You almost don't have to ask designer Dawn Au what she had in mind when she thought up this dream of a home. From the safari-styled oasis of the living area and balcony right down to the fantastic profusion of curling leaves and flitting butterflies on bathroom doors it's impossible to miss the tropical getaway theme.

"The main colours that I worked with were browns and blacks-you'll notice shades like sandstone, and jet blacks everywhere!" laughs the designer, who adds that as the family wasn't particular, she had free reign to style the maisonette as she pleased.

Her efforts haven't been without success. ''The balcony was a great place to work in. I used as many outdoor materials as I could," shares Dawn, who says that she favoured natural elements such as Chengai wood and the bi-fold doors set with glass panes. In the living area, extra-large panels of mirror help throw light everywhere.

In other areas of the home, resort –style savvy have had an aesthetically pleasing union with a touch of industrial chic, ''The laminate finishing on the kitchen cabinets have a mottled, varied hue to it while the backing of the stove top has been paved with special, decoration tiles," explains Dawn.

To offset the richer, darker tones, whimsical cut -out motifs have been etched into the walls to let as much light in as possible. On the stairs to the second storey, more of the same effect has been applied to a display niche that also houses the stairway lights, "By screeding the cement the effect you get is extremely natural, which is just right for this home," explains Dawn.

Even the bathrooms have been transformed into oasis of calm. With just one specific request from her clients – "They wanted the bathrooms to be as easy to maintain as possible!" - Dawn set to work to transform them into eye-catching sanctuaries of style. "Black is an easy colour to maintain. To add interest, I chose tiles with texture and shine," shares Dawn who explains that she created interest by juxtaposing small mosaic with gold dots tiles with larger ones and varied the shades of black used. As a finishing touch, even the doors have been graced with flora and fauna in the shape of swirling decals that have been applied to the glass panes.

Now who says you have to leave home to get away from it all?