October 12, 2011 One luxury apartment, three couples. A dramatic property tussle is inevitable this October, with new reality series The Apartment premiering on AXN! With the grand prize of a Sime Darby Property condominium in Kuala Lumpur worth RM 530,000 up for grabs, the stakes are high and the three pairs of lovers, buddies and frenemies are eager to prove that they have what it takes. In a time of rising property prices, The Apartment is indeed a dream come true for the winners who would become instant homeowners!

Unlike a typical interior decorating show, The Apartment is a tough DIY showdown among the three teams who are assigned a brand new penthouse each, and must out-design, out-shop and out-decorate one another as the clock ticks away. Host Kahi Lee, who owns a design firm with a client base of Hollywood stars, athletes and rock stars such as Japanese rocker Kyosuke Himuro, mentors the teams during the process of the room makeovers. Evaluating every design decision and its execution with a critical eye are judges Martin Haeger and Alice Nguyen, each highly regarded in their own field. Martin has a fierce reputation for design excellence and detailing and has worked in a number of world renowned design offices from Chicago to Singapore, while Alice has a global portfolio in designing five-star hotels and residential suites.

Vying for one of the biggest prize packages on Asian television (pictured left to right) are indoor rock-climbing gym owner Jeremy and sports caster Renai who have been dating for the past three-and-a-half years; frenemies Michael and Tika who have a super competitive streak and are definitely in it to win it, as well as lobbyist/ self-professed hoarder Syed and born-in-Brazil dance instructor Rodrigo as housemates and close friends raring to unleash their creativity.

Expect lots of excitement and thrills from the get go, as the motley crew of six will not only be working together but also living together 24/7. While the three teams seem to be playing nice, they are certainly sizing up the competition behind doors. Beginning from the first challenge, an innocuous request to borrow a step ladder results in a flat ‘no’ from the other teams, who are definitely staking claim on whatever precious tools they have on hand!

Viewers are kept on the edge of their seats as the clock ticks down. With demanding time limits to pull off a DIY challenge, these decorating amateurs are expected to pull off the hard labour - paint, tile, wallpaper, and install fixtures and fittings - as well as any professional. After each challenge is revealed, the teams get to discuss and decide on the design theme and colours of the specific room. They are then sent on a shopping spree with a budget of RM 263,500 but the tricky part is - they have to ration the sum to last throughout, without knowing what the next challenge might be! Once time is up, the finished products are left to the scrutiny of the sharp-tongued judges looking for a design that will increase the property’s market value. Sloppy paint jobs or poorly installed fixtures will certainly not be overlooked or forgiven, especially when super-glued curtain rods land on the judges!

Under a brutal time crunch, the teams are forced to make snap decisions, which might turn out to be a deadly mistake or a blessing in disguise. Viewers will be able to share in their moments of dilemmas, conflicts and revelations, in a gripping journey of highs and lows that will be both exhilarating and emotional. Don’t miss television’s most compelling and certainly the toughest design and decorating show set to premiere on AXN this October!

The Apartment premieres on 27 October 2011 !
Every Thursday at 8.10pm (SG, MY, HK) / 7.10pm (JKT) !

First and Exclusively on AXN