Gingereve 3 Report post Posted January 21, 2015 Let there be Light(s)! - Part 3 of 3 [http://jumbobnb.wordpress.com/2015/01/20/let-there-be-lights/]Ironman Wall LightsUseless. But COOL! (dedicated post on these guys coming up soon!) 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Takaishi 44 Report post Posted January 21, 2015 wa seh u have 2 living rooms! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gingereve 3 Report post Posted January 21, 2015 Haha yah! Quite fun and useful for putting your spare/old furnishing/tv and entertaining 2 different groups of friends at the same time. But most of the time we stay and dine at the Ironman side though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gingereve 3 Report post Posted January 21, 2015 (edited) The Obsession with White [http://jumbobnb.wordpress.com/2015/01/20/the-obsession-with-white/]In line with the Scandinavian theme, we were all out on having white spaces – white walls, whitish-cream craftstone, white laminate for kitchen cupboards, white doors, white windows… so, we needed a white table. But not just any white table, a 1.8m table. We wanted a table that would be big enough for both of us to do work at the same time, and to host our friends when they came over.When I saw this on sale at EXPO, it was the (THE) table or at least something similar. It even had my birdie chair to complement it. The legs are made of solid birch wood and the table top is MDF – medium density fibreboard (an engineered wood product), which is supposed to be water and heat resistant. As it is not solid wood, the price is affordable, and it was sturdy. I really liked the legs as it had a edgy look. The table is from OM (http://om-home.com/). I enjoyed my visit to the flagship store at Tai Seng. A lot more other elegant and sleek products. [screen grab from https://emrenoblog.wordpress.com as I didnt take a photo!] Our visit to StarLiving @ Labrador also revealed a similar table – Azumi Dining Table. The legs were also solid birch wood, and the design of the legs was simple and sleek. While we weren’t that impressed with the table, we were excited of the idea of a bench against the wall to squeeze more ppl in plus having that cafe element. Star Living was the only furniture shop that we went to that sold this white 1.6m bench, and maybe that’s why they also priced the bench at a price that we parted with although it wasn't worth that amount. I bought white dining chairs from Taobao to go with the dining table. [update: Apparently, Star Living is also selling the same dining chairs, which is really coincidental, cos I never saw the table displayed together with the chair. [http://www.starliving.com.sg/e-shop/product-category/dining-chair/azumi-dining-chair.html] Ok, so here’s the entire set: The verdict so far:The table is doing well in allowing 2 of us typing on our laptops side by side with a few inches of space to spare at both ends. The bench is pretty awesome and sturdy, squeezing 4 people a few times. White is really not a fun colour to upkeep. We use the table to do our work as well. So, it wasn’t long before I found teeny bits of pen ink, that I quickly scrubbed away. And then later, a greasy palm/finger mark. And then, my mind ignored the rest. If you are very anal about cleanliness – pls get another colour and trash the Scandi theme. Edited January 21, 2015 by Gingereve Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnB 15 Report post Posted January 21, 2015 Love your house, Gingereve! Those Iron Man wall lights, my husband would love them.I was going to ask you about the fan in your Iron Man living room, but saw the info on your blog. Thanks. Desserts make me happy too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gingereve 3 Report post Posted January 22, 2015 Hi JohnB. Thanks! I think my online contact's stock of Ironman Wall Lights is currently out. Think you can also try http://naiise.com/ or Q10. Have fun installing them!Love your house, Gingereve! Those Iron Man wall lights, my husband would love them.I was going to ask you about the fan in your Iron Man living room, but saw the info on your blog. Thanks. Desserts make me happy too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gingereve 3 Report post Posted January 22, 2015 (edited) Hi JohnB, obviously my bf only thought you were interested in buying the ironman lights, but you were asking about the fan.The ceiling fan is very suitable for low ceilings due to its low stem, and it has an "old school" feel. Its actually a classroom fan. And much more affordable than KDK. But it is not really suitable for bedrooms as it can be slightly noisy.Do call the shop in advance to ask if they have stock!Love your house, Gingereve! Those Iron Man wall lights, my husband would love them.I was going to ask you about the fan in your Iron Man living room, but saw the info on your blog. Thanks. Desserts make me happy too. Edited January 22, 2015 by Gingereve Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
faranggirl 2 Report post Posted January 22, 2015 Hi - just want to say I love reading your blog on your reno journey. Thanks for sharing Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gingereve 3 Report post Posted January 22, 2015 Hihi! Thanks =) we had a lot of fun writing the posts as well. The reno journey was a tiring yet interesting and fulfilling journey. Being suckers for getting the best deals possible, we did tons of research and thus now we are posting some of the stuff we learnt (sometimes through the hard way) in hope that it would be useful read for the Renotalk community.Hi - just want to say I love reading your blog on your reno journey. Thanks for sharing Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gingereve 3 Report post Posted January 22, 2015 (edited) 10 Random Things We Learnt - Part 1 of 2 [http://jumbobnb.wordpress.com/2015/01/20/10-random-things-we-learnt/]Below is the list of 10 Random but Important things we learnt along our Reno journey.1. Mounting the TV.Lesson learnt: If possible, DO NOT mount the TV. The advantages of having a free standing TV include: (a) Flexibility to relocate your TV. (b) No dangling wires. All wires can be hidden behind the TV stand, whereas once you mount the TV, you need to plan on how to conceal/route the wires from the TV to the cable box etc. © Easier to plug/unplug wires to the terminals behind the screen. More importantly due to the very small distance between the mounted TV and the wall, many cables will get squashed and some cables with large connector heads cannot fit in. If you really have to mount the TV, note the following: DISTANCE: There are a lot of articles online about the recommended distance (see:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimum_HDTV_viewing_distance)HEIGHT: This detail is frequently neglected. Some leave it to the wall mounting guys, however to avoid stiff necks, we recommend the following:(A) Sit on the sofa that you will be watching the TV from.(B) Sit in your regular body position (if you know you will slouch then slouch).© For the correct mounting height: Your EYE LEVEL should be at the top 1/3 of the screen. This height will also vary due to individual preferences. A good gauge is this – when choosing cinema seats, where do you like to sit: (i) At DEAD CENTER row (mount TV with eye level close to slightly above the center of screen) or (ii) at TOP row (mount TV with eye level close to top 1/3 of screen) In general, when in doubt, mount the screen slightly lower, unless you watch it lying down. 2. Buying things on Taobao – See dedicated Post.3. Going to EXPO and Furniture Fairs vs Online ShoppingIn general there are only so many EXPO Fairs you can go before you start going crazy (a good indicator would be if all the road show presenters know you by name…). It is true that there is indeed some savings to be had from Road Shows, this is especially true compared to normal walk-ins. However you need to also consider the time/effort spent, transport costs as well as meal expenses when going on such hunting trips. There are indeed a lot of bargains online and time spent online might be more productive than moving around. At a minimum, always do your basic research online first and you would realise that a lot of your answers can be found and recommendations given by people who have been there and done that. Many people are also selling brand new items at bargain prices (many unwanted gifts). For example we spent a few weeks wondering around Singapore trying to find those toilet bowls with a tap on the cistern, only to realise later that some BTO owners are selling their brand new unwanted ones at $50 a piece -.-.The Importance of measuring everything and recording it down before going out to shop.Make sure your measurements are accurate, taking into consideration door opening/closing allowance, power sockets positions, aircon trunking etc. Bring along a measuring tape where ever you go. You can be cheapskate by keeping two of those IKEA 1m paper measuring tape handy. 5 Install ceiling fan if ceiling height allows.Standing fans and wall fans are no match for the ceiling fan. Ceiling fans circulates wind around the room much more efficiently than standing fans and do not take up valuable floor space. They are also easier to clean. Get 3-blade ones – greater efficiency and easier to clean. We have a ceiling fan in our living rooms as well as all the bed rooms. Our utility rooms and dining area is cover by wall fans. As you can see, we don’t like to sweat. Master Bedroom - Panasonic Common Room - Relite Living Room Fan – Relite Edited February 1, 2015 by Gingereve Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gingereve 3 Report post Posted January 22, 2015 (edited) 10 Random Things We Learnt - Part 2 of 2 [http://jumbobnb.wordpress.com/2015/01/20/10-random-things-we-learnt/]6. Money Saving Tip – Get paint contractors to paint the door.Check your renovation contract. If it includes the painting of doors, you can get your painters to paint the door instead of the door guys, this will save you about $30-$70 per door.White Frame painted by Painter and White Door painted by Door Guys. -.- could have saved a few hundred dollars here.7. We Love Citygas!We love Citygas for its Efficiency & Cost effectiveness. Citygas powers our Hob (no need for gas cylinders, freeing up valuable cabinet space), Heater (no need storage tank for rain-shower) & Dryer (best appliance to have for rainy monsoon seasons).8. A Happy ID is critical to a happy renovation process!Some IDs are quite flexible in the sense that they allow their customers to engage outside contractors for some of the work. However we do recommend that you keep the following core contractors under your ID: Painters, Plumbers, Tilers, Electrician and Carpenter. This is because these works require the greatest amount of coordination. In fact they usually are required to come back multiple trips in different sequence (sometimes together) to get the things done. Also we need to be fair to our ID as the project needs to be monetarily worthwhile to them. 9. Air-con TrunkingAircon position and trunking requires great care and planning because (a) insulation trunking is the biggest one you need to deal with (b) water pipe routing is important. An efficient route minimise risks of leakage. In general, Aircon Insulation Trunking should run by the top of the wall so as not to disrupt the placement of furnitures (we had to re-run our trunking at extra cost). The water pipes can be run separately at the bottom of the wall for better waste water flow. For new BTOs, you may want to consider having a separate compressor to power the hall coil unit. 10. Craft Stone Wall – Thick vs Thin GroutingNot all Craft Stone Walls are created equal. We spend a large part of our time and effort choosing the colour, but many of us neglect the most important aspect: the grouting size we want. Different grouting size gives different feel. Decide on the one you like and TELL your ID/Tiler. See below for examplesThin Grouting Thick Grouting Edited February 1, 2015 by Gingereve Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnB 15 Report post Posted January 22, 2015 Hi JohnB. Thanks! I think my online contact's stock of Ironman Wall Lights is currently out. Think you can also try http://naiise.com/ or Q10.Have fun installing them!Hi JohnB, obviously my bf only thought you were interested in buying the ironman lights, but you were asking about the fan.The ceiling fan is very suitable for low ceilings due to its low stem, and it has an "old school" feel. Its actually a classroom fan. And much more affordable than KDK. But it is not really suitable for bedrooms as it can be slightly noisy.Do call the shop in advance to ask if they have stock!Thank you! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vanleoleo 1 Report post Posted January 22, 2015 Wow your house looks really really good! Fun, modern, and very cosy.Just wanted to check - your city gas powers up your rain shower well? cos the Hansgrohe sales person told me not recommended... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gingereve 3 Report post Posted January 22, 2015 Hihi! Yes Citygas powers up my cooking hob, water-heater and clothes dryer. And we love it! =). For Rain Shower the only options are (1) City Gas or (2) Storage Heater. With City Gas, you enjoy almost instant warm water, whereas for the storage tank you need to wait awhile for the water to heat up. On a side note - the dryer is great too! HahahWow your house looks really really good! Fun, modern, and very cosy.Just wanted to check - your city gas powers up your rain shower well? cos the Hansgrohe sales person told me not recommended... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gingereve 3 Report post Posted January 23, 2015 (edited) TAOBAO & ME! [http://jumbobnb.wordpress.com/2015/01/20/taobao-and-me/]We embarked on Taobao after reading various renotalk T-blogs/blogs that it was possible and cost-saving. I had in total 3 shipments, all through the forwarder company Amcon Express (http://www.amconexpress.com/). So I will share my experience here. All the items I bought can be found via the xls. How does Amcon Express work?It is a forwarding company. You purchase the items from Taobao by yourself and provide the seller the address details of Amcon’s warehouse in Guangdong. Then you provide Amcon the list of items bought, price and the tracking number (运单号码). Amcon will collate your items and freight them over via sea, and deliver them to your house.Costs: Ocean freight is RMB550.00/CBM + $35.00/SET for Documentation + GST.As compared to other Taobao agents, Amcon does not provide additional services e.g.,insurance, additional wrapping, checking of goods etc etc. Navigating the Taobao website:This was pretty simple, and extremely addictive. While Google Translate was my life-saver, it wasn’t always helpful. For industrial stuff, try the terms 工业. I downloaded the AliWangWang app (阿里旺旺) that allows you to chat with the sellers. It was especially helpful to ask the seller about the item e.g., what kind of light bulbs came with the lights (e.g., warm, white, how many watt), and in one case, I asked the seller to waive the shipping costs. Be mindful of the shipping costs. Set the Country as 广东 and the 运费 will adjust accordingly. Therefore in addition to the price of the goods, do take into account the shipping that can be quite substantial for some shops. Experience with AmconI mostly liaised with May (amconexpress@hotmail.com) who was generally prompt and reliable. I would buy the items from Taobao over a span of a week. Once the sellers deliver the item, the Taobao website would provide updates of the tracking number and I would fill up the form to send to Amcon. May would email me every day to update me which items have arrived at the 广东 warehouse (takes around 3 – 4 days). Once all have arrived, Amcon ships it to Singapore and this takes around 7-8 days, after which you can arrange for delivery time and date. It was frustrating that they were unable to give me an exact time, mostly a time period (e.g., 2 to 6pm) but it was good that they delivered on Sat mornings. In total, factoring the shipping within China, and Ocean freight etc etc – the waiting time was around 2-3 weeks. Our take:Taobao through Amcon is only worth it if you buy MANY (and) BULKY items. Do note that Amcon charges a minimum of 1 cubic metre per shipment. After accounting for the Amcon shipping costs, the items costs around 30% more than the price on the Taobao website. Do check out other Singapore furniture websites (e.g., fortytwo.sg) as they do offer similar items. E.g., the de-stressed chairs were cheaper in http://www.fortytwo.sg/ (though with less options for colour and design). We had the most cost-savings on our lights. For those of you worried about the light bulbs being compatible – we asked the sellers what type of light bulb they used (e.g., E27) which are easily found in Singapore. If not, we bought additional bulbs. If you are buying table lamps, you need an adaptor.Taobao Army of Chairs Be prepared for the additional hassle. Buying things yourself on Taobao is fun, but the documentation was time-consuming, and it was even worse when I received defective items once. The seller was kind enough to offer free shipping BUT only within China, so I had to wait for my second shipment with Amcon to get it. Also, for furniture items – you have to assemble them yourself. We took quite a while to assemble the birdie chair – I asked the seller for manual, instead the seller offered to give me a call, but that wasnt helpful for us – in the end, we did it by analysing the photos on the Taobao website. See the screws for the birdie chair! Final word: Taobao is addictive. Beware.And I love my lights.The lights before the table came in Edited January 24, 2015 by Gingereve Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
