So you've finally bought the house, got the keys, and are now looking at furnishing it.
Why consider that before/while considering renovation?
So that you realise what is out there and how much you have to set aside for renovation costs, and whether you want to include certain furniture ideas into the renovation too. Also furniture window shopping can be fun...
I know that I would like a soak tub in my new place, so I've walked down the shops at Geylang last month (lots of Bathroom appliances stores and considerable range of bathtubs on sale too) and visited IMM last night (was expecting more stores but only about 5, and had more of heaters, shower/rain heads, taps, kitchen sinks and bath/laundry sinks. You'd have to go further to their showrooms to view a wider range.)
I've fallen in love with anthracite double sinks, laundry rack and deep bowl ceramic sinks, and the pull spray faucet taps. If I could, would work them into my renovation plans. Houses that need kitchen makeovers now actually are starting to appeal to me more.
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The Blanco Anthracite dual sink. I understand it is a silgranite variant. |
Kitchen
In the kitchen, you'd have to think about getting sinks, cooker hoods, hobs, stoves, ovens, refrigerators, etc. It'll be good to get the possible range you're interested in, so that you can choose one quickly when there is more pressure and panic to purchase (especially when your ID is trying to sway you to what he thinks is best for you, and maybe his wallet, as they do get kickbacks from the stores if you purchase from their recommendations. That's how the world works.) Your contractor will need the dimensions when they are planning and renovating the kitchen, for example. Especially if you want a beast of a dual sink like what I saw. (Good for not doing dishes for a day or two? :P ) Hence they can leave space for these, and also install convenient electrical outlets to plug these in (ensure space for the plug head too as some jut out.)
Think about whether you'd be doing light cooking (just leaving a space above stove should do, not much need for a hood) or heavy cooking (need an exhaust hood to suck up most of the smoke and oiliness - and you need to maintain/clean out hood regularly, change out the filters monthly etc.), maybe flame stove to add
char flavour to the food, unless you can have charcoal stove pot), and closed walls so smells and oiliness doesn't escape to living space, but good ventilation still, kitchen window.) If you've a structural beam in your kitchen, installing a chimney may be complex, so you have a limit on where you can place the stove too.
Ovens are nice and pretty but are seriously meant for the serious bakers and cooks out there. I'm considering getting a 20 liter toaster oven which should suffice me fine for re-heating that Regular Sized pizza at best, which by that time, would be only less than half the pizza. If you're into Microwave ovens, consider that too. I'm just against the radiation in microwave ovens. (Try drinking water heated in a microwave oven, and you'll never want to use a microwave again. Or drink water. But the latter isn't an option.)
Next, the other beast, your refrigerator. I may need a bar fridge at best, but I noted that I just need to top up a bit more and can get a regular 2-door fridge which is more energy efficient. (Yes, consider the energy ranking, as it is no use buying a 'cheaper' product to end up paying more in utility bills.) The Retro fridges look cool, but have only 1 tick. If you're the kind that likes checking in your fridge often, you should get a two door so that you don't waste cooling energy. Someone should invent a transparent door to minimise this habit. Like for ovens. So the fridge doesn't have to keep regulating the temperature.
Also, if you are considering constructing a refrigerator base, you'll need the dimensions again. However, this is a constrictive and outdated practice. Constrictive as you cannot really change the placement of your fridge or get a bigger or smaller model, especially after it breaks down or becomes old/inefficient. The reason why many have this is because the base of fridges were made of metal and may corrode or get rusty if it comes into contact with water, and in the past, I'm sure you'd recall how when we were washing the kitchen floor, we WASHED the floor. Nowadays we just do light mopping or washing as our cooking styles are not as intensive or greasy. Also, the bases are now built with better quality metal or plastic. The plastic legs are also quite adequate to elevate the fridge while cleaning, if needed. However, for design reasons, having the base of the fridge to be flush with where the base skirting for the cabinets end makes it look more seamless aesthetically.
Lastly, there are the slew of other smaller appliances.
The hot water kettle. I prefer the keep warm thermal as my mother says re-heating boiled water is not good... But we use the hot pot at work a lot.
The rice cooker, steamers, air-fryers, food warmers, steamers, hotplates, etc. I saw those pack-it-in-and-go thermal
tiffin carriers that is good for those who cook and would like to save cost when working. No need to transfer the food from the pot into a tupperware. The pot used to cook fits nicely into these shells. I also went over to Best Denki, and looked at really 'tiny' rice cookers and ceramic cookers, maybe for one serving, but remember, it is always economical and more efficient to cook for two. The price isn't half that of those which are twice or even thrice as big. Cook more. Pack the rest for lunch. Or invite others over to share the food. Alternatively, eat more! Why consider all these?
Well, they are going to clutter your counter space, so think about how much space you need to allocate to these appliances, and also, how much space you've now got left to do actual cooking.
Bathroom
For built-in bathtub, though they are cheaper, I know that installation costs would be high (need HDB permit, need to build base and low wall around, need to tile the area etc.) so I've started looking at portable bath-tubs too, which though more expensive, can be easily installed and positioned. They are low weight bearing too. I'm not sure if they are more prone to damage like leaks and cracks which I hear about built-in bathtubs, but it is easier to dispose if so, compared to built-ins, which are often single facing too (one side is the exposed nice side, the other the steel wall side, so you cannot even swap it from one end to the other.)
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This built-in bathtub comes with handles and goes at about $320 w/o installation worked in. |
There is a nice range of Water Closets (what we know as sitting toilet bowls) but I am still looking for those with the mini sink on top that can be used to flush which will help with saving on water and the environment. The more hip range now seems to be those with tornado flush something. I liked those with a monolithic back base too. I prefer low cisterns though as it mimics squatting and is better for the body. I've been looking for one of those U-stools in the meantime... but it has yet to catch on in Singapore, it seems.
Then there are the rain heads and the shower heads and the water heaters. If you're getting a bathtub or a rain-head (quite the rage now but I'm still blah about it), you're advised strongly to get a water heater tank to ensure pressure of the water, and temperature of the water. I've been using instant water heaters for almost the last 3 decades and they are great for me though (before that, if we wanted hot water, we either shower in the afternoon, or boil water in a kettle, and pour it into a pail of lukewarm water. Grew up poor, yeah). However I've heard people who talk about fluctuating water pressure, scalding from sudden increase in temperature and such. To me, heated water is still a luxury so I don't need
atas set-ups. However, if you mean to be in the tub a long time, having storage tank will help as the heat will dissipate after a while, and you may end up with hypothermia or wrinkly skin if you don't regulate the temperature inside.
Then there is the vanity sinks, with interesting designs like rectangular basins, glass bowl, and even a heart-shaped design. I'm practical. I'll go with one with a laundry rack and deep bowl so that it does double duty.
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My dream vanity/toilet sink. |
I'm also considering installing a portable shower like I've seen done in some hdb spas. Like that I can have an ensuite shower, even if only one toilet on the premises. I go tthe idea when my house was going through HIP and we had those porta toilets. It actually was really cool in the end. The wall has to be a wall adjoining the shower to allow for piping water and drainage, but I wonder if HDB would permit it. You can look at some of the models here at
Universal Union or this on
Alibaba which comes with a
toilet too. But they only had one of the more basic ones on display at their showroom at Geylang. Need to specially order. If like that, I like the
wooden version with the sauna. hehe. Go big, or go home. Sigh, if only HDB will approve.
Always consider the delivery and installation charges when working out the affordability of appliances, as these can rack up quite a fee too.
So, what have I overlooked?