Jeffrey Xu’s S$800K Condo Is Filled With Designer Toys, Cool Artwork & ‘Mementos’ From Fights With Girlfriend Felicia Chin

However, there are still touches of Jeffrey’s inner hypebeast in the form of industrial-style furniture, trendy collectible art toys, and various paraphernalia that he’s accumulated over the past decade that he “can’t bring [himself] to throw away”.

The first thing that caught our eye when we stepped into the cosy 80 sqm space was a pair of metal racks, which were imported from Italy, displaying a variety of mostly decorative items such as his collection of Slam Dunk comics (his favourite manga series), a giant S$700(!) candle (a very generous housewarming gift), and a Mona Lisa-printed Bearbrick (he has several other models scattered around the house).

A bit less conspicuous is a group of tiny Smurf figurines, one of which is holding a sign that says “Sorry” — a ‘memento’ from a lovers’ tiff he had with girlfriend Felicia Chin, 37.

In fact, the whole apartment is filled with little Feli-related keepsakes.

Tacked to a board in the kitchen alongside other small pieces of memorabilia is a S$2 note that actually has a story behind it: “I had a quarrel with Felicia and got so angry that I threw the note on the ground. I later went to pick it up and kept it as a reminder that I shouldn’t be like that ‘cos I used to have a very bad temper.”

He’s got things that remind him of good memories too, like a seemingly insignificant pair of cheap flip-flops.

“We were out and I was wearing a new pair of shoes that were very uncomfortable and kept hurting my feet, so Felicia went to buy that pair of slippers for me,” he smiled. “I treasure them more than any of my sneakers.”

Feli also gifted Jeffrey with bar stools, designer bedsheets, plushies, and other cutesy knick-knacks. Basically, the rule of thumb is that if something can be considered “cute” or “girly”, it was most probably a present from her.

She even got him a bouquet of pink roses to help spruce up the place when she found out that we were going to visit him for the house tour. So sweet, right?

Over in the living room is a sofa with a pull-out bed that Jeffrey sleeps on when his mother stays over so she can have the master bedroom instead.

In fact, Mama Xu actually happened to be in town the day we stopped by but went out to jalan jalan by herself so Jeffrey wouldn’t break the two-pax visitor rule.

One imagines Jeffrey is much more conscientious about observing social distancing rules given the very public lesson he learnt last year.

There’s also another one of the Italy-imported racks, but in a smaller size, displaying a) a pair of self-lacing sneakers on a charging pad — it’s strictly for decoration only and has never been worn — and b) a KAWS Companion figure that’s lying face down, which Jeffrey explained is a way to sum up the world’s feelings about the year 2020 (you know, ‘cos COVID and all).

But the centrepiece is undeniably the huge black-and-white film photo of a lion’s face that’s hanging over the couch.

According to Jeffrey, he first set eyes on the majestic portrait at an art gallery in ION Orchard about four or five years ago while shopping with Felicia.

The piece, which was created by a photographer who spent half a year tracking the big cat in Africa, instantly caught both their eyes.

“I asked the gallery owner how much it cost, and it was almost S$10,000,” Jeffrey recalled. “I asked Felicia if she likes it, and she said she did. I said I also like it and that I was very moved by it.”

And that’s basically the story of how Jeffrey ended up splurging a five-figure sum on a photograph… that subsequently spent the next few years wrapped in a box in storage. Say what?

“Back then, I didn’t feel like it was my own home, plus it takes up a lot of space and is very heavy,” explained Jeffrey, who previously stayed in a rented HDB unit. “I’m very happy that I finally have somewhere to hang it now.”

Even now, there are still several art pieces that are kept in his storeroom as he feels he doesn’t have enough space to display them.

One of them is an original poster for a Snoopy movie from 1977 that he spent S$500 to restore and frame up. It’s meant to be a gift for Feli, who’s a fan of Snoopy, but Jeffrey hasn’t had the opportunity to pass it to her yet.

Two more KAWS Companions and a Michael Jordan action figure reside in boxes in his walk-in closet, which was converted from the guest room and is also where he keeps two trophies, a Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes gong from Star Awards 2016, and the one he picked up after winning Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the Asian Television Awards 2013.

As the tour went on, it soon became apparent that Jeffrey is someone who has no qualms about spending money on art, provided there is some special meaning or sentiment behind them.

He estimates that he has splashed close to S$30,000 on all the decor and toys in his bachelor pad.

It's actually not that shocking if you take into account the S$10K price tag on the lion portrait alone, his collection of movie posters that's worth over S$1,000, and the fact that Bearbrick and KAWS collectibles don’t come cheap (some of them can easily fetch up to thousands of dollars, but all Jeffrey would share is that he got them at “a better price” thanks to a friend).

And the reason Jeffrey’s so fond of designer toys is ‘cos he believes they reflect his philosophy of placing emphasis on quality, art, and attention to detail, something he also strives to communicate through his online streetwear store Garrison.

Hanging above his bed is a S$600 framed illustration of the words “fang xia” (“let go” in Chinese), one of two products that he ordered from a calligrapher in China.

He gave the other one, which says “xi” (movie or drama), to Christopher Lee after the latter’s Golden Bell Award win in October (we’ll get to their unexpected friendship in a bit).

“I feel like a lot of times, I can’t let things go,” he said, explaining why he chose that particular saying. “It can also mean that since this is my bedroom, I should put everything down, let go of work, and just rest.”

But yes, back to Christopher. As it turns out, Jeffrey revealed that the older actor actually comes to visit him quite often.

“Wen Fang (Fann Wong) jie goes to sleep quite early, so sometimes he’ll come over to have a drink and we’ll talk about acting. Sometimes we’ll talk until very late and then order supper,” said Jeffrey. “You could say that I consider him my mentor.”

Nope, we didn’t know they were that close either.

Apparently, they got to know each other through celeb hairstylist David Gan years ago, after Jeffrey moved to Singapore and joined showbiz following his Star Search 2010 win.

Connecting the bedroom and walk-in closet is the unit’s sole bathroom, which is airy, spacious, and where Jeffrey had large floor-to-ceiling mirrors installed since they couldn’t fit into the wardrobe.

It’s also where he indulges in a little “bad habit” of watching movies on his iPad, which he puts on a small foldable stool, while sitting on the toilet, as he sheepishly admitted to us.

Hey, no need to be ashamed, Jeffrey — you’re the king of your own castle now so you can literally do whatever you want.

Photos: Alvin Teo

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