Stephanie Dods has gone a long way from the start of her journey of The Apartment. The Apartment is a TV Show by the Sony Channel that features interior enthusiasts and regular designers to design spaces with limited time, and even a limited budget.
The model and beauty queen is set to marry her fiance, host-actor KC Montero. Aside from winning big this year as Asia’s Next Big Design Star, Stephanie Dods was also Miss Teen New Zealand 2006 and Miss New Zealand 2007.
Read More About Stephanie Here: Fil-Kiwi Beauty Queen Wins Asia’s Largest Interior Design Competition!
We managed to snag up an exclusive interview with her to know more about Stephanie Dods’ The Apartment journey! Here it is!
1 | What Made your want to join The Apartment? Did you ever think that you were going to be this season’s big winner?
Design has always been a big part of my life and I have always had an interest in interiors. I was designing my own home at the time when a friend happened to mention the show to me. I never had the courage to commit to a course or studies and thought the show would be a great introduction… A crash course if you will.
2 | What was the biggest challenge on the show for you?
Time! We are only give 30-minutes to conceptualize each space and you always want to be the first to go shopping; not only so you can get back early to work on your rooms but also to secure furniture. It was a constant race against the clock which amounted to a lot of pressure within teams and in yourself.
We were always on the go and what people may not realize is that each challenge was shot back to back with only one rest day per week! It was incredibly draining both physically and mentally.
3 | You were depicted as the Queen Bee on the show, and you often had fights with the other contestants. Are you all still friends after the show?
It is fair to say that I didn’t work well with three contestants, which was highlighted on the show. I’m a very fun loving person but when I work, I’m extremely focused at the task at hand and I expect others around me to be the same. Some people came to the show for different reasons, and some were not that interested in design. So, I’m not surprised that I didn’t work well with them! Maybe in a different setting things would of been different. But I did meet so many incredible, talented people on the show and I’m so thankful for the relationships I did make and still have today.
Luckily, I’m going home with my two closest friends on the show who both represented the Philippines on the show, Jesy Cruz from Alero Design Studio, and Eugene Del Rosario who are both such talented designers and continue to inspire me.
4 | What did you learn from this entire process?
I am a perfectionist at heart and I have always been so fearful to make mistakes. I’ve learned that things will not always be in your control and not everything will be perfect or go as planned. The only thing you can do is try your best, persevere, and not to be afraid of making mistakes.
5 | You won an apartment from UMLand’s D’Lagoon, a property that’s minutes away from Singapore, what are you going to do with it?
The prize apartment is in a great location! We spent a bit of time in Johor Bahru and with it being minutes from Singapore I feel very blessed to have won it. Although, Philippines will always be home for me. At the moment, I am undecided as to what to do. But, luckily I still have a bit of time to decide.
6 | What’s next for you after The Apartment? Will you consider taking design as a serious profession now?
Yes! I am currently studying at the Philippine School of Interior Design and will continue to practice here in the Philippines!
We’re looking forward to what this design star will be up to after this big win!
