Actor Desmond Ng leaves his 3

Entertainment

The actor, who lives alone, chats with neighbours who pop by his corridor unit.

Local actor Desmond Ng in the living room of his room. (Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)

While many people would think twice about getting a flat along a common corridor due to the noise and lack of privacy, it was a prerequisite for Desmond Ng.

Such apartments bring back fond memories of living at his grandma’s house and the actor-singer set out to find a corridor unit in an old estate for his first home.

“I like the nostalgic feel of old neighbourhoods. Residents are friendlier and I enjoy interacting with neighbours. I grew up in that kind of environment, so I wanted to reminisce the kampung spirit. If I don’t experience it now, I might not have the chance in future,” the 35-year-old told 8days.sg.

He likes ground floor units too but such apartments are "more prone to lizards", which he admits being afraid of.

NEIGHBOURS WOULD POP BY FOR A CHAT

Home for Desmond is a 36-year-old three-room resale flat, which he bought for S$385,000, in the central part of Singapore. Though he’s only moved in for two months, he’s already super chummy with his elderly neighbours.

“I like to leave my door open 'cause it’s very breezy and the auntie next door would often come chat with me. She comes by on average once a day and always gives me food like kueh. She’s even asked to take a look at my bathroom,” he laughed.

"Don’t you find it awkward since you’re an artiste?" we asked.

“I don’t know if she knows I am an actor," said Desmond. "But I don’t mind her seeing me in my messy state or even shirtless. If I feel uncomfortable, I will put on a shirt.”

While it’s par for the course for neighbours to glance into his home while walking past, Desmond gets creeped out when they peep through the window, or worse, if fans show up at his door.

“Some fans came by my old place (which was also a corridor unit) and left something at my door. I don’t know how they knew where I lived. If my fans find out that I live here, I will have to shut my door,” he shared.

“RUNDOWN” FLAT WAS GIVEN COMPLETE FACELIFT

Though the flat ticked all the boxes, its condition was quite rundown. Desmond engaged an interior designer to completely overhaul the “oddly-pink" 700 sq ft unit. The transformation took four months and cost around S$80,000 (excluding furnishings).

Granite-like vinyl flooring, which can be seen through much of the interior living spaces, is complemented with a darker palette for a more masculine feel. The result is a minimalist space with a modern luxe aesthetic.

Desmond left most of the design suggestions to his interior designer. “The only thing I really wanted was to be greeted with a square, spacious living room when I open the main door,” he said.

To achieve that, the awkward storeroom at the corner of the living room was hacked and the space is kept minimal with furnishings in muted tones.

A limewash wall was added to give visual contrast and walls and ceilings were left unplastered to let the original architectural details stand out.

“What I like about old flats is you can see the outline of the concrete blocks. The walls are a little uneven, like my face,” he quipped.

DINING AREA

Beside the living space is the dining area, which is kept equally simple. To maximise all that precious square footage, the walls are lined with bench seats that double up as storage space. Also doing double duty is the extendable dining table which can be lowered to become a coffee table.

KITCHEN

Decked out in mostly white, the kitchen feels light and bright. Sleek appliances, sintered stone backsplash and countertops inject some glam into the space.

ORIGINAL MASTER BEDROOM CONVERTED TO A STUDY

Previously when Desmond lived in a rented studio apartment, it was a bedroom, living room and study all rolled into one. So it was very important that he dedicated spaces for work and rest in his new home.

The original master bedroom, which is the bigger of the two bedrooms and has an ensuite bathroom, was converted to his study and walk-in wardrobe and the adjoining wall fitted with a sliding door to connect the rooms.

Instead of a headboard, Desmond’s interior designer designed a curved accent wall with a striking marble motif fabric panel and built in bedside tables.

“Not only is it functional, the feature wall also ties the room together,” said Desmond.

This story was originally published in 8Days.

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