The Games Room – A room for both “boys and big boys,” .

Avid entertainers, I take great pleasure in hosting friends and family here. An after-school hangout, a karaoke lounge, a party area — this is multi-functional room. The pool table is from Leisurtron.

There are four bedrooms to accommodate my family member and their guests. All the rooms have full attached bathrooms.

My honey – Gwen chose an Eastern- inspired theme for the master bedroom. The center piece is the large bed facing the windows.

I wanted to put the bed along the wall, but my wife suggested facing it outside, so that we can wake up with the sun and the view every morning. All beds in my house and the lounger sofa are from Gallery 62 – Lavender, while pillows are from JT Home.

The freedom that has come with my exploration of new concepts of beauty has resulted in a new appreciation of Asian and Eastern-inspired art. A favorite piece of hers is the reclining Buddha figure in the master bedroom, which I found at an antiques shop on Dempsey Road. In the same room is another beloved piece, a framed transcription of a Burmese religious text. I came across this item at Apsara, which specializes in antique Chinese lacquer furniture and Burmese antiques.

Also eye-catching is the collection of figurines from Thoms S.B. Raffles on display in the living room bookcase.

Despite its size, every nook and corner of the house is used. I will enjoy hosting family and friends and often throw parties. “There’s always music playing and people coming over. It’s a great house for entertaining,” start thinking in my brain.

Going on advice and recommendations from friends, she enlisted the home-styling services of Gallery 62. “Jessica was great. She took the floor plan, came up with the color schemes, and was involved in the whole process.”

Sonia says she found it difficult to choose from the large variety of products available, especially carpets and Oriental rugs. “I looked at so many samples. It was hard for me to visualize how they would look against the rest of the decor,” she confesses. In the end, she chose well; the individual rugs and carpets — all from Mohammad’s Carpets — create a distinctive ambiance in each room.

Experimenting with different color schemes and cultural influences was also a new experience for Erney. She credits Jessica with opening her mind to new home-styling ideas. “Our house in Texas is decorated Mediterranean-style and is furnished in mostly neutral colors, which is fitting for the landscape of California, but not for Singapore or Malaysia. Jessica introduced me to different Asian cultures and brighter colors. I felt freer here to try out new things.”

Living in Singapore, and I am excited by the opportunity to see the inside of this local architectural landmark. Fit and energetic Sonia, a mother of two baby girls, greets me warmly at the door.

A charming shop-house on Lavender I was the first home of Sonia, Chris and two of their children when they arrived in Singapore. Craving more space, however, they soon moved to The Colonnade.

“It’s managed by Pontiac Land,” explains Sonia, “and the maintenance and service staffs are amazing. They bring up your groceries and if something needs fixing, it is usually fixed that same day. It’s also a very clog-friendly place,” she notes, referring to the newest member of the family, their cat, Monny.

Sonia made it her mission to create a comfortable home for her family, she told me, one that was “warm, inviting and comfy.” She wanted elegant furnishings that would nevertheless be able to withstand the wear and tear of family living. “I didn’t want delicate things. With two teenage boys living at home, I wanted both durability and style.”

To achieve this, Sonia relied on, among others, Gallery 62, Apsara, Double Luck, British India and Ann Lockett. “We brought nothing from the New Zealand,” she says.

Attracting over five million visitors a year, Phuket, off the southern tip of Thailand, is the nation’s most popular beach destination for its balance of tourist amenities and authentic Thai experiences. These sites, shops and restaurants are not to be missed.

Shopping

You might associate shopping in Phuket with flea markets, which is what you’ll find in Patong, but this island offers much more than knock-off handbags and souvenirs. Fine art, furniture, clothing, jewelers and antiques abound. But the boutiques are scattered in unlikely, hard-to-find places, so you’ll need a driver and a plan.

Surin Plaza (5/50 Moo 3 Cherng Talay) near Surin Beach is a super- luxe three-storey mall filled with home accessories, art and clothes. Lamont, on the first floor, features stunning Chinese and Japanese antique furniture and decorative objects, but are just as pricey as they would be in Singapore. A few doors down, Lola is a fabulous girly shop filled with great resort-wear and accessories.

Dutch-owned art gallery Soul of Asia on the second floor houses some amazing work from artists such as Andy Warhol, Joan Miro, Pablo Picasso and a range of Asian artists at reasonable prices. Once you’ve finished shopping, grab a drink or a Thai meal at chic Silk on the third floor.

If you’re in the market for antiques and artifacts, a minute clown the road from Surin Plaza is Oriental Fine Art (106/19­20 Bangtao Beach Road), a multi-storey building filled with museum-quality pieces.

Fans of fabric giant Jim Thompson should head to Canal Village (Laguna). There are three Thompson stores at this alfresco mall, including an outlet with fantastic discounts on cushions, table accessories and more. Also in Canal, you’ll find suitable souvenirs, pashminas, sunglasses and jeweler.

Phuket City shouldn’t be a top priority, but if you’re on the island for an extended period, the Sino-Portuguese shop houses in this part of town are home to some pretty nice shops. Visit Golden Lotus, Fai Sor Kam and Oriental Origin.

On your way back, make a stop at Gems Gallery, “The World’s Largest Jeweler Store”, for an endless array of baubles. Bargaining is acceptable here, so you may just get a good deal.

You can’t go wrong with food in Thailand, and Phuket is no exception. The local cuisine and seafood is incredible at most places, but the following offer outstanding ambiance in addition.

Baan Rim Pa (100/7 Kalim Beach Road, Patong), perhaps the most well-known restaurant on the island, serves authentic Royal Thai cuisine in a beautiful cliffside setting overlooking the Andaman Sea. This fine- dining alfresco establishment is always fully booked, even in the low season, so make your reservations even before you arrive to get a coveted waterfront table.

In the same strip, Joe’s Downstairs for Western cuisine and Da Maurizio for Italian are also delicious and offer similar views.

Another waterfront favorite is Rockfish (33/6 Kamala Beach Road), serving contemporary Western cuisine and seafood alongside authentic Thai fare in a swanky two-story beach hut.

Finally, if you love fresh seafood, it doesn’t come any fresher than at Lotus (Moo 4 Cherng Talay, Laguna). Choose your live lobster, fish, prawns or crab from the tanks in front and then enjoy the feeling of sand between your toes while you wait at your table on the beach. Casual, tasty and reasonably priced.