So we collected keys about a month ago…and since then our IDers have seen the place…tweaked the design…and we have been “interviewing” contractors. The quotes have varied quite a bit, so the process has taken quite a while. Disclaimer here: I have told the IDers that i am not at all in a rush to move into the new place, and that I would like to sort out the design (especially the kitchen) and the look of the home as much as possible so that the quotes would be accurate and I will not be in for a surprise. On top of that…initially we asked only two contractors to quote…since then the number has gone up to five different contractors. From there, we have narrowed it down to two contractors…and I think we are almost there.
So before we start banging down walls etc…here are some pictures of what the house currently looks like and what it will look like from 3D drawings
The Entrance
To make the kitchen bigger, and to have it open concept…we are banging down heaps of walls….essentially it will be one wide open space. That way, it makes the space look bigger…allows more light…and I get a island!! Our poor designers had to work around certain things which I bet would have made it tough for them. Eg: There will be a huge fridge…I want to feature these campbells lights…and I will have a separate oven and microwave..no convection for me. Oh! And a huge 30 inch sink. Oh! And I need a yard created! Not the easiest customers. heh!
If you look at the picture below of the kitchen, you will see why i am being demanding. To top it off…i didn’t like the idea of the toilet downstairs being right at the end, and there was NO WINDOW in there!! Why would HDB build a toilet with no window?? What about ventilation? So we needed to think of a way to add ventilation AND our preference was to change the entrance of the toilet.
The Kitchen & Pantry
This area will be walled up to create a walk in pantry that will be part of the kitchen!! yippee!
So our IDers solved the problem by extending our kitchen out to the staircase corridor a bit so that gave me extra storage…and it also allowed them to create a yard. The oven was meant to be next to the fridge, which you can see from the 3D picture of the yard, and since then, we have moved it to the area next to the walk in pantry.
Toilet Downstairs
We plan to wall up the current toilet entrance and move it to the living room, that way guests won’t need to cut through the kitchen to use the restroom. To solve the lack of ventilation problem….our IDers came up with the brilliant idea of these hollow bricks..love it!! Actually, I love everything about the powder room. We have decided to forgo having a shower downstairs. Well, there’s no bedroom downstairs…why do we need the shower? Also it helps reduce cost . To further reduce cost…the light you see in the 3D drawing…i found on taobao!! Woohoo!
The Dining Area
The dining will be kept very simple….initially we were thinking of doing a built in bench so that we will have extra storage…but due to cost…that has to go. Our kind IDers have added the scanteak dining set we have purchased and our taobao dining lights. So it is pretty much gonna look just like that. Except for that little cabinet….have not found a suitable one. Hopefully the retro looking fan in this picture is still available at Tangs. Fingers crossed.
We are also removing the original staircase cos it looks like a swimming pool railing! Heh….but due to cost…we can’t afford glass…so it is just gonna be a simple iron one. Thankfully, the iron railing blends quite well!!
Living Room & Balcony
Gonna move the entrance of the powder room to the living area…this gives a clearer picture of where…and gonna make the living and dining one level space…but use wood tiles for the balcony area. Was hoping to build a planter box by the window followed by a seated bench with storage below. But due to budget…looks like the planter box will have to go…and i will just have a simple storage bench which guests can sit on.
Upstairs
This is very exciting. Another thing I really wanted…to bang a hole in the study room, so that it allows light and air to flow more freely through the house. Also requested for the french doors…to give it a different feel. The curved bedroom doors were a real eye sore to me..But our creative IDers came up with a brilliant idea of just painting it black and white…and it totally works!!
Master Toilet
The master toilet will also be re-done…so will the common toilet upstairs. Essentially we are hacking everything and re-doing it. The 3D pic here is of the mater bathroom. Initially it was gonna be blue mosaic…but due to cost…we had to think of an alternative. Seen some really pretty peranakan tiles…and thought…why not!! Adds some personality to the place. It won’t be black and white pernakan tiles…but a mixture of different peranakan designs to give it a pop of colour.
So…looks like after a month and a bit…we have finally agreed on design with the budget i have. Hopefully we can sign the contractor soon and get started!!