{
  "id": 5476258,
  "title": "Actor Terence Cao gave interior designer free rein to redesign home, was shocked to lose a room",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/actor-terence-cao-gave-interior-designer-free-rein-to-redesign-home",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-04T02:56:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "CNA - Singapore",
    "slug": "cna-singapore",
    "url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/living/terence-cao-interior-designer-redesign-home-6361906"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Singaporean actor Terence Cao recently completed a large-scale renovation of his nearly 60-year-old HDB flat in Toa Payoh, surrendering the keys to his interior designer with no oversight over the process. Upon seeing the finished product, Cao expressed his shock at the transformation, as the interior designer went beyond his expectations and even removed one of the original two bedrooms. Instead, the designer created a spacious dining area, featuring a sleek black granite island. While initially surprised by the loss of a bedroom, Cao ultimately appreciated the designer's bold design choices, which he found to be a \"mind-blowing\" addition to his home.",
  "summary": "Cao handed over the keys to his HDB flat and stayed out of the renovation process – only to discover one of the two bedrooms was gone.",
  "key_points": [
    "Singaporean actor Terence Cao renovated his HDB flat",
    "Interior designer redesigned without his oversight",
    "Designer removed one bedroom, added spacious dining area"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The actor's decision to give the interior designer free rein resulted in a bold redesign that transformed his home, even eliminating a bedroom, but ultimately won him over with its innovative layout.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Actor Terence Cao gave interior designer free rein to redesign home, was shocked to lose a room",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/actor-terence-cao-gave-interior-designer-free-rein-to-redesign-home-5477346",
        "published": "2026-09-04T02:56:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}