angelous666

Hi Chezph. I got this sofa from Massimo 2+ yrs back it we absolutely love it. I'll PM you the price.

Thanks guys happy mommy congratulations on your new apartment! check your PM.

Vhardono, I think my wife bought it from Giant supermarket.. Hahaha. Its adjustable and probably 25cm long and 10cm wide? Its not the really high end integrated sink drainer and if memory serves me right, it should cost you around 5-15bucks. Hi Clouds, thanks for the compliments! I think Earnest Interiors is still pretty decent despite all the mishaps. Looking back, there were a fair bit of misunderstandings and unforeseen delays that caused some unhappiness but I'm pretty sure all of us will go through some sort of such agony as we do our Reno. Will PM you about the costs. Congratulations on your new place in advance.

Wah.. 1.5yrs after moving in, here is a new "101" I am going to put up. FIBRE OPTICS and Cable Planning 101. OK, for most of us who live in HDBs, we'd already had the chance for a free installation of a Fibre Optic Termination point in our home. If you missed the time period for your estate, I have heard that you can still call up and request for that free installation which would otherwise have cost you about 250SGD. My installation took about 30mins but that was only because the wiring required was very simple (5meters and no drilling) and there was no furniture moving required. Please plan and move your stuff in advance as my parents had to spend 2 hours to get just the termination point installed! The protocol is to have the termination point installed near a power outlet, but I managed to convince the installation guys to tuck it away at a little corner without disturbing the rest of my electrical wirings. Phew.. Termination Point installed next to my wall unit where I store my entertainment system. I didn't want an extra trunking so I stuck the optic cable to the wall with blue tack. I'm a Singtel user (with my Mio box in the storeroom) and I need to warn you guys that the power adapters for their devices are HUGE! You can go to Sim Lim to buy the smaller ones but I really didn't want to spend the money. Those with spacial constraints at their power points might have to consider those options though. Anyway, you will need at least 2 power points: 1 for the Fiber Optic decoder (this white little box) and 1 for the Modem/Router (the black one). If you want Mio TV, that is one more, and if you use the power-line Ethernet you need a fourth. That is a lot of power points you need at a single spot. Singtel also provides free Ethernet cabling into one of your rooms if you want to place your modem near your PC, but you will need to send a wire right back to your Mio box. Plan before you install. I just installed and placed everything in the same shelf. Decoder, Modem, Starhub, Power-line Ethernet and Mio (Sometimes). The picture below shows my messy topshelf with my PS3 tucked away below it. The lighting was bad when I took the picture, so you can't really see what is in the bottom shelf. If you are wondering how many cables I have in the top shelf, you are in for a big treat. 3 power cables for Decoder/modem/starhub. (1 more for the Mio Box stored in the cupboard) 3 Ethernet Cables: decoder - modem, modem - powerline, modem - Mio 2 HDMI Cables for Mio and Starhub. 1 RF Cable for Starhub That's a whooping 10cables in my topshelf that is 40cm across and 25cm tall! (Yes, I actually planned for fiber expansion before I started my reno) The powerline Ethernet saves you on ugly wiring while giving you a home wide Ethernet system. Ok, so that was the topshelf, and the bottom shelf is just my PS3 which doubles up as everything else: Equalizer, Media Server, Blu-Ray player, Web Browser, PS3(duh). One more HDMI cable extends from it, and another set of power points in the second shelf powers the TV, soundbar and PS3. There are a total of 4 power points in my shelf and they are at their limit with the double plugs before it becomes a fire hazard. Yup, this is the entire home entertainment system with the exception of the wireless sub woofer tucked beside my sofa. So there is actually a lot of planning to do when setting up your entertainment system and connectivity solutions. Fail to plan and plan to see a lot of extra trunking at home, and if you had previously spent effort to conceal as much wiring as possible, it will ruin all your efforts. Hope the wives reading this post will think about this before leaving the electronics to the husbands! hahaha

Happy New Year! hahaha. It has been a while and hope your are having loads of fun with the deco now that reno is over and done with. Speaking of your games room, I've just got the Fiber Optics installed in my home. It was a bit of a pain due to the extra trunking that I couldn't conceal but we managed to hide the termination point away with a thin trunking running along kickboard from the door to my Living room. Not sure if you guys have are converting or have already converted to Fiber, but **** it is fast. I recommend TP Link Powerline Network adapters to turn almost every single power point in your home into an ethernet port. The whole home is now wired and we can watch movies and share files almost anywhere in the apartment! Am a bit of a tech geek but if anyone looking to do concealed wiring, I strongly recommend doing some proper planning and having some expansion options built in for the future. (Speaking of which, I'd prolly post up some pics of my wire configurations to share) P.S. a PS3 might be a bane for the wives, but it doubles up as a media server, Blu-Ray player and Web Browser on your TV all at once. Use a HDMI cable to connect and you can reduce your wiring count by half, and save on having to buy other electronic devices!

Tks Norah for your compliments I'm gonna check out the flower shop you mentioned in Tg Katong over the weekend! Have yet to find place selling those nice bamboo plants yet. Yeah, flowers and plants really add a lot of life into the apartment, especially given how straight cut the reno of the house is. Right now I'm spending my weekends looking for nice vases and flowers to deco the hse, especially with CNY coming.. Wondering if I should buy those mandarin orange shrubs that are being sold everywhere of late.. hahaha I'm still have a living space in my old dinning area that is completely un-furnished, so that will probably be my next update once I figure out what to do with that space. Its currently used to play Mahjong under our spot lights... WahAHAHAH. Oh yeah, I am also seriously considering buying those hanging egg chairs as the final addition to my balcony, but it will be damaging to my pocket man... ughh. Also, Happy 2012 to all reno-talk members, and best of luck for the new year! And for the guys that will embark on their reno this year, I wish you guys good luck and congratulations on your new home in advance

Wow, its been a busy May - Oct and it seems like I've been reduced to a semi-annual forum member ! Work has pretty much tied the both of us down and we've not had anytime to continue on our half done home deco in the last 6 months but we've finally taken a next step these two weeks! After moving in for more than 1.5years, the apartment is starting to feel really hard and cold considering that we've not really added much of a human touch to the renovation. As such, we decided to buy some plants to soften the feel of the house, and add some life to the otherwise stone-and-steel feel of our renovation. I was initially looking for bamboo (not the small ones, but the thin and tall ones) for the balcony. Sadly, we've been around town and never found anyone selling them. As a result, myself and wifey decided that we would buy one other plant we like each, and put them in the apartment, making our purchases at Far East Flora. I chose the above, but frankly, I am not sure what the plant is called! Wife chose the mother-in-law tongue. Hope its not a sign of more nagging in times to come. Hahahaha. Well, I'm still in search for my elusive bamboo plant, so if you happen to have any idea, please PM me okay? Thanks!! To end off, I'd like to say that WOW, the new projects on the T-Blogs are amazing. Brings back memories of the days I was going through my own renovation.. I wish you guys good luck and congratulations on your new homes! P.S. The user interface of the forum has really changed in the last 6 months! Looking good and nice to know the admins are upgrading this place

Thanks for the compliments The thing for us was that we were on the second highest floor, and the opposite blocks were all a story below so we had no issues to our neighbour's eyes. So being the lazy bums we were, we only installed the curtains 6mths after we moved in!

Thanks guys. Yes, the island is always the topic of discussion for visitors, followed closely by my "toilet-in-the-cupboard". MayDream, noted on your "buying interest" ok? hahahaha. But I'm quite sure I'll be stuck in this home for a long time to come. We've taken alot of effort to do it up well and also, we are stuck with the 5y MOP............. hehehehe.

SUPER LONG TIME MAN! I just saw your post on the curtains after trying to catch up on the 4-5mths of non-attendance in this forum. Well, the curtains really add a touch of softness to our really "hard and sharp" living spaces, and it helps to block out the sun. Am really glad that it's finally installed. And yes. 50pax. My island, when extended into the empty multi-purpose dinning area (with those foldable tables and benches), can sit 28 people! The rest were hanging around in the balcony and the living room. Believe me, my common toilet was working overtime, and people kept "coming out of the cupboard" as they had to get through that to get to the hidden yard and toilet. Meanwhile, the island is usually in a mess....... we dump everything on it upon coming home. then we push it to the far corner.. hahahahahahahaha.

Sadly, not all. The easy ones to rectify were the gapping holes in the tile grouting, which the guys made quick work of. The poor workmanship on the kickboard areas were rectified with a round of putty followed by silica gel to seal. The marble floor actually got worse by the day, and the final straw was when the floor started growing patches and lost its shine. Fed-up with the guys who were in charge of the polishing, we eventually hired a marble specialist to recondition the floor . I guess the only good thing about that was that the latter group had a job well done, and made the extra cost worthwhile. The parquet tiling was another botched job, as you can tell in parts of the room that the floor was not flat as you can see the shadows from the mess up when light shines on it.. Ughh. Good thing our floor was stained dark and the defects are not visible unless you specially check for it. Now that we've moved in, I'd say the home is 100% functional, but the workmanship and finishings in some certain parts of the apartment could have been done better. But hey, the warranty lasts for another 1.5years, and Earnest Interiors have already responded to a post reno touch up without any fuss. I guess all in, I can still live with the remaining tiny defects. My Missus, on the other hand, is still fed up whenever we bring up EI in our conversation.

Well, it did!! We were extremely fascinated by the "Australia's Kitchens and Bathroom" magazine and the marvelous islands photographed in there. This layout and design was actually taken from one other interior design firm's space planning concept.. I fell in love with the idea of an open kitchen and hiding the washing area, so had this incorporated in my eventual build plan. Plaguerism at its best!

Then there is the MBR. Not much has changed, except that the curtains are finally up, and we've moved our Precious Tots collection into the room. Each figurine is for every anniversary we've had, with one more for our engagement. Yeap.. This is the curtain. While nothing amazing, it still adds a much needed soft touch to the room. And it blocks the shade.. This is exactly what it looks like. Non-showroom bed, non-pretentious MBR Our memories and precious moments Last couple of shots were taken when I first bought the tea lights. (As you can tell, I am extremely fascinated by shining/glowing things) This shot was in the direction of the balcony. In rest and relax mode, we usually only keep the lights in the balcony on Yes, I love my tea lights as much as my knife set.

Renotalk still does not allow more than 5 pictures a post..... Anyway, the study room is where i spend most of my time when I'm alone at home. Working from home often, I've wanted "an office" from the onset and with the latest addition to the room, I can say its finally complete. Hung up a large chinese painting on the drywall behind my study table to give the room that "Director's Office" feeling. And with the nice breeze in the room, and my egroworks chair, this is a really comfortable office. I'm still scared that the painting will eventually rip a hole in the wall....... Its like my favourite corner. The missus hates me sitting there all the time though Have worked at home enough to mess up my desk tray real good Well, that's the study room I love so much. The treadmill is also a really good buy, slots nicely in the corner, and gives me an easy and fuss free workout. (Have noticed the neighbours from the other block have weird stares when they see me bobbing up and down at the window though. They clearly can't see the threadmill)

Wow... It's been 6 months already! We've moved in, settled down, and took our new place as our new base now. It's a real home now. Anyway, in the last 6 months, we've gone out to buy furniture, decorations, and two weeks ago, finally put up our curtains. Good lord, I've no idea how I survived every morning with the Sun shining straight at my face! (Our MBR window faces east directly). Its a good natural alarm clock, but I think I've got an uneven tan now. HAHAHAHA. Anyway, Pics Pics! Our Kitchen is finally complete and we've done our all out cooking! In case you are wondering, no, I do not suffer from messy oily floors when I fry. (Well, I cheat a little as I do not deep fry) Soft lights at night from the cove lighting make the kitchen a nice place to rest up after a long day at work We bought these Philips Electric Tea Lights to give the place some ambiance through out the house. Verdict: Good buy The Kitchen can be turned into a nice mixer bar after dimming the lights and putting up the tea lights Disco style, with a touch of Armin Van Buren playing in the background I Love my WMF Knive set!!! Anyway, this kitchen has played out into a very important community area for the home. Friends and family love to gather around it and its a natural place for chit chat. We've held a couple of parties at our place and a record of 30ppl (there was one gathering with 50 pax but its not counted as a party ) Will put up the pics of the study room, which I am currently sitting in, soon. (Btw, I've also updated my blog)

Hi Macadamia, I only have that on one all. IMO, having all walls like that will make it overly complex. In every room, we have a wall that is different from the others, either through tiles (like living room or bathrooms) or through painting. Makes it less boring given every other wall is white wash.. hehe Thanks for the compliment Gfac! We bought our sofa from Massimmo (local start up at Ubi Tech Park) and they have a good range of sofas that can fit a number of different themes. With regards to the house theme, I guess minimalist is the right word. Trying to keep as much space as possible, while retaining functionality.

Dude, don't you dare think your place is miserable! Was going thorugh your carpentary pics and I think they are much better organized than mine! Especially your living room~~ Makes my living room look like a low budget quarters.. Looking forward to see your applicances and furntinure move in! (Btw, your Brandt oven and microwave was something i wanted but no $$$$ to buy lah! who should be envious??) The solid surface was actually brought up in a few pieces and glued together. The joints are extremely fine so you can't see them at first glance, but when you look closely, you can see a very faint line running across the table. Tks Patsy! Sad to say, I've only just started on the rooms. We've just bought our bedside tables and waiting to save up to get a nice rug to mesh all the furntiure together. The only other occupied room is my study... We installed a treadmill in there as well as my study table, but currently still far from presentable! hehehe. Will update you guys when it takes shape.. hehehe

I'd dare say its gonna come very very close! Both your 3D and onsite pics are looking good! With painting and all done, I'm looking forward to seeing the carpentry! I like how bright your house is, and lucky you for having a ceiling high enuff to accommodate a ceiling fan. I'm stuck with a little floor fan tucked at the side of the living room BTW, you are no condo wannabe sir. ~~EA is bigger, more economical, and better than a CONDO~~ Don't worry you are completely sane cuz i ran too! and the bay run is the second of three this year.

Well, I don't have too much time, but I thought it'd be nice to see the transformation of my home all in one post. Yes, putting all my panaromic shots together here I sequence and I can't help but feel amazed. The first week of reno - Hacking The third week of reno - Tiling The sixth week of reno - Carpentary The ninth week of reno - Handover Two months on - The apartment we live in. Well, I'd say thanks to all you renotalk guys out there for all your valuable suggestions and experiences. Am really glad to have started my blog and this T-blog, and be able to share this reno experience with you guys!

Ok.. I've moved in for almost 2mths now.. Cleaning is a problem (phew).. and my wife refuses to get a maid and says "you were the one that wanted an EA in the first place. NOW CLEAN IT!" Anyway, some pics.. As I mentioned in the previous post, finer details are on my blog ->> link Limited to 5 pics a post

Just updated my blog HERE!

We bought the "Turbo Combo" - Hood, Hob and Built-in oven at a combo price. Pretty decent and you will probably get discounts with you get it from those neighborhood electrical stores. (Don't go to Courts and get fleeced!) I spent about 700 on the package. Checking the grout, you've got to hand it to my wife. She inspected every last bit by doing a quick round of cleaning by herself (Yeap, squatting included). Unless you get up close, you can miss those gapping holes easily. Kitchen mixer is Arino (Chinese brand) about 300bux.

Hehe. Congrates! Looking forward to see pics of your new home!

This link may be of some help on how these hoods work: Wikipedia on cooker hood. If there is no use, why do people buy it?!? I don't have a problem with smells in the house when I cook and I also do not have to worry about fumes as the hood takes care of this. The wall fan will serve to spread the smoke, smell, oil particles etc!! don't point it at your cooking area!! Chimney hoods have filters to clean the air before it lets it out at the top. Think fishtank pump that cleans out the dirt.. Got inlet, no out also wad. U just need to clean the filters. Ask Courts or Harvey Norman to give you a demo for free. The fan will make you mop your kitchen very often........... I remember a really funny scene when I was somewhere shopping for taps. Lady: "Uncle, 吸烟机会不会吸烟?" {Uncle does the "smoke sucker" (cooker hood) suck smoke?} Shopkeeper: "Errmmmmm... (Long Pause).... 假如吸烟机不会吸烟，就不叫吸烟机了...." {If smoke sucker dun suck smoke, then wun be called smoke sucker} There is a reason why we buy these things!!

I Like.. Why Renotalk dun have a "Like" button? <-- This one fierce, but its my fav. Anyway, regarding the open concept kitchen:: There is no oil and no smell if you get a proper hood! Tried and tested, we did deep frying (with the proper crockery of course) among other heavy cooking every other day, but the floor is fuss free! The cassette types my parents and in-laws use are like 450something (i'm not sure about the units here). Those are not as heavy duty (and space saving of course) but airflow is clearly lacking (You might just end up not even using it). Invest in a chimney hood if you go open-concept, and those have 800-900x and it seriously can make a difference. (Just remember to clean it regularly).