With a home to call your own, it's only apt that you treat it like a canvas and paint it with quirks that scream "you".

Local radio DJ Gerald Koh gave a house tour to #JustSwipeLah of the new HDB maisonette flat that he shares with his wife and their three-year-old daughter Gemma.

In the YouTube video hosted by Jernelle Oh posted on May 14, 40-year-old Gerald said it was his family's first time moving into a new home and the decision was sparked by three reasons.

Firstly, as "kiasu" parents they wanted their home to be close to a primary school for Gemma. Secondly, they wanted to have a bigger space and lastly, in case Gerald's parents stay over, both floors could be utilised to make space for everyone at home.

The first sight upon entering the home is a dog playhouse beneath the staircase for Donut and Bagel. In it are dog beds, a TV and a mini 'fireplace'.

The playhouse was initially a storage area which was converted into a space for the pets.

The living room is adorned with a feature wall displaying Disneyland headbands the couple got from around the world. They are "huge fans of Disney", testified by how their first trip together was to Walt Disney World and Gerald's marriage proposal was in Disneyland Paris.

Beside the feature wall is another exhibit of the couple's obsessions: A glass display cabinet of their Lego builds. During the renovation process, the couple even gave their interior designer the exact measurements they wanted to house their collection.

The bathroom can be a home too

The home's service yard doubles up as the dining area. Gerald remarked that like other regular maisonette balconies, the previous owner had a roof over the service yard which Gerald and his interior designer decided to "punch through", resulting in a high ceiling.

The kitchen contains a sink with a motion sensor tap, allowing for users to clean their hands without touching any knobs.

Going up to the second storey, the staircase was installed with lights that run up at the sides, to which Jernelle said: "Your house, it's filled with a lot of Disney magic!"

On the wall along the staircase is a TV that acts as a gallery display of Gemma's artworks for her "to be proud of it". Overlooking the stairwell is a skylight to give the illusion of light entering the home, despite having neighbours living a storey above the family.

Gerald's home also has two bathrooms with a modern luxury theme to emulate the sensation of a hotel bathroom. One even has a switch to allow ventilation, to which Gerald, who sometimes does his work in the toilet, said: "I can live here, actually."

As Gerald's wife is a gamer, the home has a gaming room where he placed his massage chair so that he could watch her while she games. The room has mood lighting that can be changed and dimmed according to her preference, as well as wall lighting that can be synced up to music or voices.

Similar to how their living room has places to showcase interests and hobbies, the gaming room has a display case for her anime figures and Lego sets.

For Gemma's room, everything except the cabinet was handpicked by her. Having been a frequent flyer since she was six months old, her ceiling is adorned with a wallpaper of clouds and a light in the shape of an aeroplane.

Currently, the parents dub the room a "playroom" as it has no bed since she sleeps with them.

Lastly, a pair of French doors opens to the couple's master bedroom. Their bed has storage space underneath to make up for the space taken up by the dogs' playhouse . It is also connected to one of the two bathrooms with a shower that has three heads which can be turned on simultaneously for comfort.

Throughout the renovation that started last December, Gerald said that as a hands-on person, he wanted everything according to his plan and would return to the home every day to check on its progress.

While he didn't reveal the cost of renovation, he said they initially did not want to spend much but eventually decided to invest more in their new home as they have a growing family and bigger space to work with.

Starting June 2, Gerald will join radio station Gold 905 and host its morning show with Sophie Gollifer.

kristy.chua@asiaone.com

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