6 posts tagged “chiauw”

Wire Management for TV Console

Our renovation journey had been educational and, thanks to our meticulous ID - Chiauw, we picked up lots of valuable insight.  Her motto in serving to educate her clients, let us to become well informed with market products, brands, quality and useful renovation know-how.   Of course, this comes with a price but, looking back, it will be a lifelong lesson.

We were not an easy client too.  We expected quality in workmanship; superiority yet affordable products and a result that exudes elegant aura of stylish home.  Reiki Sanctuary is an old HDB with lots of restrictions.  From the limited air conditioning electrical consumption and condensor weight to the height floor-ceiling limit.

One fastidious aspect that we needed her to propose was for the wiring management system that must be functional, affordable and provided an attractive solution.  We wanted a seamless installation.  To accomplish result where wires and cables 'disappear' into the walls and ceilings.  We wanted an aesthetically appealing wire management that will integrate well with our home decor.

Where we used to stay, in Hertford, we were able to conceal the wires.  Most of them were embedded into the wall.  With such wired definition, it made the mess for electrical wired trunks less visible and, needless to say, is more pleasing to the eyes.  However, the setback of not having a proper floor plan and a good drawing for the electrical chart, it can be a nightmarish shortfall.  It would be a guessing game to point how those circuitry electrical wires were run.

HDB, on the other hand - particularly old flats, has strict regulations.  Electrical wires are not to be concealed into the wall.  The whole circuitry is exposed.  Therefore, In designing Reiki Sanctuary, it became a challenge.

In my previous entry Timeline - In Perspective, I wrote that life is beautiful.  In a reciprocal respect, with all the days brainstorming to minimise the exposure of wires and to manage clutter in a workstation/tv console in Reiki Sanctuary, she turned HDB's restriction towards an acceptable trimmed and undiluted 'wired' sanctuary.  We managed to conceal, probably, ninety percent of the design of an effective electric circuit around the house.

Achieving Hidden Wire Management System for TV Console

The First Step - Circuitry Routing

Identify your desirable lifestyle for each room and the electrical gadgets/devices that will be housed therein.  With your floor plan, go through each room and plot the number of socket points/SCV/Telephone line.  Get the electrician to fix them before the commencement of carpentry works.

Example of Wire Management in Living Room:

Last week ended with a note that Chiauw would bring us to the site this morning.  The objective was to decide for the placement of the towel hanger and toilet paper holder.  Chiauw just wanted us to decide where we would want to hang them in the two toilets.

We felt it would be a good idea to go down with Chiauw.  That we would be able, at the same time, to discuss some other issues and any other problems, if any.  In question, we also wanted to get a firm handover date.  When we first engaged Chiauw, early this year, she told us that renovation would normally finish within two months.  She was confident that we could move in early September.

Our renovation has stretched far too long.  It is into the fourth month.  An average renovation for a resale HDB would normally take about (maximum) three months.  Since we could not move in early September, we have actually re-scheduled it for today.  Obviously, we underestimated.

Chiauw told us, last week, that she will pick us at about 9 in the morning.  We waited.  By about 10, we decided to call her.  It was bad timing.  She was in the middle of a heated argument with Uncle Chong.  It seemed that Uncle Chong was angry that she changed some details for our kitchen.

Honestly, we felt that the tension was uncalled for.  We had already mentioned to Chiauw not to change any more drawings.  A change would, definitely, delay any progress.  We would accept technical variations as long as there are no large disparity.  We just wanted things to move on.

The arguments, which yet to come to any conclusion, were about our kitchen:

Perfection Number One

Chiauw insists to rectify this area.  Though there is an ample space for a door between the cabinet and the island hood in the drawing, Uncle Chong mentions that it would not be possible.  We have agreed just to close the cabinet, or even boxed it up.

Chiauw feels it will be a wasted area.  But to us, it is just too small for anything and willing to forgo it.  She feels the aesthetic would not be right not to do anything there.  She suggests a rod where we can hang ladle, pots and pans but we strongly disagree.

It is somewhat surprising that, until a crisis happened, so much can change.  Complacency springs out of the pages and new events are quick to present with achievements.  A crisis should not be taken negatively.  Yet while it is often true that it stirs the emotions, generally hold with ill feelings and effects, it has to be recognised as one of the most telling contributory factor in any eventual victory.

An effective change is said to produce result after a crisis.  It proves to be effectual in bringing actions.  It jolts every molecule out of our system.  It brings higher vibrational consciousness.  It sets for deeper awareness.  It mobilises the inertia of an entrenched bureaucracy.  All decked out for the soul to learn the energy alternative out of comfort zone.

Yesterday, we received an early morning call from Chiauw.  She informed us that she had arranged a meeting with Uncle Chong and few other trade contractors at 10 a.m. at Reiki Sanctuary.  Hmm, how an event - our email yesterday, can accelerate a straight line motion for actions.  When we arrived, there were 12 workers already busy doing their own stuffs at different places throughout the house.  In the Living Room, where it was converted into a mini conference area, there were Chiauw, Uncle Chong, a personnel from Formwell, the electrician supervisor and painting foreman.  Later in the day, the parquet and glass guys came to get briefing from Chiauw.

All eyes were drawn to these drawings:

We greatly appreciated their attendance.  Though the meeting was filled with angry voices at times, more often between Chiauw and Uncle Chong, it ended with one common understanding and goal.  The understanding that renovation works in Reiki Sanctuary were long overdue.  And a goal that there must be, and should have, a date for everything.  It was a good day for all of us.  It was a day to achieve an optimal result.  Surprisingly, the workers worked a full day on a Saturday.

Do we work better under stress?  Looking at the many achievements in one day, the answer is probably yes.  We were glad to be there.  Though we didn't fully participate in the meeting, as it was rather technical, our presence was either to confirm certain details and to go ahead with the works [despite some technical site problem] or to drop off an idea.  When we were not participating in the meeting, we managed to interact with the workers.  Their works will determine the outcome of higher quality that we anticipate.

By four in the evening, we saw transformation.  Pressure can really work wonders!

01.  Balcony area cleaned up and surrounding walls going through final coat of paint.

02.  Guest Toilet's lights fixed

03.  Living room walls had the final coat of paint.

04.  Master Bedroom lights fixed

05.  Master Wardrobe glass door fixed.
Uncle Chong will change the shelves into a hanging area next week.

It started with the truth.

Yesterday, the first thing we did when we reached home after inspecting the site was to send an email to Chiauw.  Our intention, and for the very first time, was to express our disappointment.  We decided to express the truth.  That we didn't want things to drag any further.  That we wanted Chiauw to commit to us a handover date.  We felt by putting the pressure on Chiauw, it would cause a chain effect.  She would call Uncle Chong and to insist for his completion date.

On our part, and based on the earlier committed schedule, we have confirmed the deliveries for Thursday and Friday.  We have scheduled our move on 6th October and we are supposed to hand over Hertford on 8th October.

Looking at the situation in Reiki Sanctuary, there is no way we can achieve the deadline.  There is no way that the deliveries can be done as there would just be no clean area to place all the bulky items.  Even the Master Bedroom, which was supposed to be completed by 20th Spetember, was in a big mess.  The parquet floor was still covered and dusty.  There are still no lights inside the room.  There are still no proper vanity and sanitary.  The wardrobes are with no doors.  The sliding door separating the Master Bedroom and Study area is not fixed.  And the study top cabinet is, conveniently, forgotten.

The Female Fireworks

Within half an hour after sending the email, Chiauw called us.  We accepted her apologies.  She admitted that she forgot about the study top cabinet and there was no drawing given to Uncle Chong to construct it. Next, she shared with us her working problem with Uncle Chong.  She told us that she could not get any other trades to do anything until Uncle Chong completes his part.

On our part, that issue had settled in the previous meeting.  What is important is the question of responsibility - who should shoulder what?  We suggested that that she should call Uncle Chong and passed him about our concerns.

The Male Fireworks

Next, we had to handle Uncle Chong.  Chiauw had called him after her conversation with us.  She must had mentioned for a meeting.  He called us to refuse a tripartite meeting and insisted that it would be best for him to contact us directly. 

Perhaps, it was a better choice.  There were just too many unpleasant remarks made about Chiauw's modus operandi.  Before we could get him to commit the completion date, we had to listen to all his disappointments with Chiauw.  Not to aggravate the situation, we just listened.

Guessed Uncle Chong just needed to let off his steam too.  At the end of it, we managed to get him to verbally commit us the completion date.  Though we were not fully happy, we told him that we just have to accept the few dates.

The Aftermath

Other than getting some dates, our problems are not solved.  We are still back to guessing game.  For now, we are targetting 20th October.

We need to re-schedule the deliveries.  However, we are just wary if the mover can accomodate us on the 20th.

We wonder if both Chiauw and Uncle Chong understand our problems - that the longer we are to stay in Hertford, the more rent we have to pay.  This is an unnecessary expense and we could actually use it to get better things.  How about Reiki Sanctuary's neighbours?  How long more must they endure the noise, the dust?  How about our other plans?

A thought did cross our mind.  Should we get compensation should the project is delayed again?  Perhaps.

We almost lost Uncle Chong - the principal joiner of Reiki Sanctuary.  To us, and also Chiauw, Uncle Chong is a meticulous joiner.  We have seen his works and he takes extreme care about details and kinda fussy to technicalities.

Wardrobe done by Uncle Chong in another project:

Ah, it sounds almost like Chiauw!  And, indeed, when we put the two of them together, they often engage in friendly arguements - always!  Uncle Chong is the practical guy who needs a detailed drawing so that he can exercise precision with the final products.  Chiauw, on the other hand, is very architectural and she needs exact measurement before she can lay the final products into a drawing. 

As the renovation is slowly taking shape, and new ideas or site technical problems cropped out, Chiauw feels the joinery drawings can only be finalised when all the wetworks are completely done.  But Uncle Chong insists on a drawing now so that he can start with all the wood works. 

And so, the drifts have started *sad*.

Uncle Chong has been awarded with our joinery works right from the very beginning of our renovation project and had been briefed on layouts for the whole house - the location, the type of wood and wood finishes.  We have a lot of joinery works in this house, even the TV consoles and bed frame and its side tables are to be customed made by Uncle Chong.  Simply, Uncle Chong understands our basic requirements.

We like both of them.  We strongly believe that each one of them will give us the best for Reiki Sanctuary.  But, right now, we are smacked in between.  Uncle Chong wants to quit and Chiauw is not going to heed.  As long as Chiauw is not going to give him the final drawings, Uncle Chong cannot deliver the goods by early September.

Chiauw, however, strongly feels that she can only finalise the drawing by end of this week when all the false ceilings and tiles/teakwoods are completely installed.  She feels that Uncle Chong can already start with the small parts based on the earlier drawings for the doors, kitchen cabinet drawers, study area etc.  But Uncle Chong has a different work style - he prefers to focus on one project and complete it before he takes on another one.

We have no choice but to interfere in their differences now.  As much as we want to move in by the first week of September, we are now making big sacrifice to move in on the third week [earliest] or end of September [latest].  We hope this will give them back their many years of business relationship.  We feel that the only way not to stress the two of them anymore, we have to extend our deadline.

Definitely, we will suffer some inconveniences especially when many things have been arranged for early September.  Now we wonder, will we be compensated?