When Does Renovation begin

To Renovate or Not to Renovate? 

That is the question when looking at these photos:

Since only 2 of us live in this tiny apartment (850 sqft), we thought of a budget and decided to re-create our kitchen with a counter-bar instead of using a dining table. 

After viewing the IKEA catalogs from year 2002 to 2014 over and over, hubbs and I decided that our choices would be:

1) chrome & grey theme - ABSTRAKT cabinet fronts and grey LIDINGO glass door cabinets

2) then we decided white - RAMSJO cabinet fronts - great wood fronts and not laminated - but was too expensive

3) Then we figured out ADEL (inverted) laminated fronts

We couldn't choose until we visited the store and saw it for ourselves on the pattern, make and quality. 

By checking IKEA Malaysia's website daily really helps in planning my kitchen ideas. 

Apparently whilst budgeting the prices on the types of cabinet doors, their kitchen cabinets were on sale - especially the LIDINGO fronts. This was really a great time!

So we decided to go with LIDINGO - a cross-breed between ADEL & RAMSJO (in my opinion) in terms of the look which we like.























With having these ideas that pop to mind, hubbs and I took a trip to IKEA Damansara (they were renovating then - so we went there every weekend to check out other stuff). We also noted that the solid surface was on SALE (discount at 20%).

We went to IKEA's contractor, CT Art & Design to inquire the process of installing IKEA kitchen cabinets. They requested us to contact them to fix an appointment once we completed our renovations.

By end of May 2014, the kitchen showrooms were almost completed. We started viewing these samples and got very excited: 

Hubbs and I decided to think of a theme: Scandanavian - Classic Modern. 
-----------------------------------
I began recreating the theme in a 3D home-design software together with the furniture that we wanted. About 30 print-outs and design, Hubbs and I decided we needed to: RENOVATE to put all the stuff together.

Again, I put together in the 3D software -and began designing how we wanted our kitchen to look like if we hacked down walls. Somewhere in between, it didn't seem quite right as there were questions on beams, fixtures and wall replacements. 

We then discussed with our local contractor on 1 wall demolishing. He viewed our apartment and mentioned that if we were to demolish the balcony wall, we still couldn't flatten the wall as it partly a beam. My plans faltered as I couldn't fit in an island beside my standing cooker.

After that, it was back to the drawing board on my design and concept of what I want my kitchen to be.