile and wanted to instruct him on the painting..brought him to the room...and shocked at how fast they painted the rooms...all I thought was 2 workers were chatting and sitting on the floor in the other rooms so I didn't bother even going in to see.

They always shock me in a good way! Even when JL is not in town! 

[bipps 4]

1.8m custom made wide mirror from taobao too! Super love this item in my walk in wardrobe... problem is it's meant to be a standing mirror therefore no brackets or hooks were given to have it wall mounted...Gonna have to source for those hardware myself liao...

[Ahyong81 3]

Nice updates.. its so exciting to see the house update every day with new stuff

[bipps 4]

2 hours ago, Ahyong81 said:

Nice updates.. its so exciting to see the house update every day with new stuff

Wah the legendary bachelor padder is still lurking here...your t-blog have fed me with alot of useful info! Like the wc position and smart switches information! And yes it is exciting at the same time mind challenging as every new thing you install, will somehow or rather affect something else!