NSF wins $10,000 home makeover contest

When Mr Nurshahid Ramlee, 21, submitted his entry for a home makeover competition on May 20, he was thinking about how his parents had sacrificed so much for him.

His father, Mr Ramlee Omar, 49, has been supporting the family for the past 26 years working as an aircraft technician. His mother, Madam Saedah Ismail, 46, is a housewife who cares for him and his three younger sisters - a pair of twins aged 18 and their youngest sibling, eight.

Mr Nurshahid is the winner of a $10,000 competition organised by The New Paper and Courts Singapore. To enter, he had to send in a picture of his living room and prepare a write-up about himself, his style and his areas of interest.

The full-time national serviceman said he came across an advertisement for the competition in TNP and decided to give it a try.

UNEXPECTED

He was informed about the outcome on May 22 when he was still in camp.

Mr Nurshahid quickly told his parents, who did not expect their son to enter such a competition, let alone win it.

For the contest, Courts had British interior design guru Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen visit the family at their maisonette in Pasir Ris Drive 6.

Mr Nurshahid said Mr Llewelyn-Bowen helped him realise that his unit could do with some brightening up.

"I realised my home looked very gloomy and there were not enough bright colours," Mr Nurshahid said.

His household received a three-piece Jazz Club Sofa from Court's Laurence Collection.

They also got a new table lamp and coffee table.

Madam Saedah said: "This is just in time for Hari Raya."

When the items arrived at their apartment on July 3, Mr Nurshahid said they were very pleased with the new improved look.

Indeed, his youngest sister, primary school student Nurafiah Adilah, said: "It is very beautiful, I love it".