Project Muji Home - of white, wood and chrome

[Clarence Lye 10]

On 5/21/2017 at 3:08 PM, dietgalvon said:

RENOVATION UPDATE - 20 MAY 2017

We dropped by our home yesterday to check on what's been done. Actually we popped over on one of the weekdays but it was super dark so can't take any pictures. Then, there were a lot of machines all over the home! It has been cleared off yesterday.

We saw that the tiling was done! Overlaying of toilet tiles is really so worth it. Thanks to the fiance who decided that the walls should be overlaid too. And now I am asking myself why did I want to save the money and not overlay the common toilet floor tiles. Overlaying floor tiles would give us a proper bathroom entrance kerb and a drop down at the shower area instead of a shower kerb which will look bulky especially because we are only installing a panel shower screen.

Electrical works are also all up! Very, very well done.

Kitchen also slowly forming~ But I think works will be delayed because my sink has not arrived. :x

Can do drop down kerb for btotoilet? My ID dont want to do it as they say HDB don't allow cos of the load area is different and not within the limits.
Sighs..

Edited June 22, 2017 by Clarence Lye

[Mannequin 0]

On 05/03/2017 at 5:40 PM, dietgalvon said:

THEME: MUJI-INSPIRED

Before we even decided on a Muji-inspired home, we knew that we are attracted to the a light wood/white theme. It was until we walked into Muji a couple of months ago that I told my fiance - I want a Muji Home!  I like how simple the whole store is, yet it can give off such an extraordinary feel. We decided on the colours that we will use: Light wood, White, and chrome.

This picture just about encapsulates the feel that we want our home to have - open, spacious and homely!

MEETING WITH ID & CONTRACTORS

Our plan is to make our home simple and functional without spending too much. Our initial budget was $30k, but we realized that it was not enough for all that we wanted. Our rule of thumb was - we would not compromise when it comes to our MBR (and my shoe rack ). In that respect, with some tweaks, we managed to keep within our budget (for now, at least).

As newbies, we didn't know what to expect, so we started our search with a plan to visit an ID firm whose projects (on Facebook) I like.

1. ID - N from W*****.com
We walked into this ID firm because we couldn't find the ID firm we planned to visit. We communicated to N on what we like and our budget, and arranged to meet him a week later. The quotation came up to exactly $30k but there were some items we didn't ask for and most of what we wanted were not in the quotation. No brief design layout at all. N was all the while trying to impose his designs and ideas on us and even asked us to sign on the spot or put a $1,000 deposit and he will proceed to draw the design for us. -_- 

Subsequently, N kept texting us and he wouldn't accept that we decided not to engage his services. He kept telling us that everything can be done within $28k. I also did not learn anything from him at all - bad experience! Eliminated~

2. ID - M from C*********

This firm was just beside that ID firm we wanted to visit and I recalled seeing their projects on Facebook. M was quite detailed, and we learnt a little regarding the materials used. We conveyed our style M and followed up with some pictures of the designs that we like. A week later, M showed us a 3D plan. It was not very close to what we expected, and the quotation was way out of budget. Eliminated~

3. ID - Z from A*******

This firm was the one we wanted to visit right from the start. This time, we did not exactly told Z what we wanted because we wanted him to give us some ideas instead. When we next meet, he gave us a brief design layout and we learnt quite a bit from him. Perhaps due to the scale of the firm, the perks were very attractive and the quotation was surprisingly very reasonable. We were very tempted to engage him until we saw a negative review of Z on Facebook. As Z was quite young and does not appear experienced, we did not want to risk having an unhappy journey down the road. Eliminated~

(At this point, I was so drained by all the visiting and we could not find one we could work with. I turned to getting contacts from Renotalk/blog instead - thanks to everyone those who replied to my PMs! I was SO GLAD I did this and wished I did so earlier because that would have saved me so much time! )

4. ID/Contractor - N from R*******

We could tell that N was pretty experienced and he is a very 'straightforward' man. There were some ideas he outright told us was 'ugly' but he also provided us with some good ideas. He gave us a quotation on the spot and said that his is a "no hidden cost" quotation. His quotation was quite reasonable but we were afraid he would not want to do some of the things that we wanted. Eliminated~

5. Contractor - J & E from C*** X**** (THE CHOSEN ONE)

I first met with J and I liked him immediately. We could tell that he is a VERY experienced man and he gave rather insightful comments. I personally liked that bit of 'old school feel' in his book with lots of hand-drawn drawings. E that day seem rather nonchalant and I was honestly quite afraid the renovation journey would be tough considering the reviews of CX (slow to reply, etc). We received the quotation and it was a little over our budget. I was trying hard to reconcile the pictures of their finished projects, the reviews of their carpentry, the cost of the renovation and the managing of the renovation. But I knew that, I really like them!

We next met with E to discuss on the revised quotation and yes I would agree that they require some nudging. But to my surprise, E was very welcoming and nice! The revised quotation just about fits into our budget too. I am totally blown away by their experience in the field and I know I would pick quality over price even if it takes more effort in managing. So, we chose them in the end!

6. Contractor - E from DX I*******

By the time we met with E, we are quite sure of what we want/need already. He is a quiet but nice man, and he also replies fast. I could tell that he is experienced despite how he is a man of few words. His quotation for some items are significantly cheaper than (5), and I was really tempted by the low quotation. However, by this time, I already have 2 very good choices ((5) and (7)), hence this is being KIV until further notice.

7. ID - MH of L**** P****** S*******

This was through a recommendation of a blog I follow. The reviews of MH was very good. Albeit he was a young man, he was quite experienced and REALLY patient. My fiance really like him - he has a soft spot for people who are easy to work with - and he told me after the first meeting that he would pay for such better services. We were really torn between MH and J&E because we want both experience and quality. What was taken into consideration was also my perfectionism that I would prefer to take charge of every single detail in my home. The final quotation was $2k plus more than that of J&E, and we eventually picked J&E.

And that's the end of our painful search for IDs/contractors. I was really, really tired but glad that the recommendations do not fail me!

Hi do you mind to recommend J&E, I need carpentry works from them. We have sources for our own electrician, plumber, etc.

[starylite 0]

Hello. Thanks for sharing these information. Can you please share with me the contacts for your ID/ contractor of (5), (6) and (7)? I am in the midst of contacting ID and contractors... Thanks a lot!

[inchvbeam 0]

sorry can i double check on the number: 

Contractor J&E:  9185 0669 (James)

 

I tried sms but no replies for 2-3days

[dietgalvon 14]

19 hours ago, Clarence Lye said:

Can do drop down kerb for btotoilet? My ID dont want to do it as they say HDB don't allow cos of the load area is different and not within the limits.
Sighs..

@Clarence Lye Hmm I'm not sure of the HDB regulations, but I have seen others doing this as well. But I have met with a few IDs who told me it can't be done too.

15 hours ago, Mannequin said:

Hi do you mind to recommend J&E, I need carpentry works from them. We have sources for our own electrician, plumber, etc.

@Mannequin I think they're overwhelmed with projects now!

12 hours ago, starylite said:

Hello. Thanks for sharing these information. Can you please share with me the contacts for your ID/ contractor of (5), (6) and (7)? I am in the midst of contacting ID and contractors... Thanks a lot!

@starylite PM-ed

5 hours ago, inchvbeam said:

sorry can i double check on the number: 

Contractor J&E:  x

 

I tried sms but no replies for 2-3days

@inchvbeam Some patience is needed, they're overwhelmed with projects.

[tjk1208 0]

On 6/20/2017 at 9:56 AM, dietgalvon said:

@tjk1208 we're not installing any hood. We will add 2 shelvings and that's it! Hahaha

Cause I'm still deciding whether should be hood anot :X Looking forward for your end product. Your kitchen top is kompacplus? 

[dietgalvon 14]

9 hours ago, tjk1208 said:

Cause I'm still deciding whether should be hood anot :X Looking forward for your end product. Your kitchen top is kompacplus? 

Yes! We're using kompacplus. Will share pics when kitchen is up!

[dietgalvon 14]

TAOBAO PURCHASES

More taobao loots arrived!

MBR Toilet - Clothes Hook

Pretty good quality!

MBR Toilet - Bidet Spray

Quality is not bad; bonus is that this is small and cute!

MBR Toilet - Toilet roll holder

Quality is not bad, but this is stick-on using 3M tape because I can't find a holder (for drilling) which I like.

MBR Toilet - Towel Rack

This is supposed to be stainless steel but it's rather light. Quality is average only, comes with some scratches here and there. Perhaps about the same quality as those lower end towel racks in Singapore? Still going to use this as my mum say it's still alright.

It had been a hit and miss with stainless steel stuff in taobao but at least buying through ezbuy prime gives me peace of mind as they allow refunds for defective items.

MBR Toilet - Diatomite Bath Mat

Read that this floor mat absorbs water like magic. I tested it out on the free gift - a coaster. AND IT REALLY WORKS! I'm so amazed with this! Going to put this in the MBR toilet right outside the shower screen. My mum was so amazed she asked me to buy 2 for her as well LOL.

MBR Toilet - Corner Shelves

Quality is awesomeee! Love that the 'rail' is in glass contrary to the usual metal ones. I bought 2 of this!

Common toilet - Bidet spray (NOT)

This is a cheaper version from the same seller as my MBR bidet spray but this feels too plastic-y to be used. The holder is really filmsy. I bought the exact same one I got for MBR to replace this. This is going into the bin hahaha. I don't even want to sell this because this is trash lor.

Common Toilet - Vanity Set

Sorry for the poor lighting but this is actually light wood in colour. I was surprised that the hinges for the lower cabinet is slow-closing (not the mirror cabinet and drawers). The quality seems pretty good but to be honest this ain't cheap by taobao standards. But I wanted to buy through Prime because I'm afraid the items will arrive broken so there weren't many choices to begin with. 

Fiance was saying this looks too good for common toilet and we should have gotten a set for our MBR instead of doing carpentry works lol (savings would have been $700 or so). Oh but I recalled the tap was quite light. Other than that, no complaints!

MBR - Down light

Bought 2 downlights of different wattage; will place 1 at the small area at MBR entrance (last minute change due to air-con trunking issues). When I saw the Philips brochure, I thought all the down lights are thick and chunky. So I went to taobao, and saw these silm ones. Yayyy! But I came to realised that Singapore has these also, just that it's about 8 times the price I paid.

Living Room - Clock

Love the woody clock hands!!

Living Room - Clothes stand

Pretty good quality and loving the colour that fits our theme so well! This is for us to hang our bags/jackets which we use daily.

Misc - Stools

I think this stool is quite commonly seen in this forum; it's actually quite expensive lei. But I bought it because I like how simple but nice it looks! These are for when we have guests!

Misc - Boomjoy Spray Mop

Read many many good reviews but have yet to try this. This is actually not cheap - hope it's worth its price.

***

My TV console from my previous batch of taobao shipment has been assembled!

Electrician came today and we updated him on the placement of the respective lights. We wanted to shift the TV point and electrical sockets to be hidden within the console so he did not do it earlier. Today he asked us about our console and actually we planned to get our contractor workers to help us... but he said we should assemble it there and then so that he know the placement of where the points should be.

Luckily he was there because we would have taken so much time to assemble and it's impossible for us to drill the screws without the electrical drill. He did it singlehandedly! And now it's up!

Edited June 24, 2017 by dietgalvon

[dietgalvon 14]

PURCHASES

Living Room Ceiling Fan (Elmark 52")

This is the only fan that we liked when we went to see check out fans in JB back in Feb, simply because it fits our theme. I read before that Elmark fans sold in Malaysia has a different ceiling hook etc and might end up costing us about $130 to get a Singapore installer + purchase Singapore ceiling hooks. But this is the ONLY fan that we liked. We had no choice, crossing fingers that E don't contact us telling us that this fan cannot be fixed up properly lol.

T5 lights for MBR & Common Toilets

Well, all my lights were purchased from taobao except the T5 lights, and I'm glad I didn't because what we envisioned was different from what E advised. We wanted to get Philips one but they were out of stock. So we went to Chan Huat (heard that their price is reasonable) and bought their house brand instead.

Kitchen wall shelf (1.2m)

This will be placed above the sink (will stretch to cover the counter area till stove area) and we will use this as a dish strainer I guess. Was initially a little worried about it covering the counter top area as well but the fiance say it will be useful. Hoping that it won't look bulky in time to come!

***

We also asked J not to fabricate our MBR toilet mirror ledge because some months back we saw one from IKEA which costs only $49 (fabricating one costs like $300+). After months of shopping around that was seriously the ONLY one mirror which caught our attention and made us wonder if we should not do carpentry instead. I always have in mind what I really want so end up harder to buy things. My mum say I'm too fussy lol.

This is the one I'm referring to - but we were told that it is DISCONTINUED!!! We were so sad then, we thought it was merely out of stock.  I showed the fiance another mirror cabinet from IKEA but he outright said it's ugly lol. He was doubtful when I said 'try to find another one' and persuaded me to get J to fabricate instead. Oh wells... haven't thought of what to do yet.

RENOVATION UPDATE - 25 JUNE 2017

We met with our electrician who seemed like a really nice guy. He told us that it is right to use higher wattage lights if we're getting from taobao and he also said that our tracks usable as when the track lights are secured in the tracks, it's not wobbly! ^^v

Our entrance is now tiled too.

We asked E before if we could have tiles, and we also asked if he can handle the uneven cement screeding at the entrance slope. He initially said yes but when we reminded him to tile the entrance he said we should lay vinyl instead.  But after reminding him he promptly got tiler to do up the entrance. We conveniently used out bathroom wall tiles haha.

BUT. Today we noticed a problem.

Vinyl popped up. I think it's due to the cement screed lah. Going to send this to Evorich and see how.

Previously I also sent them a picture of the metal trimming instead of the ugly plastic capping that they used. But was told that need extra charge if I want to change it. But in the first place they didn't even give me a choice!  It was until I googled that I realised the metal trimming was much nicer (not protruding). HMPFFFF.

Overall, I think I won't recommend Evorich. Kind of regretted not going for LURF (I saw their capping, it was not protruding and it looks almost similar to the flooring (has wood grains). And most importantly, Evorich only has 12 different types to choose from, and seriously, I only like ONE of the 12. I didn't even have to really carefully choose.

[izong 4]

i guess that's with TB, even if you only get 3 right out of 5, you still save  

[dorae178 0]

Hi,

can share the contact details of ur Contractors 5-7 please? 

5. Contractor - J & E from C*** X**** (THE CHOSEN ONE)

6. Contractor - E from DX I*******

7. ID - MH of L**** P****** S*******

[fifteenmay 40]

The boomjoy mop is best investment ever! 

The bath mat is interesting! Can i have e link pls? 

[dietgalvon 14]

8 hours ago, izong said:

i guess that's with TB, even if you only get 3 right out of 5, you still save  

@izong Yes! So far no complaints, majority are pretty good buys!

8 hours ago, dorae178 said:

Hi,

can share the contact details of ur Contractors 5-7 please? 

5. Contractor - J & E from C*** X**** (THE CHOSEN ONE)

6. Contractor - E from DX I*******

7. ID - MH of L**** P****** S*******

@dorae178 PM-ed.

4 hours ago, fifteenmay said:

The boomjoy mop is best investment ever! 

The bath mat is interesting! Can i have e link pls? 

@fifteenmay Here's the link to the bath mat https://ezbuy.sg/product/20000004448579.html  

[dietgalvon 14]

Hello! Been rather stressful the past couple of days with the thought of the impending wedding (but nothing is done!) and some issues that cropped out regarding our home. :'( But things have moved SO much!

ISSUES

1. Vinyl flooring

Mentioned in the post above that the vinyl at the entrance 'popped'. Well, Evorich came down to rectify it so it's all well now. Also, had a not so pleasant conversation with the flooring liaison regarding the change to metal trimming instead of the plastic capping that was used. In the end, he agreed to do it for us in about 2 weeks' time. Hope nothing goes wrong again! By the way, the metal trimming should look like that.

*Image is not mine; credits to owner.*

Huge difference, isn't it!

2. Elmark Ceiling Fan (for the living room)

It had been a tough journey for this compared to our vento fino 2 fan. Long story short, after a lot of whatsapp and whatsapp calls, we have decided that we need to go in to JB for the THIRD TIME for this fan. JB store will help us to change the fan body to silver but we are to bear the transport cost (from KL to JB). This is the best alternative already because the other fan we are considering does not have stocks till Aug/Sep.

AND we have to get a ceiling mount bracket set from Elmark Singapore for this fan. It's ain't so bad except that it's located at Ubi (I stay in the west). Grrrrr... I am beginning to hate myself for being so insistent that the fan must fit our theme. Wouldn't have so many problems if I just got a pure white fan. -__-

3. IKEA Molger Mirror

We managed to get our hands on this after all, thanks to social media!! We were informed that IKEA Tampines has stocks for this, and the fiance went to get it at the first instant. One issue down!

 

RENOVATION UPDATE - 1 JULY 2017

Almost everything is up - except for the lights at the passage way. Shower screen in MBR toilet also up, but did not take any photo of that. Pictures below!

Part of the MBR wardrobe. Can't remember if I have mentioned that J had suggested 3 drawers here but I had wanted to change it to 2 only (one for me and one for fiance mah). But then I realised that it would be a waste of space because fiance clothes are not so long. We were prepared to just add a shelving if another drawer cannot be added. E did not reply us but he did it for us anyway.

Side note: Anything that E does not reply us on - usually it will be done when we next visit our home. Lol.

Kitchen kompacplus top is up. We chose 10.11 Kansas Maple and we love it! Glad E asked us one last time before he ordered because we initially picked 10.20 after seeing the 3D drawings.

We had E fabricate a shelving which is of the same depth and length as our IKEA wall shelf which we will put below it. The laminate is the same as the one we used throughout the home, and it matches really well (very similar) to 10.11. Luckily we changed it to 10.11!

No surprise here - MBR toilet vanity top is also kompacplus in 10.11. Matches my IKEA mirror!

Yes as you can probably tell from the photo of the kitchen earlier, lights are uppppp! I love all my lights I think I'll do a separate post on that (lol). Thankfully all the agar-ration for the wattage are good and I spent less than $500 in total!!

Service yard windows which we outsourced. The quote for windows were quote standard at $600 plus by contractors/IDs but I chanced upon a blog recommending a contractor that does windows and grilles for a 4room BTO at $850 only. I gathered that the cost for windows shouldn't be that high! I would think that it's not too troublesome to outsource windows - all it takes is 1 visit to take measurements (5mins) and 1 visit (30mins) to install. Somemore, it's all based on HDB regulations, so no need to choose anything also lol. Please get the windows done before second coat of painting.

 

CHOOSING OF PD DOOR (MBR toilet door)

All I knew was the mechanism of the PD door; I didn't know that it can be customised! But doesn't really matter to us because we choose a really simple door.

This design, in white frame, frosted glass panels.

TAOBAO PURCHASES (Last batch for the renovation works)

Won't be requiring any more items for the renovation so I will be slowly consolidating my orders before I ship the rest of the items over.

MBR Toilet - Face Towel Bar

Got it from another seller after my previous one arrived rusty and unusable. I just had to get this design.

Common Toilet - Corner Shelf

The white layer is a protective layer; it's actually stainless steel colour. This arrived with a lot of scratches at the back! But quality feels alright.

Common Toilet - Towel Bar

This is one of the rare stainless steel items which arrived without a single scratch. Quality comparable to those you see in Singapore (brandless). This costs about $8, super good buy!

Miscellaneous

Shoe bench for the fiance to wear his shoes

$3 bin! Okay size for rooms but too small for kitchen.

Towel rack for the kitchen; not sure if I will use this but this costs less than $2. Hahaha.

That's all! Will share on lights and possibly our electrical plan next.  

[JennyTan 0]

How much you bought the taobao vanity set? Can share the link?