Kitchen & Living Room Makeover

[WeiJie1990 0]

Hi everyone!

After 30 years of staying in my parent's flat, we've decided to have a makeover to our kitchen and living room. The idea of renovating our kitchen was that the floor tiles given by HDB in 1985 was already popping out and doesn't look modern anymore. While the idea of renovating the living room concurrently was due to our thinking: " Since doing kitchen already, might as well do living room too. During the planning phase sometime in May 2015, I had been reading many of the blogs here and appreciated all contributions big or small by the friendly people here. Through this forum, I make myself to absorb and learn about renovations to help my parents while at the same time learnt from the process as my BTO will be ready sometime in 2018.

This project is taking place real time as we've just selected the company to do up our house, and I'll share about the ID we selected in the next post.

First up, here is the floor plan

[WeiJie1990 0]

Prior to setting out to request for quotation using the "GET A QUOTE" button in Renotalk just like many of you here do. Together with my parents, we sat down and discussed the requirements we want.

Kitchen

• Build a new L-shape bottom cabinet only.
• Shift the refrigerator to the front nearer to the living room
• Hide the washing machine behind the sink, beside the rubbish chute.
• Box up the unsightly pipes
• New kitchen floor

Living Room

• New floor
• New shoe cabinet
• Settee beside the shoe cabinet for us to wear shoe.

Allow me to share the pictures of the current state.

Living Room floor tiles which will be demolish. The small segment of wall beside the Laughing Buddha will also be hack.

Shoe cabinet which will be demolish.

Everything in the kitchen will be demolish, wall tiles, floor tiles, cabinets, concrete sink support, granite stove

support.

Next, I'll share about who we engaged to do the renovation for us. Basically, we didn't look through much ID or contractors as we're only doing kitchen and living room.

As I sent out the quotation request, a lot of calls came ringing but didn't get to meet those due to my irregular work timings.

A call came from Mr Chon from Urban Habitat Design asking me to send him an email of my requirements.

I did so and met up with him on the 16 June, he came by our house for an accurate assessment.

A friendly person who gives practical suggestions to our kitchen. Saying that we should do away with wall tiles altogether for a more cleaner outlook.

I like ID like him who helps you to save money here and there instead of asking you to build and build trying to burst your budget.

2 days later, he emailed me a quotation which is of a comfortable range to my parents.

17k for Demolition, Masonary & Flooring, Plumbing, Fitment & Glass, Carpentry.

[eastlovin 1]

Hi WeiJie1990!

Seems like there will be quite a lot of hacking going on with the replacement of the tiles etc. Will your parents and you be staying in the flat while the renovation is ongoing and what are you going to do with the furniture in the living room and kitchen in the meantime?

Good luck with your reno! This sounds like a great learning opportunity for your BTO

[WeiJie1990 0]

Hi WeiJie1990!

Seems like there will be quite a lot of hacking going on with the replacement of the tiles etc. Will your parents and you be staying in the flat while the renovation is ongoing and what are you going to do with the furniture in the living room and kitchen in the meantime?

Good luck with your reno! This sounds like a great learning opportunity for your BTO

Hi eastlovin,

Yeah, we'll be staying in it but no worries the hacking will be done when we're all at work. We'll spread the furnitures throughout the 3rooms, the dining table and coffee table will be given away. I'm trying to remove as much furniture as possible, minimise the clutter otherwise got new floor also not nice.

Thank you

[eastlovin 1]

Hi eastlovin,

Yeah, we'll be staying in it but no worries the hacking will be done when we're all at work. We'll spread the furnitures throughout the 3rooms, the dining table and coffee table will be given away. I'm trying to remove as much furniture as possible, minimise the clutter otherwise got new floor also not nice.

Thank you

Sounds like a plan. Agreed about minimising clutter but actually based on your pictures, your home looks relatively neat and clutter-free already haha! Looking forward to your updates!

[WeiJie1990 0]

We actually met up with Mr Chon last Sunday at Hafary(Balestier) for the choosing of tiles. Here's the living and kitchen tiles respectively.

Hacking & tiling works will commence on the 29, 30 June. I'll post the pictures of hacking when it commence.

Next, over the past week. We moved everything we could into our rooms and throw whatever unnecessary and here's the results getting ready for hacking.

Meanwhile, we're eagerly waiting for the 3D illustrations from Mr Chon( Urban habitat Design). Once I get hold of it, will share with you all here:)

[WeiJie1990 0]

Here's the long awaited 3D illustrations.

Kitchen 3D Illustration

3D of Shoe cabinet. Most probably will do a shoe cabinet against the whole wall instead without the settee.

[WeiJie1990 0]

Now here's the long overdue post. Hacking of flooring and the small little wall on Monday 29/06/15.

I always believe whatever that can be hack away, please hack.

I like house to be opened up but father was reluctant to hack but I told the ID to go ahead.

Look at how open up the walkway is from the living room to the kitchen.

30/06/15

Arrival of building materials.Tonnes of it, I mean it really is. Each pack of cement is 40KG, total of 36packs. How much already?

Still have tiles lei, so it's about 1plus ton.

We paid so much money for these cement and concrete blocks.

Next will be the laying of concrete layer.

[Russel 1]

That looks like a lot of money to spend for renovationa and I like the new idea it is very good to eyes and much wider.

[nanateo 0]

Hi Wei Jie , 

I am looking  Urban Habitat Design , however there are nome bad reviews about them. Looking at their portfolio i do like their designs , still considering. 

Do you think they are reliable  ?