Showing posts with label tip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tip. Show all posts

Friday, December 18, 2009

A Deal, I Say

Super pleased today because I finally bought a fabulous lamp that I have been eyeing for 3 years - yes, you didn't read that wrong - THREE years! The first time I saw it, I couldn't afford it. When I managed to save up, they stopped making yellow shades. Not only do I own one now but I also got it on a 60% discount which I skillfully negotiated up from just 20%. Thanks Rokman!

I managed to snap a couple of photos with my phone. The slim base is made of stacked wood pieces and the lamp shade is starfruit-shaped and made of gorgeous yellow Thai silk. The shop is Ombak at KLCC, absolutely the best soft furnishings store in the city.



Here is another tip: NEVER wait till your flat/house is ready before rushing to buy furnishings. Start looking at least 3 months ahead and take lots of photos. This way, you leave yourself with enough time to think properly about whether things fit. Then go back during sale periods and bargain like mad. Most stores will agree to keep purchased items for between 3-6 months.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

A Fair Mattress

Last weekend, Mae and I went to the Modern Home and Lifestyle Fair at Mid Valley but it wasn't so much of a fair as some kind of tacky lelong. Which is kind of surprising considering the Citibank sponsorship and adspend on promoting the event.

There was nothing of note except for the mattresses section. It just so happen we were both looking for new mattresses and were pondering our budgets. (Here is Mae testing a Getha version). The good news is that latex mattresses have come down in prices significantly. They used to retail at around RM5,000-8,000 but prices have dropped to the RM3,000-5,000 range.

The cheapest version we could find was some German brand called Napure - RM1999 for a soft mattress, a fugly divan and 2 pillows. Dunlopillo had a sublime piece although it was rather fishy that the salesperson could offer a discount from over RM14,000 to just over RM4,000. It was so unbelievable that we walked away from this deal as well. Perhaps it is another fight for another day. Mattresses just aren't sexy purchases.

Oh, a tip: never believe salespeople who tell you that you should better buy immediately or risk prices increasing by 20% the following year. They have been using this spiel for years. If true, mattresses would cost more than cars by now.