Ask Me Anything - Retired Interior Designer Here

[RetiredInteriorDesigner 0]

I started my own thread to ask but nonetheless will copy it here.

Here goes:

I am expecting to take keys during year end. My upcoming house is a premium BTO, which comes with flooring and bathroom accessories and tiles all done.

Therefore with this said, actually I have nothing much left to do except for painting and carpentry work.

Luckily for me, I have direct source/lobang for the following below, so therefore I can save quite abit already.

1) painting

2) carpentry work

3) electrician/electrical work

However, here is the problem. As I am poor with designs and color matching, I would still need someone who is able to design a layout in drawing and measurements for me so that I can get my sources to do their work.

Questions:

1) What are my options here ? I do not want to be chopped carrot by IDs, premium price. How much to pay for a freelancer designer to consider reasonable ?

2) What possible potential issues that I may encounter if I don't engage a contractor or IDs ? I know I will then have to fork in time and effort to coordinate the project myself. Besides this general problem.

Which area of the reno process will I be possibly hit with a problem ?

hi

hopefully not too late to reply you

Im going with the assumption that you have alot of time on your hands ah

spend $20, buy home decor/ renovation magazines, flip and refer and find what you like. see something you like then you aga aga visualize see if can fit in your home anot. OR if you got measurements of your home already then you ask the carpenter if this one do at your home can or not. generally the carpenter can tell you can or cannot do and draw up a very rough sketch with basic measurements in place. but of course you might not be able to visualize until you see the physical thing in from of you.

btw free lance designer/ID/ whatever title they call themselves also use this method... get inspiration from magazine/internet then draw and say its their design.

never use freelance designer before. dunno price. even if got use before, there is no price to art. if your designer is pikaso he confirm charge 1000000 for just one drawing.

2. this one you give me 3 day 3 night i also cannot type finish.

because you dont know/no exp/ not in this line, you sure kanna eat by your direct source/lobang.

they say this thing cannot do, how you know they not lying

what if they delay, somethings is go hand in hand one. example your painting delay then your carpentry wanna go up already but havent even paint. ( this one is small problem, but hopefully you get the point)

coordinate not easy for someone without exp without someone to guide.there's so many varations.

let me very briefly touch on all the above you mention. painting/electrical/carpentry.

rule of thumb, there are many ways to go about doing it.

painting, can do first or do last. do first of course easier to paint.

electrical - if you already paint first then you do electrical then the plastic casing who paint. what type of electrical work you doing ( please dont reply this question and ask me what to do ) your cabinet inside got lighting/electrical stuff or not. if so you need run loose the wire first then carpentry go up then electrical come back another day after the carpentry is done to fix the points. ( this one dont understand ask the electrican )

carpentry - eg your worerobe got light inside or not. where to drill hole if got lightt, wiring run where. carpentry generally got a fixed measurements, like kitchen cabinet etc. your carpenter should know and hopefully will advise accordingly

electrical , if say they shift electrical point, who cover the hole after shifting?

what can go wrong will go wrong. so many things can go wrong.

advice - i think everyone bound to have a friend who is in interior design. or know someone that does. pay him a small fee to coordinate your stuff. but dont pay me to help you coordinate .

good luck. all the best

[RetiredInteriorDesigner 0]

Hi boss, i need your advice and expertise on the work that has been done on my house, care to pass me ur email so i can show with the pics?

Hi boss

dont show me la...

[RetiredInteriorDesigner 0]

Hi Retired ID,

I hacked my kitchen wall to half height n planning to install a Chinese lattice panel on the half height wall. Is the installation complicated?

Thanks & cheers

got money everything also not complicated

[RetiredInteriorDesigner 0]

i m overlaying my whole hall and bedrooms with homogenous tiles. the question is do i need a skirting.. i dont like it but apparently its compulsory. do i really need it?

Hi

hopefully i reply u in time.

skirting is for mopping floor, you mop floor wont kanna the wall. you dont want to skirting also can. dont regret can liao. no compulsory one.

cheers

[zuzu 0]

Hi, what would be a reasonable price range for suspended 7-feet tv console and feature wall?
Can this support a 65 inch TV?

[RetiredInteriorDesigner 0]

Hi, what would be a reasonable price range for suspended 7-feet tv console and feature wall?

Can this support a 65 inch TV?

hi

u find ID do or find contractor do?

nowadays even contractor pricing also become ID pricing already

by right is can support la..... but if anyhow do or worksmanship lousy then cannot support lor...

[Andrew New 3]

Any lobang for direct carpentry work?

[Nanochan1 0]

what is the price of reenacting a 3.81m wall?

[zuzu 0]

yah, do do you have any direct carpentry worshops that you can recommend?

[tarzanboy 6]

Hi, retiredinteriordesinger Il ike to read your blog with lots of information since you are in this line can you pm me contractor or id without GST and hdb registed as i got the idea of the whole house decor plan and getting my key in end of september thank

[RetiredInteriorDesigner 0]

while scrolling around the forums, i keep noticing people doing referrals/ recommendations.

so obvious lei.... where got people refer ownself one....

ok la... last time i myself also got refer my work to other people before....

so to all home owners, not to pin point any one ah... do your own homework is best la... dont people on forum say hey i got referral u blind blind listen.... most of the time its all the same person ah... meaning the guy recommending the designer/contractor is the designer/contractor himself... haha

but sometimes also got real genuine cases la.... but some is really obvious la... i look at their company i laugh....

Edited July 6, 2015 by RetiredInteriorDesigner

[RetiredInteriorDesigner 0]

yah, do do you have any direct carpentry worshops that you can recommend?

got soo many. but cannot recommend.

[RetiredInteriorDesigner 0]

what is the price of reenacting a 3.81m wall?

different people different price lor... what type of material. how thick your wall. for what purpose, partition can anot. etc etc etc

so many variables....

want to know the price, you ask 10 different contractors, the pricing they quote u is that pricing lor

[RetiredInteriorDesigner 0]

Hi, retiredinteriordesinger Il ike to read your blog with lots of information since you are in this line can you pm me contractor or id without GST and hdb registed as i got the idea of the whole house decor plan and getting my key in end of september thank

hi

thanks for reading

online got the list of HDB registered contractors.

whether they got GST or not i also dont know. u one by one call them then will know, because i never use before designer. and contractor is use mouth open price to me one so they got gst or not i also dont know.

[RetiredInteriorDesigner 0]

Any lobang for direct carpentry work?

got. but cannot recommend. because they never pay me to help them advertise so cannot. but even if they pay me then my lobang is biased. so cannot