My Journey. My Life: My humble Abode

Time to catch up on my backlog...

I meant to share my reno experience but work took too much of my time so I missed the chance.

It was nice experience doing renovation in Hk. Lucky to get a really good responsible contractor! if I had more time and if this is a perm place, it would be done differently but for a temp holding, it's more or less close enough to suit us.

Designing Kitchen and bathroom took up most our time since these are actually 2 places we used the most. Since I couldnt have my way with my arrangement of the sink and stove due to the hassle, I make the best of what I have to transform the old place into my functional space. I didnt have much room to work with but at least it has all the shelves in the right side and size for my use.

Bathroom took a bit of time to convey the design I have in mind to the contractor. I had to draw it out several times to get the idea across and leave the technicalities to him. The final product has a few minor glitch but nothing that major and still looks almost how I would want it. Every renovation is like a practical lesson. Rather exciting I might add.

Designing the dining room was kinda a headache with my husband. He couldnt decide what he wants and it drives me nuts. Eventually we compromise on this after some discussion and some specific needs of drawers and shelves. One thing I discovered, even without Autocad software, MS powerpoint was a big help for me to draw the concept for my contractor. Because we knew exactly the height and width, it helped to jot down the estimate so that the contractor can refine it later. I think he was kinda surprised at the level of details I went into the the specific centimeter. I am anal and detail oriented...what can i say? It is just pure satisfying to see something coming to life from paper to 3-D.

Because I hate the cheap wooden floors, so I replace the floors with wooden-like tiles. Frankly I love it. It doesnt scratch easily, it's easy to maintain and dries so quickly after mopping. It's a breeze to maintain! As I didnt want to spend a load of money on marble fo this place, I opted for tiles. My partner couldnt visualise it and so he was skeptical initially but he came round and grew to like my choice after it was all done up. We ended up with trusted Electrolux for all the kitchen appliances saved the Panasonic fridge and Miele dishwasher. Not regretting a moment, esp when they are cheaper than Siemens! The Miele dishwasher is soooooo damn quiet that sometimes I wont even noticed it is in operation! Almost everything in this house is energy efficient from airconditioner to fridge and bulbs. I like to think I am playing a tiny small part in my role in helping mother earth....A note, I am plesantly surprised at how good the Panasonic airon is considering it is energy saving ranked. The quietness was a simple bliss.

Light and Curtain Hunting took a couple of weeks since we couldnt find the simple contemporary design we wanted. Eventually we found something closest to what we wanted at New Bedford at Queens Road East near Wanchai Hopewell center for curtains.

Since there wont be open house, here's some teaser shots from to "welcome" you to my humble abode. But before that, let me show you the place BEFORE the renovation...just for the fun of comparison....

Kitchen (before)

Guest room (before)

Guest Bathroom (before)

Dining Room (Before)

Since I couldnt stand the crappy bright yellow cabinet and bright orange bath, and I have no use for the children's room. So it's Bye bye to everything...

Below are some shots of the place after completion. It isnt the final look but you get the picture...:) Will u rent the place after I leave HK? LOL !!