Leon & Jenna Reno Experience

[RLB 3]

Hello! Thanks for doing a review on the Bona spray mop.. I am so intrigued by it and will purchase it for my new home too! Recently I keep wishing that theres a mop that doesn't require me to lug the pail around and this is like a god sent! I will probably get in from takashimaya this weekend during their additional 10% off sale.

[bianzi 52]

Nice I chose grey as well. But mine is medium Grey and I had Matt. Is yours glossy

[leonjennawong 53]

CURTAINS ARE UP!! HEHE.

CFO did some research and we finally settled on #JimmyTextiles on recommendation of her 2nd-sister!! We consulted the amazing #CalvinTan on the best curtain colour-combination for our house and he told us that the house curtains should be LIGHT-GREY and guess what? WHITE of course!

First and foremost, some useful quick reference information for you all below!

Useful Information for Renotalkers on #JimmyTextiles:

Address: 845 Geylang Rd, Tanjong Katong Complex, #01-03/04

Telephone: 6745 6423

Opening hours: 11:00am to 9:30pm every day (though I think their last appt is at 9pm)

Website: http://www.jimmytextiles.com/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JimmyTextiles?fref=ts

And now, moving onto the thought-processes of our curtain purchase...

#1) CURTAIN COLOUR CHOICE

One word of advice dearest Renotalkers; Choose your fabric colours under the lighting temperature (warm light, cool white light, daylight whtie etc) that is most similar to your house's lighting temperature... Because it makes a lot a lot a lot of difference visually! As for me, I actually whipped out my handphone and turned on the LED flashlight app (should be about daylight white) and shone the light onto the fabric while choosing... Wahahaha.. I think the person that attended to me also first time see such a weird customer..

Anyway! The-Mr-Fabulous-#CalvinTan-from-#PoshHome actually advised us to go for the following match-up!!

• LIVING/ DINING AREA: Dreamy-white day-curtains for our living/ dining area;
  
• ALL 3 BEDROOMS: Light-grey night-curtains with the same dreamy-white day-curtains (for colour theme consistency)
  

#2) CURTAIN FABRIC CHOICE

I really really cannot advice much on this, just keep your mind open and remember to compromise with your partner when choosing the fabric choice.. Smoothness, thickness, glossy, non-glossy, trap-dust-type, don't-trap-so-much-dust-type.... SO MANY TYPES!! There are really a lot of selections to choose from.. HEHE. (sorry I really don't know how to help you here HAHA)

Just remember that renovation is meant to be a fun and enjoyable process.. HAVE FUN!

#3) CURTAIN WOODEN ROD/ METAL TRACK & CURTAIN ATTACHMENT CHOICE

One thing I've found out is that the wooden rods are actually more expensive than the metal tracks!

Also another thing about the curtain attachment is that:

If you go for the WOODEN ROD;

- You have slightly more curtain attachment choices (fold over velcro, ring-type etc.) whereas..

If you go for the METAL TRACK;

- The only curtain attachment you can use are hooks (although now it's the trend to use plastic hooks instead of the old-fashioned metal hooks)

Hmmmm.. I think I've said enough and it's really much easier to talk while referring to a photo so... HERE GOES!!

LIVING/ DINING AREA CURTAINS! (DAY CURTAINS ONLY)

For the Living/ Dining Area, CFO & I went for the white wooden rod because I so dearly wanted to complete my beloved clean scandinavian feel.. The #CalvinTan-advised dreamy white day curtains also just adds so nicely to the clean-white-minimalistic effect... Hehehe...

PICTURE OF WOODEN BRACKET FOR WOODEN ROD @ LIVING/ DINING AREA

You will notice that the wooden bracket protrudes out and eats into my living area space.. That is not counting the fact that they are mounted on an already-protruding horizontal beam, located above the windows... AND, take note that this is only a 1-layer curtain (day curtain only)... This factor will affect my decision later on for the bedroom curtains... Do read on for that below..

Same picture, just taken from a different angle to show the number of wooden brackets in place..

Final outcome of the Living/ Dining Area white-day-curtain installation! LOVE the outcome!!

BEDROOMS' CURTAINS! (DAY & NIGHT CURTAINS)

Like I mentioned earlier, all our bedrooms will have a set combination of Day (white) & Night (light grey) curtains. We had actually ALSO wanted to go for the white wooden pole for all our bedroom curtains, however... LUCKILY a #JimmyTextiles China worker advised us against it when he first came down to do site measurements.. He works in a 2-man team with his colleague and are super nice to us.. If you see the photo below, you will be able to see that the metal track (that we ultimately went for, for all bedrooms) are mounted on the underside of the above-mentioned horizontal beam at the windows.

PROBLEM AVERTED: Imagine f we had gone for the wooden pole (which by design-wise, protrudes a lot more into the space of the room) for the bedrooms, and remember that we need day AND night curtains for our bedrooms? The curtains would have extended up to 7 to 10" into the space of the room... Making an otherwise already-small room, MORE PUNY THAN EVER! Wahahaha... So we are thankful to have met the 2 blokes & promptly treated them to ice-cold Pokka green tea... Hehehe..

Final outcome of the Bedroom light-grey-night-curtain & white-day-curtain installation!! Good effect and good fabric!!

Oh yeah, the final damage was SGD1,400 for all my entire house, inclusive of everything (installation, GST etc.)

Eh actually I'm having a really bad bout of allergic rhinithis (AKA sneezing non-stop due to dust & other allergens) right now, so apologies for the brief post but I think I better go and rest some right now...

See you guys again and thanks for all the sweet comments!!

Edited October 1, 2014 by leonjennawong

[bianzi 52]

I think I saw the one with the cleaning solution built in on the mop. There are 2 versions .. 1 for tiles and one for wooden floor if I am not wrong... I confirm again this weekend cos I am heading down for the taka sale to get my ironing board!!

[leonjennawong 53]

Woah bro, you are most right....like many other fellow Renotalk members...I only surf this forum on weekdays when in office.

This is to boost my productivity hahaha.

I also like your Heading, " Flame On"....Human Touch wor!! (I am a Marvel Fan here)

It has been a joy reading through your blog and your blog is very interesting and easy to read.

Also you also know what your readers want...Tabao Links and detailed information.

Keep up with your wonderful renovation journal!! (sincere fan)

Aww man!! Ken82! you are such a nice guy, thanks so much for leaving me such a sweet comment!!

Hey I saw the mop at takashimaya . Selling at $50. Did urs come with a free cleaning solution? So does it mean when u buy this mop, u will need to use their cleaning solution

Hello bianzi! Nice to see you around again! Take note that #Bona does have a normal mop with microfibre pad WITHOUT the spray function, which might be the $50 model you saw at Takashimaya.. *shrug* Do confirm if you did indeed happen to see the #Bona SPRAY Mop going at $50 instead of my $71.70!!

Cause I think quite a few people (including my buddy #MrDFMuscle) are aiming for that spray mop for their vinyl/ laminate/ hard wood flooring.. Just that once you confirm that, I will need to go and hide in a corner of my house to cry... *sob* But of course happy for everyone else who benefit from bianzi's discovery!!

Anyway yes the box comes with a free cleaning solution contained within the longish-shaped bottle (meant to fit nicely onto the #Bona Spray Mop). This longish-container can be topped up with either the #Bona cleaner solution or other brands as well!

[bianzi 52]

Hey I saw the mop at takashimaya . Selling at $50. Did urs come with a free cleaning solution? So does it mean when u buy this mop, u will need to use their cleaning solution

[Ken82 6]

Woah bro, you are most right....like many other fellow Renotalk members...I only surf this forum on weekdays when in office.

This is to boost my productivity hahaha.

I also like your Heading, " Flame On"....Human Touch wor!! (I am a Marvel Fan here)

It has been a joy reading through your blog and your blog is very interesting and easy to read.

Also you also know what your readers want...Tabao Links and detailed information.

Keep up with your wonderful renovation journal!! (sincere fan)

[leonjennawong 53]

HMM... I SEEM TO NOTICE THAT... Our beloved RenoTalk forum seems to become more alive during weekdays hor? More activity in the T-Blogs and private messages flying around like nobody's business... You all ah... Don't let your bosses catch you ah.... :p

REVIEW ON #RINNAI INNER FLAME COOKING HOB

My good buddy #MrDFMuscle asked me on my review of the #Rinnai inner flame technology the other day and I thought "There are probably others in Renotalk asking the same question too!", so here's my personal experience with the inner flame technology..

Before I start on my post on the #Rinnai inner flame proper with pictures, I would like to start off with a quote from a beloved Mavel Super Hero character which is: FLAME ON!!

Big flame mode: Went as reasonably close as my gut-less self would possibly allow, and without having my plastic phone melt in my hands Can see the characteristic flame pattern that arches inwards, forming a flame 'peak' that's different from conventional stoves..

Small flame mode

Well for starter's this is a beautiful product but it does take some getting used to... I say that because this inner flame is relatively hotter than the conventional stove & you will need to stir/ move your food around the pan more frequently if you don't want to chow on carbon... Water comes to a boil really really quickly!! However, after a couple of tries, CFO is getting used to this stove & all's well!

Do take note that for the #Rinnai inner flame technology, the flame is seated lower-and-within the cooking hob itself, protecting the flame from being accidentally extinguished (from wind etc.); HOWEVER, it makes it horribly difficult to actually physically see if the flame is on/ extinguished (which would send my fire safety sense tingling; gas build-up), especially if you are using the small flame & have a pot sitting over the stove..

PHOTO OF #BLUM LADDER UNIT WITH TANDEM DRAWER PULLED OUT

TADA! People have been asking me for photos of the #Blum ladder unit with the tandem drawer pulled-out and so here it is! Each #BLUM intivio I6 tandem drawer can hold a max of 65kg each!!

TAOBAO #17) #HANSGROHE RAIN SHOWER

Thanks to @pinnpinn, I have only just realised that I haven't shared the link and review of my proudest TaoBao purchase - Our beloved #HansGrohe Rain Shower for our Master Bathroom. Have already mentioned before that the water pressure works like a charm in my previous post; The rain shower is also quite heavy with a perfect chrome finish.. And my biggest fear has been quelled when I did a visual check to ascertain that the insides are not rusty. The #HansGrohe label & markings are also very neatly embossed onto the product, and as I was telling @pinnpinn, I'm quite sure this is the real deal!! Just that it's shipped from China and sold at their retail price instead!

Link: http://h5.m.taobao.com/awp/core/detail.htm?id=38612287821&sid=171063ff6068a9063a7b57be3941acff&abtest=6&rn=f5831e5e1185a4ddfc1c638dd8507b6b

Take note that this is not the exact link that I bought from (the TaoBao seller that I got from doesn't sell it anymore), instead I went to search for a seller selling the same rain shower model as mine! Also made sure that the seller is rated 4 diamonds, which is not bad at all!! With that, enjoy the hyperlink folks!!

HEHE.

[leonjennawong 53]

Regarding the door stopper for your bomb shelter door, have you tested whether it is able to take the full force of the door swinging open? I have the same type of stopper for 1 of my washroom doors and it doesn't feel like it can withstand the full force of a moving heavy BS door. On a sidenote, I'm not sure if drilling on the frame of the BS door is allowed. Nothing more than curiosity for the last question.

Ello looneygas! Yes, CFO & I have indeed tested it out a couple of times, "ON PURPOSE" of course.. Wahahaha.. Looks are deceiving, the door stopper looks so puny and weak, yet it is able to take the entire loading of the massive bomb shelter door swung hard towards it! The door stopper does bend a little before springing back to its original shape...

hi leonjenna,

What Oven are you using? Is it the Rinnai one? How is it?

Alphaev7! Yes I am using the Rinnai oven indeed! The interior is spacious enough for CFO's cooking & erm.. The door mechanism is solid. I can't give you anymore reviews right now because, honestly, when you asked this question 5 days ago, we have not even used the Rinnai Oven yet hahahaha... =x

I told CFO about your request & she said she will whip up something to try the oven out! After which I will let you know how we really feel about the oven!Actually, I will only take CFO's oven review & convey it to you... As for my 'review', I can only give feedback on the food prepared by CFO, so my review will be heavily biased & politically correct for fear of getting killed by CFO. Wahahaha... "If the food is not nice, I will tell you that the oven is not good... Geddit geddt?" JUST KIDDING LA. My CFO's cooking is ALWAYS great.

Don't worry about us trying out the oven just to give you a personalised review... Because I get to benefit from this experiment in a yummy-sort-of-way. Cheers!

Dear Leon,

please email me your quote at mdmlee2005@gmail.com.

Thank you for sharing this journey with us.

Good morning mdmjunelee2006!! I have just sent it to you & honestly, it's my great pleasure to share my renovation journey with all...

Edited September 29, 2014 by leonjennawong

[june2006 2]

Dear Leon,

please email me your quote at mdmlee2005@gmail.com.

Thank you for sharing this journey with us.

[bianzi 52]

Love the clocks! It might consider the smaller table clock.. Arghh but shopping from

Taobao gives me a headache

[alphaev7 1]

hi leonjenna,

What Oven are you using? Is it the Rinnai one? How is it?

[looneygas 13]

Regarding the door stopper for your bomb shelter door, have you tested whether it is able to take the full force of the door swinging open? I have the same type of stopper for 1 of my washroom doors and it doesn't feel like it can withstand the full force of a moving heavy BS door. On a sidenote, I'm not sure if drilling on the frame of the BS door is allowed. Nothing more than curiosity for the last question.

[leonjennawong 53]

Continued...

REVIEW OF FREE LG MICROWAVE

Sharing this here because I'm sure quite a few people have bought LG products recently from roadshows etc. and been promised a free LG microwave. (And to make things complicated, the retailer will refuse to tell you the make/model of the microwave because they are worried that by the time you collect it, they won't have enough stock & have to give you another model instead... If you don't tell me the make/model how I am supposed to know the dimensions & build my carpentry lei? Funny people...) In case you had experienced the same problem as me, wonder no more because I am sharing the dimensions/ appearance/ experience of the microwave right here for all to see & to manage your expectations.. But having said all these, CFO & I will still continue using it because it's manageable...

- The microwave external dimension is Depth 12" X Width 18" X Height 10"

- Internal microwave space is quite small with the working dimensions @ Depth of Base 9" X Width of Base 10.5" X Height 6.5", so don't get your hopes up k?

- There is a internal orange light inside the microwave when it is running, but you can hardly see your food cooking because of the mirror-finish on the external face of the microwave.. This is even with the kitchen lights turned off, at night... Oh well...

- The mirror finish is so good that you can literally use it as a mirror (e.g. For the trimming of eyebrows/ nose hair.. Popping of pimples.. Squeezing of blackheads.. And a whole lot of other disgusting stuff you wouldn't normally do in a kitchen. But now that you have a mirror in there, you can. Hahaha..)

IMPORTANT: By the way, dear readers. Do take note of the clearance needed (clearance at the top is about 1.5" & the width clearance is about 1" on each side) for the #BLUM vertical hinge mechanism when you give dimensions to your contractor/ ID for this particular kitchen carpentry piece. CFO & I didn't experience any problems because the space is just nice, but had a mini scare when trying to fit the microwave into the space.

GORGEOUS CONDIMENT HOLDER FROM BUGIS JUNCTION BHG

Got this gorgeous scandinavian-colour-theme condiment holder from Bugis Junction BHG at $23.90!! (price as of 21st Sep 2014) Now we need nice looking condiment bottles too... Hmm...

INGENIOUS BOMB SHELTER DOOR STOPPER INSTALLATION BY #POSH HOME

CFO & I had a heart-drop moment when we realised that our bomb shelter door (when opened carelessly) will wack onto our living area veneer-wrappped vertical beam shelving!! See picture below.

If I swing the door any further to the right, I will wack my beloved vertical beam shelf...

Sigh. We had given up hope & thought it was one of those things that we have to eventually learn to live with & promised each other to be careful when opening the bomb shelter door... Of course we then just casually told #Edgar about this & he actually went to source for something for us... But we didn't have high hopes honestly. But then #Edgar did a miracle and found exactly what we-didn't-know-we-wanted...

He installed this ingeniously shaped door stopper for us! It bends at an angle & affixed to the plate at the end is a white rubber stopper!! SUCH A RELIEF! :D I love this guy. Even the colour of the rubber stopper is white & not the usual black that you can outside for conventional rubber door stoppers! Check it out!

Look at the top-left-hand-corner of the photo for the ingenious bomb shelter door stopper

Close up of how the door stopper is mounted onto the TOP of the bomb shelter door frame (for better photo comprehension: FYI I opened the door & I'm standing at the bomb shelter doorway, facing upwards with my camera)

Lastly, to @ajrenojourney...

I am LOL-ing at your "THE SMELL IS FROM THE HOLE IN MY POCKET THAT'S STILL BURNING TO THIS DAY. HAHA."

Thank you @ajrenojourney! Wahahaha... Your comment made me LOL too hahahaha!!

And.... That's all so far! I gotta rush off to my ACTA Course Tutorial today liao...

Take care and have a productive work day peeps!!

Edited September 24, 2014 by leonjennawong

[abbytan 1]

Don't worry la! Ma Yun said: 越花钱的人越有钱，越舍不得花钱的人却越穷！