Miss Malaysia World 2005 Emmeline Ng..... Girl In the City Now

Girl in the city

Ng owns a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in a condominium on Persiaran Hampshire.

Former Miss Malaysia World Emmeline Ng Wei Shu needs little introduction.

The stunning beauty is also a banking and finance graduate, model, aspiring interior designer and soon-to-be columnist for StarProperty.

“After winning the title in 2005, my lifestyle underwent a massive change, which I found challenging. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and into a learning curve of life lessons and social understanding which I was sheltered from. I was very blessed with support from my mum and close friends. Genuine people are hard to come by, but when they do, it is always awesome,” said Ng.

“I move around as my work takes me overseas a lot. When I’m back in Kuala Lumpur, I also do modelling,” added the 30-year-old beauty.

Two-bedroom abode Ng owns a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in a condominium on Persiaran Hampshire, which is a stone’s throw away from KLCC.

“It is a very big change not having the luxury of company but living alone gives me a great sense of independence and privacy,” said Ng, who grew up in Melbourne, Australia.

Ng is in the midst of renovating the apartment and has yet to move in since buying it two years ago. “I feel that properties within KL city, compared to those in other countries such as Singapore and Hong Kong are still relatively affordable.

“The reason why I didn’t move in back then was because I wanted to renovate the whole condo and was waiting for the right time. There were no previous tenants, and the previous owners didn’t manage the unit at all. There was a lot of work to be done,” she pointed out.

On why she chose this particular high-rise condominium, Ng explained: “I viewed a few other condominiums within the KL vicinity but I chose this one mainly because of the balcony. It is big enough for some nice alfresco dining, as well as to have a little garden.

“Secondly, for me, space and layout are essential. The condo has a high ceiling and open layout which is very comforting. There were a couple of apartments I viewed which made me feel rather claustrophobic.” Ng was also happy with the amenities available. “The pool and gymnasium are well maintained and the unit comes with two parking lots.”

Ng is happy with her condo’s amenities, such as its well-maintained pool and gymnasium.

City living
When asked why she chose to live in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, Ng replied, “I decided to move into the city centre due to convenience and lifestyle, and also privacy. Even though I grew up in a suburb in Australia, there was something enticing about city life that I found exciting.

“My parents always loved the suburban lifestyle as well as the beauty of the countryside. I grew up having that balance but enjoy being in the heart of the city. Perhaps, it is the crowd and culture that I embrace, something I feel only living in the city can capture.

“I also enjoy the city lights at night but I don’t enjoy the air pollution or the building construction noise during the day.”

In terms of favourite hangout spots, Ng likes the variety of restaurants in Pavilion shopping mall. “There are some restaurants there that I quite enjoy such as the Pressroom, La Bodega, Kampachi, Michelangelo, just to name a few. When I’m on the run or sourcing food for friends, the food court downstairs is a great place for takeaways as they offer a wide selection.”

Ng said that her current home has the convenience and privacy she desires.

Good opportunity
Before living in the city centre, Ng lived in Casa Kiara, Mont’Kiara, Kuala Lumpur. After a year, she moved into Duta Tropika, a gated community in Sri Hartamas not far away.

“At that time, Solaris was near completion and Publika had just started construction. I loved the location as it was easily accessible and the built-up area and layout of the house were great.

“The house had very high ceilings, especially the master bedroom which was on the top floor. It also had a spacious living and dining area as well as one wet and one dry kitchen,” said Ng.

After settling into Sri Hartamas, opportunity struck when a family friend asked her to help out with interior designing.

“It was a very good opportunity as it educated me on different levels. I learnt about construction, material sourcing, and it gave me the freedom to learn what worked and what didn’t.

When she’s not travelling, Ng spends most of her time working from home.

“I travelled to various parts of China such as Guangzhou, Kunming, Shanghai and small cities around the region. I always looked forward to attending conventions, as these were international gatherings where I could search for and research building materials,” said Ng.

The projects she worked on were mainly hotels, restaurants and entertainment areas.

Ng loves the grandeur of neoclassicism, but with a touch of modernism.

“I also got a chance to work on landscaping which I thought was very interesting. Overall, I would like to do more residential properties as I find them quite personal,” shared Ng.

After the projects were completed, Ng spent some time in Shanghai exploring the furniture industry.

Best of both worlds
For home interiors, Ng loves the grandeur of neoclassicism, but with a touch of modernism.

“I also love both extremes of city living as well as beach or country living. If it was at a beach, I would love to have a modern architectural beach house on top of a cliff with a panoramic view of the ocean.

“I would use warm to dark colours for the interiors along with a balance of marble, stone and wood. It would have lots of skylights and high ceilings and be eco-friendly.

“If it were a city home, the house would preferably be on a hill or on higher floors, facing greenery as well as offering great views of the city,” said Ng.




The Star