Erik Santos, 24, was born and bred in Malabon, a town visited by floods every time the typhoon season came around. So he chose to build his house in Novaliches, and his whole family—mom Angelita, dad Renato, eldest sister Dang, younger brother Ronnie, and baby sister Ayah—relocated here in May 2005. It's a two-storey house with five bedrooms and an attic.

And what happened to the house-and-lot in Binangonan that was part of Erik's Star in a Million prize? He swapped it for a condominium unit in the GA Towers on Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong. "So, sa ngayon, may unit na 'ko do'n."

Erik is particularly proud of the staircase, which he says he copied from the staircase in the house of his manager Boy Abunda. Though it was Erik himself who conceived the basic design and structure of the house, he commissioned an interior designer, a fresh graduate named Darron Hames, to take care of other details, such as furniture and house accessories. From the look of things, Erik made the right choices.

The sofa Erik is sitting on and the round side table at the foot of the stairs are custom-made and were bought with money sent to him by fans based abroad. The singer's fans raised P50,000 so he could buy additional furniture for his new home.

Living room like this unframed mirror standing above a modern side table and the unusual floor lamp, form a symmetrical grouping.

An eight-seater table and a mini-bar are the centerpieces in the dining room.

Across the dining room is the kitchen—a neat white-and-cream space with hanging lamps.

Adjacent to the dining area is an entertainment den with a Yamaha keyboard and a handsome shelving system housing a Sony Wega TV.

On the second floor is a table with Erik's numerous trophies and plaques, including awards for Best New Male TV Personality (Star Awards, 2004), Best Performance by a New Male Recording Artist (Awit Awards, 2004), and Best New Male Artist (Aliw Awards, 2004).

Erik's bedroom is a white-land-blue bachelor's room on the second floor. The roman window shades and the low bed, which he got as a gift from a friend, give the area a spacious feel.

A chill-out place awaits anybody entering Erik's bedroom. The room has a huge sofa with blue throw pillows, a wooden divider holding the singer's pictures, and a big mirror that occupies half of the wall and reflects all these.

The walk-in closet holds Erik's collection of sneakers—Chuck Taylors and Skechers, among others. Bvlgari and Giorgio Armani perfumes also line his dresser.