csingeu

I think your layout will be nicer than mine... esp after you hack the storeroom to enlarge the kitchen... a new neighbour at my new place (on the 6 level) did something similar too. I past by when it was still under renovation, and managed to peek in... large white kitchen island... and glass staircase... very modern and classy... but too bad, that time, nv ask who's the ID & contractor... recently, i was up at my place, doing some measurements myself to rethink my kitchen layout... I peeked thru their windows (they have reflective film on the outside plus rollerblinds inside... really very private... cannot see much... so left them a note, asked if can visit them or not, or got their ID/contractor's contact.... but they nv reply... ... maybe really very private ppl... i think you are hacking walls for your upper level bathroom... wonder how it will turn out too..

LADY_R, btw, convenient to share your preferred layout? interested to see how you are doing placement of furniture and the use of space...

I saw your quotation. the price quite reasonable. almost the same as mine, but i didn't go thru the items you've listed. but roughly highlighted a few items: 1. chengai wood decking... i want to do... but think will reshoot my budget... btw, your balcony sheltered or not? 2. kitchen island - considered b4, but we both not "heavy cooking", don't want a very big kitchen; but my dad suggested for me to hack the utility room and do island (he said i not "modern" enough)... wife thinks it's useful to retain the storeroom; can use to store bicycles, baby stuffs next time, etc... 3. laminates for bedrooms - i'm revarnishing my paraquet flooring 4. re-polish marble flooring - i'm hacking and tiling with homogeneous tiles for whole level 1. mind sharing your contractor's contact? the pricing seems competitive for the amt of work you are doing. btw, are your internal walls slanting? mine quite jia lat... some areas the difference can be as huge as 10cm... almost like trapezoid... *faint*... yes. i like my new area too... it's nearer to the mrt and the heartland shopping areas... but of coz, it comes at almost a $100K premium... i think...

No probs. I'll be asking for different quotes for different materials Windows (sliding): white-powder coated (WPC) aluminium frame with tinted green glass OR black normal aluminium frame with clear/tea coloured glass. Grilles: WPC OR black normal ones Balcony doors: 4-panel sliding & 6-panel collapsible; black normal clear glass, or WPC with green tinted glass. Will let u know later tonight. Can PM me your shortlisted contractor? BTW, your new place is very near my current place. I'm currently staying opposite BLK 502 market. LOL... maybe can pop by and look-see your place next time... my new place is behind Shuqun Primary School.

mine ah... more or less decided on a contractor le... the contractor and company not anyone recommended here in renotalk... but then again, i think as long as they are not mentioned as "black sheeps"... can le... coz i think ppl are more likely to "share" or complain abt bad services... than praise abt gd services... coz no incentives for homeowners to praise their contractors/IDs (unless the homeowners are very nice ppl... and like to share experiences and recommendations)... and more likely for them to complain to vent frustrations... i still waiting for final revised quote from the contractor (praying hard that it's <$60K)... i did some changes to my kitchen layout and MBR, after considering some FS advice from mae29 and also my dad's comments... i've also taken the items of replacing windows and grilles out... and will be sourcing for direct supplier. meeting Alex (one of the recommended windows contractors) for site measurements and clarifications tonight. other than LADY_R, boy_blunder, joyousonline, Soichiro and myself, i wonder if there's any other EM owners here... doing their renovations and abt to start renovations... so far, I've visited RimBlock's place... i think it's gd to see and discuss layout... what abt yourselves?

LOL... my budget was lower... but think based on the amt of restoration works i need to do... it's at least $60K... still trying to keep it at $60K and lower... sigh... btw, you have your preferred floor layout yet? just want to find out, how you intend to use the study/utility/storeroom at the 1st level...

gd for you! at least secure the keys le... hopefully they able to move out by friday without much hassle. i think the slight disadvantage is that, u already "did" your inspection, before the handover... hopefully, they don't play punk... anyway, my seller also requested to keep 1 mailbox key, coz he's still updating his address, and expecting mails til mid-Apr. At first, told me end-feb, then later stuck a post-it in my mailbox, telling me that he wants to keep the key til mid-Apr. luckily, i'm not moving in anytime soon, if not, sure very ma fan...

my floorplan is almost the same too, except for the balcony area, which makes mine the same as LADY_R, i think. yes... mine also original condition.... with original slanted walls and lousy worksmanship included... LOL... major rehaul too... bleed money ah...

you mean this? Bedok Haunted HDB http://www.hungzai.com/bedok-famous-haunting/

plastering ~ $3K painting ~ $2K agar-agar...

the new kitchen layout would look more similar to thisinstead: referring to the kitchen breakfast counter... and the half-height wall and these:

but because, after i seeked Linda (mae29) for some FS advice. She highlighted some issues, with the placement of my stove. Some basic FS guidelines for placement of stove: 1. Stove should not face toilet entrance 2. Stove should not face kitchen entrance 3. Stove should not be under toilet or waste pipes 4. Stove should not face sink etc... so i went back to change my kitchen layout from: to this: in the previous layout, the stove was underneath the level 2 toilet and sort of in-line with the kitchen entrance. so not very gd la. the new layout, i've shifted the stove to be position against the other wall, so it's clear of the entrance and also the toilet above. my dad commented that the utility room near the entrance was "dark" (very "yin")... like no natural lighting and ventilation. and also the "foyer" area seems cramped. like banging into a wall, when you open the main door. I think Linda agreed too. initially, i thought the wall was gd... it offers some privacy... plus, i can put a pretty painting there. but now that they mention, it does look cramped (esp after viewing some of my neighbours' units. there was breeze along the corridor, but the wind seldom gets into the house (due to wind tunnel effect -> the layout of the blocks ard mine), and when wind does get it, it's usually thru the main door, but seldom gets to the living room (coz blocked by the wall)... HENCE, i decided to hack the wall into half-height. so that it can provide better ventilation & natural lighting from the main entrance, dining rm, to the kitchen area, and also from the kitchen area to the foyer area. hopefully can create the 明堂 (bright hall) effect. I've also changed the layout of the MBR, so that i can sleep facing my "more favourable" side. anyway, this is the more logical layout (which my wife also prefers, so that she can decorate the piece of wall where the headboard will be resting). I think it's for the better too, so that I won't enter my MBR and get blocked by my study table.

anyway, for the kitchen, at first, I wanted to do something like this (this is what i showed the contractor initially). but the colour scheme, would be more wood and off-white kind... (similar to my resort theme). something like this: or this:

so far, i used pics (i've found online, mostly from renotalk) to show him, what i want lor... but haven't really gone in the details of the cabinet design... merely discussing the layout and placement of the stove, fridge, sink, etc (for the kitchen), and where to hack, and where got top/bottom cabinets... would definitely prefer 3D la... but i reckon the uncle can give computer-generated 3D designs... think his best efforts would be to draw the "3D" perspectives lor... he said... will give me drawings (if your 3D means this la) for the kitchen and the MBR lor... (coz i'm only doing carpentry work for this area)... no custom-built tv console or feature wall...

actually, how you decide on your HTS ah? what brand/model? how much? 3.1? 5.1? etc?

no 3D leh... me using contractor... uncle said... want 3D, can... he draws "3D" perspectives for me to see lor... LOL! If i gd and free, maybe I'll use google sketchup to "translate" his perspectives into 3D for you all lor... i reckon i got the time la... anyway, how did you all decide the insides (aka drawers, etc) for your wardrobe and kitchen cabinets ah? you advise your ID/contractor how you want it? or just tell them how you would like to use the kitchen/wardrobe and they design for u? i feel like just taking some off-the-shelf designs.... don't know what to look out for too... maybe need to go ikea and look at their wardrobe system and kitchen cabinets more...

how abt weekdays? maybe this sun? interested to see how ppl, esp EM owners, do up their staircase, the upper floor toilets (esp the storage heater, if any; where to put), kitchen layout, and the storeroom/study/utility room. and also the balcony.

where u all find such gd lobangs one ah?

found this on Borderlinx... looks totally cool... The Audio Light Bulb http://www.hammacher.com/Product/79931?sou...Product+Catalog

HAHA... noob here again... think HTS... maybe audiophiles might be better at this... I have no idea too... hopefully someone can give me some enlightenment, given my budget, my preference and my living room layout... btw, what's Borderlinx?

yes. thanks. I saw your PM. but haven't reply yet. saw the pics too. things are shaping up. actually, i would like to visit your place (even if it's still work-in-progress), to look-see, if you don't mind.

wah... u and reglxt can be very gd friends le.... she also buys a lot of things from ebay... despite being in the IT field, i'm sadly ignorant abt online shopping... (actually, offline shopping also CMI la... LOL)

maybe can put a 20cent coin there... so easier to estimate the size of the pebbles...

oh.. the kitchen tap & mixer very chio! where did you get them? how much?