Hazelle Teo was fined by her condo after neighbours complained about her dirtying corridor during reno

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While it is not uncommon to run into challenges during a home renovation, YES 933 DJ Hazelle Teo wasn’t expecting the issues to be with her condo management and neighbours.
Last October, the 30-year-old bought her first home, a S$1.18mil resale condo in West Coast. She moved into the 710 sq ft two-bedroom apartment in August after a three-month reno.
While giving 8days.sg a tour of her new abode, Hazelle shares that she had received emails from the condo management regarding “multiple complaints” from neighbours about how her reno had caused “great inconveniences” to the units around it.
According to one resident, workers had left the door open while doing reno works, resulting in dust and debris flying around the common corridor and into the homes of her neighbours.
This left the floors of neighbouring units dusty and “clothes in the balcony were soiled several times”.
“We have endured too much. Please tell them to keep the door closed when renovating,” reads the email.  
Workers had also allegedly left the estate without properly cleaning the common corridor, though Hazelle says it was only for a brief period and that they had returned to clean up later.  
As a result, a $100 cleaning fee was “once again deducted from [her] renovation deposit”.
Hazelle is not sure how many times she was charged a cleaning fee during the course of her reno.
“I didn’t know condos will fine you for such things,” says the radio jock.
Showing 8days.sg photos the neighbour took, she says: “It doesn’t even look that dirty, just some shoe prints at the dusty corridor… but I understand their point of view [‘cos] it happened many times.”
However, she hopes that people can be more understanding as dusty conditions are “inevitable” during reno. The workers also left the door open ‘cos it was too hot, she explains.
When Hazelle moved in, she gave her neighbours cookies and a handwritten note thanking them for their patience over the past few months.
“And you know what? One neighbour bought me drinks and a pineapple. So sweet. She’s not from Singapore but she heard that the culture here is to roll the pineapple when you get a new house. I didn’t roll it ‘cos I was scared I would scratch the floor. I just cut it up to eat,” laughs Hazelle.
Wabi-sabi sanctuary
Neighbour complaints aside, Hazelle’s reno journey has been pretty smooth. The reno came up to around $85K (excluding furniture), a portion of the cost was sponsored.
Decked out in beige limewash walls, neutral and warm wood tones, and textures of nature, the four-year-old apartment has been transformed into a zen haven. 
Hazelle wanted a minimalist space that is “clean, mellow and cosy” and the wabi-sabi theme, which embraces imperfection, simplicity, and the beauty of natural materials, was her interior designer’s suggestion.
“I love the message it conveys – embracing imperfections – so there are a lot of unfinished touches, rounded and rough edges in my home,” chirps Hazelle.
“But when my mum saw the place, she was like ‘Why are the walls so dirty and unfinished? Is it meant to be like this?’ I can see why she said that, but I love it.”
We admit we were surprised by the muted palette and minimalist concept of her home; Hazelle is, after all, known for her bold and bright personality as well as fashion sense.
“I’m not all that lively. When I come home, I need time to decompress before I recharge for my next day of activities. So having a house with bright colours has never been on my list to consider,” she tells us.
Curves everywhere
Curves, a popular décor trend in recent years, are a running theme through much of the cosy home. Playful curved designs like the bouclé couch, lights, wall arches and décor pieces not only soften up the space but also add visual interest.
Wall niches, a chic way to offer some extra storage, are another common feature.
But such touches can rack up renovation costs. According to Hazelle’s ID, it costs around $1K to carve out a recessed niche in the wall, and around $2.5K if a false wall is built.
To give the illusion of space, part of the living room wall was hacked and replaced with half-height glass panels, and seamless cove lighting add a warm, cosy ambiance to the home.
Hidden kitchen
Dining with a view
The balcony has been converted into a chill alfresco dining area.
To maximise all that precious square footage, one of the walls is lined with a bench seat which doubles up as storage space. The counter table allows Hazelle to accommodate more guests when she entertains.  
She tells us proudly that the resin pendant lamp, which she saw for $5.5K at a showroom in Singapore, cost her just $200 on Taobao.
The balcony is Hazelle’s favourite spot and at the end of a busy day, she loves nothing more than winding down with a glass of beer while enjoying the view.
Situated on a high floor, the unit overlooks private developments and offers unobstructed views of the neighbourhood.
“One of the reasons I bought this house is because of this view. When I first saw it, I went ‘wow’,” she beams.
Study
To make the house less claustrophobic, the two bedrooms are combined to form a spacious master suite.
Part of the wall between the rooms was hacked and replaced with a display cabinet for Hazelle’s purse collection.
“This is something I’ve always wanted. I love bags and I thought it’s nice to have them on display as a motivation for me to work hard and get my next bag,” she shares.
Despite this, they have to “take a step back” for her Star Awards trophy — if and when she gets one.
“I will personally clear the shelf for the trophies. The goal is to fill the shelves with them,” she quips.
Bedroom
Decked with just a bed and built-in bedside tables, the room is the picture of minimalist chic.
If you’re wondering if there’s a walkway between the bed and the wall in front, there is, but a very narrow one. So narrow that the gap is shorter than a mobile phone.
Hazelle admits it was a miscalculation and now she has to “crab walk” to get to the windows or roll over her bed.
“The wall behind the bed frame was originally further back but there was a part that juts out, so my ID levelled it to make it nicer. Combined with this thick bed frame and the study display shelf which also ate into the space, it ended up like this,” she explains.
“I wouldn’t have gotten this bed frame if I had known that I couldn’t even walk in properly.”
Walk-in wardrobe
One of Hazelle’s must-haves for her home is a walk-in closet, which was converted from an ensuite bathroom.
“My mum was like ‘Why did you hack the bathroom? What if you and your guest need to use toilet at the same time?’ But what are the odds, right? I feel I need this space more than my private toilet space,” she says.
“Now I have so much space to hang my clothes and I love getting ready at this vanity. I feel like Christina Aguilera in Burlesque when I do my make-up here.”
Bathroom  
With its pops of pink and sintered stone walls, the bathroom is a slight departure from the rest of the house.
Hazelle decided to give it a different theme as it is a “special room on its own”. It also allowed the pink lover to “feed [her] pink desires”.
“I didn’t want to turn the house into something feminine, so the pink sink and towels are the only pink elements in the house. It makes me so happy every time I wash my hands,” she says.
Another thing she loves is her $3K smart toilet, which she got for the seat warming function.  
“I was very inspired to get it after sitting on one in Japan. Guests ask me why I would want a warm toilet seat when the weather is so hot but I like the warmth. I’m someone who gets cold easily,” she shares.
Photos: Kelvin Chia
No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.