Uninvited Stress, Chaos and Change Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Monday, October 06, 2008

Last week ended with a note that Chiauw would bring us to the site this morning.  The objective was to decide for the placement of the towel hanger and toilet paper holder.  Chiauw just wanted us to decide where we would want to hang them in the two toilets.

We felt it would be a good idea to go down with Chiauw.  That we would be able, at the same time, to discuss some other issues and any other problems, if any.  In question, we also wanted to get a firm handover date.  When we first engaged Chiauw, early this year, she told us that renovation would normally finish within two months.  She was confident that we could move in early September.

Our renovation has stretched far too long.  It is into the fourth month.  An average renovation for a resale HDB would normally take about (maximum) three months.  Since we could not move in early September, we have actually re-scheduled it for today.  Obviously, we underestimated.

Chiauw told us, last week, that she will pick us at about 9 in the morning.  We waited.  By about 10, we decided to call her.  It was bad timing.  She was in the middle of a heated argument with Uncle Chong.  It seemed that Uncle Chong was angry that she changed some details for our kitchen.

Honestly, we felt that the tension was uncalled for.  We had already mentioned to Chiauw not to change any more drawings.  A change would, definitely, delay any progress.  We would accept technical variations as long as there are no large disparity.  We just wanted things to move on.

The arguments, which yet to come to any conclusion, were about our kitchen:

Problem Areas in Kitchen

Perfection Number One

Island Hood Area

Chiauw insists to rectify this area.  Though there is an ample space for a door between the cabinet and the island hood in the drawing, Uncle Chong mentions that it would not be possible.  We have agreed just to close the cabinet, or even boxed it up.

Chiauw feels it will be a wasted area.  But to us, it is just too small for anything and willing to forgo it.  She feels the aesthetic would not be right not to do anything there.  She suggests a rod where we can hang ladle, pots and pans but we strongly disagree.

Perfection Number Two

Kitchen Entrance (From Dining Room)

The right wall, from Dining to Kitchen area, is not even where there is a difference of 30 centimetres between the top and bottom.  Uncle Chong had mentioned this structural defect to us last week and the discrepancy can be obvious for a sliding wood framed glass door.

As this defect is only known now, we decided to go ahead with it.  To change to a full glass will require another system and it will take more time.  Chiauw, however, feels that Uncle Chong can do something about it.

Guess, for now, we just have to pray - as we are still not sure how they are going to be corrected.  As far as we are concerned, we have already told them what we wanted.

May Peace Be With Them!

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Renovation - Week 05B Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Monday, August 11, 2008

The only place that seems to progress rather well is the kitchen.  The black floor tiles have been laid, the plinths for the kitchen cabinets are done and the wall section where tiles are supposed to be erected is completed too.

Here in the kitchen, we are not going to tile the whole kitchen wall.  The walls will be painted instead.  We prefer it that way.  Though we received feedbacks that the walls should be tiled, we feel it will have an unconventional modern look without them.  Granted that cleaning, and especially after cooking, is easier with tiles.

For that reason, we designed the cooking area to face the window and to have an island hood to suck in all the oily stuffs when cooking.  We don't have much worries as we don't cook regularly nor do we do heavy cooking.

2D Layout of Kitchen:

Kitchen Layout: [A] - Kitchen Window

The Completed Works:

Plinth for Kitchen Hob and Island Hood

Plinth for Kitchen Cabinet

Can't see much of the black tiles on the floor as it has been protected.  Guess, it will remain this way till the kitchen cabinet is fully installed.

The purpose of the white tiles [near window] is supposedly to separate the kitchen area and our 'mini service yard'.

Plinth for Washing Machine and Dryer

Plinth for Washing Machine & Dryer

We are going to house the washing machine and dryer inside a cabinet.  Guess, washing and drying will only be done at night when we are sleeping.  This is so as we need to open the door to ventilate the heat during washing and drying.

Plinth on the Right Side

Plinth for Right Side Low Cabinet

When we went down to the site, we found out that tiler had done a mistake.  This wall [marked X] is to be painted and he had accidentally extended the white tiles from the Guest Toilet's entrance.  He has to correct by cutting off the edges of the tiles to flush with the walls.

Side Wall at Kitchen Right 1A

Side Wall at Kitchen To Be Corrected

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The Kitchen Cabinet Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Friday, July 25, 2008

This is another headache.  On and off, we have been discussing about the style for our kitchen cabinet and it always ends inconclusively.  Thank goodness that we have earlier agreed on the general deployment of colour scheme [black and white] and the modelling shaped counter space work areas. 

We also have decided on the kitchen sink and tap, kitchen hood and the island hob and the overall general placement of other kitchen stuffs.

The Kitchen layout:

Kitchen Layout

Chiauw brought us back to Formwell at Sungei Kadut, hopefully, to finalise on the type of drawer finishes and handles.  She also wanted us to re-look into using 'Hanex' for our kitchen top rather than using the granite top.  The good thing about 'Hanex' is the workmanship that Formwell can manufacture.  It will curve the material in one straight line for kitchen top and back splash.  This will make cleaning easier and there will be no obvious joint lines should we opt for granite.

The smooth curve:

Formwell Smooth Curved Kitchen Top n Back Splash

Hanex black kitchen top:

Black Hanex Kitchen Top

We would probably use the black 'Hanex' for the main kitchen top and its back splash.  To give it a contrast, all the drawers and cupboard doors will be glass on white wood.  This will give the shine and a sense of space in the kitchen.

For us to cut some costs, we will not be using the full blum kitchen system.  Uncle Chong, our joiner, will construct the wood works and incorporate Blum mechanical parts.  The advantage of using Blum mechanical parts is that it prevents slamming and also ensuring that drawers and cupboard doors are shut tightly.  Blum runners are also resilient and it is useful for big and wide drawers.

Blum Drawers:

Blum Drawers

Blum Technology:

Blum Aventosen

Blum Tandemboxen

Blum Cliptopen

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Designer Wannabe 2 Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Sunday, April 20, 2008

And as usual, after the discussion with Chiauw, I would be back to my computer and trying to develop the 3D image.
Based on the last discussion, the 3D will look something like this:
Kitchen

3D Kitchen From Living Room

I am trying to see if grey cabinets will match with the black flooring.  The black tiles that we will source, at a much later time, will be solid black.  Chiauw likes to go for shiny black but she is worried that it would be slippery for us.
The washer-dryer washing machine will be placed inside a cabinet, next to the fridge, with a door.  When the door is closed, people will not know that it is inside there.
We have not decided what colour to go here other than the black floor.  We also would want the cabinet colour not going far difference from the misty silver colour of the fridge - which we will bring from Hertford.

Living Room:

Living Room from Entrance

Nothing major will be done here.  We are keeping the white ceramic tiles from the seller, which still look good.  The only thing would be the 'floating' tv console.
As for the balcony, where it will be the only 'Allowed Smoking Area' section of the house, it will have an outdoor feel.  We might want to put dark brown planks, daybed, little fountain and big plant there.

Walk-in Wardrobe n Study Area:

Walk in Wardrobe

This is the the double back to back WiW and study area.  This is not the colour we going to use - too lazy to edit the Home Design software.

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