By Willy Wilson | June 12, 2010
Photography: Eujin Lim
Practical renovation à la Nazrudin & Sheahnee
 |
| Adorable family: Naz and Sheahnee with their baby at home |
Nazrudin Habibur Rahman and Sheahnee Iman Lee could very well be the most resourceful and practical couple when it comes to home renovation.
Nazrudin, with his twinkly eyes and megawatt smile, has forged an on-screen persona as the friendly host whose warmth can melt an iceberg. The young father, who started his career as the host of Kelab Disney Malaysia ten years ago, is now the host of NTV7’s The Breakfast Show and Celebrity Karaoke.
Sheahnee Iman Lee, on the other hand, is best known for her work at NTV7’s popular English news programme, 7 Edition. Over the years, the communication graduate from Murdoch University Australia has also taken on a television producer’s job, churning out shows such as Ladies Day Out.
Together, they are the proud owners of a 1,260sq ft condominium unit in Kelana Jaya. The couple said that they didn’t get any help from interior designers and had purchased the three-bedroom unit prior to their marriage.
“We didn’t have the budget to hire an interior designer. Instead, we did everything ourselves,” says Nazrudin matter-of-factly. According to Nazrudin, better known as Naz, people tend to think that those who work on television would have more flexibility when it comes to budget.
“But the truth is, we struggle with renovation budget just as much as every other young couple out there,” he says.
“It would definitely take longer to put a home together without the help of interior designers. But it would cost you less and you get to put your own personal touch,” Sheahnee adds.
Admittedly, there was a lot of trial and error. But on the bright side, the couple gained valuable lessons about renovation, décor and design. And because sharing is caring, here they spill about their renovating and decorating experience.
Many young couples struggle with renovation budget. Tell us how you kept the renovation work under budget.
Nazrudin (Naz): One important thing for a start-up family is to be practical. Fortunately, both Sheahnee and I are very practical people. We would sacrifice a little bit of style in the name of budget.
 |
| Personal touch: Naz and Sheahnee put their home together without the help of an interior designer |
Sheahnee (SH): Naz and I agreed that we should cut down the interior designer cost, which could easily amount to RM60,000 to RM80,000. Consequently, we both had to deal with the contractor, furniture makers and plumber.
We would drive to Klang and Puchong to find people who would do the job for a better price. It was a tiring process, but we learnt a lot from that experience. Furthermore, we got it done for a fraction of what could have been a major cost. All the construction service costs us less than RM10,000.
What have you learned from getting involved first-hand in the renovation process?
Naz: If we were to buy another property, we know that the wiring and plumbing must be done before everything else. One should never think of aesthetic before the ‘dirty jobs’ are taken care of [laughs].
SH: And we learnt the hard way. After everything was in place and decorated nicely, our contractor asked, “So where do you want me to place the plug point?” We went, “Oh no!” Patch and re-patch would cost you more!
What are the problems that one needs to anticipate when renovating without an interior designer’s help?
SH: The problem with being your own interior designer is that you don’t know the technical aspects of designing a house. For example, we didn’t realise that the beam in this unit is located in the upper half of the walls, where we plan to place the air-conditioner. When you have a beam you can’t drill through. We had no choice but to place the air conditioner lower and drill the pipe all the way through the lower part of the wall, right under the beam.
Aesthetically, the whole arrangement would look rather unsightly – with low-hung air conditioner and its pipe sticking out everywhere. So what we did was we added a flank of wooden panel, on which we fitted the air conditioner and hid the pipes.
Naz: It is important to find out the location of the beam when you first buy a house, for it would determine the way you design and decorate.
What was the design concept that you were going for?
Naz: We wanted a stylish, minimalist concept, with a twist of urban sensibility. To achieve this look, we knew from the get-go that we would need an airy layout, with a good distribution of lights. Therefore, a lot of focus was put into the kitchen, which gets a lot of light from the laundry area. Sheahnee promised me that if I provide her with a nice kitchen, she would provide me with nice food [laughs].
SH: I enjoy cooking and entertaining friends. This explains the bar top that connects the kitchen to the dining. It was previously just a wall separating the kitchen and the dining, leaving both areas cramped and confined.
So we knocked down a fragment of the wall and put a bar top on it, allowing the light from the kitchen to reach the dining. To maximise the ‘spaciousness’ effect, we put up a horizontal wooden-framed mirror right opposite the bar top.
 |
| Cosy corners: Snapshots of the kitchen and dining room |
The kitchen aside, how did you implement the same concept to the rest of the unit?
Naz: We decorated our dining area with a photograph of the New York City skyline to highlight that urban image. This photograph is actually a divider, but when put together, it looks like a canvassed photograph. To complete the look, we laminated the floor with dark timber pattern.
SH: There is an L-shaped sofa in the living room that accentuates our minimalist concept, thanks to its clean-cut and sleek finishing. Keeping the lights soft help retain that urban feel as well.
Tell us about the bedrooms. Were there any renovation work done there?
SH: Investment wise, it may be better to keep a three-bedroom unit intact. But why have quantity, if you don’t have quality space?
Where is your favourite spot in this unit?
Naz: I like my balcony garden. This little green patch is a solution for residents in high-rise buildings who desire a garden but don’t have enough space. The garden is actually offered by Terra Garden. This is my quiet corner when my wife is angry with me [laughs].
SH: I like our kitchen the most!
Lastly, how does this house reflect you?
Naz: As I mentioned earlier, we both are practical people. The design and décor of the house truly reflect that.
SH: First of all, I’d like to point out that putting this house together really brought the best and the worst of our characters [laughs]. We work as hard on this house as we do in our respective jobs. So when people compliment our home, that really makes our day – just like when your boss complements your work.
See other celebrities' homes:
|