moving in ... s l o w l y

So, first of all Gong Xi Fa Cai - may the Year of the Ox be filled with prosperity, joy, and love.

Of course, for me, the Chinese New Year has really impacted upon my ability to move on with my renovation (ie finishing it up) and with moving into the flat. I decided to bite the bullet, and scheduled the movers to arrive at 930 am on Wednesday - the day after the official CNY holidays. Am not sure this was the best idea - it was typical of my Aries impatience, but really, I should have thought it through a little more intelligently. But I had promised Pingaling that I would be out of her flat by end of January. This obviously didnt happen, and thank good goddess for good friends because she is letting me stay here till the middle of this month. It really takes some of the stress off of me and lets me plan the move a bit better.

Anyway, so the flat looks about done (except the kitchen where Mr Soo still hasnt gotten all his shit together) and so we moved. It was crazy. Those movers are amazing though - theyre like a swarm. They came in and in about 2 hours all my earthly belongings were packed up (much to Put and Kai's consternation) ... about 1 hour later, it was all deposited in my flat. This happened on Wednesday. Its now Sunday night as I write this, and Hilda and I have been unpacking since then... and we are probably about 1/3rd through.

As you move into a newly renovated space, or a new house, you see things and details that you didnt see before. So Hilda spotted that part of one of my kampung doors had been broken, and roughly reglued. The shelf in the kitchen for the cookbooks had also been broken, and reglued. These are things that will need to be fixed before I can really finish moving stuff in.

Also, the one thing I didnt realise was how much dust and dirt EVERYTHING accumulated waiting to go back home. I have been concentrating on my books and Im almost done (just a few more piles). Whats taken me so long is that every single book needs to be wiped down and cleaned. Every one! Dust and dirt on the jacket, spine, top, etc. And once its been wiped down, of course it needs to be hand dried so it wont stick to all the other books. Its been a process, but I am glad to do it if it means that everything goes into the shelves clean ...

I have to say its such a pleasure to have my books back. I think that of all the possessions that own me, my books are my non negotiables. I have had them in boxes for the last couple of months and I have missed them. Just the ability to touch them, page through them, smell them - be surrounded by so many beautiful words - its a comfort and a joy. For me to feel settled, I need my books.

Anyway, Liverpool is playing so I need to go. Was trying to get my photos up of the move, but of course I dont have the cord that links my phone to the laptop! Its packed away somewhere. Heh.

I do hope Liverpool beat Chelskiscum. ;)

a renovation, a wedding, and a cold!

So its now the 14th of January. My mum is arriving in KL in 2 days, and my sister on Monday. She is having a wedding celebration / anniversary party at Carcosa next Tuesday - so my entire life is going to be taken up with focusing on family for the next few weeks. And I just cant seem to finish the renovation, no matter how hard I try! I think one of the biggest stalling points is the wooden window frame. Until the Council meets and decides if I can keep it (but just paint it), we cant totally finish up with Mr. Eng Hoes work. He doesnt have a huge amount to do - fix the kitchen, outside and laundry room doors (basic cheap white wood doors - cant afford anything else at this point!), and repaint outside (where I used a gorgeous dark blue for contrast, but have found out that I need to keep to the Condo's colour schemes). He also needs to touch up a few bits and pieces here and there - with paint - so its about a day's work. If we need to replace the wooden window frame, another day's work.

Mr. Soo on the other hand has just NOT finished -- the fan still blows at hurricane speeds, the kitchen cabinet doors and drawers have not all been installed, the kitchen stove and gas cooker have not been installed, one entire cabinet has not come in, the lattice work on the swing doors to bed and bathroom is still missing. And he has not done what Ive asked him in the little details. He is amazing, and his work is amazing but theres a certain laziness about him that infuriates me. He is an artist definitely, but he also doesnt really think through the person's needs or requests. Its an odd mix. Im delighted with the stuff he has brought to the table -- but I am not sure I could work with him again.

----------------------------------

Its now Friday. My cold, which has been deviling me for the last couple of days is still here, but its slowly going, thank good goddess. Mum has arrived (I woke at 530 this morning, and fetched her from Sentral). Kai has completely charmed her - he is now sleeping on her bed with her, and giving her lots of love and attention. Thank goddess for Kai!

Yesterday I went to the flat. The council has met and decided that I could NOT keep my wooden windows. I am really pissed about that. I have to put in aluminium windows instead. I am going to do white powder coated sliding glass windows (tinted), and have mosquito netting on the inside as well. Hopefully, it will work with the wall painted white. Its a waste of money, and I HATE that.

Anyway, Mr. Eng Hoe will do that change, and will hopefully sort it out in the near future. I move in the day after Chinese New Year, so one way or the other, I have to have a liveable home! Mr. Soo is not getting paid until all the issues are sorted, and he knows this, so hopefully that will put a firecracker under his arse.

The cool thing about yesterday was that they installed all the locks and handles on the doors. They also installed all the bathroom fixtures (the towel rack, the grab rail, the mirrors, etc). Everything was done bespoke - so it matches ME - my height! I dont have to stand on tip toe to see through the peep hole in the front door, and the mirror and toilet paper holder all match my body and comfort levels. Its so great! Thats one of the pleasures of a renovation -- you get to do it to suit exactly your needs. I think thats what bugs me about Mr. Soo - he does good work, but he doesnt think about me in the end result - and the renovation is all about me, and my needs and desires ;)

Anyway... getting ready for the big wedding celebration do. The apartment I am in now is shiny clean for the family to visit, and the schedule is planned, and sorted. I will try and take some more photos soonish, but its all a bit hectic at the moment.

I had a really lovely dinner with friends last night. I have been stressed out beyond belief. The mater figure does that to me ... and her visit filled me with trepidation. I was glad to be amongst people who I could really talk to - and who would really hear me. I think thats the power of words, and communication with each other. We share ourselves, we show our true backstories - and we entrust our friends to hold us to them, and comfort us with the power of just hearing us - seeing us - accepting us. So thank you C, U and JJ - I needed that yesterday, and it gave me strength.

renovation - closer and closer - but not done!

So these photos were taken this last Friday. I think Mr. Soo AND Mr. Eng Hoe finally accepted that we had no more time left. Or may be they were playing a strange contractor-esque game of chicken, and someone blinked. Whatever, things are now moving regularly.

This is what used to be my storage room. I used the Light and Space paint in here - and its really brightened the space. I also put in a ceiling, so that all the pipes and ugly bits are covered up. This is now my washing room. Hooray! All ready, and connected. :)

In this view of the living room, you can see the AMAZING ceiling fan, the light fixtures, and the booksehelves. They were also the same jaundice yellow colour, but Mr. Soo had successfully resprayed them.

Here is a typical example of a Mr. Soo-ism. The two bookselves were supposed to be: 1 short and wide, 1 tall and thin. Anyway, he asked me the positioning of the bookshelves, and asked me if the shorter one was inside or outside. I of course was thinking, shorter one ='s wider one, but that is in another world from Mr. Soo. So I said short inside, tall outside. But when I looked at this picture, I realised they were both the same height, and he was talking about WIDTH! Heh. Soooooooooo I had to call him and ask him to move them around again, which he was happy to do. In his typical Mr. Soo way, when I told him that the wide one was supposed to be much shorter, he said, "But I thought you had so many books, you needed taller shelves!" Heh. So I have 2 floor to ceiling bookshelves, which is not what I wanted in the first place, but which I can certainly live with!

So this is the ceiling fan. Its beyond incredible. Its an original GEC fan from 1930's, all original parts, completely refurbished and fixed. Mr. Eng Hoe was so enamoured with the fan, he called me in to see it as soon as I arrived. I have to say, it makes a HUGE statement. Its gorgeous. When I asked Mr. Soo if he had anything like it, he hemmed and hawwwed for agesssss. He kept saying he would look, he would look. He finally found it, but it took another month or so to send it to be fixed. Even then, he didnt bring it. It was because his artists mind was still working it through, and I should have trusted that. Finally, he called me up and told me he had realised that the fan was steel - and he thought it would look best stripped of paint and down to its metal work. Did I agree? Does one disagree with an artist? He knows best how something he loves should look, so I said, I trust you, whatever you think is best. And the results are PHENOMENAL. I LOVE this fan. Total lusty adoration.

Close up of the original tags on the fan. The body is steel, the blades are aluminium. Of course, the bit that attaches to the wall takes special screws, and Mr. Soo forgot them (!!!) so that will be done on Monday. Meanwhile, the fan is fantastic (couldnt resist!). The one thing is that it only goes one speed - so its either off or VERY fast. Might ask Mr. Soo if his guys can adjust that to something a tad more gentle.

Incredibly elegant antique wall lights (one of a pair) in the livingroom, also from Mr. Soo. I was visiting his warehouse one day and saw them squirreled away in his office. I asked him if I could have them for my living room and he said no! He loved them, had just acquired them, and didnt want to part with them (yet). He is like that... Anyway, I kept pestering him for them, and finally he agreed. The metalwork was originally painted black, and he stripped them down to steel. I think thats what inspired him to re-look at the ceiling fan as well. They are really lovely - a beautiful delicate elegant but non intrustive glass and metal light - exactly what I wanted here!

A view of the bookshelves and the filing cabinet. Nice, but they will be switched around in the final take.

The swing door to the bedroom. I decided on swing doors to the bedroom and bath. I live alone, and though my friends arent happy (how are they going to poo in my house!) its what I really wanted. It divides the spaces but also keeps the air flowing and lightens the feeling of the space. Its so pretty! The bathroom door is the same (see below). These were made for me by Mr. Soo from some old kampung house doors he had. He is currently making the centre piece for the doors - it will be a delicate latice work. I look forward to seeing them finished! Hope it wont take another month! Heh ;)

Oh, and you can see a glimpse of the bed through the door!

My bed! Solid teakwood, mirror grains, absolutely phenomenal. As you can see, the four posts can also take a four poster frame, but I decided against this as the space is too small. Its higher than my old bedframe, and so much more beautiful. I described to Mr. Soo what I was looking for, and he said that he had something like that in his wife's mothers house in Ipoh (I think). Again, it took yonks for him to actually go and get the damn thing, but I think you will agree - its worth the wait. SO beautiful!!!

A close up of the bed frame. Isnt it stunning? I do love my Mr. Soo! ;)


Bathroom swing door, also awaiting its centre piece.

And Mr. Eng Hoe has been at work too! His wireman was in to do all the lights and fixtures, and the bathroom is finally coming together! This is the rain shower, hand shower and tap. Very minimalist, but its what I needed for the small space. They also installed the air extractor fan.

My toilet and sink are finally in! Hooray! Now the workers can have a wee when they need one ;) The toilet is dual flushing to conserve water. I chose rounded shapes because I wanted a feminine feel to the fixtures because the bathroom itself is quite masculine in feel. Unfortunately, the ceramic pipe cover for under the sink did not fit, and the store did not have anything that would. Mr. Soo took one look, and agreed to do a wood cover from chengal wood. Mr. Eng Hoe asked him if he could really do that, and Mr. Soo replied, if I want to do something, anything can! Its quite a good philosophy of life!

I am back at the flat on Monday, and will take more photos to post then.

Tell me what you think!


PS - Mar, I agree, I could EAT the floor too! Tell my nephew I love him.

renovation - bringing it all together ... SLOWLY

So here is another lesson I have learned since starting this renovation. Try very hard not to schedule it around major public holidays. The last post I made was on the 28th of December (just after Christmas). Not much got done until about the 7th of January when these photos were taken. We had Awal Muharam and New Years, and things just DID NOT MOVE. Frustrating beyond frustrating. Again, breathe, again, think of patience. I just want to go home!

It looks like I wont be able to move in until after Chinese New Year (Jan 26/27) in part because there are little bits and pieces still to be done (more on that later) and in part because my family is coming to celebrate M+B's wedding -- and so I wont be able to concentrate on a move until after they leave. And of course, they leave a few days before CNY, and so I will have to wait until the movers are allowed to move (no moving during public holidays if you live in a condo!). Heh.

Dont get me wrong though, I am so very excited that things are starting to take shape. Some better than others, and I still have the pesky issue of the wooden window frame to deal with. But its starting to look real. As I was preparing the photos for these posts (another one is coming up right after this one!) I scrolled back to what it looked like before... and its MUCH better now! Its a good thing to keep reminding oneself.

Here is another lesson I learned: remember to keep your "look book" with you. I decided on teak wood skirting board to match the floors. Silly choice really. An added expense I didnt need... And when I finally found my "look book" I realised that I had made a note to say that my skirting boards should be plain white (to match the walls) and cheap. Unfortunately, I forgot this, and in my total lust frenzy over the floor (which is still the sexiest thing I have seen in a while!) I decided on teak to match, when I could have just matched the walls for much much less. I love the skirting boards, but really, I didnt need them to be teakwood. Oh well, you live and learn.

So the skirting boards are in (FINALLY) -- even though even that had issues. I came to check them out just before they were installed, and realised that they were like 5 inches high! Waaaaay too much, so I insisted on as small as possible, which turned out to be like 3 inches. Still too high for my liking but if I had wanted anything smaller, it would have had to have been made for me... and I just didnt want to wait.

The skirting boards seemed to be the cue for Mr. Soo and his guys to start beavering away with the various wood pieces. Here are some photos from the 7th of January:

Mr. Soo's main man putting in the front door, which is antique teak wood. Its lush. It still needs its peephole, and handles and locks, but its perfect. He sold its twin for double what he sold it to me for. You cant see the details, but each row of squares is actually a mirror image of each other. Does that make sense? I might try and see if I can put the Tibetan door knocker on this door.

Small lantern, in front of the front door. I got it at KDK in Puchong - cheap and simple. My kind of style. What I like about this house is it mixes some expensive pieces with some simple inexpensive stuff. Its a good synergy.

This is the living room. I still get shivers of delight looking at that floor. On the right, the bookselves, on the left, the tv cabinet, and the couch. I am sooooooo unbelievably excited to see them unwrapped, but I know I have to be patient (again!) until everything is sorted properly. Otherwise, dust and dirt, and we dont want that!

The light switches. Obviously, still some clean up work to be done here. These were the most innofensive I could find. Interestingly enough, I found some fab switches that I loved about six months ago. I decided not to purchase them at that point, but go back to get them. When I went back, of course, they no longer stocked them! This is a lesson about renovation in Malaysia - if you see it, and like it, BUY IT! We have a real paucity of choice in everything - from upholstry to paint to lighting switches. When theres something out there thats good, if you dont get it immediately, it will never be available again. Heh.

What I like about these lighting switches is that they have been lowered just a tad for my height. Its one of the benefits of renovations - you can choose where you want stuff.

The absolutely gorgeous 100 year old oak filing cabinet. I asked Mr. Soo if he had anything wooden for a filing cabinet (I had a basic metal one) and he said yes... and took a couple of months to find it! I adore it though. What is so cool about this cabinet is that each box/drawer detaches and is moveable. Its perfect! Worth the wait, and if you look closer, you will realise I have a bit more waiting to go ... the top box of the filing cabinet is still missing, presumed somewhere in the labyrinth that is Mr. Soo's warehouse. I know I will get it eventually, just have to do a bit of chanting for it to come to me ;) In this photo, you can also see the skirting board. It fits perfectly with the floor, but it could have just as well been white.

A tantilising view of the upholstered arm chair. If youve been reading this blog, you know that the arm chair and couch were upholstered in Ahimsa Peace Silk. It looks fantastic from what I can see under the plastic wrapping. I want it unwrapped NOW! (Its like Christmas or my birthday -- I just have to learn to wait!)

The darned wooden windows. Still waiting a response from the Condominium's Council and Management ... I was supposed to hear on Friday, but the Building Manager had a motorcycle accident. He is fine, but was so flustered, he couldnt deal with it. Patience, patience.

Mr. Soo cant quite believe me. He installed the bedroom built ins and as soon as I saw them, I said that they were YELLOW. He used solid Ash wood (from a factory that had gone out of business) and lacquered to my specs. The actual cabinets and the bookselves are gorgeous. I tell you, these pieces are SOLID. Mr. Eng Hoe (the other contractor) was impressed by them ... All handworked, hand sanded, wooden pegs instead of nails... but Mr. Soo had asked me if I wanted them the same colour as my kitchen. Under the kitchen light, those cabinets look darkish, but not too red, so I said yes, but in the bright sunlight of my bedroom, the same colouring looked jaundice yellow. No way no how could I live with that. Because Mr. Soo loves me .... he agreed to respray the built ins there and then. But you can tell from this pic that he wasnt that pleased with me. Heh.

Mr. Soo figuring out how to deal with the built in cabinet's colours. What we eventually agreed upon was that he would spray the outside, and leave the inside as is. Not a bad compromise. Again, Mr. Soo is one of the kindest, most patient of men. A real mensch. But he works slow, because each piece is personal to him. He also loses the notes and measurements, and so sometimes you find that things get switched around... but I always love the finished product. Especially since he will do everything in his power to make it right!

My bed under cover in the bedroom!


Aircons have been installed, thank goodness.

This is where the sink should be! Heh.

renovation - lights, paint and kitchen

So, here are some photographs from the last couple of days. Things are moving, but obviously not as quickly as I would like. So many little details are still in need of being sorted out, and I dont know why things are just not being done. Some days, neither Mr. Soo or Mr. Eng Hoe are on the site, and it just sits there! Sigh.

THIS is the primary lesson of any renovation - PATIENCE. Learning how to breathe through it, ask the right questions, insist on work being done. Slowly, I am trying to learn!

All that said, there are quite a few things that have been done.

• The painting of the flat is almost complete. It looks gorgeous, and the second coat has really solidified the colour choice, and made it feel very polished.
• The lights have been hung. This is very exciting for me, because I sourced them from so many places! I really like the look of them!
• The kitchen cabinets have been about half installed. The kitchen stove, etc still need to be installed within the cabinets though, and I need to get a kitchen faucet.
  

But many more things need to be done (and we have four working days!). These include:

• Skirting board. Without this, most of the built ins cant come in. Mr. Eng Hoe said that its coming on Tuesday. (Mon being a public holiday).
• Builtin bookshelves, in living room, and wardrobes in bedroom. Mr. Soo is waiting on the skirting board!
  
• Deal with the wooden window at balcony. :(
• Bathroom needs to be installed... everything from shower head to toilet. I dont know why this has taken so long.
  
• Kitchen needs to be finished.
• One more coat on the floor.
• Airconditioners, fan, two more lights, and light switches and plugs need to be added.
  

I doubt that it will happen by end of week this week. We shall see. If anyone is reading this, hold thumbs (as the SAfricans say!) for me :)

So here are a few pics from the last couple days that will show you some of the movement that has happened:

All the lights lined up and ready to install. I had new lights for the living room (4), bedroom (2), hallway (1), entrance (1), kitchen (1), bathroom (1), washing room (1) and outdoor area (1). Plus a new / vintage fan that Mr. Soo is sorting out.

Kitchen light installed.



Final coat of paint in the kitchen. We used the Light and Space, and it works REALLY well. Beautiful!

Kitchen, shot from the airwell. Cabinets are almost all in - and ask you can see, they are made specifically for this kitchen. The electric cabinet, the bookshelf (above), and the podium for the stove.

More cabinets, and the fridge. There will be a small slide in cabinet next to the fridge may be.

Mr. Eng Hoe taking a break in the living room.

Mr. Eng Hoe asking me how low I want the living room lamps to hang. I got these special lamps from Gudang - gorgeous (if very expensive) shop. Went during their Christmas sale, and adored these lights! The wood is very delicate, and single pieces are bent in a very soft and sensual shape.

Living room lights hung! And the space has had its second coat of paint.


Mr. Eng Hoe trying to figure out the damned window at the balcony.


All the appliances sitting in the living room waiting for installation.

My VERY funky bedroom light (chosen by Chyspilla - thank you darling) - a kind of 1960'd/70's wood chandelier. Got it at KDK lighting in Puchong - ask for Melissa!

The light in the bathroom. Also from KDK in Puchong. Basic, but slightly modernistic in its contours. And waterproof! When Melissa at KDK was selling me these lights, she kept saying that they were very popular because they were "See - fon" lights. Reminded everyone of a "see - fon" cake. I couldnt figure out what she was talking about! Ten minutes later, it dawned on me that she was saying chiffon!!! Heh.

The bathroom with its second coat of paint. Really beautiful now.

renovation - the last push?

Well, its late. I got back from Mamma Mia! tonight (it was fab fun -- though the woman playing Donna looked like she was sleepwalking through the performance). I fell asleep on the couch - and woke up with a warm fur Kai collar ... very manja and happy.

Im exhausted. Partly because we had Christmas for 30 people here and partly because the renovation has hit that moment where everything just needs to be DONE... and its going slow. Its like the final hump, and you just have to push on through it. Everyone seems to be waiting for everyone else, and not much gets done in a timely manner.

The kitchen was installed today. Hopefully will go check it out tomorrow. It was supposed to be done on Tuesday, but Mr. Soo was late getting to the house, and then it was supposed to be done on Wednesday, but when I got to the flat, I found nothing had been installed.

Basically Mr. Soo measured the wall space at the outer edges - without measuring the inner edges. When he went to install the built in cabinets, he found there was a difference of between 1 - 2 inches. Sigh.

In came the sanding machines, etc. And a ton of noise on Christmas eve! What an incredibly frustrating process! Mr. Soo always seems to take at least twice (if not thrice) as long as he says he will. The thing is though, because he is such an artist, the actual end result is phenomenal. So its worth the wait, but it is stressful.

My upstairs neighbour is only adds to the stress - he called and abused me over the phone the other week. Yelled at me because it was taking too long and it was too loud! I wish upon him the responsibility for a renovation and a neighbour who is ten times as obnoxious as he is. Its called karma baby.

Anyway, the cool thing about all the built ins is that they are going to be hung on the walls. What this means is that when/if I ever leave or sell the flat, I can just take all the built ins with me. Very nice.

The other thing with the renovation that is stressing me out is the window that I put in on my balcony. When I first put in the application, it was with wooden shutters and frame. I was told I couldnt have the shutters - the outside of the condo needs to look uniform. What I wasnt told was that the frame itself couldnt be wooden either! So when it was installed, big drama. I now need to figure out if I can put aluminium siding on the outside, and keep the wooden windown inside, or if I have to take it all out and put in an aluminium window. Ugh.

The renovation is supposed to be done by the end of this coming week. Fat chance, lah. I think it will probably take another 2 weeks, for a total of about 3 months. It was supposed to take 2, so I guess its not THAT huge a change, but to be honest, I am getting sick of living in a high rise. I dont like not having windows open. I hate the fact that I am constantly breathing indoor air - and my sayangs are pining for some natural light, and some real plants.

Will take photos tomorrow and post.

renovation - the floor - almost done

Isnt it beautiful?! This is the teakwood floor - and its almost done! Everything is ready for the fixtures to be moved in -- Mr. Soo will do a final protective layer once everything else is in and sorted out.

Its gorgeous. Its deeper and darker then it looked when they were sanding it - it has an incredible texture, and pattern. It still feels like silk. Mr. Soo is so happy that when he and I met on Thursday to see the floor, he was jumping up and down like a youngster! And he should be proud. It took a while, but he did a phenomenal job.

As Mr. Soo said, new teakwood just doesnt have this kind of character. I LOVE my floor! A totally successful part of the renovation.



The view from the front door. I am also replacing the plywood front door with a solid teak wood door from Mr. Soo.


You can see the colours of the floor - this is the living room and the balcony.


View towards the balcony.


The bedroom.


Lighting fixtures and paint all waiting to be applied and put up - all next week!


My airwell and kitchen are feeling very sorry for themselves - they havent had any attention paid to them - all the focus has been on the floor, and the walls. Nevermind, next week, Mr. Soo and his crew are bringing in the new built in cabinets for the kitchen, and Mr. Eng Hoe and his crew are going to start hanging the lights and finishing the other fixtures, including the bathroom. Ooooh I am sooooooooo excited!