Project: Green Residence

Topic: Carpentry Work

Project: Green Residence

Topic: Carpentry Work

AS pictures shown, some of the carpentry works are needed in the entire unit. They help you to store your stuff in a manners way. However, each of the cabinetry we make has to ensure its functionality, ergonomics, possibility of usage, etc.

Some of the key points that would like to mentioned here:
1. Ergonomics : Each of the compartments designed for the cabinet has to fit to its specific function. Thus, the sizing of itself, the depth it requires, the amount of split levels, the maximum height it can be ....... have to be considered.
For example: When designing cabinet for cloth hanging, it must not exceed 2.1m as human couldn't reach the level higher easily.

2. Example of designing foyer cabinetry for shoes placement. Some might not require large place for shoes. Some of the other compartment you could include together include place for umbrella, compartment for placing your keys, your masks, mirror design etc.

3. Depending on the area you choose, different materials can be used for the cabinetry work. For example: melamine/ chipboard which are cheaper and has more colour variety, however has its own disadvantages such as not water resistant and the gripping force for additional nailing is weaker.
Plywood/ laminate board are synthetic product that imitate the wood appearance. Good strength, lighter, durable and suited in wet kitchen. Depending on your budgets and site suitability, everything is possible.

Hope you enjoy!

Project : Green Residence

Topic: Painting as Finishing

Project : Green Residence

Topic: Painting as Finishing

One of our previous condominium project, using simple colour to define the space. Different colours will have different impacts in the house, and it somehow affect your mood. Some might think that plain wall is too simple and looks unattractive, however painting is somehow flexible and long lasting in terms of trend in design. It gives you more possibility to make changes in your future changes of mood more easily.

Depending on your needs and design style, the colour choice is very important as it is potential in defining a space. For example, Japanese style are likely more peace and simple in decoration. Thus, we would more prefer to have combination of white/ beige as base. One of the trick when painting is using the masking tape. It is cheap but precise. It somehow helps alot when painting one surface without getting paint on an adjacent surface. It helps to protect surfaces and ensure sharp lines and straight edges.

Do you know that interior paint should always contain low or zero VOC. It is essential in maintaining the air quality in your home.

Hope you like our works!.

Hello Sifu, Referring to your post above on painting, may I ask what is the standard practice for primer usage and also number of coatings? Is this something that I should discuss with the contractor prior to start renovation?

I also have a second question regarding ceiling - I know plaster ceiling is very popular in Malaysia, but I personally prefer ceiling that are as high as possible to increase air circulation and reduce indoor temperature. Are there any good options for this (e.g. vaulted ceiling; exposed beams) in a 1-storey terrace house?

Hello Sifu, may advise estimate cost to
(1)hack and demolition 2 corners wall ( one from ground floor and one from 1st floor) at the same place and
(2) to build with corner's windows.

Thank you in advance for your advise and comment.

Project: Green Residence

Topic : Protection, Hacking & Formwork

Project: Green Residence

Topic : Protection, Hacking & Formwork

As usual, we start off every new project with proper protection work before any demolition works start. For this project, the owner requested to remove the wall that eventually split the original layout into two, splitting the kitchen with the yard. The intention to maximise the unit has been translated by relocating the kitchen countertop in new position, with large sink at the side.

Starting off by laying bricks as supporting elements, and start off the formwork construction to get into the shape making. Don't forget to leave the voids for the placement of your sink design. Last but not the least, cast the concrete before any finishing material applied on countertop. Countertops made of concrete really have no limitations in size, depending on the materials and casting techniques used. There are ways to minimize the weight, adding the thickness without increasing the mass it carried.

Hi, normally 1 layer of primer+ 3 coats of emulsion paint. And for the ceiling, at least we need to drop for 4 inches. however, if you dont prefer ceiling, your wiring route can be embedded in pvc pipe / hacking parts of soffit / slab

Project: Green Residence

Topic : Casting & Tiling

Project: Green Residence

Topic : Casting & Tiling

Some of the simple example of the work over the wet kitchen countertop. For today's let talk about the material consideration and sharing about the properties of stone-type material.
As usual, there is always natural & man-made stone. Some example of natural stone would be granite & marble while man-made stone would be solid surface and quartz type.

For your information, both marble and granite are heat and scratch resistant. They have natural surfaces which can never be replaced. However, marble could be more easily stained as compared to granite. On the other hand, granite colour choice of selection would be lesser.

In terms of man-made stone, solid surface stone has higher flexibility as compared to quartz. It can be formed into curved/flat surface. There is also no gaps for solid surface man-made stone, which eventually brings out its advantages in wet kitchen. However, it is not so resistant to stain, cut, heat as compared to quartz which is vice versa. Normally, people will go for quartz for wet kitchen while solid surface is normally suit to dry kitchen.

Hope u guys can get some idea on the selection of material while doing for your own house. !!

what's the tile-size of the table-top ?

Project: Green Residence

Topic : Ceiling Installation

Project: Green Residence

Topic : Ceiling Installation

Typical height in a unit is 3m, and some units come without plaster ceiling on the selling. So, for those who are intended to install your own ceiling, you could definitely do this as long as the head room space is sufficient for you. Lower down the height in the area could make changes to your room.

Plaster ceiling requires minimum spacing of 1200mm in order to store those looping of lighting ,etc. Some dislike the appearance of beams would prefer installation of ceiling in order to treat the view better. When there is air-cond, yes you may need to consider about the ducting as well, and it definitely affecting your ceiling height.

Above are some of our previous works, from structures to finishing, hope it gives you some ideas and imagination on how it may looks like in your own units!!!!

Project: Green Residence

Topic : Painting & Final Works

Project: Green Residence

Topic : Painting & Final Works

Project: Green Residence

Topic : Painting & Final Works

Let's talk about some concept & design while selecting colour / paint for your room area. Below are just some scheme of colours for references. However, they are always subjected to change according to the entire mood.

First of all, we should always go for lower saturation colours (10% to 60%). Fully saturated colour will be too over and pure. Higher temperature (warmer) colour will somehow make the entire space looks smaller while lower temperature colours (cooler) work in another way round, not overpowering and recede in space.

When your room area is smaller, we tend to use brighter colour as darker scheme somehow pressurize the entire area, making the space look smaller. Actually, different colours actually have their own function while being applied in the area, for example : purple red in this scenario tend to make the space more vivid, picturesque with slightly striking colours in between as embellishment. We might share the other colours scheme in future. Stay tuned.

may i know price for the mirror

Hi, Im sorry but I couldn't give u an exact number due to the project was quite long ago. However, I guess the pricing for pieces of mirror is about the same, depending on the supplier. Hope you understand.