Shortcake's Lair

After months and months of labor ... the physical, mental and emotional kind, we have finally settled into our little lovenest at a cosy yet busy section of Northern Petaling Jaya . I had a brief entry on the renovation progress here, but sadly I failed to follow up on the subsequent work-in-progress, but nevertheless, I've got loads of pics taken throughout. So, I decided go with a "before & after" angle here, to demonstrate the transformation of the bare empty house into this cute little place we call our own.

Before & After: The Living Area

This is the living room view from the entrance. The units in this part of the condo does not have a balcony but an enclosed area called a "lanai". We decided to build a book-bench so we can sit and stare out at the view.... see view below:

The Enviable View: Curve & Cineleisure

The Living Area: all that's missing now would be a super furry rug and a matching coffee table. Oh, and of cos, some nice decorative paintings and photos of the Shortcake clan.

The kitchen is always the most difficult part. Apparently the biggest chunk of all residential renovations goes into the kitchen, makes you wonder if everyone actually spends that much time there! We chose black, which was not advisable, according to the designer-contractor who probably hadn't experienced his clients asking for a black kitchen! Yup, it took us a WHILE to convince him we want it black. So paint it black dude. We had the creamy white top, gray tiles and bling bling mosaic to add a touch of contrast to the black. We removed the door which leads into the kitchen and added a black frame instead. The door leading into the wet kitchen was painted black to match the cabinets and bling bling mosaic.

Before & After: Kitchen

Before & After: Kitchen

Next, let's look at the dining area, getting this area done was not easy, we had the table custom-made to match the solid black wood finish of all the built-in units. There are no solid-black tables anywhere... in most places we went to, teak was the 'in' thing, followed by the other extreme of the clear glass and stainless steel variety *yawn* So we had a nice custom made solid timber black table (which no one can lift!) but then we did not have chairs for almost a month! Later, we found these gorgeous black suede cushion chairs with stainless steel legs at IKEA, the place we least expect to find them! We wanted the Ghost Chairs for an avant-garde effect but they cost a bomb and probably not as comfy as they are pretty, and the cheaper polycarbonate alternatives (from EZQT) just won't do for hours of sitting.

Before & After: Dining

This pic below is the wet kitchen, which was essentially an open-balcony for laundry etc. We closed it up and had windows and a ventilator installed. We built a concrete structure to house a laundry sink and a double burner hob for "serious" cooking.

Before & After: Wet Kitchen aka Laundry Area

Finally, let's stroll a little deeper into the dark secret abode of the Goth Queen ... the highlight here is the dream wallpaper, the built-in solid black bed frame, the built-in dresser (designed by yours truly) and concealed floodlights from above the bed frame. We split the room using an artificial wall (partition) to create a 'walk-in' closet some-sort. I'm very glad for this, it helps block out the morning glare if you want to sleep in till noon!

Before & After: Shortcake's Snooze Palace & Dream Dresser
(see Shortcake and Ashley getting cosy and cuddly under the covers!)

Shortcake and hubby are super blessed and thankful for all the help and support from our families and God above for this wonderful place. We couldn't have done it otherwise. Coming up next, what will Shortcake do now that she has her own little place to share with dear hubby ...? ;)