At the time of this pictorial, the woman of the house says she has been loveless for almost a year now. "Darating tayo diyan," she philosophizes, then adds, with a wry humor: "Wala pa si Mr. Right, e. Si Mr. Left nang si Mr. Left ang dumarating."

(YES! March 2008 issue)

The house stands on 363 square meters of prime lot in the Commonwealth area in Quezon City. Ara says the house was only 60-percent done when she first saw it, which gave her the freedom to design specific areas. However, she retained the look of the fence and the gate.

(YES! March 2008 issue)

Since lot usage was maximized for the house's main structure, only a pocket garden could be accommodated in the remaining space. Adding appeal to her Zen-inspired garden is a fence packed with off-white slabs of bas relief, prefabricated in Cebu.

(YES! March 2008 issue)

The wicker love seat at right is an accent piece that gives the room a different texture. It was made by a furniture exporter from Cebu, a friend of interior designer Nancy Roble.

Nancy says that Ara is very particular about colors: "Nakakatuwa siya, kasi talagang nagsi-sit-down 'yan with us sa pagpili ng fabric, pati curtains. Nilalapat niya pa sa wall 'yong sample fabric para malaman kung bagay sa color scheme."

(YES! March 2008 issue)

Ara's living room offers a sneak peek into the Asian-modern contemporary theme of the house. She says the furniture is all pasadya, or made-for-order, done by her interior designer, Nancy Roble, and shipped from Nancy's furniture factory in Cebu.

The mirror that accents the wall is framed with mahogany wood, which has been painted silver, while the center table is made of magkuno wood. Oriental decorative pieces—such as the two-feet-tall Buddha by the music room door, the Chinese figurine called Tsien Ye behind small lotus flowers on the console table, and a golden frog underneath the center table—are all strategically located to ward off negative energy and attract prosperity, according to feng shui.

(YES! March 2008 issue)

The plasma TV is framed by shelves adorned with photos of Ara with her family and with friends from showbiz, including Fernando Poe Jr. and Sharon Cuneta.

There are also souvenir photos of places Ara has been to, such as the Great Wall of China and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

(YES! March 2008 issue)

The music room has a comfort room, which also carries the Asian-modern contemporary theme. Worth noting is the wood on which the sink rests. It is made of trabyesa, the wood used to line railroad tracks.

(YES! March 2008 issue)

The music room, which has acoustically treated walls, is one of the carpeted rooms in the house, along with the dressing room. "Hindi na daw masyadong uso 'yong carpet, e," Ara says. "Ito, okey lang na carpeted, para maganda 'yong sounds."

(YES! March 2008 issue)

Ara's collection of trophies and awards are proudly displayed in the room. Among the notable trophies and plaques are three for best actress (MMFF 2002, for Mano Po; FAMAS and Golden Screen Awards, both in 2004, for Huling Birhen sa Lupa) and one for best supporting actress (Star Awards 2005, Minsan Pa).

There's also a gold-record award for her debut album, Ara Mina, released in 1999.

(YES! March 2008 issue)

The dining room has an eight-seater dining table made of magkuno wood.

"Pareho ng klase ng wood 'yong dining table at center table sa living room," Nancy says. "Kasi, originally twelve-seater 'yong dining table, pero gusto ni Hazel, eight-seater lang. So pinutol ko na lang. Sayang, e."

Hazel Pascual Reyes is Ara's real name.

(YES! March 2008 issue)

Ara's wine selection, neatly stored in the wine cabinet (below the painting), includes Asti Cinzano, Moscato Spumante, Nodernburg Chardonnay, 1995 Rocca delle Macie, and 1998 Luna di Luna Merlot Cabernet.

(YES! March 2008 issue)

The kitchen had granite counter tops when Ara bought the house. "Nagdagdag na lang kami ng cabinets sa extended space malapit sa door and 'yong mga stainless pullouts para sa additional storage space," says Nancy Roble.

(YES! March 2008 issue)

Though Ara does not cook, she makes sure her pantry is well-stocked. She confesses to a love for food, but particularly likes pasta.

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The staircase that connects the ground floor to the rooms on the second floor has, on the landing, a wide glass window that gives the area natural lighting. The hanging capiz lamps, also from Cebu, serve as focal points.

(YES! March 2008 issue)

Revealing more of the house's oriental-inspired style, a version of Chinese pharmacy cabinets hides Ara's shoe collection on top of the staircase. The painting near the foot of the stairs is from Bali, Indonesia.

(YES! March 2008 issue)

The number of shoes in this open cabinet may be far from imeldific in scale, but Ara says she has already lost count of how many pairs she owns.
The shoe cabinet at the top of the staircase was originally part of a long hallway. "Dati, buong hallway 'yan, diretso," Ara says. "Sabi ko, ang laki namang hallway. So pina-cut na lang namin. Kasi, ayokong kalat ang shoe rack, e."

(YES! March 2008 issue)

Ara's bedroom walls display her nude portraits, done in 1998 by Filipino artists belonging to the Tuesday Group, which counts Angel Cacnio and Solomon Saprid among its leading members. The large sketch behind the computer is by Eman Santos. But the main attraction in the room is her queen-size bed, made of mahogany.

(YES! March 2008 issue)

The huge bedroom has a terrace, from which you get a panoramic view of the mountains of San Mateo and Antipolo. "Noong una ko'ng nakita 'to, lumabas ako sa terrace, parang ang fresh-fresh ng hangin," Ara says.

(YES! March 2008 issue)

The Chinese secretaire, or writing table, has been with Ara for around six years now. It was one of the pieces originally displayed in her previous house. Opening the mirror doors of the secretaire reveals Ara's collection of angel figurines, some of them given by friends.

(YES! March 2008 issue)

The bathroom is as huge as the bedroom. There is enough space here to accommodate a massage bed and a Jacuzzi. Half of the bathroom is occupied by a built-in wardrobe cabinet (not in photo) that is overflowing with clothes.

(YES! March 2008 issue)

Standing on opposite sides of the bathroom door are vases from Cebu and a small wooden cabinet that contains Ara's collection of books, including Sidney Sheldon novels; inspirational books such as Chicken Soup for the Single's Soul; entrepreneurial books such as Joey Concepcion's Negosyo: 50 Inspiring Entrepreneurial Stories and Donald Trump's Why We Want to Be Rich; and self-help books such as 365 Ways to Love Your Lover.

(YES! March 2008 issue)

Ara's bags and perfume collection are all neatly organized and color-coordinated inside the dressing room. Among Ara's treasured bags is a red Prada doctor's bag given by her biological dad, Chuck Mathay, when they first met.

(YES! March 2008 issue)

Ara lets YES! in on a secret: "Sa dami ng perfume ko, ginagamit ko na lang 'yong kung ano'ng kakulay ng suot ko. Example, orange ang suot ko, orange na perfume din ang gagamitin ko. Pero mas gusto ko talaga 'yong citrus scent."

(YES! March 2008 issue)

This guest room, called the Purple Room, is where Ara's mom, Frances, stays when she comes over for a visit. A framed solo photo of Ara is on the right bedside table. Another photo of Ara (partly hidden), this time with her idol and lookalike Sharon Cuneta, is on the left bedside table.

(YES! March 2008 issue)

The Purple Room's bathroom follows the Zen-like feel of the house and has decor that plays on the colors of the guest room.

"Galing U.S. 'yong decor, padala ng sister ko na interior designer doon," says Nancy Roble.

"Mahirap kasing makahanap ng mga toiletry set na pareho ang color sa room at sosyal ang dating."

(YES! March 2008 issue)

One of the prettiest rooms of the house is the other guest room, called the Green Room. This one looks like it has been cut out of a model house. The fabric and the color combination were chosen by Ara herself, and the cabinet that conceals the TV was also her idea (not in photo). "Pinasadya ko talaga," Ara says. "Parang feeling mo, nasa hotel ka, di ba?"

(YES! March 2008 issue)

Ara's sanctuary is her bedroom. "Mabilis ako makatulog, mabilis din ako magising," she says, "Isa ako sa mga masuwerte, kasi hindi ko na kailangan mag-take ng sleeping pills. Ako, masa-masandal lang, tulog."

(YES! March 2008 issue)