Chandiliers versus furnitures...

18th May 2008

There were quite a number of choices that I found very suitable for the house however some comes in a good price and a few others are quite expensives. The pictures below are some fixtures that I am referring to...

This 2.4m diameter grand chandelier which is $6800 after discount. Not bad...

My 2nd choice...very nice...

I like this Master bed. It cost a good $5000 plus after discount which comes with the screen behind the bed, a very comfortable mattress, 2 side tables, a dressing table and a huge cabinet (picture below).

This one may be suitable for the guest bedroom. It cost $860 including mattress

I like the colour. Perhaps this is good for Safiya. This cost $630 only without a mattress.

This one is another good alternative for Safiya perhaps. It cost a good $5999 before discount with cabinet, dressing table and side tables.

A new style purple bed with side table.

The round dining table above with marble top costs $1420 after discount. The length is about 1.38m. The one below with beige chair costs $1240 after discount with length of 1.25m with a white marble base. This may go perfectly with the white cabinet in the dry kitchen.

All in a days work

18th May 2008

This afternoon, I went to several furniture shops in Sengkurong area before heading to the site. The weather today was a bit hotter than the previous day, nevertheless, the electrician had almost completed the piping work and may continue again by tomorrow. I also informed him regarding the wire for the emergency lighting which was not captured in the plan i.e. the Master suite, the reception area, the formal and informal living room and the dry kitchen. I also discussed the space in the Master bath with the construction supervisor (Mr. Asi) which I wanted to increase the length by 0.5m. I may need to inform Mr. Lai (my architect) soon.

The double staircases is 70% done. They may need to continue this by tomorrow.

The view from the top

Towards the centre of the house. The electrical piping is almost done.

The Master suite

The view below the house. All of this wooden poles are needed to withstand the weight of cement for the 1st floor.

Other ideas for the house...

18th May 2008

The day when I had my stakeholder engagement, I managed to snap some pictures at the Hotel and also at some of the fittings that I managed to visit at one of the Gadong electrical shop and Cotto in Sengkurong. This afternoon, I am planning to checkout the progress of the house so for the mean time enjoy the picture below...

The prayer room at Rizqun business centre. I am planning to get this kind of carpet for the prayer room. I need to find where can I get one...

The ablution area. I like the seating arrangement and fittings. Probably I am thinking of maybe fabricating 1 or 2 seats like this if the space permits..

These are the more expensive sockets that I could find at Gadong. You could probably see the price tag. May be we could get several pieces for the Master Suites or Formal living. Subject to change..or else I still prefer the socket that I posted earlier which is a bit cheaper than this one... The single socket for the one above cost $44 and the double one cost $76 while the single light switch cost $36, $38 for double and $42 for triple switches.

The big lamp to the right is the one I am thinking of putting at the big pole infront of our house. It can be fitted with a spot light at the top and bottom and this cost $170 after discount. Need to get 2 of these and not sure if we can get this cheaper in Australia. But for the time being we are still looking for an alternative fashion to this kind of lamp for the pole.

A smaller version of the pole spot light with stainless steel which cost $99 after discount. It will go perfectly for our house's pole if it is alot bigger.

The far end wall lamp is similar to the one we bought in Brisbane except the one we bought is cover with stainless steel. This one cost $60 in Brunei and the one bought in Brisbane cost $20 to $30 which is alot cheaper.

This is a dream Jacuzzi from Cotto, which cost more than $4000. It can also fit 2 people inside.

Preferably the Corner Jacuzzi at the right one is more likely affordable but a lot smaller than the one above. This cost $2300 and only $10 discount is given. The oval Jacuzzi is unprice. By putting the corner Jacuzzi in our Master bathroom, it will make the space alot bigger.

Colourful artificial granite tile which cost $72 each.

This sink cost $180 for white colour, $195 for pastel coulour i.e. sky blue, beige, harvest blue, harvest green, pink and ivory peach and cost $225 for fashion colour i.e. Rasberry, excel wine red, cambridge blue, excel green and black. The good thing about this shop is that you are able to customize your fittings with a cost.

The 1 piece toilet i.e. the one to the right cost $800 for white colour, $850 for pastel colour and $900 for fashion colour.

This is the cheapest 1 piece toilet which cost $630 for white colour, $680 for pastel colour and $750 for fashion colour.

Lots of activities at the site

17th May 2008

Today I went to the site twice i.e. in the morning and afternoon as I was working late yesterday. There was alot of activities going on at the site i.e. the construction workers was busy finishing up the steel work, the electrician started working on the electrical piping for the 1st and ground floor and the aircon personnel prepared the drainage pipe for the 1st floor. After the visit, I went to the hardware store at Jangsak, however, I did not manage to find any interesting fittings for the house except for the gold cornice. Before lunch I spent quite some times at Netcom in Kiulap for my wife's HP tablet software update. Late afternoon, I went to Hua Ho Sengkurong to buy some groceries for the construction workers and visited the site for my final stop.

The whole overview of the house from the front

The whole overview of the 1st floor from the Master suite. The lead electrician is drilling a hole at the wooden frame for the lamp at the staircase.

The whole overview of the 1st floor from the children's bedrooms.

The left staircase from the top

The right staircase from the top. Both of the staircase will be readied in another 2 to 3 days time. The cement work may be expected to be done by Wednesday.

The staircase from another angle. The skill worker crafting the other side of the staircase.

The space for the spiral staircase

The worker tighten the steel bar with evenly spacing for cement

One of the store room under the staircase which was a bit smaller than expected.

The electrician and the aircon man preparing the piping work

I went to one of the electrical shop next to Netcom I found this 32" flatscreen Tv. It has a white glossy cover which may go very perfectly with the dry kitchen if we decided to use a white glossy cabinet.

The storm is coming...

14th May 2008

After the stakeholder engagement this afternoon at Rizqun Hotel, I managed to go an electrical shop in Gadong and also Cotto in Sengkurong for some fittings hunting. I'll post the findings in the next post. At the site, they had almost completed fixing the steel bar at the kids bedrooms and around the 1st floor perimeter. They also had started preparing the double stair case wooden frame. Lately Brunei had been experiencing a thunder storm in the evening. Just look at the picture below...

Outside the Master suite..look at the black cloud in the sky...

Outside the kids bedrooms


The steel bar at the kids bedrooms is almost ready

Towards the centre of the house

Preparing the wooden frame for the stair case...It is alot difficult than it looks!

Another angle from the top

More fittings hunting No 2...

11th May 2008

The other varieties of fiitings that I found today. I am just creating alternatives for extra fixtures that could be used for the house. Happy computer screen shopping...

The chandilier cost a good $8000 before discount with the diameter of 1.5m. Not quite big for the main reception of the house. For the time being, I am still considering the chandilier sold at Jangsak as it is quite cheaper than any other store in Brunei with moderate quality. Subject to change...

The silver and gold fan with lamps cost $399. After discount I managed to get the cost down to $300. This looks pretty sweet for the Master Suite or perhaps in the Formal Living room.

The same fan as above without lamps cost a good $200 after discount. The picture below shows another angle of the fan from below. It looks very elegant...I like!!!

This is a 3 bladed white with gold colour fan from Dubai with a strong motor claimed by the sales person. This cost $79 only, a very good bargain. I am thinking of getting this for the kid's bedroom or perhaps for the prayer room or any other room.

A white and gold wooden fan with lamps cost $300. May also be nice for the kid's bedroom with matching white cabinets...I can almost see it already.

A wooden fan with lamps from Korea cost $300 too after discount.

A 4 short bladed brown fan with lamp cost $249.

A gray bladed fan cost $200 after discount.

Varieties of downlight, with the small one at the top shelves cost $12 with with warm light bulb and $10 with energy saver bulb each. The smaller downlight is made of a thicker alloy however, the larger one is made of thinner material and cost only $8 with warm light bulb and $7 with energy saver bulb. I am still looking for some varieties, perhaps a cheaper square downlight or any nice alternatives...

A single jacuzzi bathtub cost a good $1400...Its almost cost as expensive as the double jacuzzi.

A double sink with a centre counter top cost $149 before discount. May be good for the wet kitchen.

Another varieties also cost at $149 before discount.

Varieties of shower, cost from $26 to $29. However, this is not made of metal, its plastic except for the very top one which cost $72. Not a good choice for the house.

A single ($49.50 after discount) and double ($128 before discount) round sink at the top and bottom , we probably may get the double one for the dry kitchen as we had a bought the chopping board from IKEA during my last visit to Brisbane in March.

A tripple sink, looks very promising too for the wet kitchen. This also cost $149 before discount.

Varieties of showers but not made of metal cost from $14 to $21. May get the metal shower in Brisbane or somewhere in Brunei as it last abit longer.

This is the round table that I certainly want to put in the dry kitchen for everyday use. Its diameter is 1.5m with marble top and the total seating area when fully utilise would be a good 2 to 3m in diameter. This cost a good $1680 after discount but the sales person informed me to wait until August for the half-yearly sales as the price may go down tremendously. And a new shipment would also be arriving sometimes in August. The good thing about the table above is that I am able to change the chair to a brown colour one which I prefer.

Another type of the round table, but I do not like the legs. This cost around $1400 to $1600, I don't remember exactly.

An alternative to the home theater couch. However, we had bought the sofa for the home theater at the January Sales. The couch above cost more than $2000.

A round table cost at $400 for the study room.

Varieties of drawers, not pretty sure where to put them.

This is a 10 seater dining table which cost $5500 at 3m long. After discount, the cost would be $4700.

The table above is my personal favorite, a 12 seater 3.5m long cost at $7000. Need to pre-order if we decided to get this one.