Umaisarah

Thanks, Ossify and Porcupine. I asked my DH and he stared at me like I'm a total noob, hee hee. Actually it's how you 'define' L Box, cuz with L Box it terminates at the wall. but a U BOX terminate just before the wall, so u have a 'drain' for the curtains and blinds to hang. So, correct no need to have a pelmet if we have an L Box which is a U Box To be fair to my ID, she did say she can do a U box if we dun want the pelmet (must defend her a bit mah, cuz I select her ) but she will need to overhaul the ceiling plan cuz if u see my pic above, there's some parts where the curtain area is not covered by anything. Patsy - pelmet is that thing which covers your curtain rails so you can't see it. it can be simple or can be very fancy. here's a link to a fancy pelmet Fancy Pelmet hey, what u all think of that wall with the store door? shd I do something w it?

It's called a Murphy Bed. The one which is at the Expo is something similar called the Hidden Bed system. But I find it too bulky (and quite ugly too actually). You can check out this website Wall Bed I think the product you're looking for is somewhere there.

Oh, oh! My DH just explained to me why L-box need pelmet cuz with L-box, it is flush to the wall, so no space in between box and wall for the curtains, whereas with false ceiling and U-box, got space so no need pelmet. Does this sound logical? Can u make L-box without flush to the wall?

My house has this store which is along the wall leading to the rooms (see pic below). I thot the door there is quite an eyesore cuz it really sticks out, it's still within the living/dining area (unlike the bathroom which is already near the bedroom area) and curious pple are going to open it and see a big pile of mess inside (or worse!) I'm thinking of doing something to the wall so that it's seamless and hv the same look throughout (until the door of the common bathroom). I've seen this effect in some of the newly launched condos like Livia. My ID gave 2 suggestions, laminating the whole area, or just the door to match the paint on the wall. I'm going for the 2nd option cuz it's cheaper, but thinking of using wallpaper. But to do this, do I need to change the entire door, or remove it, wallpaper it then put it back? Anyone has done something like this before? I think it's something like hiding your household shelter door but slightly different cuz we're not trying to hide the door, just disguising it so it won't stick out too much. Anyway, do u think it's even necessary? Should I leave it as it is and just a put a sign 'DO NOT OPEN' at the door

Oh, then I don't feel so bad la...... good luck in asking for the extra pillows, and if he give u anything else free, lemme know, then I oso ask from him, heh heh....

Depends on what you're planning to do? For $18.5K (which is on the high side, I must admit straight off), I'm doing: - TV feature wall + TV console - Dining feature wall - Ceiling works (false ceiling, L-box) for living/dining and master bedroom - loft bed+bay bed for kids bedroom - study table, drawers and top hung cabinets in kids bedroom - laminate all bay windows - painting whole house (max 7 colours) using Nippon

Hi. I SMS Mr Keong at 93832155 but he nvr respond. Is this e rt nbr? Has anyone used JAE Electrical before? Any feedback on their service and workmanship? Can some kind souls oso PM me Mr Ong nbr?

Beat u to it, i asked for 4 pillows, and he gave me extra bedsheet (so 3 altogether) instead of the sheep. But, he gv u at same price but WITH the bed frame??? Grrr.......

Thanks! I'm seriously considering one for the kitchen. Cuz we very sure we won't hv enuf points there for the blender, rice cooker, juicer, toaster, kitchenaid, etc etc. Don't want to be plugging and unplugging stuff all day long!

Grrr...... (Edited to add: Wah, i aredi Bronze member....!)

You getting keys on 22 Mar is it? Quite close aredy leh....if u dun hv many new things to buy and u dun hv to move out so soon, ok lor... I v kan cheong, so early already book curtains. Very excited, mah.... Anyway, i hv to move out before my 2nd appt with HDB cuz my buyer also want to start their reno early. Last month they come down to my house while I was away and brought 3 reno contractors and was already discussing what to knock down, what to take out etc. Like quite sad they're going to tear down my kitchen but i know tt kind of style not to everyone's taste. My maid told me they also go and open my fridge to check how big it is cuz they want to buy something like it !! . And they asked my maid if they can have my cute telephone table and wood bench. Wah, I so mad at them . Thank goodness they never open my wadrobe! Next time they say want to come down, I make sure I'm around...

I think the giddy part is when your cove light is shining inwards cuz the fan will create alternating shadows. Tt happened to my mom's place, she had a ceiling fan and a light installed close to each other, then when you on the fan, it really is nauseating becuz of the shadows, so she had the light moved and the problem was resolved. I think finally, my DH decided no need cove lights lah... In terms of electrical costs, will also be expensive cuz u need to install light points for them, and buy the tubes. But he still worried abt the strength of the lighting. He wants the ID to think of another ceiling plan so that there's enough light, especially for the living area. btw, do u know if a curtain pelmet is still necessary if we already have false ceiling or L box running across the window area? Eg, if I have an L-box running the whole length of my planter and balcony area, do I still need a pelmet? My ID says must have, but other IDs which quoted me, never say anything about pelmet. If I don't do the pelmet, can save abt $300-$400.

Yah, now I've learnt that when I go to those big shops, shouldn't be afraid to bargain becuz their original prices are really cutthroat! But I think need to look see first lah...like I dun think that SPACE shop will bargain one, hah hah Why Serta? Hmmm....actually when I walked into the Serta shop it was just to check it out. I heard Serta was very ex, so wanted to see it to believe it. Then I saw the 50% off, I thot it was a good bargain. We actually asked the salesman, Kelvin, how does Serta mattress compare with Simmons. He praised Simmons cuz he used to work there. He said if we're looking for a Simmons equivalent to the Serta mattress we're eyeing, it wld cost about $5-6K. Then, he showed me a newspaper article dated Nov 09 where it said Serta was buying over Simmons in the US! I think there's some truth to it cuz when I checked the Internet later, there was a story on Simmons filing for Chap 11 (bankruptcy) and selling itself to Serta's owners. Not sure how it wld affect the local ops, though. We currently have a Simmons which worked well for the past few years, but DH was complaining that it's not firm anymore. He can feel it when I'm tossing and turning on the bed. We liked the Sierra Hills cuz the comfort pad is softer and overall feels firmer (DH likes very firm bed). But honestly, I dun know how to compare mattresses, leh . As long as not too soft or saggy and I can't feel the springs, alright with me lah. What I'm looking for and still cannot find to my liking is pillows. I want big, soft pillows, like the ones used in good hotels. My best experience with pillows was at Hilton KL. Wah, their pillows so syiok, big and soft and so comfortable.....

But for my current fan+light, the controls are separate. Some fans come with remote control, is activation via the remote, and not the switch? Not really keen on the pull lever method cuz easy to get damage over time. Are all fan+light models like that? Thanks for clearing up the part abt the switch. Oh, it's called rocker switch, issit? Now I know what to tell the electrician.

Hi Merydith Wen r u collecting yr keys? I think we r in same boat but I recently selected my ID. Whew! It's a big relief to get tt done. My advice is to go w e one u feel most comfortable with. Hv u got 2nd appt w any of them yet? By then u shd hv an idea or feeling aredi if u can work w them. But dun worri still got time lah. U oso bought e Sierra Hills! Whr u buy? IMM? Can share w me how much u pay for it? You can see mine frm my sig. Hope tt Kelvin didn't chop me. Do u know we actually spend almost 2 Hrs at e shop until my kids complain they were hungry for dinner. We tried all e mattresses and end up w e Sierra Hills cuz it's softer. Yah tt 50% is jus a gimmick. I mention it in my blog too so others, pls bargain hard if you're thinking of buying a Serta!

Can some kind souls comment on this quote I got? Is it reasonable? market price? (prices are for concealed wiring) Supply and install new lighting point $28 Install downlight $5 Install ceiling fan with light $20 Install ceiling fan $15 Install pendant/hanging light $25 Install lights $5 Install 1x13A SSO $50 btw, for installing ceiling fan w lights, do I need to create 2 points, one for the fan and one for the light? cuz there'll be 2 switches right? one to on the fan, and one to on the light? Also, I'm not sure what you say when you want to change the light switches from 1 switch per box to 3 per box? anyone know what I mean? Is the price already included in installation of the light point?

Just checked the John Erdos website. You're right, quite ex! Have you been to The Shophouse at Gillman? They've got quite nice wood pieces there too. But prices may be of same range as Erdos. I think they cater more for expats cuz the owner is an ang-moh. I was considering buying some dining chairs there a few years back, but then we drove down the road a little bit and came across Mirage Teak House. Prices were like more than 50% cheaper but of course quality cannot compare lah..... Got a teak side cabinet from them too but there's mould in a few places and the varnishing is quite bad. Natural Living also has some nice wood pieces. Try the Park Mall outlet and look for Azizah, she was the one who gave me $1,000 discount on the bed! I got my 2m x 1m dining table from a Barang2 warehouse sale. Really, really love it cuz it looks **** solid and expensive, heh heh. But I'm so careless so now there's like hot pot stains on the surface. Not to mention scratches but I suppose that's what gives it character Am planning to re-varnish the surface and protect it with cut glass but in two minds about it If $$ permit, may change my dining chairs too cuz quite uncomfortable to sit on it after a while. But may go for non-wood, modern design just to spice things up a little

Hi Wizi Glad to hear u like reading my blog Eastside living will b diff n lonely for me cuz I'll b far away frm my family. They're all westerners, heh heh. But one good thing is tt many of my colleagues stay in e east so can hitch ride home w them actually I'm quite anxious cuz evrything will be unfamiliar. Dun even know whr e wet mkt is. Nearest Ntuc is 1 mrt stop away at eastpt mall. There's some nice devts at loyang but DH didn't fancy cuz public tpt will b a problem. Hopefully envt will b btr for children but my eldest aredy saying she wants to go Crescent Girls cuz most of frens choosing tt sch (she taking Psle this yr, stress!). Trying to convince her to go to schs in e area. Got any good ones to recommend

Hi Patsy! Welcome! I'm a newbie too. I see u got yr floorplan frm singaporeexpats website too . Is yours a ground floor unit cuz I've nvr seen a yard+balcony before except for grd flr. But u dun hv PES? So mbe this is special layout?

This is perfect. Thanks Renotalk and people like LimLim for sharing. Was looking for shop to buy plywood for bunkie boards for my king size bed. Not related but does anyone know shop that sells glass that can be cut to size? I want to cover my wood dining table.

Time to talk about my biggest damage so far - Renovation. After much head-scratching, hesitation, research, and back-and-forth, convenience and design won over and DH and me decided to go with Inner Room as our appointed ID cum renovator. The ID came back to me on Sat in response to my request if we can give them partial contract. She said she can cut down the value to within our budget so we went down to their office yest to discuss. Actually, prices have remained almost the same, but we took out quite a nbr of items which we don't need which she had quoted, like bookcases for the girls' bedroom (we're bringing our current Billy bookcases), the MBR bedhead and feature wall (going to do simple decal, wallpaper or let the paint colour and bedhead do the talking), bookcase for MBR, display cum divider **** (dun believe in feng sui stuff). She also gave us discount on her prof fees and free GERMAN STUCCO wall for the dining area. Total value in the end is abt $1K above our budget but $11K less than her initial quote. I think she quoted us for fairly good materials, like the inside of the cabinets is made of colour polygen, compared with Home Guide which quoted cheaper but the ID (from HG itself, not IR) did point to me that the internal is white PVC. The bay window laminate ledge is 5cm thick and will hv an overhang so that our feet will dangle and not touch/dirty the walls). IR quoted me $288 for acrylic and glass bi-fold door with top and bottom tracks. I wanted to get PD door but DH and ID don't recommend Now realised that ID forgot to include quote for MBR TV console. If she quote too high, our alternative is to buy Ikea TV console, do some mod and decorate it with Winkplay decals. I'm fully aware that my head is primed for carrot chop but hopefully I'll hv peace of mind that someone will be doing all the running around and checking for me, and I know the quality and look will be there.... So, that's one major item off the list. Next is electrician, lighting and MOVERS!!!

Everytime we go window-shopping, kena more damage to the wallet Yesterday, went down to Harvey Norman at Millenia to look at their bedframes. DH was surprised HM sells beds cuz he thot they're like Best Denki, sell only electronic items. Anyway, their furniture range is quite atas, and hence expensive. Saw a bedframe we like, it was about $1000+ for king-size. KIV for next time. We also saw a mattress selling for $12k. Crazy..... but this was not the only crazy and amazing thing we saw...., heh heh Then we came across this furniture store called SPACE. Curious, went in to take a look, but almost fainted at the prices! Wah, this one only new citizens like Jet Li with banglo at Bukit Timah or Holland can afford! Never mind, pretend like we belong in the shop and took a slow walk around the shop. Saw some dining chairs that I really like but of course, one piece alone costs $1000+!!! We saw a life-size horse lampshade (which was featured in one of the home decor mags, I think it was LookBook) and a life-size pig table. If you're curious, here's a link to what it looks like, it really IS life-size. Mooi Life-size Horse Lamp Shade Needless to say, we didn't check the price for those items cuz dun think it will fit with our decor theme, Actually, I'm wondering what the designer was thinking when he got the idea for this thing..."Hey, why not I put this lamp shade on a horse's head, make it life-size, and see if anybody is gullible enough to buy it cuz it's a designer item! and then I'll do a similar design with a pig and pair it with a table this time!" Ah, well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.... Back to my window-shopping. Left Millenia and was heading twds Tradehub21 at Boon Lay coz I wanted to check out Cellini but since we're in the area, we dropped by Park Mall instead. While DH was having his cigarette break, I checked out X-tra and saw some colourful stackable chairs that I thought will look nice in the kids' bedrooms. Checked the price, about $200+ each. Where can I get cheaper replicas??? Finally walked into Cellini and saw the Marrakesh bedframe. Almost same price as the Harvey Norman one, but weren't confident it is strong enough. The legs and frame look quite 'skinny'. and it was covered in PVC leather which we were not crazy abt. Went into this shop called Eco-something, which sells quite an eclectic mix of styles. When we enter the shop, it was full of white, flowery Victorian-style furniture, then next room was several Asian-style items, then the final room is a glam, bling-bling-style of design. I think this shop is confused just as I am. Stopped at the Asian-style area, and saw this bedframe which we really liked. Wood, with bamboo strips at the bedhead and footboard(?) On offer at $1595 w GST and delivery. Almost bought but I hesitated cuz the again the frame looked skinny (we had a bad experience where our honeymoon bed broke only after a few months of using, so we make sure our subsequent beds are strong enough), and the unique bedhead will be covered when we put in our mattress and pillows. and the sales lady was punching numbers in the calculator and coming up with the magical figure of $1595 and saying she never charge GST etc. How do I know she hasn't already included it in. So decided not to buy and we left. Actually, before we went into that confused shop, we were at Natural Living, my next favourite furniture shop since Barang2 has closed down (sniff!). We saw two beds there we liked. One was called the Tibet Bed, we liked the groove design of the bed edges, but it will too big for our bedroom cuz it has jutting-out sides and front. DH wanted to buy a Queen cuz the frame with the jutting-out sides is big enough for a king mattress. But I didn't want cuz I think it will spoil the mattress. DH said it won't. We're still arguing abt it. The other one we liked, which we finally bought, was this Yoshi Bed. Why we liked it? Just look at those strong square legs! And it has a tall bedhead, so with our 14 inch mattress sitting on it, it will just at the right height. But one drawback was that it has bed slats instead of bunkie boards. I quickly check with our Serta mattress salesguy and he advised to buy frame with bunkie boards cuz they're better for the mattress. Sales lady at Natural Living said if we want the boards, it will cost $200 extra. But she advised us to buy or make our own from plywood at Defu Lane. So after a bit of thinking about it, we confirm the order. Damage? Official selling price $2,750, sales lady offered to us at $2000, we said we'll think about it and went to that confused Eco-shop, then returned to Natural Living and DH counter-offer at $1,700. Sales lady checked something, and said ok. Aiyo, if we know can go as low as $1000 off, we should have asked for $1,500! Anyway, the above picture of the bed came from a Canadian furniture shop which was retailing the king-size bed at CA$1,299. Paid deposit of $600. After reading horror stories of damaged furniture delivered to forummers, I told DH don't pay in full yet. Wait until deliver, then pay the rest. So that's the story of my window-shopping for bedframe Lessons learnt - Haggle and bargain like you're in a Turkish bazaar! And groom my daughter to be a world-class designer so she can charge lotsa money for crazy designs that people call 'avant-garde'

Thanks, Dmay. Will check it out. Me looking for MP printer oso, and mbe a new Macbook for my new master bedroom, heh heh.... Ngunadi - I think I know which stationery shop you referring to. Wah, din know they oso carry this kind of stuff.... Thanks!

Hi Ossify Got really curious abt the Eubiq system. Showed my hubby and he wondering if ez to get overloaded like dat. Are there retail shops that sell the system so we can take a look? Can they advise like where's the best place to put? How much is the price? I saw the system being placed in a TV console, and it doesn't look THAT bad leh... but i think sure expensive wan.....

Nearly 1 more month before we get keys, and I'm getting panicked aredy coz still looking for ID!!!! Quotation still pending: Ideal House 1 Inch Square Foot Bayou Interiors Not confident they can give me better price than Home Guide coz they're mostly designer IDs. Haiz...going to do more 'shopping' tmrw. Checked classifieds today and saw lots of adverts. May check out Homeworkz coz saw they give direct factory price.