MANILA, Philippines?Singer, ?Philippine Idol? finalist and SOP mainstay Jan Nieto admits that the family home is basically a showcase of his parents' collections and design preferences.

From his mom Ethel's Murano crystals to his dad Rolando's pet lovebirds. From the antique furniture pieces to the Peck Piñon and Nestor Vinluan paintings.

"Some of these pieces are older than I am," Jan notes.

His mom, a former undersecretary of the Department of Health, relates that she bought the 12-seater dining table from Bulacan and the matching sala set from Betis, Pampanga, in 1965 - that's a good 16 years before Jan was born.

Mom also filled the home's living areas with souvenirs from her travels all over the world: a Japanese doll, an opium pipe from Myanmar, lacquer ware from Vietnam, blue-and-white vases from China, ceramic and crystal figures from Europe.

Modern Zen

"My room is totally different," Jan says. "I made sure my own tastes are reflected there."

Modern Zen, he describes the concept for his personal space.

When he started renovating the room four years ago, wenge finish was all the rage.

"It's very Asian," he points out.

He bought the lamps in Thailand in 2004, but kept them in storage under his Nippon bed until he had the chance to redecorate his room.

He did the red painting on the bedroom wall. "My friends and I decided to take art lessons on a whim. Since I'm no drawing expert, I made geometric shapes na lang."

A Marketing Engineering graduate from Ateneo, Jan says he would've taken up Architecture or Interior Design if he knew how to draw.

"That's why I'm pouring all my creativity into this room," he says.

He bought the cartel chair from a Gilmore shop recently. "It was on sale."

One at a time

He personally supervised the renovation project four years ago. "It took three months. I only had one carpenter and we did the room one corner at a time. For example, crafting those four display frames on the wall took an entire week."

Apart from the TV in a cozy nook, he also installed a DVD projector that allows him to watch musicals like "Pippin" on a white wall opposite his bed.

"My manager Paolo (Bustamante) lent me the 'Pippin' DVD when I did the song 'Corner of the Sky' on 'Idol' two years ago," he recalls.

Jan never returned it.

His latest project is the sleek bathroom, finished only two weeks before the shoot.

Next is the pocket garden beside his bedroom.

"It's now a nursery for the plants," says Jan who also has a green thumb.

He often puts fresh plants from the pond in his bedroom. "To lend the space a touch of nature. I take care of the topiaries and bromeliads, while my mom is into cacti and orchids," he says.

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