kingandbin

Hihi @ricepapergirl! Wasn't expecting such a detailed answer! Hehe feeling very thankful In our case, for the BTU/number of units we want, the companies we spoke to offer either the 2 ticks or 5 ticks system. Sometimes having no option is better than having one; much less headache lah. 3 ticks is somewhere in the middle so it's something we would be happy to take up if given the choice! Haha. My husband (King) is a heavy aircon user who pretty much turns on the aircon in whichever room he spends time in. So with a higher energy saving system, I can safely conclude that the utility bill savings should be rather worthwhile as long as the system can last its supposed lifespan! Fridges are something to consider too, since they are switched on 24/7 but there really aren't that many fridges within our budget that have many ticks! Is yours one of those with many doors/drawers? Very nice but my thin wallet can't handle it And yup, we're planning to install a wall fan in the kitchen. My maiden home has a Rinnai hob too and it faces the issue of being affected by wind/breeze as well. The electrical stores we visited last weekend (Gain City, Courts) didn't seem to have Rinnai brand items too, so couldn't check. I've heard that Fujioh hood is great for Asian style cooking so we'll definitely check out this brand of hoods! Thanks so much for the advice!!

We should be going for Mitsubishi Starmex as that's what my dad recommended too! Daikin seems a little more costly based on the quotes received but it's a little difficult to compare as it isn't apple to apple. Good to hear that it's been working well for you so far Ooh didn't know that hobs come in varying standard sizes and that the hood's size should match it. Looks like we've not done enough research on it yet Haha. Sounds like your equipment does the job really well. My main criteria (being the one who'll end up tidying the kitchen) for the hob is that it must be easy to clean too. Will check out Bosch items! Thanks so much @bykaraanne!

Hi @Changbp! So your choice also depended on how the air-con unit itself looks? We totally didn't even consider this portion. As long as it doesn't look strange, it's acceptable in our books. Hmm.. true that the BTU should be catered towards the room size. We'll double check on the calculations again! Saw from your t-blog that you went with Teka for your hob/hood/oven choices! The review on your oven was hilarious and oh-so-true (regarding the heat, switches, etc). Thanks for the input!!

Hihi @pipsqueak! Love your writing style and your home looks like it's coming together really nicely! I approached Nick too but was abit scared of his frankness and sarcasm. The dark laminates are a good choice! Very gorgeous your toilets are looking great too - what did you decide to do with the aircon trunking in the end? Excited for your reno and hope to see more pictures!

HELP REQUEST! Need some advice on 2 things - Aircon and hood+hob. For aircon, we've been scratching our heads on whether to pick a 2 ticks or 5 ticks aircon system. The difference in price for our system 4 choice is about $700! All you reno gurus out there, do you think it's worth the top up? How many ticks is the aircon system you got? Also, how did you decide on your hood and hob? Our requirement is a 3 cooker hob that's easy to clean, that's all. Please share your reviews! And pls help save Kings' hair or he may end up alot more bald from the constant head scratching. Haha. Thanks!!

TILES SELECTION 2 weekends ago, we went down to Balestier to check out Hafary and Hup Kiong for tiles. We needed to pick out tiles for the following areas: Living Room + 3 Bedrooms' Floor Master Bathroom Floor & Shower Feature Wall Common Bathroom Floor & Shower Feature Wall Kitchen Backsplash The process took about 1.5hrs and we confirmed our selections within one trip! This is a personal achievement because a few months back, Bin dragged King to visit Hafary and Soon Bee Huat in Jurong East and we both emerged from the stores with raging headaches. So many options! So many styles!! How to pick!!! The number of options blinded and confused us. And instead of being inspired by what we saw, we had a slight phobia for tile shopping after that. This time round, we did our homework beforehand and decided to look out for light wooden tiles for living + bedrooms, dark wooden tile for master bathroom, dark grey for common bathroom and subway tiles for all the wall portions. Basically narrowing down what we wanted to find before entering the stores. And it really really helped alot! Anyways, here's our final pick! (Sorry for the poor colour balance! Taken using handphone camera) Light Wood Tiles 15x60cm Firenze Graphite - 35 x 60cm Horizon Brown - 12.5 x 50cm Flat Subway Tiles - 10 x 20cm and 10 x 30cm The initial idea was only to spruce up the master bathroom slightly, and to leave the common bathroom in its original state. BUT Bin simply couldn't tahan the brown stripey wall tiles despite assurance that it could be covered up with white stickers (a suggestion from King) lolol. So we got a quote for overlaying the entire wall on the right in below's picture. However, the price for overlaying one entire wall is the same as overlaying shower feature area + flooring so we decided to go with feature area only & flooring. Reason why we picked 2 sizes of subway tiles is because of this inspiration photo! Our master bathroom shower feature will be done up using longer (10 x 30cm) subway tiles laid in a herringbone pattern with either grey or black grouting. Deeper coloured wooden floors inspired from this pic too. Hope it turns out nice! For common bathroom, the shorter (10 x 20cm) subway tiles will be laid in the regular "工" layout - cause it's cheaper. Probably due to less wastage of materials. One headache we had was that Bin's company has a whole bunch of spare mosiacs lying in the warehouse waiting to be gotten rid off. So we could have gotten them for free! Being typical Singaporeans, we love free stuff! But our contractor quoted us pretty much the same pricing (+/- $50 only) to lay the self-supplied mosiacs as compared to the tiles he supplies. Plus, it's quite a bit of trouble to make our own arrangements to transport the mosiacs to our new place since they are crazy heavy. So we decided to go the logical route and gave up on them. Quite nice designs though! White honeycomb, polka dot mosiac, blue glass transition mosiacs, retro-style mosaics, etc.

Congratulations on completing your reno! Lots of very special elements that we've not seen before in other places. I really like your toilet floor tiles too. Good way to freshen up the look by just changing the floor! Have you moved in already? Do keep us posted with lived in photos too!

CONTRACTOR SELECTION In order to find "the one" who will be our trusty partner for the next few months of home reno, a total of 4 contractors were shortlisted. We got their contacts from fellow users on renotalk after reading some reviews about their workmanship and pricing. So here's a big THANK YOU to those who helped greatly in this process! The initial plan was actually to pick a SOBF flat which will be ready 1~2 years later as we've only started working for a short period of time & wanted to save up more. But because our queue number was pretty good, we ended up choosing a unit that was ready for immediate key collection (with much egging on from parents on both sides haha). And since reno will be paid for in cash, we were determined not to spend unnecessarily if possible. Total budget is about $25k. (1) Contractor E Met up at our new place and it was a pretty long discussion. E was patient with us and quite accommodating. He is also the practical kind and doesn't have much design input- in fact, the only person who didn't ask for our theme! He advised us on things that can be omitted to save money and told us to take our time to think through on those. His quote is quite thorough and even included some small items which we didn't ask for, but he later explained their uses. Total amount: ~$21k (2) Contractor N Famous N from R*******! Went to his office where we waited briefly for him to finish watching Wheel of Fortune before starting the discussion. But we didn't mind lah, cause both King and Bin had fun watching the show with N, trying to guess the final answer of the contestant. Lol. Design-oriented and had some good suggestions but also very blunt and prefers not to do things which he thinks will be ugly. He also admitted that if the owner insists on something he doesn't like, he'll just charge more for it. Quotation was given on the spot but in all Bin felt a little scared of his straight-forwardness. Total amount: ~$25k (3) Contractor J&E Famous duo from renotalk and we were happy to set an appointment quite easily with them. E was the main one leading the discussion while J would chip in once in a while with some reasoning and suggestions. Felt comfortable discussing with them and we could tell that they were very experienced. J also drew the kitchen layout on the spot for us to keep. But when the quote came, total amount was the highest because of the additional things we discussed which they said they were happy to do. Everything also can = higher prices haha. Total amount: ~$27k (4) Contractor K Met him at our home and he was able to give new suggestions on layout options which we appreciated. K was the only one who created a group chat immediately after the meeting and followed up on some things he said he'll go back and research on. The overall amount on the quotation was cheap but it had a fair amount of things missing. And after scrutinizing item by item, we realized that his prices are actually the highest for quite a few items. Total amount:~$22k (but with missing items) In the end, Contractor E was chosen. We met them all back in March/April and took a grand total of 3-4 months to finally decide on "the one". We even jokingly asked E if we were the couple which took the longest to confirm. He said yes, and that it is also why he leaves us to think through on certain decisions without pushing for answers So far this has worked pretty well. Hahha

Same for me! Contractor advised to knock some tiles to symbolize the start of reno first but erm... we aren't doing any hacking works for the house leh. So he suggested removing some plumbing fixtures such as toilet bowls and sinks. Will just trust him when he says it's sufficient. And your tile choices are really nice! The patterns on the toilet tiles are interesting and lends a luxe feel to the space. Kitchen's looking gorgeous as well Actually the chute cover looks pretty good in white (though i know it's just a protective sticker) - blends in well with the wall. Haha.

LIGHT \ WOOD \ WHITE \ GREY "What's the theme of your home?"... is something that many have asked us! Bin loves light wood accents, white walls, and bright spaces so these are elements that we will be incorporating into our abode. It can probably be defined as Scandinavian or Nordic styles but we won't be following them strictly. A home is made up of many bits and bobs so we'll just follow our hearts and cross our fingers that the final outcome will be to our liking and not look horrendous. Haha. Here's some photos that we really like though. Our tiles and wall colours have already been decided on and will share more in future posts.

Thank you @JohnJohn! May it all go smoothly~ *crosses fingers*

Hello everyone! We have been silent readers of this community for quite awhile and started stalking t-blogs since more than a year ago - even before applying for our current flat! Bin of the #kingandbin duo has been interested in home decor for the longest time and has been browsing online forums/communities ever since Livejournal days. So you can say that she has been preparing for this even before knowing/meeting King . And yay! Our place is going to start renovations verrryyy soon. Thus we're here to share our experience! Home will be a 4-Room flat in Sengkang, in between the MRT station and our parents' place. It's approximately 6min by foot (or 1 bus stop) to the MRT and also about 6min by foot (or 1 bus stop too) where King currently stays with his parents. Here's the floor plan: It's a SOBF unit and we received the keys in mid February this year. We took our time to meet up with contractors and to think through (mainly Bin, King helps to make final decisions after she narrows options down ) about the works we would like to do for our home. We finally decided on & confirmed our contractor 2 weeks back. Work will commence just before the Lunar 7th Month begins. It's been a rather slow process so far but we are glad to get things started! Hope you join us on this t-blog as #kingandbin embarks on our exciting renovation journey for our first home! // HOME IN PHOTOS [BEFORE & AFTER] LIVING ROOM STUDY ROOM DRESSING ROOM MASTER BEDROOM KITCHEN COMMON BATHROOM MASTER BATHROOM CORRIDOR

Popping by to say that your progress looks good and already looks like it will turn out absolutely gorgeous! Your ID seems to be putting in alot of personal effort as well. Looking forward to the final outcome!

@Reiken We went to Nick for a quote several months back too! But I was honestly quite scared of his bluntness. Most of the time I was just meekly nodding to whatever he said. Hahah. We clicked better with his partner. In the end didn't pick his company but the portfolio of homes he did is really nice! @Neelie Can't wait to see pictures of the final outcome of your home! Did you extend the DB box cabinet outwards? It's so much deeper! And a great idea. The original depth for my place can hardly place a pair of shoes horizontally Are the laminates for your kitchen the glossy or matte kind?

Thanks @Danmify for the advice! Your wood in this case is really sturdy! I'll show your comments to my contractor. He says he has an idea which might work but we'll discuss only on our next meeting. It is not an absolute *must have* for us but the countertop will definitely be useful for keeping some daily necessities within easy reach! Hahaha @ the description of your cat. My husband ,whom I shall assume is rounder than your cat, says he has a habit of leaning onto the counter/sink when tired (while brushing his teeth). Who else out there will really do that??!

Several hours for every single weekend is a lot of dedication. But the cost savings in your case is definitely worthwhile is your previous home close to your new place? True, many fun possibilities for the grass wall! Do send some live in photos of your place in time to come! When will you be moving in?

Hi Danmify! Love how cozy your place feels. And all the cat decor accents! Too adorable. the rustoleum for the piping is a great idea and I'm super inspired to buy some spray paint to diy bits and pieces of my place! Btw do you know how did your contractor install the common bathroom sink counter? (is there any super screw holding in or technique used?) And is it holding up well so far? My contractor says this can't be done for bto flats (have to use concrete to fabricate it) and insists that it'll be very flimsy otherwise but I really like how it looks! Dilemma, dilemma

Wow 6-10days! which means about 3-5 whole weekends? Really applaud you for the effort!! Plus it looks well done. I brought up the idea to my husband to diy paint our home but he feels it won't be worth the time and energy. Love how vibrant your passageway looks and also your cozy entryway! Your clock on the grassy feature wall reminds me of a mini lawnmower hehe

Love how cozy the space looks with the warm cove lighting! Had wanted to do cool lighting for the led strip below my kitchen cabinets but your pics are making me tempted to have them done with warm lighting instead! Do you find it bright enough to do simple meal prep?

Nice work on this wall! Didn't even consider that we can DIY it as Nippon always states that they need specially trained painters to achieve this effect. How long did it take to finish painting this wall, and the entire house?

Congratulations on your wedding!! Must have been quite an experience planning for it while your home is undergoing reno! All the best for housewarming as well. I believe your friends & family will love the place as much as we all do! I'm finally gonna start on my reno journey too! Went to pick tiles today and was really happy & excited throughout! Hoping to start a t-blog but can't settle on the title despite occasionally trying to brainstorm for the past few months lolol.

Love love your home! And all the decor touches like the little buckets of flowers, fairy lights and how the woody items/laminates match perfectly. I can only hope that my house turns out half as cozy as yours! All the best for your wedding prep! What are the things you're diy-ing for your big day?

Keep those updates coming @lalashir! Really love how your place is starting to come together Btw can you share the link to the wooden Dressing Table pleasee? Have been searching for something similar on taobao but the results either lean towards victorian style or are very expensive (for the wooden kind)! And you must be really patient to have found everything you bought on taobao! I've only bookmarked 7 items and they took me so many days to search and select Shopping online is not as easy as it seems! *wipes sweat off forehead*

Hello @lalashir! Just wanted to say that the theme for your home is pretty close to what I'm envisioning for my own as well. Keep the updates coming! Also, your master toilet looks reallyyy good with the new tiles! Love the large white hexagon & wood flooring combo. Very scandi. For my own master bedroom toilet, am still on the fence as to whether I should overlay only the existing HDB feature tiles (where the shower mixer is), or to overlay the entire toilet + floors. Just worried about how much additional cost it would be! Sigh, budget vs aesthetics. What to do~~~

I really like the wood laminate you picked! The colour tone looks soft and cozy. Will be keeping a look out for it during my laminate search process. Also, the cloth-like laminate is really unique! Have not seen anything like it so far! Which part of the bedroom will you be using it for? - Bin