When to Have Gatherings?

With the Chinese almanac Tong Shu shared by The 8th Voyager, my plan is to have my house blessed followed by a house warming party with family, relatives and friends on May 21.

Here is the complete list of auspicious gathering dates:

When to Move to Your New Home?

Here are the auspicious move in dates in 2010 for those planning to do so.

I am planning to move to my new condo on Sunday, May 16. I think that day is perfect because it is very close to the new moon which will manifest itself on May 14.

When to Start Renovating?

I have not really thought about the ideal or the lucky day to start renovating the interior of my condo. However, I was suprised to learn that the day that coincides with the actual start of the renovation work - Tuesday, March 16 - was an auspicious day prescribed by the Chinese almanac Tong Shu.

This is the complete list of auspicious dates for renovation work. Thanks to The 8th Voyager for the info.

By the way, Happy April Fools Day and have a Blessed Holy Week!

Interior Renovation - Day 6 [This Way to the Walk-in Closet]

• The walk-in closet area is now defined after the partition has been setup today.
• The door jamb between the walk-in closet and the bedroom, as well as the one between the walk-in closet and the dining area were setup by Mang Rey.

Interior Renovation - Day 5 [Taking Shape]

• The bedroom is definitely taking shape. I think it will be a very cozy bedroom - just the way I want it.
• Now I understand why Mang Rey calculated that the renovation work will take roughly 2 months. The installation of the paneling alone takes a long while, not to mention that the bleaching, sanding and staining processes will more than double the installation effort.
• Four door jambs were delivered today from a woodcraft shop along the main road.

Interior Renovation - Day 4 [Divide and Conquer]

• The frame for the divider that separates the bedroom from the living and dining rooms have been setup today. The 3 skilled workers should now be able to simultaneously work on different areas of the condo - including the roughing in for the lighting, outlets and switches.
• The panels for the double wall were also extended to the section facing east.
• Another set of 34 kiln-dried S4S were delivered today.
• I finally managed to find a way to dispose of the 22 sacks of debris collected during the first 3 days of work. The guys delivering the materials agreed to take the debris with them and then to return the sacks during the next delivery.

Interior Renovation - Day 3 [22 Sacks of Debris]

• In the third day of the renovation work, 22 sacks of debris have been collected following the demolition of a small section of the T&B wall. I was informed that the pre-casted T&B walls were of high quality. It will be long before the T&B area will be worked on because the inner rooms - bedroom, reading nook and living room - will be prioritized in the succeeding days.
• Additional double wall panels were added today in the dining and living room areas.

Interior Renovation - Day 2 [Renovation Work Indeed in Full Swing]

• A section of the L-shaped T&B was torn down today rendering the area more spacious and ready for the installation of bathtub. In the process, the T&B door was displaced - I need to give it away (any takers?).
• The paneling of the double wall was started today. Initial electrical cabling was also done by Mang Alejandro. Each double wall panel is roughly 11 inches wide. When all panels are installed they will be bleached, stained in off white and applied with polyurethane coating. Each panel will also have a dark brown border.
• The wall-hung cabinet was installed with its own superimposed paneling. I was informed narra plywood will eventually be used in order to have better grain details. This paneling will conceal the necessary wires to and from the wall-mounted LCD TV.

Interior Renovation - Day 1 [Renovation Work Officially Begins Today]

• Another set of materials were ordered today by Mang Rey. Most of the materials were for electrical works.
• Mang Alexandro and Jeff completed stripping the T&B with its tiles. They just left untouched a small patch of tiles behind the pipe since the piping around the T&B will be concealed.
• The wall-hung home entertainment system cabinet which I designed was assembled today by Mang Rey and Mang Eric. I closely worked with them to ensure that the measurements were precisely followed. I was amazed to learn that the cabinet can hold more than 60 kilos of load. Mang Rey himself sat on it and before I could protest he explained that the mounting was strong.

Interior Renovation - Day 0 [Mobilization]

• Today the foreman ordered the materials needed for the early stage of the interior renovation work.
• In the evening I provided the orientation to the workers. I informed them of the things to remember while working onsite, including the penalties should they fail to follow the guidelines set by the property developer.
• For a while I was worried how 50 pieces of 12-foot kiln-dried S4S, along with 30 pieces of 3/4"-thick plyboard and other consummables, will make it from the ground floor to my condo unit. How did they make it to my condo unit? Piece by piece.
• Except for some vinyl tiles which Mang Rey (the foreman) managed to remove, not much was accomplished today. The workers arrived late onsite because the bus which brought Mang Alejandro, Mang Eric and Jeff from Isabela to Manila broke down. The typical 8-hour journey to Manila was extended to more than half a day. The workers requested to catch up on their sleep in order to have the energy to fully start with the work. I didn't have issues with the request and so I looked forward to the renovation work in full swing starting tomorrow.

The Long Wait is Over

The long wait is finally over! I have already reached an agreement with the contractor who will undertake the interior renovation work in my condo.

At early morning today, I picked up the would-be foreman at a bus station in Cubao. He is from Isabela so he had to travel to Manila in order to see the site and to quote his price for the work.

We had breakfast first then we headed to the new condo. After I showed him the floor plan and detailed the work that will have to be undertaken, he named his price. Having had previous discussions with other contractors, I have already made prior computations and when we eventually got to the figure that will work out best for the two of us, I decided to award the work him.

Later in the afternoon I was back in the area scouting for lumber and hardware stores. I was already given a list of materials to buy and, fortunately, despite the dry and humid Sunday afternoon, I found one store near the condo which has all the materials that I needed. Arrangements were already made and I was informed to expect the materials to be delivered to following day.

Happy Birthday, Onin!

Hey, Onin, manlibre ka naman! Happy birthday!

Kung Hei Fat Choi

Today we welcome the Year of the Tiger.

Happy New Year! Kung Hei Fat Choi!

This is what yearofthetiger.net says about this year:

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2010 is the Year of the Tiger, which commences on February 14, 2010 and ends on February 2, 2011. The Tiger is the third sign in the Chinese Zodiac cycle, and it is a sign of bravery. This courageous and fiery fighter is admired by the ancient Chinese as the sign that keeps away the three main tragedies of a household. These are fire, thieves and ghosts.

Tigers are physically powerful, gracious, independent and brave, they are extremely bold animals. They are friendly and loving but can also selfish and short tempered. Tigers seek attention and power; frequently they are envious in a relation. Tigers live dangerously which often leads to trouble. They are intolerant, take risks and are always searching for excitement. Tigers are also instilled with a good dose of courage.

The Tiger has an overpowering attraction and is very kind and always takes on the character as protector. The Tiger flourishes by power and attention and takes advantage of all circumstances it gets itself into. The Tiger is a natural leader and loves to be the centre of attention. As a rebel it goes up against authority and speaks out about wrongs in society, and willingly puts up objections. Even if you don’t agree with the beliefs of the tiger you admire his way to protest.

Just as how their counterparts in the jungle are impulsive, so too are individuals born in the Chinese Year of the Tiger. When people think of tigers, it is their vigor and power that comes to mind first. But it has also been noted that tigers are known to share and are unselfish animals. The reason people admire the tiger is due to the fact that they are ferocious and domineering on the outside, but they are just as noble and distinguished on the inside. These are the same personality attributes that persons will have who are born in the Year of the Tiger.

People that are born in the Year of the Tiger are generally well liked because of their charismatic personalities. Often, failing at a given duty or being unproductive in his personal or professional life can cause a Tiger to experience a deep sense of depression.A Tiger is always at their happiest when they endeavor to climb the ladder of success. Attaining the top spot is his foremost purpose; being in a position of power is her ultimate goal. They are quick learners, need to be challenged and often prefer to work alone. Some Tigers tend to change careers more frequently because they get bored quite easily. They are natural born leaders and perform at their best if working towards positions of power and influence. So once there is no further room for progression, they will often move on to something else.

Anyone that is born in the Year of the Tiger is usually straightforward and outgoing by nature. They will never give up no matter how aggravated they may become. But, they are also full of suspicion and at times will take hasty action. Never lose sight of the fact that Tigers are smart and instinctive.

People born in the Year of the Tiger always take pride in being different from others, and normally demonstrate their originality best in their homes. Their homes are typically filled with exotic possessions. It is no surprise that one of the Tiger’s favorite gemstones is the cat’s eye, but tigers also love the sparkle of rubies and diamonds. They like to spend money, and also to share it. They can be very impulsive spenders because they know they can at all times make more.

The Year of the Tiger is the third year in the cycle of “Heavenly Branches”. Customarily, it is called “Yin”. Those born in the Year of the Tiger are compatible with the horse, dog, and dragons.

Happy Birthday, Kathy!

My sister celebrates her birthday today. Happy birthday, Kathy! Don't forget to send pictures of your birthday dinner!

Quick Intro to Feng Shui

I have recently been doing research on Fengh Shui and on how I can utilize it to enhance the positive energy in my would-be condo. This video provides a quick introduction to this topic. Just don't mind the occassional marketing pitch.

Feast of the Black Nazarene

Today is the feast of the Black Nazarene in the Philippines. As devotees swell throughout the vicinity of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila to catch at least a glimpse of the centuries old image of Christ, I was in Alabang scouting for appliances to furnish my new condo.

I don't have access to the news yet, but I am certain deaths and injuries will be reported as the procession progresses. Personally, I don't understand why the Catholic Church continues to tolerate this practice. I thought the church advocates putting utmost importance to life.

Don't get me wrong; I respect one's profession of faith. I acknowledge that I do not have any right to question how one chooses to relate with God. A pious devotion to God is always noble. However, why doesn't the Catholic Church promote the preservation of life in the light of the observance of this tradition?

Green

Apart from green mind, I apparently have green thumb too.

In December, in a fit of buying impulsiveness, I bought three different species of hydrocultured indoor plants from Market! Market!. One month later, I swear that it was a purchase that I will never regret.

You see, I thought that the plants wouldn't last a week. I thought I wouldn't muster the patience and the diligence to take care of them everyday. I thought I wouldn't be able to squeeze another chore in my busy schedule. But I was wrong -- I managed to keep them growing!

In the scientific community this plant is known as Neodypsis lastelliana. In my home, he is fondly called Noynoy. And he likes to converse. I should probably have given the name Kris. [Yes, I talk to my plants. My mom said that's what she does with her orchids. Well... it runs in the family.]

While we are in this subject, let me share with you this interesting claim: with just three varieties of indoor plants, you can grow your own fresh air.

Convinced? I am. In fact, I vowed that when I move to my new condo, I'll grow more indoor plants (although not necessary like the ones that Kamal Meattle mentioned). I promise to blog about that.

Mixed Emoticons

This weekend I am going to two furniture shops to finalize the designs of the custom-made pieces of furniture for my new condo. I'll probably be able to start the necessary renovation by the last week of January, but as early as now I am sorting out all the necessary furniture and fixtures. Wish me luck in the design discussions! I hope I could get a good deal.

For now, enjoy this inspiring video:

Bye, Bye, Holidays!

The holidays are indeed over. I was back to work since Monday and today I feel that I need another round of holidays. Hmm... This same time last year I was in Bora (for an entire week!). Oh, how fast time flies!

I noticed that I have so far been consistent at writing my blog everyday. Studies have shown that it takes a month to form a habit. So far, so good. I am really getting the hang of it.

As I write this blog, I remember a gift which was given to me last year by a friend: Buddha papier-mâché in metallic gold glossy finish. It looks really good. I am sure it will look really good in my new living room. I can't wait to have it there. In less than two months I'll be moving to my new condo so at this point I am already mentally organizing stuff to keep, throw away, give or sell. This papier-mâché artwork will definitely earn its rightful place in my new condo.

My friend sells this type of papier-mâché art. You should see his work! If you are interested, drop me an email and I'll have him get in touch with you.

How to Achieve Minimalism

I talked about embracing a minimalist lifestyle in my previous entry.

What exactly is minimalism and how can it be achieved in your home?

The concept is best explained by the following article which was written by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits. Leo is also the author of "The Power of Less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential, in Business and in Life".

A Guide to Creating a Minimalist Home

One recent visitor saw my kitchen and remarked, “I’ve never seen a kitchen that looked so clean, so clear of stuff!” Well, I do my best to keep it clean, but the key is to remove the unnecessary stuff.

I can’t claim that my home is completely minimalist, but it surely isn’t cluttered, and most people I know would call it a pretty minimalist home.

For example, on the floor of my kitchen/dining room area are just a few essentials: dining table (clear of any clutter), chairs, some counter stools, a high chair, a step stool for the kids. On the counters are only the toaster, coffee maker and microwave.

Is this kind of minimalist home devoid of character and fun and life? Some might think so, but I get a strange satisfaction, a fulfillment, at looking around and seeing a home free of clutter. It’s calming, and liberating, and just nice.

Benefits of a Minimalist Home

I could probably go on for awhile about this, but let me just list a few key benefits:

• Less stressful. Clutter is a form of visual distraction, and everything in our vision pulls at our attention at least a little. The less clutter, the less visual stress we have. A minimalist home is calming.

• More appealing. Think about photos of homes that are cluttered, and photos of minimalist homes. The ones with almost nothing in them except some beautiful furniture, some nice artwork, and a very few pretty decorations, are the ones that appeal to most of us. You can make your home more appealing by making it more minimalist.

• Easier to clean. It’s hard to clean a whole bunch of objects, or to sweep or vacuum around a bunch of furniture. The more stuff you have, the more you have to keep clean, and the more complicated it is to clean around the stuff. Think about how easy it is to clean an empty room compared to one with 50 objects in it. That’s an extreme example, of course, as I wouldn’t recommend you have an empty room, but it’s just to illustrate the difference.

What a Minimalist Home Looks Like

This would vary, of course, depending on your taste and how extreme of a minimalist you want to be. I am a minimalist, but not to any extreme. But here are some characteristics of a minimalist home:

• Minimal furniture. A minimalist room would only contain a few essential pieces of furniture. A living room, for example, might only have a couch, another chair or love seat, a coffee table, a minimalist entertainment stand (not a huge one with a bunch of shelves), a television, and a couple of lamps. It could even contain less (couch, chairs, and coffee table, for example). A bedroom might have a simple bed (or even just a mattress), a dresser, and perhaps a night stand or book shelf.

• Clear surfaces. In a minimalist home, flat surfaces are clear, except for one or two decorations (see next item). There are not a whole bunch of knick knacks, and definitely not stacks of books or papers or other items.

• Accent decorations. A home completely clear of things would be a bit boring, actually. So instead of having a coffee table completely free of any objects, you could have a simple vase with a few flowers, for example. Or a clear desk might just have a family photo. An otherwise empty wall might have a tasteful piece of art (I use my dad’s artwork, as he’s a great artist).

• Quality over quantity. Instead of having a lot of stuff in your home, a minimalist would choose just a few really good things he loves and uses often. A really nice table, for example, is better than 5 pieces of press-board furniture.

How to Create a Minimalist Home

There are actually no set steps to making your home minimalist, except to change your philosophy and shoot for the ideals in the previous section above. But here are some tips that I would offer to anyone trying to shoot for minimalism:

• One room at a time. Unless you’re just moving into a place, it’s hard to simplify an entire house at once. Focus on one room, and let that be your center of calm. Use it to inspire you to simplify the next room, and the next. Then do the same outside!

• Start with furniture. The biggest things in any room are the furniture, so you should always begin simplifying a room by looking at the furniture. The fewer pieces of furniture, the better (within reason, of course). Think of which furniture can be eliminated without sacrificing comfort and livability. Go for a few pieces of plain, simple furniture (example of a minimalist coffee table) with solid, subdued colors.

• Only the essentials. Whether looking at your furniture or anything else in the room, ask yourself if the item is truly essential. If you can live without it, get it out. Try to strip the room down to its essentials — you can always add a few choice items beyond the essentials later.

• Clear floors. Except for the furniture, your floors should be completely clear. Nothing should clutter the floor, nothing should be stacked, nothing should be stored on the floor. Once you’ve gotten your furniture down to the bare essentials, clear everything else on the floor — either donate it, trash it, or find a place for it out of sight.

• Clear surfaces. Same thing with all flat surfaces. Don’t have anything on them, except one or two simple decorations (See Tip 9 below). Donate, trash or find an out-of-sight storage spot for everything else. It will make everything much, much more minimal-looking.

• Clear walls. Some people hang all kinds of stuff on their walls. No can do in a minimalist home. Clear your walls except for one or two simple pieces of nice artwork (see Tip 8 below).

• Store stuff out of sight. This has been mentioned in the above tips, but you should store everything you need out of sight, in drawers and cabinets. Bookshelves can be used to store books or DVDs or CDs, but shouldn’t have much else except a few simple decorations (not whole collections of things).

• Declutter. If you are clearing flat surfaces and the floor, and storing stuff in cabinets and drawers, you’ll probably want to declutter your storage areas too. You can do this in a later stage if you want. See How to Declutter for more.

• Simple artwork. To keep a room from being boring, you can put a simple painting, drawing or photo, framed with a subdued, solid color, on each wall if you want. Leave some walls bare if possible.

• Simple decorations. As mentioned in the above tips, one or two simple decorations can serve as accents for a minimalist room. A vase of flowers or a small potted plant are two classic examples. If the rest of your room has subdued colors, your accents could use a bright color (such as red, or yellow) to draw the eye and give a plain room a splash of energy.

• Plain window treatments. Bare windows, or simple, solid colored curtains, or simple, wooden blinds are good. Too much ornate stuff around the windows is clutter.

• Plain patterns. Solid colors are best for floor coverings (if you have any), furniture, etc. Complex patterns, such as flowers or checkers, are visual clutter.

• Subdued colors. As mentioned in Tip 9 above, you can have a splash of bright color in the room, but most of the room should be more subtle colors – white is classic minimalist, but really any solid colors that don’t stress the eyes is good (earth colors come to mind, such as blues, browns, tans, greens).

• Edit and eliminate. When you’ve simplified a room, you can probably do more. Give it a couple of days, then look at everything with a fresh eye. What can be eliminated? Stored out of sight? What’s not essential? You can come back to each room every few months, and sometimes you’ll discover things you can simplify even more.

• Place for everything. I’ve discussed this in other posts, but in a minimalist house, it’s important that you find a place for everything, and remember where those places are. Where does you blender go? Give it a spot, and stick with it. Aim for logical spots that are close to where the thing is used, to make things more efficient, but the key is to designate a spot.

• Sit back, relax, and enjoy. Once you’ve simplified a room, take a moment to look around and enjoy it. It’s so peaceful and satisfying. This is the reward for your hard work. Ahhhh. So nice!

MNMLSM

An architect friend whom I met in an online forum drew me a floor plan for my condo unit. (Thanks, Freddie!) He rendered the details well and I was instantly impressed. After studying the details and imagining 'being in there', I felt that I needed more storage space. I informed him about it and he said that I have to let go of stuff to make the small space work for me.

He was right. I really need to let go many of my stuff in order to achieve a minimalist lifestyle. Minimalism and small spaces go well together like ham and cheese, Romeo and Juliet, pen and paper... okay, got the picture?

However, I realized I can only be a minimalist to a certain extent so I kept the argument to myself that I still need more storage space. Comparing my friend's design with the one that I have previously done, his work served to confirm majority of the details in my design. Therefore, I tweaked my existing design to incorporate some of the details in his. The outcome was a floor plan with elaborate storage, a smaller bedroom and a mini-office virtually outside the bedroom (I wanted the bedroom solely for sleeping). I also had to let go of the 8-foot distance between the TV and the La-z-boy. My consolation is that I am not really into TV or movies and that I am not a couch potato.

In the end, the new floor plan pretty much reflects my personality and suits my lifestyle. Nonetheless, I still need to embrace minimalism. And here's how I plan to do just that:

• Sell the stuff that I (can) no longer use but others will find useful;
• Throw away stuff that I no longer find useful; and
• Give to others the stuff that can still be used.

I still have a long way to go but by end of January my stuff should be down to just the bare minimum. Every now and then I get somewhat sentimental with some stuff but being pragmatic never fails to get me through the process.

Tools of the Trade

Interior design is not my profession, so I do not own any commercial top-of-the-line tools related to the job.

In designing the floor plan of my condo unit, I started with the use of Microsoft Visio. Pause. Okay, you can stop laughing now. Visio is actually quite sufficient for personal design needs. It has the basic features that I needed although it obviously cannot rival any professional interior design software (that's just my personal opinion and you cannot quote me on that).

I eventually learned of Amikasa: a free, browser-based interior design tool. It took me less than 15 minutes to learn to use the tool (it features a demo) and in no time I was rendering 3D model of my design. It is really cool, you should try it.

Another free tool that I used was Sweet Home 3D. It is a desktop application with more comprehensive features compared to Amikasa. This tool is really worth using. I never thought that free interior design software with commercial-grade features exists. This tool really rocks!

Almost Backed Out

It was not love at first sight or you-had-me-at-hello.

I admit that I almost backed out from buying my condo unit when I first visited the “replica” unit. I say replica unit because it was not the unit that I was going to buy, but it belongs to another buyer. My condo unit was being constructed then. However, I found it imperative to see in person what the 30-square meter unit was like before progressing any further with my plans.

The unit that I saw was in no way similar to the model units that were first shown to me. I have always known that model units are exactly what they are –- just models. They embody only what is good and ideal; unfortunately they don't showcase the reality of things when the unit is finally turned over to its owner. (Lesson to learn: Never trust what you see in model units!)

I told myself that there was no way I could fit all my belongings in that tiny space. I spent the next fifteen minutes inspecting every corner and every detail of the unit. Soon after, I remembered that other developers sell one bedroom condo units having just roughly 24 square meters for a floor area! What is more unbelievable is that those types of units sell for nearly 3 times the amount of the unit that I am interested at.

At that time, I had already carefully studied the financial side of things so somehow I was convinced that it was still a sound decision to buy the unit no matter how small it appears to be. Somehow the dismay was replaced with a renewed sense of excitement knowing that with creative thinking numerous things may be resorted to in order make that tiny space livable. Re-running the calculations in my head, I concluded that it was a good deal. (Lesson to learn: Be objective; don't let negative first impressions cloud your decisions.)

Later that day I was already taking measurements of the unit so I could start to design my own floor plan (more on that in my next blogs...).

Happy New Year!

Today is January 1 and this is the only time of the year when referring to the previous day as “last year” wouldn’t seem so long ago.

Cheers to a happy and bountiful 2010!

Genesis

My journey began early in September 2009 when I became really serious about owning a residential property. For nearly five years, I was renting a condominium unit within the confines of the business district in Makati. I admit that I started quite complacent about owning my own house because my work and my hobby take me to different countries and I find the rented space appropriate to my priorities. I was fortunate that the space I was renting (including parking space), didn’t share a big chunk of my monthly expense despite the location being conducive. I was living less than 10 minutes away (i.e. with relatively light traffic) from shopping malls, wet market, hospitals, churches and even my company’s head office. However, I had enough of Makati; it has literally become a comfort zone and this has somehow retarded the zest that I have for life. I wanted to experience something new; I wanted to reinvent myself. I wanted to be somewhere else.

Priorities do change overtime and alongside my desire to move out, I eventually found myself wanting to live in my own property. Much like everyone else, my first choice was to own a house and lot. My work, lifestyle, financial capacity and my aversion to long-term debt had made me change my mind. I soon realized owning a house and lot will require me to make use of my life’s savings should I choose to free myself from decades of mortgage. I crimp at the idea of being in debt for so many years. I must have inherited from my parents the same aversion to debt.

My next choice then was to buy a condo unit which would cost less than a house and lot. After many sleepless nights, I chanced upon this online forum with relatively comprehensive listing of condominium developments around Metro Manila. I found one that seemed to offer residential units and parking spaces within reasonable terms and with all the amenities that are important to me. After a quick call to the developer, an agent got back to me with the initial details that I needed and within two days after my first call, I visited the site. What followed were weeks of calls and meetings with my agent. The interactions were sometimes unproductive because my agent was neophyte in his field. Nearly always, he was unable to address my questions. Two more people from the developer eventually got involved and there was positive development in the outcome of the discussions. In December 29, I was informed that all the necessary paper works had been completed and the key to my condominium unit will be handed over to me in January. It was the news I was ecstatic to hear! A new home is definitely a good way to start the year!

In choosing the condominium unit, I was initially concerned how the 30-square meter floor area will house all the stuff that I have collected over the years. How could it possibly be a comfortable home for me? How could it be a cozy place for my guests? How can such a space support the usual activities that I do at home? These were just a few of the questions that I asked myself. Always up for any challenge, I eventually found it in me to think creatively. Asking around, researching online and reading magazines and books were the activities that I primarily resorted to in order to answer my questions. All the efforts paid off since I was eventually able to create a floor plan with a fusion of modern and oriental themes along with these amenities:

• Walk-in closet;
• Kitchen with floor-to-ceiling cabinets providing ample space for all appliances and cooking stuff;
• Cozy dining area;
• Zen garden;
• Spa ambiance in the T&B with bathtub;
• Living room complete with home theatre setup;
• An isolated bedroom; and
• A reading room that doubles as a mini-office.

With some help from equally creative friends, I managed to have them all in such a tiny space. Or, perhaps, not that tiny after all?
 
So this is how my journey started. I still want to have my own house and lot –- who wouldn’t? However, while I continue to work on that plan, I am enjoying every step of the way in making my condo unit a livable space –- my very own place under the sun. In a metropolis where space is a luxurious commodity –- and a pricey one at that –- I am keen on making my home a little less than ordinary. I am certain I cannot make a castle out of it; but, hey, who said I cannot live like royalty in my own 30-square meter universe?