Sweet Home 3D

This project actually kick off in year 2000 when I came back for my 1 year Advance Diploma, but that time it was only restricted to my own bed room due to a dominating mother. We had decided to move into this 5 Rooms HDB in 1996 December due to the upgrading project of our previous 3 Rooms HDB. The whole renovation was control by my mom and the only thing I am allow to make decision is the paint color for the doors and walls. I wanted to keep the balcony and the store room but my mom decided to remove it for her living expansion project. She even open a view window from the kitchen so that she is able to see the main door from the kitchen and most of the budget are spend on her kitchen cupboard as expected and the antique sofa and cupboard set for the living room.



I actually wanted a lighter tone marble or granite tiles for the living room and bed rooms, but the contractor claim that there are shortage in the materials and change the bed room to normal ceramic tiles and the living room to darker tone granite tiles. The granite tiles also became my mom selected material for her kitchen cupboard top and dining table which left us with not much budget for bed room light which is using florescence light bulbs for quite a numbers of years when I finally get to replace it with LED Light later in 2013 when I did the third phrase of my Sweet Home 3D Project.


The first phrase is year 2000 where I install a window mounted Air Con with a Sony CRT TV for my PlayStation Gaming Console. I brought a TV Cupboard, CD Rack and a Book Shelf from Ikea. I also install some mirrors at the common corridor outside the bed rooms which became a popular site for my mom and sis for their clothes fitting. She also requested me to install the left over spare mirror at the wall near to the main door for her and my sis to view themselves before they leave the house.


The Book Shelf is place beside my Desktop Computer in the Dinning Room which later been modify with wheel below for my mom Kitchen in 2013 when I finally manage to win the territorial war and get to trade the share dinning room for the storage room / changing room / study room combo because of the Air Con Installation which was carry out way back in 2007 when I get married.

 

 

The second phrase of the project is carry out in year 2007 when I am getting married and plan to replace my single bed into double bed. My mom did not kept the promise of switching the master bed room as she is so use to the attached bath room toilet, so I had to work with my existing bed room which is near to the common share bath room toilet which is near to the kitchen.

The bed and wardrobe had been replace to accommodate the additional of one more person which is my wife, and other than Air Con Installation for all the three Bed Rooms I also decided to customize the Book Shelf and the Cupboard / Desk to better make use of the space indent into the wall and below the windows. My Cousin Ronnie is able to make the deep drawers an cupboard which I had requested and it really help me utilize the storage space in such a restricted area.

The bed was chosen with bed board and drawers storage which use to keep some consumable items and clothing, the customize book shelf also create a small table top and hidden storage space at the side of the bed which is near to the wall. The wardrobe had been chosen with some drawers for my wife to keep her jewellery and accessories, and I got some hook to stick at the side of the wardrobe and wall to hang clothes.

I had decided to install the Air Con just on top of the doors to save space and the remote controller is locate near to the light switch for easy access. The desk use to be use for my study and work but slowly it became the make up corner for my wife as I am using the computer desk at the dinning room more.

Phrase three which was carry out in year 2013 is the most elaborated of the whole project, it involve the customize shoe cupboard, phone corner and chest storage / sofa for the living room. It also involve the switching of the original storage room and dining room which I plan to make a study / guest room when I saw some Malaysia Relatives had to share master bed room and living room with my mom for the night when they came to attend my grand father funeral the year before.


Let focus on the living room first, the plan is to customize a shoe cupboard near the door to make it more tidy. It also provide a cupboard top just below the windows for my mom to put stuff which she need before she leave the house. The next innovative idea is to make a small sofa cupboard at the corner just outside the kitchen which allow my mom to sit comfortably while she chat on the phone.


The other innovative idea is the chest storage / sofa which my Cousin Ronnie had never came across before. He later manage to use this design concept on many of his renovation project and gain a lot of popularity with his customers. As I am sick of the original sofa cover tearing after short period of usage, I also customize leather cover for both the antique and chest storage sofa for easy maintenance and durability.

 Now for the best part which is the study / guest room, the main challenge for this project is to find a sofa bed which is able to accommodate more than two people. Most of the sofa bed are not suitable as it only able to accommodate either one or two people at the most, it took me long time to finally find this sofa bed which can accommodate three people.


The rest of the study room is a per previous second phrase which involve customize book shelf and desk cupboard which are able to utilize the indent on wall and below windows. The desk customize for two as I take into consideration of my wife and other guests which might want to share the space together with me. I also get a three piece stack able coffee table which I use one for my bed room, and two for the study / guest room which is also difficult to find due to the specific dimension I need.

The final stage of phrase three is the conversion of dining room into store room, I had configure the room in a way that it will allow me to easily change it into an addition bed room if require. It had been tested and proven by my mom when one of my aunt need to stay for short period while waiting for her new home renovation to be completed. The living room had also been use by my mom to accommodate the Malaysia Relative for short period when he need to find a new place when he decided to come to Singapore to work.


I actually told my mom to use the study / guest room but she is not keen as she think it might invade my privacy, I later use it for two of my friends when they need to stay for a short period when they visit Singapore. The storage room main challenge is to maximize the storage area for my mom to keep all her junks, so storage rack with heavy capacity were selected which allow her stuff to be more tidy instead of laying all over the floor previously.


The cupboard / desk / wardrobe combination had all been use to store her junks like the chest storage sofa and she still complain that it is not enough. And to my surprise there are still a lot of stuffs laying around on the floor of the master bed room which I don't understand the purpose of. I also finally manage to install curtains for all the bed room and replace the grill with better quality one.

The grand finale would be the LED Light which I had chosen to save the environment by reducing carbon footprint, Cousin Ronnie had suggested a much simple design as he think the glass panel will collect dust. But my uncle later also chose the same design for his new home which prove my taste in design are more suitable for general public. My mom requested a fan when she saw the other uncle had in their living room, and she also requested to convert a useless water heater switch outside her master bed room connecting bath room toilet to a power plug for her hair dryer.


I finally manage to get better light for the bed rooms and do not have to keep climbing ladder to replace light bulbs and keeping stock of wide variety of florescence light bulb. The remaining phrase of the project will be the master bed room, kitchen and bath room toilet in the future. Planning to install those washing basin recycle water to toilet flushing arrangement, and also a semi circle cupboard under the windows with hanging chair for master bed room.


I also make use of this opportunity to install LAN Cable from the living room to my bed room and study room for better and faster internet coverage. As we progress in life, we must consider the usage of space and utilities supply. We must fully utilize limited space and also think of environment protection, I had replace the shower head with water saving design in year 2012 when I saw it on a website on deal.

The TV were switch to LED once to Sansung in year 2007 and recently again in year 2017 to Philips, the water heater had been replace in year 2009 with Ariston and recently in year 2014 with Joven after the stainless steel pipe leak due to corrosion. I had brought the Sanyo Ultra Sonic Top Load Washing Machine to replace the Side Load Toshiba Washing Machine which we shifted from old home in year 2000, but it was again replace by my mom with Panasonic Water Saving Washing Machine in year 2014 for unknown reason.

The most recent plan is to replace the pillows which had been use for 7 years since 2012 where the initiate one were replace after 5 years since 2007. Future plan will be replacing the Mattress which had been in use since 2007 for 12 years and is trying for Memory Foam type if budget allow. 

The Chalet Without Mirror

This is another ghost story written by me, just read it as a story and do not question it. I am not here to answer your questions; I am only here to tell you a story. If you are afraid of darkness, stop right here now before it is too late. If you are determine to dig out the truth, I advise you to just forget about it completely. If you just want to gain more knowledge about the other existence, you may read on. As the Sea of Knowledge is so vast that there can never be a limit to one’s learning. Knowledge is Power as a Pen is always mightier than a Sword, and with Great Power comes Great Responsibilities.

It happen a very long time ago, during my Secondary School time, with my friend AK again. But this time we were not alone, but instead we were having a Class Chalet with all our Secondary School Classmates. It was a good day, we moved into the chalet and start the basic cleaning up before we settle down. We are having a Barbeque that night; as usual I am supposed to be the Fire Starter for the Barbeque Pit. A man got to do what a man got to do.

Every thing was set and all of us were gathering around the Barbeque Pit in front of our Chalet. I don’t know why do I have to always be the one that stew the chicken wings for them, why do people afraid to get their hands dirty? We were sitting there eating our chicken wings, chatting and having a good time. Just then, something happen so suddenly that it shock every one of us.

A middle aged man came out of no where and start burning incense and making offering right in front of our eyes right in front of our Chalet. Even our neighbors were shock when they saw this thing happen right in front of their eyes. We try to chase him away, but he just ignores us and continues with what he is doing.

“I think we better get the security people to come and settle this.” I suggested. “I will go with you.” AK said. We went to the security office to get one of the security guards to follow us back to our Chalet. “Where did that guy went?” I asked as I realized that he was not there any more. “He just left after he had finish what he come here to do.” DT said. “Never mind then, I will clear the stuff for you all and you all just continue with your Barbeque.” The security guard said.

“Maybe he was just praying and making offering to some Gods?” DT said. “See the Joss Sticks he use? The handle is green in color, not red, that is not for gods offering, that is only use during the Hungry Ghost Festive to make offering to the ghosts.” I pointed out what worries me most. “You really know those stuff well.” The security guard was surprise with my knowledge. “Maybe you should speak to Uncle Tan, he been working here for quiet a long time, maybe he will know something.” The security guard suggested. AK and me went with the security guard to see Uncle Tan, and we heard the most amazing story about the Chalet that we are going to stay for the next two days!

“Did you realize that there are no mirror at the dressing table?” Uncle Tan said. “Now that you tell me that, I think that is so, don’t you think so? AK.” “Yes.” AK agrees. “It happens quiet a few years back.” Uncle Tan signed as he begins his story.

A rich man was having an affair with his mistress at the Chalet. The mistress wanted him to divorce with his wife so that they can be legally together instead of hiding in Hotels or Chalets. The rich man disagrees and the mistress threatens to expose their affair to his wife. In the fit of anger, he kills the mistress by accident, banging her head against the mirror.

The management clears up the Chalet, restore the mirror with a new one and continue to rent it out to the public. Everything was fine until a newly wedded couple rented the Chalet for their Honey Moon. They went for a swim that afternoon at the seaside; the husband let the wife use the bathroom to take a shower first. After the wife is done she sat down in front of the dressing table to comb her hair. After the husband finish his shower, he lay on the bed to wait for his wife to finish with her hair.

He was very tired and fell asleep. By the time he wakes up again, it was already way pass midnight. He saw his wife still sitting in front of the dressing table combing her hair. He was puzzle and went behind her, wanting to pull her to his side so that they could have some romance for that night.

To his horror, he saw the face of another woman in the reflection of the mirror, smiling eerily at him. He almost fainted, but he pulls his last courage and phone for some help. Uncle Tan was the security guard on duty that night, he knows a Taoist well and so he calls the Taoist to come down for a look. The Taoist says that the ghost had die tragic and she was wearing a red dress when she die, so it was too powerful for him to subdue. The only thing they can do is wait for sunrise. The Taoist reflects the sunlight from outside the chalet pointed to the wife while Uncle Tan smash the mirror into pieces. Mirror was never restore in that same Chalet ever again.

“Maybe the middle age guy was the rich man, maybe it was the husband, or maybe it was just some other guy who had strange encounter in that same Chalet, no one will ever knew.” Uncle Tan said as he ended his story. We never did tell our classmates about it, some people just couldn’t take the fear and shock that come with the story. Those two nights, everybody sleep well except AK and me. There are going to be more sleepless nights, as there are going to be more ghost stories. If you like it, just enjoy the pleasure of reading it, do not try to find out where, when or how it all happen. It is just a story, and you are just another reader in a sleepless night like this.