Lawrence Wong spends over $600k on renovations for new landed property, feels violated when strangers walk in to 'see look'

Even if someone is a celebrity, it doesn't mean that all aspects of their lives are open to public, and some people might have missed the memo on that.

Local actor Lawrence Wong shared on Instagram yesterday (Jan 14) that his new home is undergoing renovations and said that strangers "know where my new house is" and have wandered in to "see see look look".

"I feel so, so violated when I hear this. I mean, I value my privacy and it's really rude to enter anyone's house without asking the owner's permission, and not to mention, that's trespassing and it's illegal. Please have some respect for others!" he wrote, adding that he has installed CCTV cameras everywhere.

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This revelation came hours after the 32-year-old shared about his new home which he considers a "milestone" for him. 

He said in the Instagram post: "One of my dreams is to buy a bigger place so that my dad can stay with me easily but this is even better! I'd never imagine one day I'll be in a position where I can own a small plot of land and build my dream house from scratch!"

Eagle-eyed fans might notice the phrase "small plot of land" and if anyone is wondering, yes, Lawrence got himself a landed property and confirmed it to AsiaOne in a WhatsApp interview. However, he declined to reveal the neighbourhood he's in and we can clearly see now why he wanted to keep it private.

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Of his decision to pick this place, he explained to AsiaOne: "This is actually the first property I saw when I started house-hunting. I walked in and I loved the vibe immediately. I love the neighbourhood because I have stayed there before, more than 10 years ago. It's very, very convenient and well-connected. It has a wide range of amenities around, famous eateries, good food, and has its own unique vibe.

"But I forced myself to look at more properties because it's kind of stupid to buy the first house that I laid eyes on, so I looked at a lot more other properties. I considered penthouses and looked at other areas, but I find myself thinking about the [first] property."

He also declined to share the cost of the house, but told us that he spent more than $600,000 on the renovations.

For his father

Another reason for buying a landed property was because he wanted to provide his father with a similar environment to what he has in Malaysia.

He said: "[My dad] stays in Malaysia currently, and in Malaysia, most of the properties are landed. He's used to [having] more space so that's why I wanted to get a bigger property. I was contemplating penthouses and in the end, I decided on a landed property because it just makes more sense to own a piece of land in Singapore where land is scarce."

Not many pictures and details about the interior design have been released and we all know that's what everyone is looking forward to.

That isn't lost on Lawrence who told us that he's keeping some things close to the vest for now until the big reveal down the road. He was generous enough, though, to divulge some information on the look he's going for.

"The kind of design that I like is very not-Singapore. A lot of my friends who have seen my house say that it doesn't look like it's in Singapore. I like things really minimal and I like things that are a bit more ethereal. Say even the garden for example, I like flowers that look a bit more temperate. I don't like anything manicured, I like wild-growing flowers... I would say my design aesthetic is a bit offbeat, not the usual and not the norm," he said.

If you're feeling inspired by this or interested in getting something similar, then you can look up his interior designer OffGrid Creative.

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While his house will be ready by the end of January, the Story of Yanxi Palace actor unfortunately won't be around for the big day as he'll be filming in China till late March or early April. He intends to return to Singapore then, but also said that he has to see how the Covid-19 situation is after filming wraps.

Lawrence can be next seen in the horror-adventure drama The Ferryman: Legends of Nanyang that will air on iQIYI this year. He'll also be starring in upcoming Chinese series One Boat One World, and Love and Passion, both of which are scheduled to air sometime this year.

ALSO READ: Celebs Lawrence Wong, Joshua Tan and Cheryl Wee have skincare lines that'll help you look as good as them

bryanlim@asiaone.com