Tiles

Choosing tiles for our home was not an easy task.  We spent many weekends visiting tile shops, comparing tile prices and quality.  We were so spoilt for choice, from ceramic to homogeneous, different types of grades, colors and sizes.  I roughly knew what color tile I wanted for the hall, dining and kitchen.  When it come to bathroom tiles, it was a little more challenging.

We bought our tiles from Super Ceramic Tiles in Jalan 222, Petaling Jaya.  We were serviced by a very friendly, approachable and experienced sales lady.  I strongly believe in good customer service and this lady sets a good example of how customer service should be.  She gave us advise on the tiles, gave us suggestions on design and so many more advise.  Their prices are reasonably priced too.

We used the same tile for our living and dinning ~ 60x60cm, color : Off White, price : RM6.50 per piece.  For the kitchen and domestic helper's room ~ 60x60, color : Ash Grey, price : RM7.00 per piece.  For the kitchen wall ~ 20x40cm, color : White with Grey stripes and for the wall boarder and floor insertion ~ 30x30cm, color : Vivid Pumpkin (basically it's Orange color).

We used the same tile designs for all three bathrooms (didn't want to spend too much time thinking of which bathroom has which tile color).  For the bathroom wall ~ 20x40cm wall tiles, color : Black (RM3.00 per piece) & White (RM2.70 per piece), for the bathroom floor : 30x60cm, color : Black, price : RM5.40 each.

For the porch, we used Terracotta tiles ~ 30x30cm, price : RM3.60 each and for the boarder ~ 30x60cm, color : Black

To lay the tiles, we had hired help of Indonesian tilers and price paid for their labour was about half of what the contractor wanted to charge us.

Trying to match the kitchen wall tile with a boarder

More options to choose from

Trying to match the kitchen floor with an insertion

Part of the tiles that arrived at our home

The Indonesian tilers tiling the dining area

The Indonesian tilers tiling the dining area

Dining area all tiled up

One of the hired help cutting the tile

Trying to match the Terracotta tile with a boarder

The kitchen wall tile ~ finally decided on a orange color tile

The kitchen floor tiles, with orange insertion

The Master bathroom with white insertion

The Master bedroom with pebble wash at the shower
area to avoid 'mishaps'

The Children's bathroom 

Tiling completed for the Children's bathroom
and with pebble wash at the shower area

The Guest bathroom, also with pebble wash 

The entrance landing with Terracotta tiles
and orange insertion

Recycled and Reused Dining Bench

The two Dining Benches for our Dining table is another project that Hubby did.  The bench is made out of Kempas Wood and the legs are made out of two single 2ft louver.  The bench itself is about 7ft long and can easily sit 3 adults.  So our Dining table has two chairs on each end and the two dining benches on the left and right.

These louvers are from old colonial bungalows which was built circa 1880s.  It would therefore make these louvers about 100+ years old.  Kudos to Hubby who comes up with these creative and innovative ideas.  Who would have thought of  making louvers as bench legs.

You can read more about the louvers that we made as an air-conditioning compressor cover in my other blog post here

Like all other wood projects, we had to clean, scrape and sand down the wood.  Once all this is done, these woods were given a chemical treatment.  We would normally varnish our woods but for these benches, we have decided to leave it with it's natural wood color.

One of the four 2ft louvers that we bought

A close up of the louver with it's before clean up condition

Another one of the four louvers

Child labour? Nah ... they just love scraping the old paint out!

Left : A 'clean-up' louver
Right : Paint scraped out and waiting to sand down

Fixing the louvers to the bench

A close up of the wood and the louvers

For extra support and for decorative purpose,
we used the Ikea bracket for shelves 

Completed : The dining bench with louvers as it's legs

The Dining Bench in use!

House Tour : Dining & Kitchen

Our Dining area is split one level up and it's an open area.  From the Dining area you ware able to see the Hall, Foyer and outside of the home.  Dining area then leads to the Kitchen which is an open concept yet closed in a sense that you are not able to have a full view if you are sitting in the Hall or Foyer.  Unfortunately our Kitchen does not have a wet or dry kitchen.  However, we have tiled our back lane with left over tiles and made a wash area where if we entertain, the dishes can be washed outside.

We have chosen different tile colors to indicate Dining and Kitchen area.  White matt tiles for the Dining which is also the same color as the Hall and charcoal grey with orange insert for the Kitchen tiles.

Kitchen cabinets were custom made by Kitchen Palace.  We chose the color white for our cabinets as we wanted our Kitchen to look bright.  The home appliances were bought during Home Deco fairs.  They were display sets and we have got a certain discount off them.

Here are some photos of our Dining and Kitchen area before and after renovation.

Before renovation, original Kitchen with it's cabinets

Before renovation, the dry kitchen on the left and wet kitchen on the right

During renovation, the kitchen being extended all the way to the back

During renovation, the old cabinets removed

During renovation, the sink area

During renovation, the sink area, wall is tiled with
white tile and trimmed with orange

During renovation, the kitchen wall has been screed

During renovation, the kitchen wall is given a protective coat 

Installation of Kitchen cabinets

Our Kitchen being put to use

During renovation, white tiles being laid at the Dining area

During  renovation, white and grey tiles to 'boarder' off the  two areas

During renovation, the kitchen with charcoal grey tiles and orange inserts

After renovation, the Dining area on Christmas 2012 morning

Kitchen Cabinets

Our kitchen cabinets was installed in two days but minus the counter top which came in two weeks later.  The two installers were efficient, organised and most importantly clean.  Unlike other contractors who would just do their work and then leave their mess behind for the owner to clean, these two men were constantly sweeping away everytime they saw or cut wood.

The two installers installing the kitchen cabinet

Kitchen cabinets installed minus the counter tops

A semi functional kitchen, counter tops are installed BUT minus the fittings for the sink

Cooking and washing area

The cooking area with the cooker and hob

The Peninsular without it's counter top

I can't recall the material that we use for the kitchen cabinets. The counter top is Corian, black color with some other smaller white material. As for the kitchen cabinet, it's white in color, flat without any design but it you go closer, from the side, you can see that it's a little wavy.

The cabinet material ...

A close up of the cabinet and it's handle

Hubby fixing the counter top for the Peninsular

The sink minus the fittings ~ waiting for our plumber to fix it

My tin collection displayed above the cabinets

The Peninsular's counter top which Hubby will be fixing

The oven and microwave