Smallboy

haha.... he definitely remembers me. I bugged him for all details on oven! Tomorrow night I tell you about the hob/hood. My mom will be doing her first cooking... aka 'zhi-char' style. Stress test tomorrow night. Last few nights, we were all too tired to cook. As for oven, this thurs, I doing a simple test run first. Cos sat is my girl birthday party. Got to bake pizza, chicken wings. Stress test for my Oven soon. Will update.

Hi Aubrey I deleted my ikea software so i just use simple powerpoint to draw up for you. Let me explain. Having all open door cabinets may not be very functional for a small kitchen. Part 1 & Part 4 can be swopped. I think having a pull out for sauces is more user friendly. So that you dont need to put your sauces into cabinets which are hard to reach. Or you end up putting at counter top (which limits the space). This is what i install under Part 4 Since you said you wanted a pull out for biscuits, try installing baskets. Like what Angel81 did. Here is a link to her beautiful planned kitchen. Post#827 http://www.renotalk.com/forum/index.php?sh...8850&st=800 She bought steel baskets to hold her plates. You can buy those baskets too to hold food items. This is Part 5 where you may need a set of 3 drawers to put your forks, spoons. The lower deep drawers can hold plates, bowls. Your mom will find this easy to use. She is getting old, so she dont need to bend down to take out bowls, plates for everyday use. What do you think?

Aubrey, the recess TV console looks good. For kitchen, beside the fridge, can you ask for a set of 3 drawers. I can't see if it is open door cabinets or drawers. But having drawers may be good to access things. Just my 2c opinion. If not Jason standard drawings are all 'open-door' cabinets. hmm... can I 're-plan' your kitchen cabinets for you. To make it more user friendly for your mom and you. Sorry I very kay-po cos kitchen is my area and I want it to work. So, before i sketch, I better ask you first. How? From wendy (I am rushing out now to teach... will be back tonight to sketch for you... but my sketch not as good as Jason. But I want you to see an alternative planning)

Cool... after 2nd appt, then reno start liao...

thanks so much, guys(gals). Will buy Polar and a basket of fruits for them.

I like the suspended drawers and cabinets. This gives it a more airy and spacious feel. Not so cluttered. From wendy

Cool kitchen. Great space usage with the drawers and that overhead hanging cabinet. Now I think I want to buy that Ikea shelves too.

thanks Guy77. Your reno progressing really fast. The tiles are up.... Verging to another topic: GOOD neighbours. Met our neighbours. Malay family. VERY nice and friendly people. Talked to them. I like them already. I am thankful for good neighbours. Previously our neighbours not as friendly and clean. Aiyo, now this Malay family very clean, quiet and full of smiles. Only 'complain a little"......... "how long more your reno takes"...... I can understand cos so noisy and dusty. Now I need a little help: I want to buy cakes and fruits for them. Can or not huh? Any advice?

Preciousjam and Kthc, hahaha... so honored to have the fan named after us. Anyway, we also like the Black acrylic one. But more ex so didn't buy.

Saw your wood tile. Initially we wanted that too....... for our rooms. Didnt' want the 'cons' of wood laminate so wanted this wood tile. But after 'testing' and abusing it... we realised it loses its 'sheen' and gloss. And it looks really dull after some time. Maybe you want to do your own 'stress' test and see how this wood tile turned out.

I think it is needed to tell them WHERe to put the switches. Dont trust the electrical guy

blue diamond, for lightings, good for you to bring your floor plans when you buy lights. The sales people can more or less advise you on where to place the lights and how many downlights(if using) you need. As for power sockets, you got to know your needs. For example, in the kitchen, how many appliances you use? = to no. of power points. same for rooms.... how many points you need? And where are you placing your computer, Tv, etc.. this will determine no of points as well as position. Hope this helps

hee..hee.. Jason will go thru with them and they will scribble on the wall. Then hor, they can still ask me when I am there. Days after Jason went thru with them. Really really blur type.

blue diamond, when is your reno starting?

Gaku, please mointor your electrical works closely. We gave them drawings also. And they also not sure not sure type. Better be around when they install the sockets, switches and lights.

Good you have a balanced view of him. We are not trying to 'hack his signboard" (translate to mandarin)....... he did a lot of good things for us too. He is a honest and nice man. His standard of quality is there. But workmanship varies (depending on which team of tilers, carpentry, painters you get)......... and of course his blur blur team of electrician. And there is ONLY 1 Jason who does the drawing and the supervision of carpentry, electrical and finishing work, you can see where the bottleneck of inspection is. In life, must maintain a positive attitude or else this whole reno fatigue will kill the joy of things. Now, we are enjoying the fruits........ trying not to get too worked up over the little bits here and there. Did I tell you guys I turned painter too? I bought my own brush and did touch up after his guys came and polish the tiles. Cos the chemical solutions from the polishing splash over the edge of the wall skirting. No time to chase his guys to come back and paint. So i end up painting. Quite therapeutic for me! hahaha.......

I like the tiles.......... really chio! And that bling bling dining light.... wa... I like! From wendy

wow... so many posts after my last one.... hopefully your reno will work out fine. Uncle also said he impose fine for those smoking.......... hiaz.... in the end, he also smoke what! Yes.. take the advise of those posted here, insist they lay corrugated paper everywhere. Where your feet steps on. They didn't cover my bedrooms. Uncle has sent people to clean up the stains but well, they just can't be removed lor. I appreciate that he tried but well, they are still there. Just pretend it is part of my pattern. Mine is not a full beige or brown or white.. my homo tile has some patterns. Not too bad. hahaha.. trying to comfort myself. Like what growler says, sign up with Ah Soon ONLY if you have time and energy to chase and project mgt. If not, very heartache. And if you are a super perfectionist, forget about signing with him too. It will be too emotionally draining. For us, we are fine with Ah Soon but the little here and there (kept forgetting things) adds up to the frustrations along the journey of our reno too. We are glad we designed it ourselves, see it built before our very eyes........ and Uncle made our dream a reality. We lowered our expectations a bit here and there (which is reasonable) but somethings we can't stand, we call him to rectify and so far he has done so. But I just wish a little more time from him to project management (his workers)..... so less has to be rectified. Also from this forum, business has been soaring so he really got no time to project mgt.

Well, I believe Uncle will eventually recify but I think Fondue and I are in a RENO fatigue... too tired in chasing to rectify. And we have been mointoring and chasing since the time reno starts. And some works cannot be rectify....

Fondue, we same boat. Whole of last week, I am like a OCB person, sitting on the floor with a bottle of thinner, cif, scrubbing and scrubbing. Like Lady Macbeth, "Out you dirty spot". And it is still there, though less brown. I agree with the corrugated paper. They didn't cover the WHOLE house. For my kitchen grout, I dont know what to say. I want BLACK grout. Now it is cement colour. Then my electrical got so many funny problems. First the telephone lines. The Singtel man came and shook his head. Why our telephone lines install like that. Both socket also got no tone. The singtel man said "your electrical guy CMI"..... like that so simple also do wrongly. In the end, this Singtel guy re-do for me. So nice of him. Now my heater in my common toilet not working. MBR heater, leaking water. I really think Uncle guys not doing a good job.

Yes, I got lots of brownish marks........ SIGH..... no amount of chemical cleaning can remove it.

Fondue, I want to ask about the Homo tiles. I see lots of "hard to clean" stain marks. Really sad! Do you have this problem? And I realise our homo tiles very 'sensitive'...... meaning if I drip something or my girl drop her marker pens, wa.. kana stains and it can't be removed. I use thinner, can only get lighter. SIGH..... Do you have this problem?

Wa.. your progress is looking great!

Decide to blog about the FINAL saga before the move in (Sat). Tiling I had 2 cracked tiles. So, Uncle said this guy to do up the tiles. Wa... hack 2 tiles and then re-tile. Takes whole day. But he is good. Very meticulous and careful. So as not to break my other tiles. After doing 2 tiles, i decided to let the 1 in MBR be. I just can't stand anymore dust. Then just do 1 last one in the common toilet. It cracks when another guy was drilling in my towel bar. SIGH. But FULL marks for this tile guy who did the rectification works. Swee swee Corian Top This took 2 weeks of chasing Jason. Way before even the handover. Then finally they came in at 2.30pm Friday. I thought it will take just 1 hour. So I have sufficient time to clean up. Guess what......... they finished at 630pm. Then worse the grinding and merging of the Top send a layer of dust over the WHOLE house. Gasp! I almost died. But I told myself, i can clean it. It can be done. Uncle came over around then and said he will send 3 guys to help me clean. I had to leave to pick up my girl from tuition so I left them there to clean. When I came back 7+pm, they said they are done. I didn't want to inspect, assuming they clean everything. After they left then I realised the windows has a layer of the Corian dust. The floor and cabinets are oily. I clean with my detergent. Cannot help. By 10pm, i am depressed, crying. Why the floor still feel so oily. I called Uncle. He said need special chemical cleaning. Why didnt his guys do it just now? By now, my hubby (smallboy) still in a company function, called Uncle and scolded him. Gasp! I know... but I am in a state of emotional wreckage.. tired.. no strength to clean anymore. Jason came with 3 men and clean around 11pm till 1240am. At least not oily and fully cleaned up. By Sat, I feel better for the move, ,knowing my kids can step into a reasonably clean house. Safe for them, without harmful chemicals. Working with Uncle is sometimes frustrating cos they dont look into details. Like grinding a Corian Top or even rectifying the surface top required extensive coverage of the entire house. Layer corrugated paper over the floor, cabinets. That's why this is done before the final clean up/handover. sigh.... mine is done 1 day before I move in. Wallpaper: Uncle said to change since got so many bubbles. They came on Thurs to remove. And on the same day Uncle guys came to re-plaster to make it smooth. The wallpaper guy (Robin) came in on Friday to inspect. Said, still not smooth. Cannot put up wall paper. Then in came Uncle guy, he said everything is smooth. Why can't Robin install the wallpaper. This whole thing ding dong here and there. Fri, still no sign of wallpaper. Then Sat, someone came in to install the wallpaper while we are moving. Wa... so happy right. Then after he finished. we realised the wall paper got 2 tone.... the centre part is lighter than the right and left side. :( Honestly dont know to laugh or cry now. Just let them be. Till Uncle can give me a satisfactory answer. Now I got to postponed my TV installation. SIGH

Rondy, BIG BIG thank you. I will not seal the hob then. Wa.. thanks so much! XBB, I really forgot whether the small one is S12 or the bigger one is S12. Sorry. I went to Asia Excel at Balestier. I like dealing with Desmond And thanks everyone! Moving in is a huge relief. At least no more chasing jason or Ah soon for stuff or reno works. From wendy. (taking a break from unpacking and cleaning)