$35K Massive Overhaul - Single Lady 1st Abode

[bipps 4]

22nd April - Shiny marble polishing done!

DIY Spray Paint ugly gold mirror to Silver~~

BEFORE

AFTER

 

 

DIY Spray Paint Master Toilet Window from brown to white

Glass shower panel up too!

BEFORE

AFTER

 

Kitchen Carpentry and Laminates Up! Comments include kitchen looking like office furniture color, kitchen looks like IKEA wood color, etc etc. I'm totally in love with light beech tones but have other themes for other parts of the house, leaving me with kitchen to play with. #dontcare mode switched on.  

This is the 4 feet tall unit to house oven, microwave, tall larder unit. The space on the right side is just beside the toilet, reserved solely for 'hiding' ugly mops and pails.

Panoramic view from kitchen entrance. Left side, tall unit. Right side, bottom cabinet for hob and sink. Extreme right, ugly concrete wall erected to block off direct facing main door and kitchen entrance. 

[OceanEleven 203]

Hi, why internal all white for the carpentry?

[bipps 4]

23 minutes ago, OceanEleven said:

Hi, why internal all white for the carpentry?

No preference lei....white easier to spot for moulding and dirt.

[bipps 4]

My rants today after a tiring weekend....

Mom and aunties came over to view the progress of the house for the first time, not a word of positiveness from them. Old people, old thinking. Better not argue with them since they are all standing opposite my side. They shot down my teal colored walls, my white bar counter which i added on at the last minute, my standing toilet sink, my cove lighting, my master toilet vanity, my wall tiles. Practically. Everything. 

Throughout my reno progress they will constantly 'remind' me to do this and that, build a ledge in the bath area to put shampoo, warned me against using stainless steel toiletries racking, encouraging me to use white tiles for everything, told me my grey living room walls are ugly, ask me not to use induction cooker as I need to purchase new pots to be compatible with induction (like I ever had pots in the first place). bla bla bla bla bla.... Worst thing is they asked me why isn't my contractor purchasing toilet bowls on my behalf? Why isn't he providing me with this and that that their contractor provided them 20 years ago....

With more and more home owners wanting to personalize their own space and more hands on than yesteryear due to surplus online information and e-stores, who needs a contractor to purchase something that they end up not liking? It's tough to be the only one handling the entire reno and your relatives make so many comments and remind you to do things like they are the PRO and I'm the baby who doesn't know anything. 

Since I'm staying temporarily at my aunt's place till reno is completed, she will randomly wake me up in the morning and start asking

"your contractor got provide you with cutlery tray anot ah..?",

"eh your dinind table must remember put a piece of glass on top to protect it" or  

"eh you don't do that type of laminate cause the beauty salon I went to have same laminate as yours and it peeled off, I confirm is same laminate as yours, exactly same one"

Mentally exhausted now!!!!

[OceanEleven 203]

1 hour ago, bipps said:

No preference lei....white easier to spot for moulding and dirt.

Actually hor, white easier for mould and dirt leh. Used to have all white also. After some time, mould grow, regardless of storing wet or dry things.

Now swap to laminated interior, 18 months on, good as new.

[OceanEleven 203]

47 minutes ago, bipps said:

My rants today after a tiring weekend....

Mom and aunties came over to view the progress of the house for the first time, not a word of positiveness from them. Old people, old thinking. Better not argue with them since they are all standing opposite my side. They shot down my teal colored walls, my white bar counter which i added on at the last minute, my standing toilet sink, my cove lighting, my master toilet vanity, my wall tiles. Practically. Everything. 

Pardon me, cant help it, cant stop laughing. Me heng, mine finish then the “flaming” came. Then I say “Bo bian leh, I PAID all by myself, so I have to learn from the lesson lor.” Being the smarts folks they are, they understood the in between the lines.

Anyway, your den, your rules. Take it with a pinch of salt. Wait, make it a large pinch. Who don’t know marble can last forever and gold plated don’t rust. Until the dough comes from the commenter, else maintain poise and carry on smiling as if you are vying for Ms Universe. 

[JohnJohn 13]

Haha, agree with Oceaneleven. The day they pay for your reno is the day you need to start taking their opinions seriously. My new place will be dark and I know my family will start making comments. So, I'll wait till everything is over before inviting them over. 

[Catt 8]

2 hours ago, bipps said:

My rants today after a tiring weekend....

Mom and aunties came over to view the progress of the house for the first time, not a word of positiveness from them. Old people, old thinking. Better not argue with them since they are all standing opposite my side. They shot down my teal colored walls, my white bar counter which i added on at the last minute, my standing toilet sink, my cove lighting, my master toilet vanity, my wall tiles. Practically. Everything. 

Throughout my reno progress they will constantly 'remind' me to do this and that, build a ledge in the bath area to put shampoo, warned me against using stainless steel toiletries racking, encouraging me to use white tiles for everything, told me my grey living room walls are ugly, ask me not to use induction cooker as I need to purchase new pots to be compatible with induction (like I ever had pots in the first place). bla bla bla bla bla.... Worst thing is they asked me why isn't my contractor purchasing toilet bowls on my behalf? Why isn't he providing me with this and that that their contractor provided them 20 years ago....

With more and more home owners wanting to personalize their own space and more hands on than yesteryear due to surplus online information and e-stores, who needs a contractor to purchase something that they end up not liking? It's tough to be the only one handling the entire reno and your relatives make so many comments and remind you to do things like they are the PRO and I'm the baby who doesn't know anything. 

Since I'm staying temporarily at my aunt's place till reno is completed, she will randomly wake me up in the morning and start asking

"your contractor got provide you with cutlery tray anot ah..?",

"eh your dinind table must remember put a piece of glass on top to protect it" or  

"eh you don't do that type of laminate cause the beauty salon I went to have same laminate as yours and it peeled off, I confirm is same laminate as yours, exactly same one"

Mentally exhausted now!!!!

Cheer up, it will be over soon, end of the day the final product will be the fruit of all your labor and planning.

Mine started shortly after I started viewing flats with my relatives telling me their kids/ so-n-so's son/ so-so's daughter's friend's unborn child's future husband bought a 5-rm flat for $450k in Hougang, why is Bukit Merah so expensive....totally ignoring the fact that it would be me paying for and living in it. Now that I've decided on a contractor, I get this from relatives and family, "Don't forget to tell the contractor that he must have good workmanship (4X)....when you buy tiles don't buy slippery tiles (2X) if not will fall down...grey tiles so dark...white tiles so hard to clean...when you ask them to construct the kitchen cabinet do remind them not to use compressed wood (3X)....why you don't buy the cabinets from IKEA, customise so expensive (same people who told me not to use compressed wood, go figure). It's a mad world. Hang in there!

[bykaraanne 30]

8 hours ago, bipps said:

My rants today after a tiring weekend....

Mom and aunties came over to view the progress of the house for the first time, not a word of positiveness from them. Old people, old thinking. Better not argue with them since they are all standing opposite my side. They shot down my teal colored walls, my white bar counter which i added on at the last minute, my standing toilet sink, my cove lighting, my master toilet vanity, my wall tiles. Practically. Everything. 

Throughout my reno progress they will constantly 'remind' me to do this and that, build a ledge in the bath area to put shampoo, warned me against using stainless steel toiletries racking, encouraging me to use white tiles for everything, told me my grey living room walls are ugly, ask me not to use induction cooker as I need to purchase new pots to be compatible with induction (like I ever had pots in the first place). bla bla bla bla bla.... Worst thing is they asked me why isn't my contractor purchasing toilet bowls on my behalf? Why isn't he providing me with this and that that their contractor provided them 20 years ago....

With more and more home owners wanting to personalize their own space and more hands on than yesteryear due to surplus online information and e-stores, who needs a contractor to purchase something that they end up not liking? It's tough to be the only one handling the entire reno and your relatives make so many comments and remind you to do things like they are the PRO and I'm the baby who doesn't know anything. 

Since I'm staying temporarily at my aunt's place till reno is completed, she will randomly wake me up in the morning and start asking

"your contractor got provide you with cutlery tray anot ah..?",

"eh your dinind table must remember put a piece of glass on top to protect it" or  

"eh you don't do that type of laminate cause the beauty salon I went to have same laminate as yours and it peeled off, I confirm is same laminate as yours, exactly same one"

Mentally exhausted now!!!!

Old people nothing to do so a lot of opinions. As long as you did your research, don't mind them. Everyone will have their own views. And Reno is tiring enough to bother about them!

enjoy your beautiful home instead.  

[bipps 4]

I thought my relatives were particularly nasty, you guys made me feel much better that I'm not the only one experiencing such comments. We can keep many people entertained if there's a blog to collect all the ridiculous comments.

 

16 hours ago, Catt said:

Cheer up, it will be over soon, end of the day the final product will be the fruit of all your labor and planning.

Mine started shortly after I started viewing flats with my relatives telling me their kids/ so-n-so's son/ so-so's daughter's friend's unborn child's future husband bought a 5-rm flat for $450k in Hougang, why is Bukit Merah so expensive....totally ignoring the fact that it would be me paying for and living in it. Now that I've decided on a contractor, I get this from relatives and family, "Don't forget to tell the contractor that he must have good workmanship (4X)....when you buy tiles don't buy slippery tiles (2X) if not will fall down...grey tiles so dark...white tiles so hard to clean...when you ask them to construct the kitchen cabinet do remind them not to use compressed wood (3X)....why you don't buy the cabinets from IKEA, customise so expensive (same people who told me not to use compressed wood, go figure). It's a mad world. Hang in there!

Haha @Catt mine is the opposite way round! I moved from Queenstown to Bukit Panjang and eldest aunt till date continues questioning why I didn't get a unit in Jurong East. FYI she lives at Chinese Garden and finds Bukit Panjang far.  I'm 29 works a regular office job and single owner. Even if I stretch my finances, HLE wouldn't allow me that loan amount. Outsiders always fail to understand that we, as home owners have exercised our thoughts and decisions before securing the unit. Money don't come easy, but we decide where we want to invest it on lor!

[Catt 8]

8 hours ago, bipps said:

I thought my relatives were particularly nasty, you guys made me feel much better that I'm not the only one experiencing such comments. We can keep many people entertained if there's a blog to collect all the ridiculous comments.

 

Haha @Catt mine is the opposite way round! I moved from Queenstown to Bukit Panjang and eldest aunt till date continues questioning why I didn't get a unit in Jurong East. FYI she lives at Chinese Garden and finds Bukit Panjang far.  I'm 29 works a regular office job and single owner. Even if I stretch my finances, HLE wouldn't allow me that loan amount. Outsiders always fail to understand that we, as home owners have exercised our thoughts and decisions before securing the unit. Money don't come easy, but we decide where we want to invest it on lor!

Hmm we are the sandwich generation. I always say...too rich for subsidies and too poor for private! Bt Panjang still isn't as 'zha' as Chinese Garden. My parents live around there and so did I years ago. I remember the nights I had to walk past the Kang Ching area and it was full of workers and whatnot. Ah well pros and cons... Singapore is only that big!!

[laknock 0]

looking good !

[Luxexplorer 2]

Hey Bipps! Renovation is  a tiring and a bit stressful process but the end product will be all worth it. In my honest opinion, those small little things that bugged me then just don't seem like such a big deal after I have moved in and some things still can be rectified. I am thinking my home is too white and also looking to paint a dark teal in the bedroom

May I asked if you can provide the link for the 2 mirrors? Actually I like your 'ah neh' gold mirror a lot. LOL Really beauty in the eyes of the beholder! TIA

[bipps 4]

9 minutes ago, Luxexplorer said:

Hey Bipps! Renovation is  a tiring and a bit stressful process but the end product will be all worth it. In my honest opinion, those small little things that bugged me then just don't seem like such a big deal after I have moved in and some things still can be rectified. I am thinking my home is too white and also looking to paint a dark teal in the bedroom

May I asked if you can provide the link for the 2 mirrors? Actually I like your 'ah neh' gold mirror a lot. LOL Really beauty in the eyes of the beholder! TIA

Haha!! You can get the ah neh gold mirrors here https://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?ft=t&id=13018794763&toSite=main&sku_properties=21433:20213

Promise I won't comment when you get em'  To each, his own is beauty! 

The white mirror is actually a floor mirror (not standing as it doesn't come with stands). Meaning, you place it vertically and it will stay firm due to it's weight. I got wall brackets drilled into the back of the frame so I can have it wall mounted. One of my best taobao purchase, local frame makers charging $400 on for this kind of sizing. 

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?ft=t&id=44283423534&toSite=main

 

 

[NouvelleMaison 0]

Renovation  should be completed by now? No more updates?  Would love to see the final results!