4 Room Bto Simple Home

[glamchic 0]

Hi Arnold!

Your planning management is impressive and detail. Thank you for sharing some tips. Sure a great help for someone who is sourcing ids or contractors. Do you mind sharing his contacts? TIA.

[fjklrc 0]

hi Arnold,

thks.

btw, I also got the same princess ceiling light for my daughter's room...

[arnold 0]

Fjklrc: I'm sure ur daughter will enjoy the light. My 2 yr old was extremely excited and kept repeating "lights! Lights! So nice!"

[arnold 0]

Wafdaa: contact sent via pm.

Enjoy your reno journey!

Glamchic: theres some error sending u the pm. Is ur inbox full?

Edited April 14, 2015 by arnold

[arnold 0]

Sinks, Basins, Taps and All Things That Get Wet!

Toilets

During the planning phase, we were contemplating whether we wanted to do a full revamp of the toilet. I will start by showing everyone here what HDB provided us with in the toilets:

Here are some of the issues that we thought through:

1. Revamp of Toilet. We were contemplating whether we wanted to revamp the entire toilet. Both of us are suckers for nice toilets and it was usually one of the first things we will check out when we go to a hotel for vacations. Before the collection of keys, we surfed around for some of the toilets that we liked and it was usually something like this:

2. Shower Heads. One other consideration we had was whether we wanted rain showers. It's like the in-thing now and it always feels so good when we go under the rain shower during vacations. We were really tempted to go for this until my wife asked me this: "Will you really use it everyday?" Thinking through the lifestyle of ours, it seem unlikely we will be using this often. Every morning was a rush to get out of bed and to work, not to mention we also need to cater time to dress up the little one to go to school. After thinking through, it seems like the rain shower will be another decorative piece eventually and used only once in a long while.

3. Basins. Now just look at how puny and pathetic the basin in the common toilet is! It looks more like a basin that you can find in a child care centre for children's use! HDB, SERIOUSLY????

We decided to be practical and change out only the things that we need and will use, which leads us to making the following decisions:

1. To resolve the basin size issue, we decided to get Boon to build us a vanity top in the MBR toilet. The original MBR basin will be shifted to the common toilet to replace the puny basin.

2. We will use the original shower heads provided by HDB. If required, we will review the decision after we move in and purchase a rainshower again if we thought that we still wanted it.

3. The common toilet will not be used often and we will be doing most of our businesses in the MBR toilet. Therefore, we will only build one shower screen in the MBR toilet.

With the decisions above, we came up with the following purchase list:

• Master Bedroom Toilet
  • Basin
  • Tap
  • Wall Mirror/Cabinet
  • Bidet Spray
  • Toilet Paper Holder
  • 2 x Towel Hooks
  • Towel Hanger
• Common Toilet
  • Bidet Spray
  • Toilet Paper Hanger
  • Mirror

We regret that we weren't able to find most of the pictures of the above items. Therefore, pictures shall not be put up for it.

We also classified the kitchen sink and tap, as well as the water heater to be part of the "things that get wet" category. However, we were only able to find the picture for the sink:

For things that get wet, we spent a total of $1630.45

Edited April 14, 2015 by arnold

[dfarvin 0]

Hi, can share your contractor details?

[arnold 0]

Artificial or Natural? The Kitchen Top Choice!

Prior to our renovation journey, we didn't even know that there were different choices for the counter tops in the kitchen! We had all along thought that the contractor will just put a piece of plank on top and that will do! Since there are so many different types of materials to choose from, what are the differences?

Granite

Type of natural stone. The natural pattern of granite has plenty of character, with unique grains and colours. It also stands up well against knife nicks and heat, However, to ensure the stone is not stained, it must be sealed properly. Once stains are set in, it remains permanent. One of the most popular granite that is being used today will be the Black Galaxy.

Solid Surface

Made primarily from acrylic and polyester. IT was one of the popular choices in older homes due to its low cost. It is virtually maintenance free due to its non-porous nature. As it is an artificial product, the length and width can be customised to however you want it to be so that you won't have any joint lines to worry about. However, its heat withstanding ability is not as good as natural stones.

Quartz Surface

Another one of the popular choices today. Crafted of resin and quartz chips tinted with colour, quartz surfacing is a good compromise between the beauty of stone and the easy care of solid surfacing.

Marble

Luxurious! Marble is usually linked to the higher end of products. The natural lines of marble is exceptionally beautiful and provides sheer elegance to your kitchen! Functionally, marble stands up to heat well. However, marble is extremely susceptible to stains. At the same time, it is probably one of the more expensive products to use. I am pretty sure that I won't want to spend a bomb on the top, and yet I need to take extra care of it.

KompacPlus

One of the newer entries in the market. It is slowly gaining popularity due to its sleek design and durability. I have seen demonstrations of how it can withstand scratches from knifes and direct heat. Even turmeric (one of the ingredients used in Indian curries. It's stains are known to be extremely difficult to get rid of) failed to stain the thing!

Conclusion for Kitchen Top

With all the homework done, we decided that we will go for KompacPlus. I trust that with whatever we wrote so far, you can be sure that ease of cleaning sits on the highest priority. We were totally bought over by the demonstrations that we have seen. We thought of the colour theme of what we have, and we decided that the Black (25:20) is the way to go for the kitchen.

We also decided to use KompacPlus for our MBR Toilet Vanity Top, and we will be using the one with the Wooden Finish (10:20) so that it is in line with the brown tiles

Edited April 19, 2015 by arnold

[arnold 0]

Woodworks Considerations and Decisions (Part 1)

It came to a point when we had to make some decisions on the detailed requirements of the carpentry that we are building. Let's first recap our plan for carpentry:

We met up with Boon on-site for further discussions. The discussion was fruitful, with Boon giving us information on typical layouts of cupboards and cabinets, as well as some ideas that he included based on the individual lifestyle. The discussions went on in this manner:

TV Console and Toilet Vanity Top

We did not require any special customisation in this area. For the 2 items, we decided to go as simple as possible. So in essence, this will be the typical simple type you will see almost everywhere.

Kitchen

The kitchen is the busiest item to discuss. There were many factors that could affect the overall layout and carpentry requirements of the kitchen. This include

• Type of Hob and Hood. The questions that he posed were (1) Are we using chimney or slimline hoods, (2) Are we using induction of gas hobs and (3) For gas hobs, are we using SP gas or tanks. The type of hob and hood that we purchase, and the type of gas that we use will impact the carpentry design at the cooking area. It is important that he knows so that he can cater the right amount of space for the installation of the equipments, as well as cater space for the gas tanks if required

• Ovens and Microwaves. He also asked us whether we required spaces for build-in ovens as well as specific compartments just for microwaves. For build-in ovens, he suggested a few ways that we can install, including (1) building a tall unit to house, or (2) to install below the hob.

  

• Size of Fridge. Of course, the size and type of fridge will affect the measurements of the carpentry work in the kitchen.

On top of the above discussion points, we also decided that we did not want to have a "Dish Drying Rack Cover" (refer to below image and highlighted in orange) in the kitchen. We did not think it was a requirement. Actually, we found it a hassle to need to open and close the cover so often! Given our characters, we thought that it will eventually remain opened all the way. Instead of it making the kitchen look neat and tidy, The cover will be a sore thumb sticking out.

Edited April 20, 2015 by arnold

[arnold 0]

Woodworks Considerations and Decisions (Part 2)

Master Bedroom

There were plenty of considerations in the master bedroom. Not only do we need to decide on the layout of the wardrobe, but we also need to consider the type of storage we wanted for our platform bed, the position of the wardrobe, and of course the measurements required. Before we start going into all the details, here is a blown up view of the master bedroom:

Dressing Table and Wardrobe

The first thing that Boon checked with us was the type of clothings that we usually wear. He needed to understand it so that he can cater space for things like long dresses and compartments for ties and other accessories. He also tried to understand the amount of cosmetics the missus uses so that he can advice the size of the dressing table. These were things that we never thought of and I was glad that Boon checked back with us on this. This gave us further assurance that our renovation work was in good hands.

He also highlighted the potential deadspace that we might have due to the layout of the works (refer to below picture highlighted in red dotted line).He provided 2 suggestions: (1) to use it as part of the wardrobe. He will extend the bar out into the space within so that we can hang more clothes. However, he warned that there will be a lot of difficulties reaching the extreme end of the bar. In time to come, we will eventually forget about the clothes there. (2) He suggested doing shelving that faced the dressing table. He opined that the space will be much better use in this manner. It will also potentially free up space on the dressing table by allowing the missus to put her cosmetics within the shelving. The shelving could be either close or open shelving, depending on our preferences.

We decided to go for Option 2 as this is a more practical solution.

Platform Storage Bed

The requirement for a storage platform bed was already made known to Boon when we first met up. During this discussion, Boon suggested that the covers of the storage area be made seamless so that it improves aesthetics. However, the only way to access the storage area will be to open up the floorboard with a sucker tool (very much similar to how you will open floorboards in the server rooms).

However, we did not like the idea of using a tool to open a storage area. We believed that storage areas should be made to be convenient. We requested for Boon to make grooves at the covers of the storage areas and to have the covers hinged. This will allow more convenience for the storage access. However, we understand that aesthetics will take a backseat this time in exchange for the convenience. The end result should look something like this.

Shoe Cabinet

As mentioned in the earlier posts, Boon had earlier checked with us on our shoe sizes so that he can make sure the shoe cabinet measurements can fit our shoes. During this meet up, he confirmed with us not only our shoe sizes, but also asked us whether we had special type of shoes like boots. He shared that he asked these due to previous experiences where customers feed back to him on some of the things that they did not consider. Shoe size and type of shoes were some of these things that were missed out. On top of these questions, he also suggested to us of having the bottom shelf of the shoe cabinet to be open shelving, while the rest above to be behind doors. This will provide us with the convenience of slotting in shoes that we use everyday.

When queried why he suggested this instead of proposing a floating shoe cabinet (both will fulfill the convenience requirement), he said that the floating shoe cabinet will pose hygiene issues. He remembered that we wanted to have our dining table just behind the shoe cabinet, and it will not be hygienic if the shoes are accessible also from the dining table side.

Conclusion For The Woodworks Discussion

As I work with Boon, I must say that I am impressed by some of the suggestions that he gave. His suggestions were most of the time practical, and considers a wide array of things, including hygiene issues. Of course, he has his own shortcomings (which I will elaborate a bit more in a later post), but his strengths clearly outshine his weaknesses. It had been an enjoyable experience with Boon so far, and I hope that the experience will carry on until the end of project.

Edited April 17, 2015 by arnold

[hazellina07 3]

Hi can I get the details please.Thanks

[mmoh 66]

Hi Arnold, mind to share Contractor Boon's contact details? Thanks!

I seriously like his consideration / practical suggestions on the shoe cabinet and the solution on deadspace. I think I might adopt your design of your MBR...

Edited April 19, 2015 by mmoh

[arnold 0]

And Let There Be Lights!

To recap, here is my lighting plan:

One of the first installations to our place were the lights! In this post, I will show you some of the lights that were installed. I did not include the places where I installed the hamburger lights though. After all, the hamburger lights are really there for functional purposes and I did not think anyone will be interested to see them. In case anyone would like to see those lights too, feel free to drop me a message and I will post them up. Without further ado, I present to you, the lights installed!

Living Room Lights

The lightings in the living room are generally split into 2 main areas. The main living area (highlighted in blue) will be illuminated with white lights, while the rest of the living area (highlighted in red) will be illuminated with warm lights.

Bedroom Lights

"Oh!! So nice! Lights so nice!" These were the words that my 2 year old little rascal uttered when I showed her the lights to her room (highlighted in red). She got so excited that she kept repeating this throughout her time spent in the house. Was so glad that she liked the lights, and hopefully, the nightlight embedded within will be put into good use in future!

We opted to have a ceiling fan with integrated light in the extra room (highlighted in blue). The intended use for the room will be a study room for the adults. However, both the missus and myself don't quite do any serious work at home (we prefer not to bring work home), the study room might very well double up as a children's play room.

Ending Note For Lighting

In case some of you were wondering why we did not have any pictures of the Master Bedroom lights, we decided to leave it towards the end with the carpentry pictures in together! We believe that the lights will best stand out with the wardrobe in so that the track lights and dressing table lights can be seen to prove its worth!

Edited April 20, 2015 by arnold

[Yika 0]

I would not put the oven below. Your legs will get hot when you use both concurrently.

[CircleD8 1]

Hi Arnold, I'm having the same 4room layout with slight different in the kitchen/main door ... probably will consider hacking off the kitchen protruding walls to free some space out ...

Can you share Contractor Boon's contact with me plz? Tks.

[Juz 0]

Hi Arnold, can you please share Contractor Boon's contact with me? Thanks in advance.