A beautiful chocolatier's sanctuary in The Tropics

Not only has entrepreneur Chantelle Chuah won numerous beauty pageants, she also still trots the catwalk and owns a chocolate company. Take a peek inside her luxury home. -The Star/ANN

Sat, Feb 23, 2013
The Star/Asia News Network

  

Entrepreneur Chantelle Chuah is a woman who wears many hats. Not only has she won numerous beauty pageants, the ravishing lady still trots the catwalk, owns a chocolate company and even has an accounting diploma.

 

In 2007, upon completing this post-graduate qualification at Manchester Business School, UK, Chuah broke up with her boyfriend and came back to Malaysia.

 

Inside a beauty queen's home Click on thumbnail to view (Photos: The Star/ANN)

 

"I tried to look for a job, but even with an honours degree, it was quite hard. Therefore, I thought, why not make use of my height and join pageants? To my surprise, I won," said Chuah, who clinched the title for Miss Malaysia Model of the World in 2007.

 

Now 29, this Ipoh lass has always been one of the tallest girls in school. She recalled that, back then, joining a beauty pageant was never on her mind. Indeed, her mum initially objected to the move.

 

She added, "My mum is very conservative but I went ahead with it because I wanted to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone. I wanted the experience too. People think that participating in a pageant or modelling is easy, but the truth is, it is very challenging. It was a character-building process for me."

 

Small but perfect

 

Chuah currently stays alone at Tropicana City Tropics (better known as The Tropics) in Petaling Jaya. She bought her serviced apartment unit about four years ago at RM600 per sq ft through a real estate agent.

 

It is part of a mixed development which also includes Tropicana City Mall, by Dijaya Corporation Bhd. The Tropics consists of twin 29-storey, tower blocks linked in the middle and forming a V-shaped configuration. The 601 units range in built-up space from 625 to 1,176 sq ft.

  

Said Chuah: "When it was launched, it was about RM300 per sq ft but I didn't dare to take any risk as there were many abandoned projects from 1997 to 2002. I don't buy anything that I can't see. When it was almost ready in 2008, I contacted the agent and bought it. Now, the value has gone up to about RM850 per sq ft," said Chuah of her 675 sq ft serviced apartment.

 

"I'm really happy that I bought this apartment. It's a little home but I get my sense of comfort here. It's perfect for a young, single person like me.

 

"As an entrepreneur, I need ideas for a lot of things. I get inspiration for my products from my home environment. It is comfortable and cosy. I can totally relax and have my own thinking space," said Chuah.

 

"Yes, I know people say that we are paying for air space but I don't feel confined up here on the 22nd floor. Sometimes, when you stay on landed property, you can hear all sorts of traffic noise - it's annoying," pointed out Chuah.

 

Simple and cosy

 

When asked about the interior design of her home, Chuah said she preferred a simple yet modern contemporary look, with white as the dominant colour.

 

The living room is furnished with white, leather sofas and a white television console which is adorned with her many trophies and photographs.

 

Take a look around and you will find a Springbok fur rug which Chuah bought from South Africa. There are also handmade bags from Vietnam and some decorative items from Bali. The most interesting piece is the vintage telephone, which is placed at a corner of the living room.

 

"This telephone is usable and I bought it from Cash Converters at a cheap price. I saw the same thing at Great Eastern Mall and it was priced at RM6,000. Why do we need to spend so much on brand new items when you can get something similar for a cheaper price? I'd rather spend on travelling. I'm going to Japan soon to source for designs and get inspiration for my products," said Chuah, who is an avid traveller and often goes backpacking.

 

A unique feature of Chuah's house is her dressing table. "When I was in Hollywood, I took a picture of this particular table that attracted my attention. It has the Marilyn Monroe and burlesque feel to it. I showed the picture to my contractor and he built it for me. I'm very happy with the outcome of it," said Chuah.

 

"My bedroom is my sanctuary - that's the reason why I chose a white theme for it. It's a place where I gather my thoughts. Being a girl, I like pink. So I outlined the room with pink lining. I designed everything in this house on my own - based on the things that inspired me during my travels," she pointed out.

 

She spent about RM45,000 on her renovation works which included built-in cabinets, shoe cabinets, dressing table and other furniture.

  

Location, location, location

 

When it comes to property investment, Chuah prefers smaller units. "I don't look for large properties. If the purpose of my investment is for rental income, a smaller unit is easier to rent out. There's a risk that I might not be able to rent it out, so I have to ensure that I can cover the loan should there be a rental setback," explained Chuah.

 

"I don't mind paying more for a property with a strategic location.

 

"I bought this house because I love the location and the surrounding area.

 

"It's near my workplace and not too far from the city. Petaling Jaya (PJ) is developing rapidly and is a popular residential choice," explained Chuah.

 

The beauty said that there will always be a demand for PJ properties.

 

"I compared a few properties before buying this apartment. The location here is really convenient - I can go anywhere easily via the highways. A drive to Kuala Lumpur takes only 15 minutes and I use the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) to go to Klang for sourcing my chocolate. SS2 is just a short drive away and it has so many great eateries. And do you know there are 11 banks in Damansara Uptown?"

 

A bonus for Chuah is that the Tropicana City Mall is at her doorstep.

 

"I actually prefer to stay in high-rise property because of the security and the fact that, it is a small unit makes it easier to maintain and clean," said Chuah, "I will never sell this condo, ever."

 

Chocolate lover

 

"I love chocolates so I started my own company - Jessie Chantelle Luxury Chocolates," said Chuah, who apparently makes all the decisions and carries out her business with the help of five employees.

 

"When I came back from the UK, I analysed the chocolate market here. Chocolate is so easy to market, you can give it as a corporate or wedding gift. I did my market research and felt that chocolates in Malaysia are overpriced," said Chuah.

  

"I specialise in low-calorie chocolates. It's called the Celebrity series. Based on my pageant and modelling experience, I know that the girls count their calories and the guys always visit the gym to keep fit or lose weight," explained Chuah, who is a gym enthusiast herself.

 

"People think that chocolate is fattening but in actual fact, cocoa is good but the sugar content in the chocolate is what makes you fat. Of course, you should not overindulge! That's why, consumers have to be aware and be educated about chocolate.

 

"If you have heard of Sun Tzu's Art of War, you know that you can't talk about war strategies on a piece of paper. You need to liaise with the general and be involved in it. I believe in the same concept. I am constantly looking for new ingredients and suppliers, and I do a lot of testing myself. I tasted so many chocolates - that's why I got fat and have to go to the gym!" said Chuah with a laugh.

 

"Jessie Chantelle Luxury Chocolates is a small and young company - just two years old. I'm enjoying what I'm doing now as I get to meet different people - chefs, chocolate lovers and clients. Next year, I'm going to Belgium for a course to qualify as a chocolatier. "Besides marketing and branding my chocolates, I also see to my accounts, conduct costing and sales reports. I also know how to monitor the cash flow. It's all interrelated," said Chuah who is currently preparing for her Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) examination.

 

Business-wise, she plans to expand her ''size zero" chocolates and "skinny range" chocolates to petrol stations and other outlets.

 

"We are also looking into refining our products and coming out with more ideas to brand it," said Chuah decisively.