Inside Felicia Chin and Jeffrey Xu’s 4-room HDB flat, a cosy home for a celebrity couple
The celebrity couple gives CNA Lifestyle a peek inside their freshly renovated resale apartment.
Watching celebrity husband and wife duo Felicia Chin and Jeffrey Xu interact brings the meaning of “couple goals” to life. There is a visible ease in their banter, with the actor and host often tossing out witty quips that make former Mediacorp actress and content creator burst into gleeful laughter.
Jeffrey and Felicia have an unmistakable dynamic: They complete each other’s sentences, listen closely when the other speaks and support one another wholeheartedly. Nowhere is this more evident than in their cosy home – a space they have carefully crafted together.
As they hospitably welcomed CNA Lifestyle into their renovated four-room HDB resale flat located in the "central south west", Jeffrey, 35, summed up the essence of their home: “The whole home is filled with mementos of our journey as a couple, and that’s why it’s so special to us.”
Even the entryway, typically a utilitarian space where keys are dropped or quick glances at the mirror are made before heading out, is imbued with small, heartfelt reminders of their relationship.
A plaque on the wall commemorates the day Jeffrey proposed to Felicia on Jul 29, 2022. Polaroid snaps from when they bought their wedding rings and a framed sketch from a close friend also adorn the space. In the living room, an otter plush toy from Night Safari, which Jeffrey used to propose, takes pride of place – one of many sentimental touches scattered throughout their home.
“When we first walked into this unit, we felt at peace,” Felicia, 39, recalled. “We love the natural light and the high ceilings – it just felt right, so we chose it.”
That initial sense of tranquility inspired the design of their home, led by Kelly Chin, director at interior design firm D’Phenomenal, who helped transform it into a chic retreat layered in soothing wood tones and natural materials like rattan and tatami.
Their home slowly came to life in stages, shared Felicia, who was the first to move in pre-renovation in 2021, before they got married. Jeffrey joined her mid-2023 after the second round of renovations and everything was finally settled this year.
CAMPING IN THEIR LIVING ROOM, LOTS OF SHOES
The heart of their home, Felicia explained, is the living room, a space designed with soft, natural lighting and camping-inspired furnishings that reflect the couple’s love for the outdoors.
“We love camping and wanted to incorporate that vibe into our home through our choice of furniture,” Jeffrey shared, pointing to a metal storage box and a reclining deck chair that his wife bought for him. “It feels comforting to be surrounded by things we love.”
Felicia added: “We spend hours here, watching films, sports, or just sitting in silence, comfortable in each other’s presence.”
The double level glass windows that stretch up to the high ceiling is one of Felicia’s favourite features of the apartment. “It was the first thing we saw when we first viewed this apartment. We installed a motorised blind for privacy and in the morning, when we lift up the blinds, it is like a revealing of the skies, which is really beautiful.”
Naturally, their morning ritual unfolds here too. Jeffrey starts his day by enjoying his morning cuppa in his deck chair, while Felicia lounges on a uniquely designed multi-functional sofa from Japan, which can transform into four different pieces of furniture including a cabinet unit or a bed. Not that they would know. “We have never tried all the configurations, but the manual says it can do a lot,” Jeffrey added with a grin.
A whimsical lightbox poster frame, similar to those found in movie theatres, adds a playful touch to the room. Currently featuring Up, one of Felicia’s favourite films, Jeffrey said it will soon be swapped for Inside Out, her latest obsession.
The living room also serves a practical function – storage. Built-in, floor-to-ceiling cabinetry, which came with the apartment, houses Jeffrey’s collection of sneakers. Once known to have over 300 pairs, he sheepishly admitted his collection is now down to 100 as he now has to share cabinet space with Felicia.
To personalise the space further, they swapped out one of the cabinet doors for a rattan panel, adding a subtle Japanese aesthetic. “The rattan helps with ventilation for the shoes,” Jeffrey explained.
A CREATIVITY ROOM FOR INSPIRATION
The living room connects to one of the most special areas in the apartment: The “creativity room”. This serene space, designed with an elevated tatami mat floor and a retractable coffee table, is where the couple goes to recharge and create. “This is where we do creative and inspiring things – listening to music, reading, or even colouring,” Felicia shared.
The room is filled with meaningful mementos and artwork, each piece carrying a special significance. A Chinese calligraphy featuring the phrase “Let Go” sums up the meditative theme of the room.
Felicia points to a painting gifted by the father of a child she once helped during their battle with cancer. “This piece means a lot to me,” she said.
Other artworks reveal her life philosophies. Pointing to a framed cityscape which she bought in Busan, South Korea, Felicia said: “It is actually made of recycled cardboard boxes and I like the idea behind this art piece that nothing is worthless. It is just like how all of us are worthy of a deserving life, it is only a matter of how you view yourself and that speaks to me a lot.”
A kintsugi dish, based on the Japanese art form that uses lacquer mixed with metallic powder like gold or silver to patch broken pieces back together, sits on the table. Rather than hiding the cracks, the process highlights them, turning the fractures into beautiful, visible veins that add to the object’s character.
“It reminds me that when things are broken, they do not need to be discarded. With love, everything can be brought back to life, so this is a good reminder for me when I sit here and read,” she said. “I am still learning how to do this.”
The creativity room is also decorated with Jeffrey’s carefully curated Bearbrick collection. “I could not afford them before, but now I collect ones created by artist collaborations that match our decor. It is all about finding pieces that blend meaningfully with our space.”
JEFFREY'S SAKE WALL, FELICIA'S PRIVACY
Over in the adjacent kitchen and dining area, they keep drinks and tidbits neatly stashed away both to ensure the aesthetic of the compact space remains clutter free as well as to avoid the temptation of over-snacking.
The main decorative element in the kitchen is Jeffrey’s sake wall, a tribute to their travels in Japan, where he lovingly peels labels off finished bottles of sake and pastes them on the wall, just like in the izakayas they frequented in Japan. “He is always observing things he likes and bringing ideas back to our home,” said Felicia admiringly.
This is also where the couple’s love for each other manifests in small, thoughtful ways. “This is her territory,” Jeffrey joked. “I am of not much use here, except to make coffee and wash dishes.”
As the designated chef of the two, Felicia is in charge of cooking their meals – an act of service that aligns with Jeffrey’s “love language”.
“When he is tired after work, I try to cook something nice for him. Sometimes we jostle for space because it gets a bit squeezy here, but it is a happy place, we spend a lot of time here,” she said.
He reciprocates by brewing their daily morning cuppa and even has a small coffee station complete with different types of java brewing apparatus set up on the counter.
“My coffee tastes slightly different every day because he uses different beans. This is why I look forward to receiving that cup of coffee every morning,” said Felicia.
Connecting the creativity room and kitchen is a display shelf brimming with objects that hold sentimental value. To create privacy for Felicia during her meditation or creative moments, the couple installed a sliding door along the shelf, turning the two spaces into distinct rooms.
In a showcase of their shared history, the shelf is filled with objects that have sentimental value to them. “There are two Precious Moments figurines that are really special to us,” Felicia said, pointing to a church wedding scene and a vintage car - two gifts from friends that mirrored their real-life wedding. Another cherished item is a preserved bouquet from their wedding day, immortalised in a sealed casing.
Mementos from their career achievements, like the two trophies that Felicia was awarded for her work on her social media series Hei, Zou Zou Ba (Let's Take A Walk) also take pride of place on the shelf along with a collection of books on topics that interest them, such as sneakers, animals and behind-the-scenes tomes about their favourite shows and films.
LOVING PEANUTS AND A MAN CAVE
If it is not already evident, art is another major element in their home, with Jeffrey frequently seeking out interesting pieces such as figurines, photographs, and limited-edition posters. One of their most cherished pieces is a framed Peanuts poster that takes pride of place in the master bedroom.
Although the room is out of bounds, the couple brought out the artwork to share its significance. One of only 116 prints in the world, the poster depicts Snoopy and Woodstock navigating raging rapids – a metaphor for life’s inevitable challenges.
“It is about life being an adventure,” Felicia said. “You might meet people who aren’t so nice, or there might be grief and tough times. But this reminds you to have fun and keep going with the flow.”
The home tour wraps up in Jeffrey’s man cave, a room that also serves as their wardrobe but doubles as his private retreat.
A large black and white portrait photograph of a majestic lion hangs on the wall. If the feline looks familiar to the couple’s fans, it is because they have talked about this artwork in previous interviews – basically, Jeffrey splurged S$10,000 on this portrait because both of them were moved by the image when they chanced upon it in an art gallery and bought it for their future home.
Now that the photograph has finally found its permanent home, Jeffrey has continued to add even more meaningful things to his man cave. There is a music box depicting the Eiffel Tower, which he says is their “token of love” as well as a hand-drawn picture of the couple at Tanglin Mall, where they took their wedding photographs which was gifted by their fans.
There are also two antique metal containers on the side table, which might look ordinary but his “priceless treasures”.
“This is my grandmother’s dowry. There is a coin in one of the containers that bears the ‘xi’ (happiness) character. It means a lot to me as it reminds me of my grandmother so from time to time, I take it out to admire it,” said Jeffrey.
With a wistful smile, he added, “Everything we own has a story and a meaning behind it. I think that is what makes this apartment a home.”