Interior Design

Now that the outer shell is completed, interior designing takes centre stage. This is where I have been and will continue to be heavily involved. Our architect did not have much input in this as we preferred to go on our own. I am guided first and foremost by our budget. This is the single most critical factor in reining in the total cost for the house. It makes the project that much more challenging and fun.

To the extent possible, we recycled as many things from our old condo as possible. An old set of kitchen utensils works the same.

It was a conscious decision to have a disproportionately larger kitchen this time. We have them separated into wet and dry areas by full height sliding glass doors. We allocated a big part of our budget on fittings and faucets. Their quality can mean day and night, a lesson we've learned from our previous condo renovation.

This is how our dining table and wishbone chairs put together looked like. I love the contours of the chairs, and the organic feel they project. They make the space looked airy and light.

Sunlight streaming across the foyer from a slit above the shoe closet.

A small patio for a small house.

As you can tell, I'm trying hard to keep the main look of the house away from public eye for now. Hence, the abstract pictures here. There will come a time.

Play of light

It was 2.30pm. I finally saw how the sun beat down, from the skylight through the two flights of the cantilevered staircase, casting shadows on the white-washed wall. It's wonderful to see the interaction between nature and man-made structure. Our architect hasn't seen it as there's only a brief window during the day when this happens. I'm sure he'll be pleased. These pictures taken using my Iphone do not do much justice.

I am resisting every temptation to showcase the house as I wish to buy some time for a little surprise for loved ones who will come visiting. Don't wish to spoil the fun.

Goodbye Honed Granite!

Yan didn't like the Mongolian honed granite flooring that spans our ground floor. While some may called it the natural matte look, he said it looked dusty and dirty. So, we had it polished today to reveal a new semi-matte finish. I'm not certain (yet) if I like the new look. I had opted for honed granite for its zen effect. I wasn't very thrilled with the idea of polishing it, but went ahead nonetheless for practical reasons. Honed granite is harder to maintain because of its open pores. Even with the application of impregnator, stains can still penetrate its surface if left unattended. Polished granite is more compact and the application of sealant can therefore be more effective.

Honed granite before polishing

Polishing in progress

Our last piece of furniture just came in today. It's a 2.7m long oak veneer dining table, made by our carpenter to match the wishbone chairs. We suggested the design, which is inspired by the Madame Lillie table made by E15, a German company. I like the simplicity of its design.

We are targeting our move-in within days from now. It's just frantic!

Quickie Steamed Cake

I'm one of those who often have late-night cravings. This is one recipe where one could whip up a cake within minutes, and would have the ingredients ready at home. It calls for cooking oil and canned evaporated milk as replacements for butter and cream, and steaming rather than baking. What's more music to the ears is the fact that one could just mix and swirl all the ingredients together in a single bowl using a spatula, for a mere couple of minutes, with little impact on the outcome of the cake. There's no need to take out the electric mixer and other tools, which means little after-wash and clearing. A very simple and quick recipe that brings instant gratification. Perfect for rainy nights when hunger pangs strike. (Thanks Zaeda).

P.S. Alternative-Mom, here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup plain flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1 cup cooking oil
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 can evaporated milk
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar

Method:
1. Sift all dry ingredients; flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
2. Mix oil, eggs and milk until all incorporated.
3. Mix dry ingredients with the wet mixture, by folding slowly.
4. Steamed for 30-45 minutes. (No hard and fast rule for steaming, time can be shorter or longer depending on your cooking utensil. You can take a peek every now and then, and it wouldn't ruin your cake).

Laying Carpet Grass

A month had passed since the trees were planted. The laying of carpet grass on our front porch was scheduled this morning. It had been an interesting experience watching the planting process unfolds.

Carpet grass comes in rolls like these from the nursery.

Soil is compacted before sand is laid

A thin layer of beach sand is laid over the compacted soil

Rolling out of carpet grass

Front porch is fully covered in carpet grass

Lastly, another thin layer of sand is laid over the grass before watering.

We are days from moving in, yet I feel so unprepared. There seems to be a thousand details to attend to, and the issues are never ending. We just burnt our weekend coordinating TV and cable wire installation. I have a phobia for all things electrical! My mind switches off instantly, I get flustered easily whenever I encounter electrical-related issues, and I'll be more than willing to pass it on to Yan to deal with. Not a side of me that I am proud of.