Retrospectrum Meets Modernisation!

[aubrey 0]

Hi All! Here's my long long awaited tblog!

First things first, floor plan below:

The layout I have come up with on my own

Background info

As you can see, not much room to play with in terms of layout. still fretting over where to place the tv and set up living room area. note that my mom is a buddhist, she has an altar that takes up the entire wall space that is next to the doorway leading to kitchen and another ancestral altar at the left side of the wall (squarish form) against the wall of the kitchen doorway. these elements are giving me a headache over where to place them.

And so... my tblog title is apt. mom aka retro v.s me aka modern minimalist/simplistic/zen fan. let the showdown begin!!

We're intending to still stay in the house while doing reno, no choice as no other place to stay. Even so, furniture will have to be stored elsewhere and all in all will mean $$ which would add on to total expenditure for reno.

Mom is the hoarder, I am the "thrower". due to that, we have quite a bit of friction when it comes to clearing clutter and getting ready for reno. I suppose we are the ID/Contractors' worst nightmare.

Our Work Scope

Hack all floors + wall in Kitchen/Bath/WC

Supply & lay full homogenous floor tiles for house + wall tiles in Kitchen/Bath/WC

Supply & install 2 sets of Naco Windows for Bath/WC

Supply & install 2 sets of PD doors for Bath/WC

Supply & install 1 tempered glass door at kitchen entrance - if budget allows

Supply & install 1 collapsible dining table in kitchen

Supply & install top & bottom kitchen cabinet with cabinet/fridge/WM tiled base

Supply & install granite worktop

Supply & install 2 set wardrobe in both bedrooms

Supply & install 2 set louvered windows in living room and bedroom & 1 casement window in "MBR"

Reno Progression Updated @ 14 April

List of those who are out:

1. Rizzente Reno - over budget
2. Ban Hong Aluminium & Construction - did not get back to me
3. Hawaii Furniture & Renovation - did not make an impression on me
4. Mr Yeak - Miscomm problem
5. Red Dot Interior - Did not call them
6. Innowood Concept - too ex, way too ex. after seeing the quote i told him i can't afford him

List of hopefuls:

1. DeFong Interior - been to see some projects done, workmanship looks promising. awaiting fine-tuning of the quote and floor plan layout n simple sketches.
2. SoHo Arc Interior - true to their claim, they are strong in design. currently going over their quote. impressed with their work structure. (yes i like structured workflow!)
3. Ah Soon - The most competitive quote is here!! 'nuff said.
4. Ideal Design - the ID was a joy to work with. simply told him my budget and even tho he has exceeded it, he did not add on to the amount grossly. its a fair amount and the ID is really great to work with. thumbs up!

Will add on as and when I think of more and please feel free to comment so that I can have various ideas of what to do. still a greenhorn with this. Thanks to all in advance!

Edited April 20, 2009 by aubrey

[pinkpetter 0]

hello hello!! Finally Your own Tblog!! YAY hehe

mmm My parents used the 4 stones to put below the fridge and the W/M. So it doesn't matter what size you buy it can always be adjusted. It's true that if you don't wash flood style then no need.

mmm Without skirting it does make it a little harder for your contractor to do. Cos usually the tiler does not cut so accurately at the sides as the skirting will cover it up. Also if you move your furniture around it will brush against the wall easily. That said, it's up to you really.

[Angel81 1]

Congrates on starting ur own tblog! Heheh.. Finally get to see ur floor plan. Nice layout u got there.

Yupz, it's really up to u whether u wan the base and skirting anot. My seller did not do any skirtings on the 2nd floor, and it looks fine. But if u live with ur mom, then I believe they will either use those stones like pinkpetter's parents or prefer to have a base, cuz that generation tend to wash kitchen leh. Then stones abit orbit, and dun match ur theme.

[roamca 0]

wow...congrats congrats!!! I like your layout...without the storeroom inbetween...both your bedroom will be bigger! Your layout is the mirror image of luckable house!

Hmmm....are you going to build a storeroom in your kitchen? Cos this type of layout do not have a storeroom...Maybe you can build a small one in your kitchen like what Rondy did to his house..

Me too...will be having one altar in one of the wall...why you dont make one big altar and put the god and ancestor together? Just that the god need to sit higher than the ancestor....can buy or make those 5ft altar? Should be big enough le...then the other small side of the wall can hack away!

As for the base...i would prefer to have it especially the WM base!

Edited March 13, 2009 by roamca

[mrspiglet 2]

congrats! u finally started ur own t-blog! Really very retro flat with no MBR, i'm amazed! lesser toilet, lesser reno cost!

As for bases, i opted out for fridge base but retained washer base. My washer base its those flushed across whole service balcony, so i dun have the worries of restricting myself to the limited size when i chge my washer in future. The base was mainly becos my washing area's got those small windows near the floor, so did it to prevent flooding shd rain seeps in.

My current house no bases, surviving well. Both my new n current place kitchen is leveled with living room, so there's no way i can wet wash the whole kitchen anyway.

As for skirting, i think its to prevent u from wetting the wall paint when u mop floor rite?

[familyof4 0]

mrs piglet, i see that you are using closet design for your wardrobe which I am also considering. Do you mind telling me how big is your wardrobe and how much did they quote?

I saw at modern living ehibition that they hv promo at $2k for 8ft nett...

[lawry 3]

WOoo, your own tblog finally!

I had the same dilemma about the altar, it just doesn't go with the rest of the deco. :x Hence I designed a more funky one of my own, rather than getting the standard ones out there. (Of course, my ID gave me something similar and not entirely the same. hhahah).

I hope I will cover that soon enough in my blog to give you some idea. Basically, an altar can look like a display cabinet cum divider as well, and it doesn't have to look "orr-bit".

On base and skirting, it's subjective, check with your mum too. If she mops the floor with a wet mop, skirting might prevent the mop from touching the walls, that is one consideration also.

Whether you eventually need them or not, get your contractors to quote first based on your overall budget. Then remove them from the list, else some of them will just "transfer" that amount elsewhere if you tell them beforehand you don't need this and that.

Finally, staying at your place while it's under-going renovation can be quite a mess from all that hacking, drilling and tiling, besides you only have 1 toilet, while under renovation, you can't use at all. Quite inconvenient for your folks. Do try and see if you can find alternative lodging.

Edited March 13, 2009 by lawry

[Zhang Wu Ji 0]

So far you got hear any rumours of getting enbloc or upgrading? Think you better check before proceeding with any reno.

[Pinklady 0]

Hi, congrats on gtg such a very centralised location! Wow, your flat is it opp OG or Kwan Inn Temple at waterloo? so envious huh, can walk to Bugis Junction leh. Can share how much u bought ur flat? must be ex rite, being in the middle of CBD.

Q - is fridge & washing machine base recommended?

As in my opinion, if you staying with your mum, recommended to do leh, becos own folks have their own way of cleaning and even if u tell them numerous times not to do "flood cleaning" they will still do it.

Q - skirting needed?

i tink doing skirting would be good and looks nicer and in future, wat if u change ur mind wana do, then make dirty one more time?

Anyway, if u r staying at ur place during reno, u confirm would regret one. so dirty & the air is like so dusty

[roamca 0]

err...Aubrey...may i ask where are you going to place your ancestors and god while doing reno?

[yokine9a 1]

Wah, finally your t-blog is up! Congrats!!

Cannot see your floor plan in the office leh, being blocked by firewall... but I have a feeling that yours is the same as mine, a 37 yrs old 3-room flat in TPY

BTW, if you need a place to store your barang barang, can make use of my study room... my study room is pretty empty, just 2 huge bookshelves & a rocking chair.

Pls post more pic

Hi pinklady, I think her parent bought that flat from HDB at $44K many yrs ago, not expensive at all

[pinkpetter 0]

update update...

[aubrey 0]

hello hello!! Finally Your own Tblog!! YAY hehe

mmm My parents used the 4 stones to put below the fridge and the W/M. So it doesn't matter what size you buy it can always be adjusted. It's true that if you don't wash flood style then no need.

mmm Without skirting it does make it a little harder for your contractor to do. Cos usually the tiler does not cut so accurately at the sides as the skirting will cover it up. Also if you move your furniture around it will brush against the wall easily. That said, it's up to you really.

hmm must slowly reply since the forum was down since i post up my tblog.

ok we are still debating regarding the base as i just thought it will be good in the event that we get choked pipes that would prolly flood the kitchen so i think we should do it..

yup the skirting issue was mentioned by the ID to us so we are also thinking about it. i just thought i'll be "different" without the skirting..

[aubrey 0]

wow...congrats congrats!!! I like your layout...without the storeroom inbetween...both your bedroom will be bigger! Your layout is the mirror image of luckable house!

Hmmm....are you going to build a storeroom in your kitchen? Cos this type of layout do not have a storeroom...Maybe you can build a small one in your kitchen like what Rondy did to his house..

Me too...will be having one altar in one of the wall...why you dont make one big altar and put the god and ancestor together? Just that the god need to sit higher than the ancestor....can buy or make those 5ft altar? Should be big enough le...then the other small side of the wall can hack away!

As for the base...i would prefer to have it especially the WM base!

ya i find that my rooms are bigger than the other hdb apartments i've been to unless its an older estate. well we're not going to do any storeroom as we really do not have any space left reason being we are intending to do an L shaped kitchen counter and with the altars around, our dining table is gonna be in the kitchen so it will be cramped like crazy.

well my mom just bought the altars (1 for buddha, 1 for ancestor) not too long ago hence we will have to keep them since it costs a fair bit.

abt the qns of where to place the god, my mom will check with the kuan yin temple at queen st to see if we can have ours "bunk in" at the temple for the time being.

[aubrey 0]

congrats! u finally started ur own t-blog! Really very retro flat with no MBR, i'm amazed! lesser toilet, lesser reno cost!

As for bases, i opted out for fridge base but retained washer base. My washer base its those flushed across whole service balcony, so i dun have the worries of restricting myself to the limited size when i chge my washer in future. The base was mainly becos my washing area's got those small windows near the floor, so did it to prevent flooding shd rain seeps in.

My current house no bases, surviving well. Both my new n current place kitchen is leveled with living room, so there's no way i can wet wash the whole kitchen anyway.

As for skirting, i think its to prevent u from wetting the wall paint when u mop floor rite?

well i had to realise the hard way after going thru quote after quote that yes! the toilet reno cost is actually quite pricey due to tiling work etc! what a headache.

the initial reason why i did not want base is cos i dont want to be restricted as well. but there's reasons offered by IDs & Contractors as to why we may need them (e.g: cases of choked pipe which causes flooding in kitchen etc)

but so far so good we have not had cases of choked pipe YET hence i thought we can do without but now.. considering.