The journey to a white home... Mostly at least..

[KITTYKTY 3]

Some thoughts...

I am sure at this point, many have noticed that we took the unconventional route of not engaging an ID... 

We chose not to have an ID coz to find a good true interior designer with original designs that are centred ard our ideas will cost a bomb... Probably around $4k onwards... ( we have ID frens)

And if we choose to work with those ID's from the run of the mill "interior design" company's who are actually 3rd party contractors (as in they engage sub con and then charge u a bomb coz need to mark up prices), they are just going to feed us with recycled generic designs that high chance they used before and present to us in the color that we like or want...

And i really wanted to make this home uniquely ours, thus we chose to work on our ideas our way... 

Honestly many things caught our eyes... One of which that was on my want list were louvre doors for everything... Very french... But because i am such a practical person and anal about dust and cleanliness, the idea has to be scrapped...

We like the barn doors too but S said that it will eventually go out of style n we will be stuck with them... True....

We wanted a mini walk in wardrobe but due to the layout of the master and also for practical reasons such as dealing with mildew and dust as it is close to the bathroom, that has to be bid adieu too... 

Then we saw this "pole system" wardrobe from one of the expo exhibition... Look so nice but one of my colleagues told me that its a bit difficult to manage as you cant really maximise yr closet space as things will be falling off yr shelves if you push them too deep... Another idea to say bye2 to...

Those cool looking ceiling fans caught our eyes a long time ago, but when we felt the air that it circulates at a fren's place, we thought it was not worthwhile paying such a premium for something that wont serve its purpose well...

The vinyl flooring i mentioned earlier, we were so sure we were getting it coz we liked how it makes a room feel and look... But recently, my helper pointed out to a small bulge on the vinyl floor at my aunt's place right outside the bathroom.. And hers didnt come cheap and she lives alone but still can have issues so i scrapped that idea for our home... Maybe only the rooms... Eheh.. Still like it leh...

S wanted shower screens and have even derived a solution to make it streak free but after reading about cases where the tempered glass shatters in new bto homes... The idea was scrapped... I was secretly very happy coz i honestly saw no point in having a wet and dry bathroom area if people cannot use the sink without splashing water all around... (Rolling eyes at S.....)

Which brings us to having a vanity cabinet below the sink... Wooden ones will warp eventually due to all the moisture and water dripping all over... Wont be a pleasant sight after a while...So we left the bathrooms as they are until its time for a reno... If we live here long enough... 

Why i kept my kitchen cabinets to a minimal is so that i wont be a hoarder... No space so forced to throw out stuff instead of hoarding all the unwanted stuff.. (Hope this works...)

I chose to overlay my kitchen coz i feel that the hdb tiles tend to absorb spills and stains easily for the matte ones like the kitchen..So juz went ahead with it since we already engaged the contractors for the hacking of the walls....

We actually also wanted a built in full height shoe rack beside the bomb shelter but because of a ceiling beam there and also the width that we have due to another wall beam, we put it hold coz we want to minimise the storage look and keep the whole place looking airy...besides the width that we have may not be able to hold a size 9 or 10 men very nicely..  Have to figure a way to keep all that shoes the men in my household possess..   Yes they have more than me... 

So that were some things that were originally on our plan that we ditched...

We were glad we had our full say in this coz then we can blame no one but ourselves if something didnt go as planned...  

Edited November 20, 2016 by KITTYKTY

[rxgn 2]

how much you paid to box up the pipe?

[KITTYKTY 3]

11 minutes ago, rxgn said:

how much you paid to box up the pipe?

$300

Edited November 20, 2016 by KITTYKTY

[Pes 1]

On 11/19/2016 at 10:22 AM, KITTYKTY said:

JB Spree 2 

So as i mentioned, there was a second jb spree... It was kinda impromptu coz i happened to clear a day off in lieu and S and my dad were free too...

So off we went..i didnt really know what i wanted to get this time round but S knew he wanted to get paint.. So our first stop was this lighting shop to look for a few more simple led lights for the doorway and walkways... We got a door bell too from this shop... As we were paying, i noticed they sold panasonic water heaters too and after an enquiry on the prices, we bought 2 of them... 

I was actually pretty undecided on water heaters... It was either instant heater or gas heater... But daddy was telling me to take instant ones and the panasonic we are currently using at daddy's place works really well even after almost 8 years.. Hopefully the ones we got can last as long if not longer...

As carpentry works was almost completed, S wanted to start painting soon after so we got paint.. We used it before for daddy's place and it turned out well so we decided to get them again.. Its Dulux Inspire and its the matte kind which is also washable and it is low odour.. We got some water based sealer as well..

So back in sg, S was excited to start his mini project on lil S's room.. N i must say he was very determined... 

Dats the outcome, 2 striped walls on opp sides and pink walls on the other 2.. 

Can u see the colorful fan... That was S's first project for this room... Until we decide that a ceiling fan was out and decided to move this fan to the living room and spray painting the blades white again..  Haizz... Waste time... 

so beautiful i want to cry!  seriously!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! nice colors!!!!!!!

[Pes 1]

On 11/18/2016 at 10:51 PM, KITTYKTY said:

Yes, the pics are so inspiring.... I like the instagram homes too... Soooo pretty...

agree! i dont have instragram though i think better should create one soon for more inspirations!

[KITTYKTY 3]

14 minutes ago, Pes said:

agree! i dont have instragram though i think better should create one soon for more inspirations!

You shld... Some home looks like showroom but those that look lived in and cosy are the best... If u notice, they normally play with lightings.. So i suggest, a good play on warm and cool lights can really change the way a room looks.... 

My original kitchen track lights were warm white and i find my kitchen look really classy then... Hahaha... But for practical reasons n the amount of cooking i do daily, we changed them to cool daylight and the whole 'feel' of my instagram kitchen is gone... Hahaha

[KITTYKTY 3]

31 minutes ago, Pes said:

so beautiful i want to cry!  seriously!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! nice colors!!!!!!!

Thank u! I was very happy too considering that it was a diy project by S... We love that the colors are not too in yr face kind of blue or pink... But bright enuf to make the room look cheery like our lil Sunshine..  

[KITTYKTY 3]

Final to do list.... 

After sitting down after lunch and going through the to do list, I realised that most things are already done.... I only need to get the final touches of furnishings and a few appliances...

I think our journey is a simple and straight forward one had we started on it earlier with a clear idea... 

Let me break down what we have done so far and the cost involved and also what is left to recce or buy...

Completed works...

1) Hacking of kitchen door, built up extension for half height wall and overlaying of kitchen tiles, base for cabinet and shower kerbs in 2 bathrooms- $2200

2) Window grills, service yard window and 2 dual track bifold doors - $1500

3) Classic doors for 3 bedrooms - $660

4) L shaped wardrobe for common room(est 8ft), kitchen cabinet with iQuartz top(9.5 ft) and master bedroom L shaped wardrobe with sliding doors (est 9.5ft, added on recently) - $7600

5) Box up water pipes in kitchen - $300 (its some composite material that can withstand moisture better than gypsum board... If gypsum board, its cheaper) 

6) Total cost of paints (Painting is DIY) - $240 approx (with brushes, palletes, plastic shield, tape and water based sealer)

Total: $12500 (bulk of which goes into carpentry)

Major Appliances & Furnishings... 

1) LG system 4 aircon - $3299

2) Living room ceiling fan with light (JB)- $280

3) Simple led light x 6 (JB) - $96

4) Hanging lamp for dining area with bulbs (TB) - $65

5) Track lights for kitchen and living area - $220

6) Led ceiling lights for 3 bedrooms (TB)- $125

7) Sofa - $400

8) Armchair with ottoman (TB) - $120

9) Coffee table (TB) - $69

10) 4 Dining chairs (TB) - $180

11) Dining table (TB) - $260

12) Kitchen counter (TB) - $120

13) TV console (TB) - $120

14) Kitchen Tap (TB) - $40

15) Oven, hob and hood - $929

16) 2 Panasonic instant water heaters (JB) - $220

Total: $6500 approx

To buy list....

1) KDK / Panasonic wall fans ( although i find that they dun look nice aesthetically, but they do free up floor space and dun hang down precariously from the too low ceiling)

2) French door fridge - I came across good reviews for Beko, some locally and mostly overseas... So might consider, if not it will be an LG one we saw at courts..and this is courtesy of my aunt... So not part of our expenditure list..

3) Curtains, rods and shower curtains - looking at simple ikea ones

4) Carpet/rugs to complete the cosy home look - ikea again... ( what seperates me from ikea currently is an overhead bridge... Hahaha) 

5) Mirror - S said he will customise it at a shop along jalan besar to fit our wall size.... Remember the wall with aircon in the living/dining area... I plan to put a mirror there to make the space look bigger... 

6) Bathroom accesories - i dunno, maybe tb, hoe kee or even ikea 

7) Bed and cupboard for lil S - definitely ikea 

8) A new bed for the our bedroom... - i cannot find what i like!!!!! N should i get a storage bed? Means got chance to hoard rite? 

So estimate maybe need about $2k more? 

So that is about all except foe minor stuff that can be bought along the way and doesnt really affect our move in...

I bought lots of knick knacks from our holidays to add to our new nest too... Also those kitchen ware u get from GSS are worth to buy and keep coz they are pretty cheap then... Esp those WMF stuff...

TV is courtesy of daddy and we are bringing over the front load washer from our current place as it is still new.. 

So so far, we have spent almost $20k and thank god its almost completing so we can breathe easier now and start building back our drained accounts...

We saved quite a bit on painting, plumbing and electrical works as S is very hands on and was adamant that he does these himself....  And so far, so good... Only left with minor drillings and fixing of lights when they arrive from TB..

Feel free to ask me if u need more info on where i get my things...

 

 

Edited November 21, 2016 by KITTYKTY

[Pes 1]

On 11/21/2016 at 1:55 PM, KITTYKTY said:

Thank u! I was very happy too considering that it was a diy project by S... We love that the colors are not too in yr face kind of blue or pink... But bright enuf to make the room look cheery like our lil Sunshine..  

lucky your lil sunshine 

[KITTYKTY 3]

Been a very hectic week! Went to my new nest juz now to check on the completion of my master wardrobe and the end of reno! Missed my ezbuy delivery though... They came right on the dot at 1pm when i chose delivery as betweem 1-4.30pm... Haizzz..  Never mind.. 

Pretty happy that all the dust is over and now can really start the cleaning of the place and putting up the furnishings... 

For a start, my master bedroom journey gave me a huge headache..  With such limited space and me wanting a wardrobe huge enough to fit both me n S's stuff, it left me quite undecided on how to build my wardrobe..  I am not one for clutter so i want everything to be behind closed doors... 

As a walk in wardrobe is out, i explored other avenues like a pole system wardrobe but that was also not feasible after some feedback from frens already using them... Finally settled for a design that cynthia, the carpenter, had suggested earlier, a "slim fit" wardrobe carcass, somewhat like a pole system, but a wider body... With sliding doors... Cant really describe it properly... Looks like this...

I can't seem to upload the pictures now... Will try upload it later..

 

 

Edited November 28, 2016 by KITTYKTY

[smermil 1]

2 hours ago, KITTYKTY said:

Been a very hectic week! Went to my new nest juz now to check on the completion of my master wardrobe and the end of reno! Missed my ezbuy delivery though... They came right on the dot at 1pm when i chose delivery as betweem 1-4.30pm... Haizzz..  Never mind.. 

Pretty happy that all the dust is over and now can really start the cleaning of the place and putting up the furnishings... 

For a start, my master bedroom journey gave me a huge headache..  With such limited space and me wanting a wardrobe huge enough to fit both me n S's stuff, it left me quite undecided on how to build my wardrobe..  I am not one for clutter so i want everything to be behind closed doors... 

As a walk in wardrobe is out, i explored other avenues like a pole system wardrobe but that was also not feasible after some feedback from frens already using them... Finally settled for a design that cynthia, the carpenter, had suggested earlier, a "slim fit" wardrobe carcass, somewhat like a pole system, but a wider body... With sliding doors... Cant really describe it properly... Looks like this...

I can't seem to upload the pictures now... Will try upload it later..

 

 

the slim fit wardrobe sounds interesting. will wait for the photos..

[KITTYKTY 3]

Ok i finally can upload the master wardrobe pics... 

The shelves are adjustable in case i wanna move it around in future... Floor space below the for items seldom reached out for but still keep.. Haha...

Lots of hanging space and also the top part is unobstructed to maximise the space.. Had wanted to hollow out the floor space at the hanging section to "customise" the area in future but was advised other wise by cynthia... Hmmph... Kinda disappointed.. But oh well...

The completed look... Except for the unpainted partition sides... Full door with floor tracks on the floor...

Completed common room wardrobe... 

Finally painted the classic doors on sunday too...  

Edited November 28, 2016 by KITTYKTY

[jaiyerika 5]

Very elagant looking carpentry works! thanks sharing had some great ideas.-

[KITTYKTY 3]

Some more pics to share... 

Dual track bi fold doors for the bathrooms in white... But S asked for black rubber/silicon seal for the side inside the bathroom so that dirt will not be visible and the unsightly black looking stuff (mould/algae?) will not be visible... 

My dining area... We want swap and  put the table widthwise so we will not have problems getting into the seats as the side nearer to the wall is quite a squeeze.. S will have to move the lamp too.. 

The taobao coffee table... Think i will spray the legs white... Looks kinda odd now against all the light colored/white furniture... 

 

Edited November 29, 2016 by KITTYKTY

[neeganisgod 1]

thanks for updating us with your reno, nice wardrobe and i love how the white door look, this is a 4 rm flat right?