Celebrities living in this neighbourhood – check them out in 8 Days, Home and Decor and even on Lian He Zao Bao!

Just married Daniel Ong and Jaime Teo are so in love. Jealous?

Wait till you see their newly renovated three-room HDB house. There are only 285 HDB houses. So if you find one, like DJ Daniel Ong did, you’ve as good as found your pot of gold.

Cosy living room and the resort-style bathroom. They, like most young families here, basically plonked down some amount of money to hack down walls and reconfigure the rooms to their own vision.

Professionals were engaged for the renovations, but Ong single-handedly worked on his front garden, which was originally a tiled porch. He loves gardens and greenery and it was his dream to have one in the house.

He bought 350 bags of soil, 20kg of stone and made a garden. As if that weren’t enough, he dug up the ground and put in the electric contact and pump for a water feature. Around the wood fence, he planted heliconias, which provide cover from prying eyes. Overall, Ong is very pleased with his handiwork, which he says is “all blood, sweat and tears”. Jaime is quick to chime in: “Yah, he cried ‘man tears’ over it.”

The living room is the couple’s favourite  part of the house. The room is filled with treasures like Ong’s built-in fish tank, Jaime’s drum set, their almost antique-looking wine cupboard and buys from their travels, like the whole collection of cameras they picked up from Prague. It is their chill-out room.

“I get my inspiration from books. I go to Kinokuniya or Borders to check out their interior design titles, and come up with something new.”

The kitchen, originally a bedroom, is an open concept, with an island thrown in. Jaime points out that the sink does not face the stove directly because Ong, who loves to cook, is also very particular about the feng shui of the kitchen. She says it’s bad feng shui if they face one another, as it can lead to arguements and conflicts in the family. With the island feature, guests can stand, chit-chat, drink and watch Ong as he cooks up a storm.

The units in Bahagia/Ma’mor usually come with a big kitchen space (unless some neighbours split that space up to add in a bedroom). So I’m glad to see that Jaime has a big white kitchen with a big island!

Decorating tips from Daniel Ong
There are different styles in design. Decide on one main style or theme. Don’t mix them as not everyone can do a mish-mash in design. Be focused and pick the design that will appeal to you.

See more pictures at Jean’s Blog: http://jeanario.wordpress.com/2008/11/03/hdb-terrace-house-daniel-ong-jaime-teo/