Recycle & Reuse

This house has a wonderful set of French doors and windows. Therefore, we've decided to recycle and reuse some of these items. Things like built-in cupboards are a plenty and are still in good condition.

The French doors, which we will use again for the patio area. The previous owners painted the outside white and left the original wood color inside. We will be removing the white paint and keep the natural brown color.

The French doors from the outside

The White French door

The white paint is peeling off - showing off the beautiful natural color

The French windows at the back kitchen will now be brought to the front entrance

The built-in for the walk-in wardrobe

The cabinet for the study area

Even the swing was left behind. It's hard to find a swing like this now a days. It used to belong to the previous's owner's wife. So roughly we guess that this swing will be about 30 years old. I am planning to paint it RED! I wonder what K will say about this?

Can you imagine this swing in RED?

Renovation Progress 2 : Kitchen

We've broke down the wall to the entrance of the kitchen as we wanted to make a countertop that act as a breakfast table too. Now that the wall is down, we get a very wide view of the dry kitchen from the dining room.

Wall has been broken down - countertop not up yet

The bathroom wall has been broken down too

As for the dining room, there was an arch and it made the dining room look small. So we've broken down the arch AND we've discovered that there's a beam there. So we've now have to 'crack' our heads on how to design it.

Now you arch it, now you don't

Renovation Progress 1 : Kitchen

So renovation works officially started on 23.02.2012 - didn't consult any Feng Shui or what so ever. The contractor deploy his Indonesian workers to our house on that day because for now, our house is his only project.

Renovation work started at the back of the house, they broke the kitchen wall, the back room and the bathroom.

Here are some before & after pictures - starting with the back of the house.

The back room, knocked down to level the ground

Another view of the back room from the back lane

The wet kitchen, knocked down wall - planning to recycle the French windows

Knocked down bathroom downstairs and pushing it all the way back

Furniture Hunting : Report 3

So after scouting around Kedai Kaki Lelong in Kampung Kay Ara, we adjourned to Grand Teak in Puchong. You can check them out at here : http://grandteak.com

And we're glad we did so! They were having 70% off some of their furnitures and of course every piece caught our eye. As much as we would like to purchase each and every one, we settled for a very nice buffet table and a dining table WITHOUT chairs.
We felt that the buffet table that we choose had charactor. Beautiful carvings at each end and on each door panel. However, the dining table is rather plain. A friend of ours has suggested that we put metal or brass edgings on the four corners of the dining table to give it character.

The buffet table

Note the carvings at the end and on the door panel
A close up of the carving on the door
The dining table

Furniture Hunting : Report 2

We've heard of a shop that buys and sells 2nd hand furnitures from hotels, offices and even homes and decided to check them out for good bargains. The shop is called Kedai Kaki Lelong and you can check them out here www.kedaikakilelong.com

We visited them at their branch in Section 19, Petaling Jaya and in Kampung Kayu Ara. Not your usual furniture shop where display is the selling point, here every furniture is collecting dust and stacked on top of another.

Still, for us it was like going through a junk yard sale and scouting for a good bargain which we enjoy. The other thing is that you need lots of patience!

Here are some of the funitures that they offer and what we've purchased.

Bed Side Table ~ RM120.00
Rattan Chair ~ RM80.00We bought 2 pieces but the back is a different design and it includes a cushion)
Round Side Table ~ RM100.00
Table Lamp ~ RM80.00
2 Seater Teak Bench ~ RM350.00We bought 1 piece2.5 Seater Teak Bench ~ RM400.00Saw it on Saturday, went back on Sunday, both pieces sold!
Rattan Chair ~ RM120.00Teak Chair - RM150.00
Ottoman ~ RM80.00I asked for RM60.00, they didn't want to sell it to me for that price - I wanted 2 pieces
Side Teak Table ~ RM70.00We bought 2 pieces

Furniture Hunting : Report 1

I have this CURRENT obsession of collecting furniture that people has thrown out. I am GOING to try my hand at refurbishing these furnitures. So far, I've collect two rattan chairs, a rattan table and a side table.
You'll be updated on it's progress ...

Rattan chair no. 1

Rattan chair no. 2

Rattan table
Side table with drawer