adrian_john

Newnyew, Good to hear you found the tiles. I'm waiting to see it up! I think Hafary at Defu has a pretty big selection of tiles. 45 X 45 is just nice for bathrooms. Rondy ... piggy suit ar? Why?

PJ, Nice doggie decals! I wonder if they have one of a schnauzer!

Congrats on your new place! Toa Payoh's a nice central neighbourhood to live in. Look forward to seeing your reno progress!

I'll be moving over to St 24 in the cluster with 5 tall blocks next to Catholic High and just across the road from Bishan active. Currently, I'm at St 13, just directly next to the Community Club and Interchange/Junction 8. The current place is more convenient in terms of walking distance to MRT and the main town centre compared to the newer place though.

Heya neighbours. Glad to see everything looking nice and good to know your house is almost complete! I think Joseph is really a very valuable asset for Uncle in the Project Management front since a couple of people have given good reviews on him. Hope to be able to drop by your place to visit one day.

Heya Reinshagen, I think its quite easy to get used to living in Bishan cos' its pretty central and convenient. For me I've lived in Bishan for around 20 years now. From your pictures, I gather your place is around the 22X cluster? That side's quite good as its close to the park yet also near to places like Bishan central and the Bishan north mall. If you have any queries regarding the area let me know, will be glad to share.

Was walking by Wisma Atria from Orchard MRT earlier today and noticed a rather nice selection of white shoes at Beetlebug at Basement 1. Another place you could consider checking out.

The rule may differ for different MCST and may also vary in terms of the type of unit. For example, for penthouse units, correct me if I'm wrong but, I don't think its an issue to have BBQs at the balcony as I've done it before. But for other levels, I don't think its allowed unless perhaps you're on ground level and have your own patio. I believe it also depends again on the type of BBQ equipment used. If you use the traditional charcoal and fire type, the MCSTs would not allow it, but if its the electric hot plate type without open flame/fire, they may be OK. So best bet is to clear with the management first.

Bodo, Just to share, I've been using the Mitsubishi Folio range model MRS-45N for about half a year now thereabouts. Energy efficiency-wise I believe its 4 ticks. Apart from that, other reasons why we bought it was because it has those height-adjustable shelves and ample storage space for bottles and other smaller stuff that is very organised. In total its 4 doors - 1 for the main fridge, 1 for ice-maker, 1 for quick-freeze, 1 vegetable and 1 freezer compartment drawers with inner tray. Easy control panel to adjust the temperature settings too. Its price was around $2.4K+ as its a made-in-Japan model. I was deciding between getting either this or the Hitachi one, but chose this instead. That time they had promo of free taka vouchers and a free Nikon camera. As what some others have mentioned, sometimes in stores, must note thatsalespeople have their agenda on pushing a particular brand, so best to get neutral feedback and research on some reviews. The price at those bigger stores e.g. Best and HN are also much higher compared to the other places. I got mine from Hong Liang. Hope this helps.

Hi There, Welcome to the forum and Congrats on your new place. There're a couple of good contractors which the forumers will recommend and you can find from reading the T-blogs. Nice squarish layout and pretty big rooms! Look forward to see the pictures and your ideas!

Newnyew - Wah, what bold animal print tiles you talking about? Sounds quite nice leh. I remember I saw some cow-print type at one ID's showroom and it looked pretty nice. Thanks both of you on your advice on the glass backing. I didn't realise there would be te moisture and oil issue as I thought it'd be easier to wipe glass than clean grout lines. Hahahah .. Lazy me! Will hear what he has to recommend lah. Angel, thanks for sharing your experience. Its quite reassuring.

Apologies if my earlier post was super lohsoh. Was just sharing what I felt from the heart. It really is a sleepy tuesday. I almost fell asleep on my comp too. Glad to see and hear that the thread has gone towards a more light hearted note. Yes, somehow talking about shares does do that sometimes ...

Hmmm.. ok, thats a good idea. Less wall exposed is always good and I like it that the sockets are at the cabinet's side. Must go check out Reiki's blog to see how it works. Actually, if I could have it my way, I'd rather just stick to the current full height version, cos' since we've lived with it for 5 years and it's really neat cos' nothing sticks out and all my wifey's make-up and vanity stuff (yes, there's alot and alot more) can be stored there. Haiz, but she want table then bo pian oredi. Angel, that's comforting to know. My current thought it to do glass backing and stainless steel for the stove/hob area (cos' heavy cooking). Still scared of cleaning grout lines...ahahahahahah!

Very nicely done up SuperSimon! Sleek looks and a very cosy MBR bathroom!

Guten Tag Reinshagen. Just wanted to say Hi and welcome a fellow Bishan neighbour to the forum. Nice black/white themed place you've got there. Love your kitchen! Good you're located nice and close to the park too.

@Fondue, Thanks for your feedback, tips and info once again. I'll go check out more on the models you're using since so far its been pretty good for you. Will probably get an 8kg washer since we've got quite a fair bit of laundry at home. Agreed that the front vent model would be good. The model I was looking at needs a hose and I seriously have no idea where to divert the hose too in my rather soon-to-be cramped service balcony. @Calderon Yes, I saw the EWF1495 on offer at Harvey Norman too. I believe that model is exclusive to them. I haven't had the time to check out the Time Manager models as yet, but I should do during the week or perhaps over the weekend. I'll update the pricings accordingly once I've got them.

After reading through this rather lively thread on Ah Soon, I gather that everytime there is a thread on him and his work/working style, what follows inevitably is a series of mudslinging between bouquets and brickbats for him. No wrong or harm in either, as both provide a more realistic and balanced POV for everyone. But I feel somehow, tension is heightened due to the manner in which some points are sometimes communicated, and when people are overly assertive and/or defensive, and perhaps also a wrong choice of words or a lack of tact in conveying a point coupled with an online textual environment, end up creating misunderstandings. Bearing in mind the Godpapa quote, I think sometimes we just need to take a step back and chill and perhaps view things in a more positive perspective. My 2 Rupiah's worth of thoughts: - Ah Soon ain't God nor a Superhero. He is neither underrated, nor overrated. From the many actual homes and T-blogs I've visited, personally, I'd rate the quality of his work as above average or good - Meaning 3.5 to 4.5 out of a 5 point scale. But hey, that's my opinion and I don't speak for everyone cos' its different strokes for different folks. But if one needs to personally assess the quality of his work and/or working style, its out in the open for all to see and derive their own judgements, with a little personal initiative of course. - Ah Soon is Highly Elusive. But that's not because he's a dodgy character or because he's escaping to Indonesia in a improvised flotation device. When he's busy, it means he's running around from estate to estate and home to home to sort out the work issues of his customers and at the same time, try to meet as many of his future potential customers. With his 'so many things, so little time' choc-a-block schedule, I think one can and should manage one's own expectations and understand why sometimes he's not able to keep appointments or is late. To give an example, I was set to meet him at 7pm one Wednesday evening, but in the end he turns up at 1040pm. But he did call me at 10pm and asked nicely if its alright if he could have his dinner first. So in the light of these circumstances, its up to an indivudual how they wish to react to such incidences and if they'd wish to implant some understanding and empathy that goes a long way in the whole reno process and in terms of living one's life. If one feels that its too much to take and give, and as long Ah Soon's on your payroll, he should be at your beck and call, then obviously Ah Soon's not the contractor for you. - Ah Soon is not Licensed. I think this is open for all to know as well. But perhaps its also good to note that many IDs out there do not hold the license as well and like Ah Soon, also rely on another Licensed contractor for the license to get the necessary HDB Approval. Yes, there are also bad and unscroupolous IDs and contractors out there, both with and without licenses. There are always risks in everything we undertake. Hence the purpose of this thread and other T-blogs detailing Ah Soon's work is to leave it to viewers to decide on what risks or adversities they'd have to bear by engaging Ah Soon. But from his track record, I'm sure he'll be a safer bet than minibonds. Although, the risk of hiring Ah Soon has always been aired, has anyone ever thought about the risks Ah Soon takes when undertaking a job? As I posted in another thread, there are times where he has lost money through some financial arrangements brought about by his kind understanding of his customers' financial needs/issues? In the bigger picture, I believe that why many customers develop personal affinity towards Ah Soon is because there must be something different about his personality/character that makes them feel comfortable or appreciative about him. Perhaps its his honest and sincere nature, perhaps its his fatherly touch or perhaps he just lives by his own simple mantra of trying to fulfil people's dream home as best as he can within their budget. Likewise, some might even view the negative extreme to assume all Ah Soon cares about is his retirement slush fund. Whatever the case is, the big picture is a 360 degree circle and the purpose is to enjoy our Reno, which is proclaimed to be the 2nd most stressful event in one's life apart from the death or a loved one. Its your house, its your life to be lived there. Yes, there will be stressful moments and frustration with any ID or contractor. But hey, even if there are any of those moments, there's always comfort food like chocolate or fast food, thundering down the highway in your car or going to the top of your block and shouting it out. Or better yet, coming online to RT here and have a nice friendly chat and/or gripe with the many nice people here in a postive way.

Hi Fondue, Such a coincidence, I was intending to PM you regarding the above but your mailbox was full. Thanks for the tips. Was wondering if I could ask you further on your review for your Electrolux Washer and Dryer so far? Also, is your dryer a vented or condenser type? Do you need to put a hose out some window to let the air out? Appreciate if you could share any more positive and negative feedback that you've experienced with them so far. Thanks alot in advance!

Hi Icestorm, Perhaps a suggestion for cream/white shoes. You may wanna consider sneakers (e.g Puma or Adidas Superstars) Some of them can pass off quite well with a suit and look pretty trendy as well. I used these for my wedding shoot and wedding. Alternatively, you can look for some nice white/beige loafers at Pedro too.

As usual, me and wifey usually spend some time to talk about the reno over the weekend. Initially, to accomodate all her make-up essentials, I was proposing to basically replicate the same make-up cabinet we have at our current place; or make it similar but full-height as per the picture below. But she was saying that she wanted a place to sit and an actual table top where she could sometimes also read and maybe write something. My concerns were that with a dresser table, it may reduce the storage space and hiding of all the stuff which we currently enjoy with the full height. So, in trying to maximise the space and fit into her request, I sketched a thought for the dresser as follows: The mirror cabinet can hide some of the stuff and can possible extended higher for more space (as seen in the dotted lines) and have lights below the cabinet. The pull out drawer also gives space for all the make-up essentials. To hide items such as hairdryers, was thinking that the ottoman can contain storage as well. I prefer a clean look, so hoping its possible to make the ottoman in a way that it will fit in seamlessly to the slot below the drawer. Power points are placed on the wall for the hairdryers, curlers, iPod dock etc. Was thinking maybe if there's space in the sides can put those movie star-style lightbulbs too ... but then again, better save electricity! Any other thoughts / ideas / suggestions are most welcome. Some female viewpoints would help!

@Calderon So far no feedback on it from local users as yet. But if you scroll upwards, there's some reviews from Australian users as provided by Cromodora. I've been going through the website and thought that the Electrolux EWF1074 Time Manager seems not too bad too. Anyone got feedback on this?

Wah.. Mosaics! It'll look very nice, bright and colourful, although I have to agree that you're happily making your life 'difficult' in terms of having to think of the choice of colour combos and maintanence. I did think of using mosaics for kitchen and toilets, similar to my sister's house. But the thought of me in rubber gloves, carrying a bottle of Mr Muscle with cloth and wiping those in-between grouts for hours every sunday is just too much ..ahahahahhaa! Hi Nottimonster, glad you settled on your ID. How's the space planning and designs coming along? Thanks for your feedback on the tiling. Do you have any pics to show of the tiles to show? I'm also trying to visualise it in entirety.

Hi Newnyew, Yes, tile searching can be really tiring. We just go for a browse at some of the more popular shops and it takes some time already. Sin Lek's located at: 70 Eunos Ave 7. Tel: 6842-1622. They're open from 10am to 7pm Mon to Sat ( I didnt' check abt Sunday tho'). They have some colourful mosaic tiles too.

Jesslyn, Congrats on your new place. Yup, looks like it'll be fun once you hack everything and refresh it. Layout looks pretty cosy too. Maybe you could even consider an industrial or retro look.

Wow, that's quite bad lah ... I wonder how the previous owner managed to get away with not updating the address on the IC for so long. I mean, now all Govt agencies run on a centralised database. So probably this person never pay any tax, traffic fine, road tax etc etc... Anyways as for the part about ghosts/spirits, I guess they're always around. Its only whether or not they choose to make their presence felt in a negative/destructive way that'll impact on your living in the house. Otherwise, its simply you don't disturb them, they don't disturb you. On a more humorous and lighter note, some people are actually 'happy' having these spirits in the house, especially the 4D punters!