Bridging cultures to create a touch of luxe in Monika Tu’s Bellevue Hill mansion

Feng shui is key in the luxury renovation of celebrity Sydney real estate agent Monika Tu’s Bellevue Hill mansion.

Jad Khatter and Monika Tu added many luxurious elements to their Bellevue Hill home renovation. Picture: Nikki Short

It is east meets west in the home of celebrity Sydney real estate agent Monika Tu.

The star of Amazon Prime’s hit show Luxe Listings Australia and co-founder of Black Diamondz recently completed a massive renovation of the Bellevue Hill mansion she shares with her husband, Jad Khatter.

Tu originally purchased the property in 2003 after a buyer she was helping gave her the runaround. She brought in a feng shui master to assess the property, who described it as a “treasure”.

The property’s recent renovation took five years to complete with a refined European style design influenced by oriental culture.

“Everything I do I always see as an opportunity to bridge the cultures with the east,” Tu said.

“You can see it belongs to an Asian person, but it‘s not 100 per cent Chinese. It’s a very little contemporary.”

“We invested a lot in terms of the building because this is our ultimate home. We work so hard, and we want to feel comfortable here. Also, the property value of Bellevue Hill, it has become the most desirable area (in Sydney) and internationally.”

’I said, you know what, I don’t care about anything else, I didn’t even care about the kitchen, I just want the wardrobe.’ Picture: Nikki Short

The home is opulent. The rooftop offers 360-degree views of Sydney’s lush Eastern Suburbs, all while maintaining excellent feng shui. Wallpaper from Italy made of handpainted silks adorns the walls with intricate oriental prints. A fully stocked wine cellar and a separate cheese room are just some of the property’s new luxury additions.

Tu’s grandfather was a famous calligrapher, which encouraged her to build a collection of artworks featuring traditional Chinese styles and characters. “If you have a traditional Chinese painting in line with the Australian contemporary art or modern art, it looks really, really beautiful,” she said.

The international real estate specialist moved to Australia in 1988 from Shenzhen, China, not knowing a word of English, in search of an education. After graduating from RMIT in Melbourne, she worked at Sydney’s Paddy’s market, wearing a bum bag and selling electronics and floppy disks.

A fully stocked wine cellar and a separate cheese room are just some of the property’s new luxury additions. Picture: Nikki Short

“I left everything behind and came here with nothing,” Tu said.

“Australia is definitely like a country of opportunity for all migrants. If you work hard, you stay focused and be resilient, you can always make it.”

The bum bag has now been swapped for Balenciaga and Chanel and her sneakers for Jimmy Choos. Khatter was in charge of most design choices throughout the home, but Tu was very clear on what she needed.

“I said, you know what, I don’t care about anything else, I didn’t even care about the kitchen, I just want the wardrobe,” she said. “That’s what I work for!

“Shoes or bags are my weakness, and of course, now coats.”

Tu and Khatter are big entertainers and regularly have many people through their home, including friends, colleagues and international clients. For this reason, they had to make sure it is very functional and took learnings from all the luxury homes they have seen and sold over the years.

The property’s recent renovation took five years to complete with a refined European style design influenced by oriental culture. Picture: Nikki Short

Different parts of the home can be closed off depending on the occasion, with a heavy bi-fold installed to separate off the formal dining space for more intimate events.

“You learn so much from everybody,” Tu said. “Some houses are beautiful but they are too personalised and not very practical. I want to make sure I can work here, have my team meetings here, I can do whatever I want. It’s a very friendly space.”

The third season of Luxe Listings Australia premiers on September 30.

“We are very excited and the houses we represent are just phenomenal,” Tu said. “In season three, I’m really telling everybody what luxury is all about”.