I’ve been taking more of an interest in interior design since i booked a 3-bedroom apartment that will be ready in 2013. My plan is to furnish it up and rent it out. At first i thought i’d hire an interior designer. But when i heard how much one would cost (atop the cost of furnishing the whole place!), i figured i’m creative enough to do this myself right!? Plus there’s so many inspirational blogs and pictures on the www, all i gotta do is ensure i get the technicalities down right (i.e. GET LOTS OF ADVICE from friends who’ve done the same).
Some pictures of spaces i’ve collected on my pinterest board:
There are SO many ways one can design the bedrooms, kitchen, living room, kids’ room, garden, study/working room, walk-in wardrobe (!) … It’s gonna be a lot of chaos, i just know it.
One way to learn from someone else’s chaos is by watching The Apartment Style Edition – a reality TV program that sees 8 teams trying to out-design each other for specific rooms every week. There’s a lot of stress and pressure, cos the grand prize is the biggest in design television history that can change their lives forever – a brand new and luxurious apartment at The Véo, co-created by Sime Darby Property.
The show, also co-created by Sime Darby Property, has award-winning design icon Jamie Durie to host it and mentor the teams with his expertise and insight. Jamie has won over 34 International Design Awards, appeared in over 35 lifestyle TV shows globally, and published 9 best-selling books; just a few notable points amongst his many accomplishments.
Accompanying Jamie on the design panel is the show’s head judge, Laurence Llewellyn Bowen, one of UK’s most famous and flamboyant design pioneers, with 16 years of design television experience to back up his razor sharp judgements.
These are the 8 teams, plucked from all over Asia!
I know Daniel from ‘The Strangers’ so i’ll be rooting for him!
Click ‘Read More’ for more background on all the contestants >
Alex & Chelsea
Born and bred in Malaysia, Alex and Chelsea, hit it off immediately after meeting each other 5 months ago on a radio show hosted by Alex in Kuala Lumpur. They are now firm friends and are well aware of each other’s quirks. Despite Chelsea moving to the U.S.A with her husband and child, they manage to catch up regularly, as Chelsea’s budding fashion career keeps her coming back to Kuala Lumpur.
She believes her experience in this field will not only give her an edge in the competition but will be essential in her partnership with Alex “Alex has limited sense of style and I’m the exact opposite because I’m a fashion model by profession,” says Chelsea, confidently. Alex, a radio jock, is practical and down- to-earth, but has never been a morning person, and Chelsea, used to being fashionable and elegant at the crack of dawn, worries that he may struggle with the tight deadlines.
Though they have not known each other for very long, this chatty duo believe they will work well as a team on The Apartment by sharing the workload and focusing on their strengths. “Two versions of me will do us no good,” admits Alex, who will leave the more aesthetic elements of design to Chelsea, and focus on functionality and practicality.
When asked if they can only bring either a drill or a ladder to a challenge, both of them answered unanimously, the drill; “I could always lift Chelsea or grab a chair, too simple.” Alex said without batting his eyelids.
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Cynthia & Paula
Neither one of this whacky pair could remember the exact date they met each other, but they both agreed it was in sometime in 2009, and It didn’t take too long for Cynthia and Paula to become fast friends and start causing trouble together!
This frenetic pair has no design experience whatsoever, but there is no way they are going to let that stop them from winning the competition. They plan to make up for their lack of knowledge and experience with their creative natures and willingness to learn, not to mention their determination to eliminate the competition at all costs!
Cynthia, is a performer who is fun and feisty by nature, but she worries that she will have difficulty making quick decisions and keep changing her mind when it comes to designing a home from scratch. Paula on the other hand, is used to making quick decisions with two young sons keeping her on her toes! A blogger, loving housewife and mother, she is passionate about her role in the home and is constantly trying to do things better with her two boys.
These two troublemakers are like chalk and cheese, Cynthia takes a confrontational approach to problem solving, whereas Paula likes to take a step back from the situation and take a walk. Let’s hope
these two manage to make their different styles work together when they are under pressure in the competition. Keep your eyes open for some major explosions!
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Paul & Ash
Paul and Ash met each other a few months ago at a BBQ and have been friends ever since. Instantly drawn to each other, they are totally in their comfort zone when in each others company and
people often mistake them for a married couple. “To tell you the truth, there is nothing I dislike about Ash,” says Paul, though only to have known each other for a couple months, they have a strong admiration for each other’s personality and achievements. Ash exclaimed that Paul is her inspiration and would consider him her hero. Who knows how much closer their collaboration in the competition will make them and where it will take them?
Paul, a laid-back but ambitious Aussie , is General Manager of a Wine Distribution Company and Bistro Wine Boss in Singapore, the city of his birth. Ash is equally ambitious, currently taking on a degree in biology and chemistry, but she is no science geek, preferring to spend her weekend partying on the beach! Paul considers himself an experienced handyman, and with Ash’s flair for design, they are certain that their rooms will be a cut above the rest.
When asked to describe their perfect leisure room, Ash said without hesitation, “A huge television, karaoke, disco balls, cozy couches and lots of dancing space,”. Meanwhile Paul would transform it into a man-cave equipped with a pool table, computer games, fridge full of alcohol, a massive plasma TV and a comfortable long couch. In this bachelor meets bachelorette couple, be prepared for sparks to fly!
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Jesper & Killian
Jesper and Killian are a pair of brothers who despite having lived continents apart from each other for years, are best friends who always have each others back. They are have very different personalities, despite their affinity for each other as well as their doppleganger good looks. Jesper, who lives an adventurous life as a free lance photographer comments, “Creativity comes a lot easier to Killian than me, but I’m more of a risk taker.” Killian is in total agreement with his brother, saying “Jesper has embraced a rather free-spirited reality, something that I am quite envious of as I hold a 9 to 5 job, we have very different lifestyles”.
The energetic pair of brothers believe their personalities will compliment each other when working together in the competition. Where Jesper has an almost compulsive need to question things ‘a real stickler with facts versus hearsay,” claims Killian. Jesper commented “I think we will disagree a lot, but constructively. I like to jump right into things and figure them out on the go while Killian is a strategist.”
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Kish & Mera
Not everyone can say can say they met their BFF on a film set for an animation sci-fi movie. But that’s exactly how it was for Kish and Mera. “We both had a role in that movie which is still currently in production, and that was four years ago,” recalls Mera, chuckling. “Since we met, she’s been getting all the attention. Nobody ever pays me any attention,” Kish said jokingly about his partner-in-crime.
Kish, an events manager, is focused and task orientated, while Mera, an art director, is the creative one in the pair. The pair joined The Apartment to challenge themselves and push their boundaries in terms of interior design. They agree that their main setback is their indecisiveness, and they worry about making decisions together in the competition. Their tastes are both classical with a modern edge. Mera loves the interior design of Fullerton Bay Hotel in Singapore for its up to date yet elegant and classy look, while Kish said the Taj Mahal in India inspires him the most, as it is a symbol of love and passion.
The vivacious pair acknowledges that they may not have the most experience in the competition, but believe that their hardworkingattitude and attention to detail will see them through.
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Agri & Clarissa
“We used to hate each other!” exclaims Agri on her relationship with her best friend, Clarissa. But exactly 9 years ago, this tenacious and mischievous pair became firm friends when they were both assigned a session of school detention. They bonded over a common love for all things fashion and have never looked back.
Their 9-year friendship may be strong but their personalities are poles apart. “Clarissa is too systematic for my liking. It’s like she’s got a plan for everything,” says Agri. Conversely, Clarissa is worried about Agri’s ability to work reliably under a deadline. “She’s a party animal and I’m not. She also has a time management problem!”
Agri and Clarissa may be young but they are extremely passionate about what they do. Agri, a fashion blogger, enjoys giving fashion advice to her friends and her love for styling and passion for fashion led her to launch first clothing line, Agri Velt, in 2010. Clarissa, a make up artist, enjoys doing bridal make up the most because of the strong bond she feels with the couples during shoots, and the magic she helps to create in these specials moments.
The pair of BFFs are worried about choosing the right design concept and making sure that it flows throughout the house; but they are certain that with determination and some solid teamwork they will out style the competition and make it to the finish line victorious.
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Iva & Philippe
Philippe started sailing as a teenager in California and in 2003 he took a year and half off work to travel around Australia, crewing on cruise boats in the South Pacific. This experience laid the foundations for his passion and love for sailing, and in a life changing moment in 2009, Philippe quit his stable 9 to 5 job and finally bought his bought fulfilled his dream to live on the sea.
Philippe met Iva last year, when she was working as advertising executive. They fell madly in love, and a year later Iva decided to give up her job and join Philippe on his boat, embarking on an adventurous new life. Life is certainly not all roses rolling around on the waves for the stunning couple. “Life on a boat is thrilling but also constant hard work. It is always moving and has limited space,” shares Philippe. Living on a boat has however given this laid-back couple a unique skills set that sets them apart from the rest of the teams in the competition. Confronted with daily challenges such as navigating, plumbing, cooking and fishing for their supper, the experience has made them a solid team, used to operating under pressure.
Whilst they will never give up their ocean view, winning The Apartment would begin a new chapter in their lives and allow them to get married and start a family. Living on a boat and designing a house from scratch are two very different things, can this couple step up their game and bring luxury and style to their designs?
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JP & Daniel
Can you imagine designing a house from scratch with a complete stranger? JP and Daniel are doing just that. They were both told about the live auditions by a mutual friend, however each auditioned solo in the hope that they would find a friend or family member to join them on the show if selected. When neither party could find a partner, they were connected by a mutual friend, and came together over email to form a dynamic duo.
Despite the fact that this team will meet each other for the very first time on the show, they both feel that their working relationship will be all the better for being unburdened by history and familiarity, enabling them to focus solely on the task at hand. JP remarked, “It is both an opportunity and a risk, but as long as we can learn to trust each other, we are going to dominate this competition, bring it on!’
JP is a fashion designer by profession, who studied at the prestigious Parsons School of Design in New York city, and lives between New York and Toronto. Passionate about design and exploring new ideas and medium, John is highly adventurous, and loves trying new things. He hopes to not only see the competition right through to the end, but also to make a lifelong friend along the way. ‘Seriously, I mean, I know the high pressure environment could make horrors out of sweethearts, but I think the experience will be magical. I can’t wait to stretch my creative skills to the limit!’
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daniel and JP (strangerz) should win glue and glam in style2