MANILA, Philippines?Six months ago, this Quezon City house was painted green and peach.

?It looked like a watermelon,? recalled Kapuso actress Stef Prescott.

At night, neighborhood kids avoided it like the plague. ?It looked haunted daw,? she said.

That was all she needed to hear.

Wielding a paint brush, Stef turned the house into a cheery, sunny home.

?When the sun hits it in the morning, it looks cheerful and bright,? noted 18-year-old Stef, a finalist of StarStruck Season 4 and who currently stars in the GMA 7 fantasy series ?The Last Prince.?

She also repainted the grotto and got rid of the tangled vines and weeds around it. ?Instead I placed orchids and hanging plants for Mama Mary,? she said.

She likewise made sure to follow the feng shui tips given by friend Tess Paez.

Meticulous

?I was meticulous. I made sure there was a jar of salt in the house before we moved in,? she said.

Stef counts herself lucky that she and Filipino mom Marisa found the place which is a few minutes away from the GMA 7 studios and her culinary arts school.

?During ?StarStruck,? my parents stayed in La Union,? she recounted.

Since her American dad Julian now divides his time between the United States and the Philippines and she?s swamped with show biz work, the family decided to rent a city address.

?It?s accessible through Commonwealth Avenue and it?s near the grocery store and bank,? she said.

As bonus, it stands in a quaint and quiet neighborhood.

?I can walk my pets in peace, without being bothered by other dogs,? she quipped.

Having a roomy place (433 square meters) is a priority because she has five dogs: Spicy the shih tzu; Taco the chihuahua; Hermes the poodle; Coco the mini-pinscher; and Will-He the dachshund, who?s the same age as Stef.

She had a huge tower bird cage built for her sugar glider, a kind of mammal whom she calls Pooh.

Stef loves that there are lots of trees in this village.

Cool in summer

?Even in the heat of summer, it?s a bit cool here, especially in the late afternoon. The trees offer plenty of shade. I?m a nature girl. My favorite colors are green and yellow. Green represents plants, and yellow, the sun,? she pointed out.

She also filled the living room with potted plants. ?It?s lucky daw to put fresh plants in your home,? she said.

Nature gal is a self-confessed homebody as well.

?When I?m at home, I usually play with my dogs or read books, like the ?Twilight? series,? she said. ?I watch Koreanovelas on the DVD player or surf the Net on my Mac Book, too.?

The Mac Book is a gift from her fans, she proudly said.

She explained that she adores ?Twilight? because it reminds her of her growing-up years in Redmond, Washington.

The Quezon City home is gaily decorated with childhood souvenirs: an antique wooden chair that was used by Stef?s dad as a baby; a clay pot that Stef painted for a school auction in Redmond; a spoon set also from dad?s infancy, as well as car racing memorabilia.

Dad?s a racing aficionado, she said.

Quite expectedly, the place is teeming with pictures?not only of Stef, but also of her parents and American half-siblings Suzy and Todd.

Even her pet dogs have their own framed photographs displayed in a place of honor.

When bosom buddies and former ?All My Life? co-stars Jade Lopez and Jay Aquitania visit, they usually hang out in the terrace which features ?all sorts of plants. It?s my favorite corner, apart from my room,? said Stef.

She prefers to stay in the terrace, where it?s breezy, than hide in her air-conditioned bedroom.

?I?m OC (obsessive compulsive) about saving electricity. I?m so thrifty. I will never leave a room without checking if I turned off the lights and appliances,? she admitted.

The residence also comes with a rooftop terrace, which doubles as party central for Stef.

Since a mango tree grows through the rooftop terrace, an uncle set up a hammock there?ideal for summertime reveries.

?Our helpers and I usually go up the rooftop and make kuwentuhan (chat) while hanging the laundry,? Stef said.

Jay and Jade often go to the house for sleepovers. ?We became close and remained friends even after ?All My Life,?? she said.

With Jay?s help, Stef mounted a surprise birthday party for Jade in this house.

?We invited Jade?s family. It made me realize just how perfect this place is because it?s big enough to accommodate all the guests,? Stef said.

Clothes by Allyonna Boutique, Tutuban Center

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