Edlyn 0 Report post Posted April 13, 2012 hi Callie,I think it is a good move to use wood backing....... especially when your mirror is quite big. I remember my previous discussion with my contractor also talk about it and I vaguely remember him saying direct mounting is possible if you want to save cost and if mirror size is small and wall is flat, some use partition for backing to save cost but not really recommended. I suppose if you plan to stay there for a long time, it s better to use wood. Looking forward to see more pic on your kitchen and living room area. Love your crystal chandaliar...but be careful of the high consumption from those energy sucking halogen which is 50w per bulb. Must remember to maintain the crystal .....otherwise when dust collects, it will lose the sparkle....Hope to start my own blog too to share but I am too lazy to load all the photos...... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
calliecats 0 Report post Posted April 13, 2012 (edited) Hi Edlyn,My contractor did discuss with me regarding wood or partition as backing but decided to use wood in the end, more realiable I guess. You are right about halogen bulbs. I've changed ALL my lights to LED. Here are more pics:Foyer LightFoyer Wallpaper (bronze with vertical zigzag lines & sparkles)Kitchen Before (with wall)Open concept Kitchen "L" breakfast table & bar counter Edited May 16, 2012 by calliecats Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
calliecats 0 Report post Posted April 13, 2012 (edited) Inside Kitchen Before Kitchen AfterI used black galaxy granite for kitchen table top & black piano gloss laminate for the cabinets. And since I didn't want any top-hung cabinets to clutter the kitchen & couldn't hide the pipe, I chose to paint the gas & water pipes metallic copper colour to blend in with the metallic backsplash tiles. The metallic tiles also reflect the gold specks in the black galaxy table top & play up the granite.Kitchen Before(taken from inside looking out)Kitchen After(taken from inside looking out) Edited May 16, 2012 by calliecats Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ayazumi 0 Report post Posted April 13, 2012 I like the foyer light. So beautiful. How to maintain? Can dip in water to wash and wipe dry? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
adidaem 6 Report post Posted April 14, 2012 Wow very hotel vibe! Nice! Congrats on your beautiful home. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ode 0 Report post Posted April 14, 2012 Dear Calliecats,Thanks for info. Shall try my luck and see if he can meet my budget(40-45k) and importantly the chemistry. . . Lots of homework and comparison to do. You use quite a bit of wall paper .... must be expensive....I am also considering to use wall paper, how much does it cost? Hubby wants the house to be eco friendly so probably going to use LED stuff.... heard it helps to cut down the electricity bills, is it true? You mentioned that you use LED for the entire house... you mean even the chandelier too?I thought your house should be featured in those deco magazine because it looks much better than some featured ones. Bought a few for references and some are really too raw for me, like some old abandoned warehouse I seen in states...wahahaMore photo please...heeehee Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
calliecats 0 Report post Posted April 15, 2012 I like the foyer light. So beautiful. How to maintain? Can dip in water to wash and wipe dry?Hi ayazumi,Thanks! I wipe it down with a soapy damp cloth. I supposed you could dip it in a pail of water too & then dry it with a cloth. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
calliecats 0 Report post Posted April 15, 2012 (edited) Wow very hotel vibe! Nice! Congrats on your beautiful home. Hey adidaem,Thank you for your compliments! Edited April 15, 2012 by calliecats Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
calliecats 0 Report post Posted April 15, 2012 (edited) Good Sunday Morning everyone!Here are more pics:Dining (before & after)Living/Dining (before & after)Wallpaper (Living/Dining) Edited May 16, 2012 by calliecats Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
calliecats 0 Report post Posted April 17, 2012 Dear Calliecats,Thanks for info. Shall try my luck and see if he can meet my budget(40-45k) and importantly the chemistry. . . Lots of homework and comparison to do. You use quite a bit of wall paper .... must be expensive....I am also considering to use wall paper, how much does it cost? Hubby wants the house to be eco friendly so probably going to use LED stuff.... heard it helps to cut down the electricity bills, is it true? You mentioned that you use LED for the entire house... you mean even the chandelier too?I thought your house should be featured in those deco magazine because it looks much better than some featured ones. Bought a few for references and some are really too raw for me, like some old abandoned warehouse I seen in states...wahahaMore photo please...heeeheeHi Ode,Thank you for your compliments! Wow, featured in mags? Are you an editor, maybe you can help me? (kidding) I did whole house wallpaper (except kitchen, bathrooms & guest room), bought the wall paper myself & then ask my contractor to install for me. He gave me quite a good price as part of the package, so the overall cost is still ok compared to if I had ordered from like goodrich. It cost me slightly more than if I had chosen to paint instead.As regards LED, I had no knowledge of what it was until I started on my reno. The LED holders for downlights, bulbs & LED strips were all supplied by my contractor too. I had no clue how & what to buy honestly. But I did check out Lightings.com subsequently & their LED is like $30/pc (so ex!). Mine I paid around half that price for the bulb. I used all warm white, but I think they come in cool white too. So far I have been paying around $50-$60 in electricity bill every month & most of my friends said its very low. So I think the LED really helped to cut down my PUB bill. And the best thing is that I won't have to constantly watch what lights I turn on & for how long, so for me its peace of mind too. Yes, all the crystal lights I changed to LED bulbs as well. Apparently, there is wide & narrow angle LED so the crystals will still shine if you choose the right LED bulb. Versus if you use energy saving bulbs which will not make your crystals shine. Let me know if you need to buy I can PM my contractor's contact to you & you can ask him all the technical things directly. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
calliecats 0 Report post Posted April 18, 2012 your house really very nice!have u moved in already? Hi Rondy,Yes, I've moved in & enjoying it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
calliecats 0 Report post Posted April 19, 2012 (edited) Hi Ode,Here's a close up pic of the LED strip for my kitchen cabinets. Makes the cabinets look like their floating! I love it.More pics:Walkway to the roomsBefore AfterCeiling in Nippon "Urban Grey" Edited May 16, 2012 by calliecats Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pOison_pOt 0 Report post Posted April 19, 2012 hi Calliecats, congrats, modern n sleek design. have you move in already?? Noticed your dining table is not near the kitchen, and one have to cross the sofa n tv to reach è dinning table. How do you find it, especially if someone is watching tv while a meal is bring prepared to be served... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reiki 0 Report post Posted April 19, 2012 Hi calliecats,Nice! The color combination here is very well thought.BTW, I like the standing lamp. Where did you get it and how much did you pay for it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Edlyn 0 Report post Posted April 19, 2012 Dear Callie,Nice look, very classy. Your kitchen cabinet do look like floating with the led lights used. Saw your bomb shelter with the mirror as a door to cover up the original door. I thought of using a mirror to cover up my store too but did not go ahead as I heard that it will sag after a while and if you open/close it often, the tic tac mechanism might not work well......... So far, any problem with that for you? Looking forward to see your bedrooms..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites