By Willy Wilson | Nov 10, 2009

Supermodel at Home – Amber Chia

“You can tell a lot about a person by looking at the house,” says Amber Chia. And guess what? She’s right! From the selection of colours down to the interiors and decorations, Amber Chia claims that everything about her house represents her characteristics: warm, classic and modern.

That Amber Chia came from a modest background, grew up in a small town of Tawau and had little to survive when she first arrived in KL are nothing new. Amber has publicly spoken about these issues numerous times. But if you think she’s just another classic supermodel story, Amber begs to differ.

“The truth is,” she says, “I used to live in a modest squatter with my family, rented a tiny room for RM180 per month that I shared with a friend when I first came to KL and needed five hours to look for a dress because my wardrobe closet was too small when I finally had my first own apartment.”

All the hardship that she went through, however, never discouraged the young Amber. Struggling in the catty industry for years, Amber says her blood, sweat and tears were finally paid off the day she purchased her current house.

A trip to Amber’s 3-story linked house also taught us a few things about her. At least we now know that she is a homey girl, very fond of animals and likes to stay on top. Want to know what else she likes? Read on!

A Dream House
Amber’s corner-lot house is one of six linked units developed by UOA. It is a posh 6-bedroom linked house located on Jalan Halimahton, Old Klang Road, which she purchased in May last year for RM1.9mil.

“This is my dream house. I always wanted to have a house big enough for my family to stay under the same roof,” says Amber of her 4,300sq ft house.

A floor-to-ceiling poster of Amber's face (left) covers one side of the walls to create a dramatic effect to the high-ceiling modern living room (right).

Amber currently lives in the house with an older sister, two younger sisters and three dogs. If everything goes as planned, her parents and brothers will move into the house soon.

The ground floor of Amber’s house consists of a kitchen, a dining area, a porch and a barbeque area, as well as a high-ceiling living room with a floor-to-ceiling poster of her face covering one side of the walls. A floor up, there are three rooms, each occupied by her sisters, and a small living room with two tempting massage chairs.

Amber’s favourite, however, is the third floor. The third floor initially consisted of a regular room, a master bedroom and a balcony. But Amber decided to knock through a wall separating the two rooms and turned one of the rooms into a spacious walk-in wardrobe for her clothes, shoes, accessories and bags. The balcony next to the master bedroom has also been turned into a modern, mini office.

“So I’ve got my bedroom, walk-in closets for my shoes and wardrobe, a bathroom and an office on the top floor,” adds Amber, “I like to stay on top, both in the house and in career, no less!”

Moving Forward
Ever a tough cookie, Amber Chia is destined to be successful in life. With more than 300 magazine covers, countless commercial gigs, an autobiography book and relentless publicity over the last decade, you can be sure that Amber Chia has the most recognisable face in this country.

A high-profile dispute over a franchised modeling contest, Ford Models’ Supermodel of the World Malaysia 2009, jolted Amber back to major headlines last month.

Amber, who eventually won the right for the show, is currently busy rounding up the show. She is the show's executive producer, head judge and franchise holder. Sitting alongside Amber in the judging panel are fashion aficionado Gillian Hung and noted fashion photographer Azrul Kevin Abdullah.

Amber, whose 10-year modeling experience has brought her to New York Fashion Week and the vibrant Taiwanese entertainment industry, is determined to find the perfect model from Malaysia to compete at the final Ford Models’ Supermodel of the World in January 2011.

Right Location, Right Investment.
Ever since moving to KL 10 years ago, Amber says that she has been living in Old Klang Road.

“I like the fact that Old Klang Road still holds that small town charm despite located in the middle of KL and PJ,” Amber says. According to Amber, her house sits at the most strategic location in the city.

Nestled between the bustling streets of Old Klang Road and Mid Valley Mall, Amber’s neighbourhood is surprisingly serene, with a little Buddhist temple and an orphanage home just a stone’s throw away.

But surely many would assume a supermodel of her calibre would have lived in a luxurious, downtown condominium, instead of living in a rather low-key area.

“My mother does not like to live in a condominium. I want her to eventually live with me,” she comments, “I, too, personally prefer landed property to condominium, as I would have more chance to mingle with the neighbours,” Amber explains.

From experience, Amber learns that there are two things one needs to consider when buying a property.

“First you must make sure that the location of the house would not impede you from your daily activities, or else you will be exhausting yourself driving from one point to the other,” Amber suggests.

She also adds that it is important for buyers to consider the reliability of the developers. A golden advice indeed.