Country-style HDB Maisonette

[purplegirafffe 0]

Lights and fans

Although I do quite a bit of online shopping, I've never plucked up the courage to delve into the Taobao world cos it is just so daunting. But after reading lots of reno blogs and hearing friends and colleagues share about their experiences, I finally hopped on the bandwagon, downloaded the ezbuy app and now I cannot stop browsing:D Decided on ezbuy cos it seems relatively fussfree, and prime seems very worth it esp for shipping bulky items.

So far have bought a couple of lights, and a few samples of handles for kitchen cabinets (knobs, bar pulls and bin pulls). Still need to find a suitable light for the staircase area, maybe some wall sconces for the bathrooms. Spotted some coffee tables and dining chairs that I really like too:D

Bought 2 of these for the yard area ($8.67!?)


Got the 6-bulb version, to go above dining table ($170). Apparently the bulbs are adjustable with 3 different settings to switch between warm/cool lighting. 

Separately, also hunted down my dream rose gold/copper pendant lights on carousell a few months back (3 for $120). Been searching since I saw these inspiration pics. Wasn't sure if it would go with the mint walls which we plan to have in the kitchen, but I was sold after seeing the 2nd pic

Lastly, anyone have experience using the vento fino 2? Thinking of getting it for the kitchen and read a couple of reviews that seem to agree that it's pretty powerful (and so chio too!). 

Edited August 14, 2017 by purplegirafffe

[EMtamp 1]

The living room vinyl. 

[EMtamp 1]

From the kitchen view.

[purplegirafffe 0]

Carpentry

Now that the major part of wetworks are done, we're finally starting to move on to the carpentry segment, and this brings us one step closer to our dream country home (: While watching the walls go down and the tiles come up has been pretty exciting, carpentry is really where the heart of our home lies, and where this whole reno journey really began as well (yep in CC's cosy shop in tanjong katong shopping centre on a rainy december night many moons ago...:D). It's probably an understatement to say that our built-in carpentry work is quite substantial...I think we've basically taken bits and bobs of everything CC has ever built and dumped it into our home, with ideas culled from CC's fb portfolio/F's brain/inspiration pics from. Hopefully it comes out looking less like a chapalang flat and more like a rustic farmhouse in the countryside:D

Met up with F last week to hammer out the details of the kitchen, almost right down to the last detail (which cabinets have drawers hiding behind the door, where my spatulas/whisks/measuring spoons will go, how wide I want my cutlery drawers to be etcetc). And here's what F has come up with:
Full view of the kitchen from the entrance. "Dry" area on the right (which is also the front portion of the house"), "wet" on the left. Cabinets in cooking area will house mainly pots and pans, as well as utensils and condiments in each of the slim tower units right next to the stove. The tall cabinets on the left contain more storage, but they actually hide the toilet door as well. And next to the fridge is the walk-in pantry, internal shelving will be roughly smth like this:

Baking area at the front portion, complete with tall unit, lotsa counter space and storage for baking tins/pans/appliances. The corner (diagonal) unit mainly houses some piping, while the top part of the tall unit houses the db box. 

"Wet" area of the kitchen (this is the wall opposite the toilet), with big fridge, big apron sink, drying racks above and washing machine. The cabinets above the fridge are so deep and not very accessible, I joked that we can keep luggage there and F said he actually has customers who have done exactly that:D

And finally, the island! Containing a smaller sink, seating space for 5 (where the recessed area is) and more storage space. Had wanted to have some sort of shelving/open drawers to maximise the space in front of the sink. After tweaking the design a bit and working off some inspiration pics I'd seen, here's what S eventually came up with in his sketchup:

Yes this is precisely what I'd had in mind! Super love the pull-out wicker baskets which will be mounted on drawer rails, perfect for linens and such. 

Sample from F of how the cabinet doors will be like - shaker style with V-grooves (although I think the grooves will be wider apart). Love the grain!

Touched a bit on design of the MBR platform bed as well, here's a rough sketch F came up with on the spot. Platform will house lotsa internal storage, with the headboard and bedside tables built in as well. Randomly sketched-in herringbone design looks pretty good:D Next step: shop for mattress so we'll be able to nail down the exact dimensions of the bed. 

Finally, discussed a bit on the bathroom vanities as well, which thankfully is lots more straightforward design-wise compared to the kitchen. MBR bath will have walnut brown cabinetry complete with shaker style doors as well, and I can't stop admiring the gorgeous grains on this sample. It's another headache selecting the countertop to go with it though...inclined towards something white with a subtle marble look, the caesarstone on bottom left would be my first choice BUT it is 3x the price of the bottom right iQuartz!?? Will probably settle for something less exorbitant. 

On a somewhat-related note, I find it quite hard to understand why country-style has fallen so totally out of vogue in Singapore. Maybe it's cos it's seen by most as dated/old-fashioned? I dunno, to me it's a timeless look and also the style that most evokes warm feelings of family and home and gathering around the kitchen table to break bread together. In a couple of decades we'd probably be hard-pressed to find someone who'd be able to build such a home for us though - according to F, apart from the low demand in general (but surely there'd always be the rare few oldies-at-heart like us?), the bigger problem is the lack of labour/skill. Once the "uncles" who work for CC retire, there'll be no new generation of master carpenters who have enoughbskill and experience to handle the more intricate carpentry and handcraft the corbels and cornices. Well I'm glad CC is still around for the near future at least, and perhaps one day we'll see a resurgence of country-style homes...?

 

[purplegirafffe 0]

Appliances

Spent a large part of yesterday at Harvey Norman @ Millenia Walk shopping for appliances, as they carry the brand of oven I had been eyeing (De Dietrich; more on that later). The outlet at Millenia Walk is H-U-G-E. 3 floors of not just appliances and electronics but also furniture, mattresses etc. Found out also their current promotion: $2000 spent entitles you to $200 cashcard (which can be used immediately to offset other purchases). Woohoo! 

Although we went there with the intention just to get an oven, we got sidetracked first by the washing machines - spotted the Miele ones on display which, after much research, S had previously said we should get. Since it's something we're gonna be using on a regular basis, it's worth it to invest in something that will last. After we were introduced to the latest features in one of the newer models we were totally sold:p Plus they are having some anniversary promotion which gives 1 year's supply of their proprietary liquid detergent (which apparently can actually last for 2-3yrs)! 

Next, we got sidetracked by the fridges...based on what we wanted (side-by-side for me, water dispenser for S, no need food showcase) and after window shopping at a few other appliance shops, we'd pretty much narrowed it down to 2 choices actually, either a Samsung or LG. In the end, decided on the Samsung which is more convenient. Also found out there's additional $100 rebate! 

Finally, on to the main event: oven! All my life, I've been doing my baking in a tiny, super no-frills oven so a part of me thought, aiya brand and snazzy functions really don't matter, I'll be happy already with a bigger oven. But after some recommendations from friends and research on the web, the other part of me (that eventually won out...) started thinking, it's a long term investment and I'm gonna be using it on a regular basis, should get something better quality that will last! Soo, had in mine a De Dietrich catalytic self cleaning oven (figured no point paying the premium for pyrolytic as I'd probably end up not bothering to use it). While the more popular brands out there are Bosch and Brandt, De Dietrich (which is actually the sister brand of Brandt; Bosch also has a sister brand, Gaggenau) is supposedly better quality in general, more even and precise heating etc. 

Out of curiosity, I wandered over to look at the Miele ovens...and fell hopelessly in love. If De Dietrich is the BMW of oven land, I guess Miele would be the Porsche or Rolls Royce haha. But oh man, just based on looks alone, I was already half-sold. It just looks so much sleeker. Of course the pros don't end there...found out that De Dietrich's catalytic panels are only along the 2 sides, whereas Miele's covers the back and top as well (and top is really the hardest to clean cos of all the heating coils up there). Volume-wise, it's 76l vs 60l. Doors, 4x vs 3x glass panels (as safe as it gets for curious tiny hands). And just overall in terms of quality, functionality, reliability etc, nothing can really compare with Miele. Is it worth paying the premium for? I hope I'll be able to say in 20 years' time, YES!!

Edited August 27, 2017 by purplegirafffe

[matchalatte 16]

hi! i love european brands when it comes to appliances too. i would have loved a miele, de dietrich or gaggenau but it seems like the aftersales service for these brands are really bad, or that the parts are too expensive. same goes for electrolux so i went back to the shop again to change to a bosch after reading about how bad their service was. hopefully the bosch one wouldn't be as bad.

Edited August 27, 2017 by matchalatte

[purplegirafffe 0]

Hi @matchalatte! Yea I saw some blog/forum posts about poor aftersales service for Miele and I got a bit worried too...but I guess the whole point of paying a premium for these brands is cos it's supposed to be more reliable and v unlikely that it will spoil. So just praying hard that nothing goes wrong and it'll be worth the $$$ hehe. Hope your Bosch works out well too!

Although I'm so indecisive so I'm actually still wondering whether I'll regret paying so much and whether a cheaper brand would be sufficient for my purposes... Thankfully still have some time to decide, think it's still possible to change as long as we haven't received delivery of the products yet:D

[Seenobody 0]

That is one detailed and constant updating of renovation, can't wait to see your end result!

[loobeedoobeeroo 0]

Hi purplegiraffe.

I'm looking forward to see the finished product of your reno!

On 8/28/2017 at 2:20 PM, purplegirafffe said:

Hi @matchalatte! Yea I saw some blog/forum posts about poor aftersales service for Miele and I got a bit worried too...but I guess the whole point of paying a premium for these brands is cos it's supposed to be more reliable and v unlikely that it will spoil. So just praying hard that nothing goes wrong and it'll be worth the $$$ hehe. Hope your Bosch works out well too!

Although I'm so indecisive so I'm actually still wondering whether I'll regret paying so much and whether a cheaper brand would be sufficient for my purposes... Thankfully still have some time to decide, think it's still possible to change as long as we haven't received delivery of the products yet:D

Not trying to dissuade you but just wanted to share my recent experience with Miele.

My Miele washing machine died 3 months ago after just 4 years.  For something that we paid close to $4K for, we'd expected a little longer life expectancy out of the washer.  However what really turned us off was the fact that the earliest we could get an appointment with their technician to come down to check, not repair, was 2 weeks later.  After that we'd still need to wait maybe another week for the parts, which we were told could cost up to $700.  On top of that we'd still have to pay for the labour of the technician.  I'm not sure about you but we couldn't live without a washer for 3 weeks, even though there's a laundromat 2 blocks away from our place so we went to Harvery Norman and bought a new one.

Maybe it is just the luck of the draw or maybe we didn't use it with enough care (with 2 toddlers, sometimes you find things in the wash that shouldn't be in there) but after this experience, we just felt that we had paid an inflated price for some marketing spiel.

At the end of the day though, as long as you are happy with what you bought, that is all that matters.

 

 

[purplegirafffe 0]

@Seenobody hehe sometimes I think I ramble too much:D I can't wait to see it too!

@loobeedoobeeroo thanks for sharing your experience, sounds v jialat indeed. We did consider a lot on whether to purchase the additional 3yrs warranty in anticipation of such stuff happening, but in the end on balance my fiancé felt that it's not necessary. So yup just praying hard that it'll hold out for at least the next 5-10yrs, and hopefully the additional functions will be worth it...

[purplegirafffe 0]

Of wires, pipes and lots of trunking

Past couple of weeks have been on the less pretty but very essential side of things...:D

 

Aircon works are mostly done - such a headache it was finding the best way to route each fancoil to the compressors, with minimal concealing of the trunking needed. But yep managed to find a sweet spot for each in the end. On aircon guy's advice + some research I did online, we're going with Mitsubishi electric 2 ticks, 2 x system 3:

Mudroom/entrance: 13k btu

Living/dining: 18k btu

Kitchen: 18k btu

MBR: 13k btu

Kids bedroom: 10k btu

Study: 10k btu 

 Piping for all the aircon done along with installation of all the downstairs fancoils. Left the installation of upstairs fancoils + compressors which will be done at a later stage.

 

Electrical wiring works are done too, the kitchen currently looks like some hanging gardens:D Again, same goal of having minimal casing visible, which is achieved through rafters + wireless switches. It was tough pinning down the exact location of every single light, fan and socket, but thanks to our ever-patient contractor J, carpenter F and electrician, we managed to do it in 1 afternoon + 1 morning hehe. It's so stressful knowing that every single decision has a rather permanent effect - so it's all about anticipating needs (will I have 4 appliances on this counter? Will I ever need electricity at the sink?), pairing design with function (I think S spent a good many nights figuring out the exact dimension and placement of each and every rafter, tying it to the position of each and every light) and coming up with creative solutions. I'm most excited about seeing my glass kitchen cabinets light up^^

Pinning down the EXACT location for powder room wall sconces so the wiring can be hidden in the walk-in pantry on the other side:D

 

Gas pipes are in too. Had our first more "major" issue when we realised J probably didn't realise what a range cooker was. The gas pipe had been routed such that it would only work with a built-in hob (where the pipe can be routed somewhere in the cabinet below), but definitely not a freestanding range (where the pipe has to connect at a specific position). Anyway, thankfully he managed to get it shifted to the correct position.

 

Finally, bathroom pipes. Fat unsightly pipes in all the bathrooms have been boxed up, very pleased with the result!

Powder room (ie kitchen toilet): L was pre-reno, R after box-up cum slight false ceiling to fully conceal the pipe.

Below: another view, L post-hacking and R post box-up and tiling. 

 

MBR bath: we changed the windows to smaller ones to accommodate the box-up. Love how the box-up is used to conceal not only the pipe but also the rain shower piping, as well as the built-in niche for all our shampoos and stuff. 

Kids bathroom: This was our oversight, forget about the pipe there until after the tiling was done. Thankfully not too late, there were sufficient tiles anyway and now the pipe is nicely hidden.

 

Other partition/false ceiling works done includes false ceiling in MBR (the one room in the whole house that will have the modern and fashionable cove lighting lol).

 

Lastly, first round of cleaning has been done, and painting will start next week. Love how clean everything looks now, and finally I get a full view of the completed kitchen flooring!

Edited September 2, 2017 by purplegirafffe

[fingerscross 3]

Washing machine is the hardest working aplliance in the house. Definitely worth getting the extended warranty. I bot Courts extended warrany for my current Samsung washer / dryer, chun chun after manufacturer's warranty was over the dryer died on me. After fixing that, 6 mths later it started to become really noisy. They fixed that too and after another 8 mths the drum spoiled....and they fixed that too. Was really glad i paid that 200 odd dollars back then for the extended warranty.

Was advised for Harvey Norman extended warranty they will do only 2 times repair during the extended warranty period, if it still gives prob they will do 1 to 1 exchange. Kepping fingers cross my new washer will spoil 3 times during extended warranty period.....haha

On the other hand, i have nvr had a fridge die on me. They always outlast my renos.

[fingerscross 3]

On 31/08/2017 at 10:48 AM, purplegirafffe said:

@Seenobody hehe sometimes I think I ramble too much:D I can't wait to see it too!

@loobeedoobeeroo thanks for sharing your experience, sounds v jialat indeed. We did consider a lot on whether to purchase the additional 3yrs warranty in anticipation of such stuff happening, but in the end on balance my fiancé felt that it's not necessary. So yup just praying hard that it'll hold out for at least the next 5-10yrs, and hopefully the additional functions will be worth it...

Sorry, i meant to quote this post

[purplegirafffe 0]

On 03/09/2017 at 1:58 PM, fingerscross said:

Washing machine is the hardest working aplliance in the house. Definitely worth getting the extended warranty. I bot Courts extended warrany for my current Samsung washer / dryer, chun chun after manufacturer's warranty was over the dryer died on me. After fixing that, 6 mths later it started to become really noisy. They fixed that too and after another 8 mths the drum spoiled....and they fixed that too. Was really glad i paid that 200 odd dollars back then for the extended warranty.

Was advised for Harvey Norman extended warranty they will do only 2 times repair during the extended warranty period, if it still gives prob they will do 1 to 1 exchange. Kepping fingers cross my new washer will spoil 3 times during extended warranty period.....haha

On the other hand, i have nvr had a fridge die on me. They always outlast my renos.

Thanks for the advice! Hehe yep 3rd time's the charm, shiok if at the end you end up with a brand new washer. Will discuss with the fiancé again and see how...if I'm not wrong the extended warranty for Miele is ~$600.

[purplegirafffe 0]

Painting

Painters have been hard at work this past week, and finally we're seeing splashes of colours everywhere rather than bare concrete^^

Our paint selection~ Quote initially included 6 colours from Nippon, but in the end our contractor J let us select from both Nippon and Dulux, and I think he closed 1 eye for the additional colour haha. Terribly stressful selecting the colours, very thankful that the end result is pretty much what we imagined in our head (acc to J - "will be 98% close to what you see" lol)!

This was probably the colour I stressed about the most, selecting the exact shade of mint that would be subtle and not too in-your-face, yet dark enough so that it doesn't just fade away into the white tiles. In fact I almost chickened out MANY times, wondering whether I should just stick to plain ole white, or at most choose a more neutral beige/cream shade. Glad to say that my mint kitchen is exactly how I dreamed it would be:D Even more excited now to see it filled up with all the carpentry + appliances. 

Living room in that perfect shade of grey. We actually flipped through both Dulux and Nippon catalogues and couldn't quite find the right shade (even though there were like 50 lol), that's when J recommended this shade which is from the 2016 Nippon catalogue. The pics make it look kinda dark, but irl it's a lovely light grey shade. 

Powder room - this was the colour I was most hesitant about when fiancé S showed me pics of what he had in mind, I guess I'm very much a pastel kind of girl (as you can prob tell from the rest of the selections heh). Very very satisfied with how it turned out though, the deep rich navy shade works wonderfully with the glossy white tiles within the small space. As an aside, also v pleased with how the tilers managed the corners for the tile trim.

Yard - nice light neutral colour, brick portion on top will also be painted the same colour.

MBR - pleasantly surprised when S agreed to a lilac shade hehehe. I like how it's subtly purple with hints of grey, not too girly and nice and soothing. 

MBR bath - went for a cream shade, to complement the tiles and walnut brown vanity which we'll be having.

Kids room! Gender-neutral and sunny shade of yellow hehe so hopefully no one complains in the future.

Supplies in place for the week ahead - parquet for the stairs, vinyl for rooms upstairs. Vinyl downstairs is all done, here's a glimpse! 

Edited September 10, 2017 by purplegirafffe