andante

wah.. very unique & quite challenging layout! How abt building a "in the cabinet" fridge? THe only problem with that is if it breaks down u hv to get a same one or get one of smiliar/smaller dimensions.. I would do a sliding partial glass/ partial wood door study entrance coz its near the main door.. If u sit facing the kitchen direction, the glass allows u to see whos outside while having ur privacy as they cant see wats on ur computer/tv screen..

WOw.. Cant actually tell ur flat is 6 years old looking at the 2nd pic of ur living room.. all white walls with white shelves.. But yea the toilet is a giveaway! I tink its cheaper to find something similar to what u want in stores and ask if they can make minor changes. I was at Mode design yesterday in Sugei Kadaut and they can do alot of changes to their stuff like different specific dimensions that i requested at maybe 100 bucks more! Probably still cheaper than wat your ID and contractor can quote? I asked Hommage to made minor alterations to my console and coffee table set...for free!! fyi, one of my IDs quoted me 1100 sgd for just the console when i got my console + coffee table altered set at only 899 from hommage!

woah... thats a huge bedroom with plenty of wardrobe space potential!!! Congratulations!! *super jealous*

I finally got down to buying my tv console box (after a long discussion with one of my IDs and comparing the humongous difference in a custom made vs off the shelf) After a long search, i found a fantastic promo from Hommage from the excellent recommendations here @ renotalk! The coffee table + console set i liked cost 1300 (1100+) after discount in Furniture collection Center in Sugei Kadut with a rectangular (smaller) coffee table. While Hommage sold mine with a bigger coffee table for only 899sgd. The boss even agreed to making changes for free so that my console & coffee table sits on the floor with just a 2-3cm height leg.. pretty much the way i want it -- a plain big glossy/mirrored box on the floor. Hommage also has the CHEAPEST CARPET i've ever seen so far!! Modern rugs everywhere were going for 600+ and i found the cheapest 200x140cm at Takashimaya basement fair for 399. But i got one at Hommage at 320sgd for a bigger 160 x 320cm one!! I added an extra item to my reno quotes today... So in love looking at this!!! Unable to make up my mind yesterday about living room & MBR light, I made a trip down to Geylang once more only to realise i made an slightly expensive mistake buying half the lights without more shopping and price research!!!!! I paid 385sgd (which i SERIOUSLY thought was a fantastic deal...) remember????? This same light turned out in DK lightings for 240sgd!!!! Last one, display set in brown which gave out a beautiful warm glow when switched on! Grrrrrr.... I tried to justify the price difference with that being the display set but the lady boss said .. "oh usual price is 260 thereabouts!!!" WTFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF I must have been brainwashed by Balestier's bad pricing to tink there's value in this light at 385sgd!!! Lucky for me Glamour House allowed me to change it to my love-at-second sight chandelier with cage light for an extra 15bucks.. so i ended up with another gorgeous but more modern dining table light from DK Lightings.. In my excitement of getting something more fabulous, i forgot to take a pic in the shop... but they will all be up by Thurs/Friday so it iwll be REAL SOON!! My Reno items: - feature wall in the living room, - a box up on top of the MBR bay window connected to my bed frame - hack my MBR wardrobe - Chest of drawers with accessories display 2mx 1m in MBR - add mirror to my guest room wardrobe doors - Dining area wall framed mirror 2m x 2.4m - Add 2 more light points on false ceiling - 3 pelmets for living rm, WIW room & MBR room - Shift both SCV switches - Shift 2 heater switches Finally after a nightmare of too many zeros from ZplusN & Insideliving, i recieved the most "reasonable" quote from D'vine today... Got alittle sick of IDs giving me that "you can afford it" crap just coz of my apartment! One attempted to charge me 11.5k for just the few non-major items above. Insideliving quoted me 9.5k WITHOUT the massive 2x2.4m framed mirror which will probably add another 1-2grand on it. It was extremely fustrating trying to cut it down the cost and finally i got to below 9k with the huge kickass mirror inclusive from D'vine... Definitely the cheapest of the lot.. Still a far cry from my dream of "simple renovations" + lights + curtains for less than 10k afterall!!

I asked the same.. but to be honest, after asking around too many places, i always get the same ridiculous prices or a "we dont do it" answer... the guys at white collection were even more honest quoting me almost 1k for my L shape + Ottoman.. he even said that they have to charge high else everyone will just keep doing upholstery and no one will buy new sofas! Geezz Then again if urs was a expensive/sentimental/vintage set and u rather require re-upholstery, i saw a recommendation somewhr about a shop in 6th ave(dont remember if its in this forum) and they could quote basis my measurements and descriptions.. though it turned out the same price as White collection.. maybe it's worth it for ur case..93869080.

balcony light - also in lightings.com.sg for $85 They have this super gorgeous birdcage which is different from those fugly ones in balestier too!! Wanted to put it in the balcony but think i'll be v heartbroken if it gets wet and dies on me Small one - 137, big one 270.. Lastly.. i'm super super in luv with this light for some strange unknown reason. And the funny thing is, on first sight, i thought it was ugly. strangely it grew on me and i kept thinking of ways to fit it in my puny apartment. Living room colors and curtains match it perfectly.. BUT with 2 statement lights (this & the huge black dining table crystal light) in the same space.. it seems too crowded no? Should i get this for my living room stillllll? Or maybe MBR?? hmmm.... Lastly, 10 x square 2 tube downlight with Osram bulbs. The salesman whom i spoke to for both visits was EXTREMELY patient with me.. ( i can be a very troublesome client really) and he sat thru my 2 hours of whinning + intense bargaining till past work hours on a saturday night!!! I even got the honor of closing the shop with him coz it was that late! But of coz I got a very nice discount outta him which i promised not to advertise... so all the prices i listed here are listed in the shop before less!

Thanks CJREDDEVIL!! My Balcony is super long but very narrow. WOuld have loved to have it slightly wider to put a wicker table + sofa or something of the likes to entertain guests... Plus big balcony = costly decking.. I'm already not gg to succumb to the popular myth of Chengai being the best deck and will probably settle for Balau.. Condo's at Mhd Sultan.. and that little building just in front of my place is an abandon school.. Didnt tink my unit will still have the view of the school but alas! The cons of buying a unit before TOP is that u just cant tell wat u really get.. Still, i'm not one who opens my window 24-7 so i'm sure i'll survive with the curtains drawn.. My developer provided fridge, oven, microwave and even washing machine.. tink these days quite a few developers do that now as part of their "marketing" strategy.

With my current lease up on 21 Jan... I've 11 days to get out!! My superstituous parents insisted i have to move my things into the apartment on the 16 Nov (auspicious date) with all my lights switched on!! & becoz of that, my t-blog will start with lights.. I walked about 10 lighting shops in Balestier & realised something.. they all have almost the same lights but with a variety of prices. We arent talking about 10-20 bucks difference here.. it can be as much as 100 buckeroos for the same or very similar (or at least to me) ones. Funnily i thought its forbidden to take pictures of the lights so i cant really remember the details like exact price & design. Only after many shops, i visited lightings.com.sg & whipped my camera out in every single shop after, but with their permission. Lightings.com.sg seems like the hot fav here.. they have very affordable & reasonable(or even cheap) prices. However, their pictures online dont do justice so its always better to head down to see the real deal.. I did & i spotted 1 i really like which is not on the website.. $155 i think.. reflected shadow makes the simple light really beautiful!! but to be honest, they have very similar ones from the next shop on the left, and the next next next one on the right. You get the drift... so i ventured further into Geylang at the recommendation of my ID I went to Veelux but made a mistake of mentioning my ID's name... then i recalled that means i'll get "marked up" to cover them So i ignored my luv for this cool looking planet/orbit light for $500+ & a very potential bedroom mod light - $800+ and went further down to other shops.. i walked into Glamour House Lighting where this one (with its very friendly price tag - $540) totally won my heart... kicked planety cheena crystal lights from Veelux into space where it belongs and landed on its throne as the destinated Dining table light! Walk-in wardrobe light.. $88

2nd bedroom... hate hate hate bay windows! it's a small 2.6m x 2.5m (excluding bay window) room so i'm going to make it into my WIW. 2nd bedroom wardrobe.. i really cant bear the sight of the wardrobe doors. The "1st owner" chose 2 different colored/type doors from the developer's choices for the 2 wardrobes in MBR and the 2nd bedroom!! MBR wardrobe.. gona hack it to make the bedroom look bigger.. MBR toilet.. sunken bath + crazy big window that looks right into the neighbour's bath area.. Smart architect really. Small Yard with Washing machine from developer too.. To-do list: - Feature wall for Living room - Pelmets for balcony doors, WIW room and Bedroom - Hack MBR wardrobe and replace with a 1m height chest of drawers + see through accessories rack on the top shelf.. - Wood decking for planter box - Add mirrors to the (ugly) WIW room's wardrobe. - TV panel for MBR's TV - MBR baywindow shelf - Add huge mirror w frame in dining table area. - Lights - Curtains - System wardrobe with IKEA Stolmen set Everything to be done in a very tight timeline... 4 Jan - Got my keys 5 Jan - 8 Jan - Met contractors, IDs, go through renotalk every single night for 11th hour research, curtain shopped, light-shopped 9 Jan - Bought lights!!!! 14 Jan - lights installation 16 Jan - the big MOVE IN date. *just boxes.. continue living out of my suitcase in the rental apartment till end of lease 20 Jan - Move remainder small items in, hand over rented apartment, fly off for 11days holiday (while x-ing fingers for reno works to be on time) 2 Feb - Back in Singapore. First day in new apartment. (hopefully by then MBR's hacking and make good all done) .. .. .. .. 10Feb - Fly off again for holiday.. . . . 16Feb - Back in Singapore . . 20 Feb - Housewarming/CNY party.. Do u tink everything can be done in time too? **mission impossible theme 2**

After lurking around the forum for the past 1.5wks, i've benefitted tremendously thanks to everyone's recommendation!! Guess it's payback time!! SO i'm starting my t-blog of my simple but hopefully CHEAP ID to my small 926sq ft nest.. I just got my keys to my 2 bedder on Monday 4 Jan 2010 ... what a lovely new year 2010 present from developer!! First up, my floorplan! Wasted space >> Planter: 5.3m x 0.5m My huge balcony doors.. 5.8m long.. not cheap to make curtains Kitchen .. thank god everything is done up already.. My place comes with an oven, a microwave, fridge, 2 induction + 1 gas cooker. Perfect for the lazy bum like me!!