Reigning Miss Malaysia Universe at home.

It’s hard not to be in awe of the reigning Miss Malaysia Universe, Nadina Ann Thomas. A charismatic young woman, Thomas is sympathetic in her views, decisive in her words and disarming in her attitude. She went from an awkward teenager with acne problems to a bona fide beauty queen almost overnight. Upon completing advertising course in Limkokwing University’s London campus, Thomas was persuaded by friends to join the Miss Malaysia Universe pageant.

Thomas, who holds a Taekwondo black belt, admits that joining a beauty pageant was never in her mind. But as faith would have it, the Subang girl clinched the title. She has since kept herself busy with modelling gigs and charitable causes concerning young women. 

Of her good genes, Thomas credits her Indian, Chinese and Caucasian parentage – her father is of Indian descent, while her mother is half-Chinese and half-English. Her rich cultural background is perhaps best illustrated in her family residence, where classic Oriental colours meet ethnic decorations.

Living with her parents, an older brother and a younger sister, Thomas shares that the house truly reflects the identity of her family. StarProperty.my chats with the 24-year-old over afternoon tea at the quaint living room of her family residence.

Did you grow up in this house?

My family used to live in Old Klang Road, but we moved to this house when I was really young. So yes, I grew up in this house.

How does this house reflect you and your family? 

Every inch of the house is, indeed, a reflection of my family. My mother, who is quite adept at Chinese culture, brings in Oriental touches to the house. The Oriental influence is evident in the use of wood for doors and window frames, Chinese painting in the living room, and splash of red and yellow on the walls. She is also a big fan of contemporary Balinese aesthetic − perhaps you can tell by the selection of the hardwood furniture. Meanwhile, my father brings in more rustic elements to the house. His profession requires him to travel to places such as Africa and Sarawak, and he would bring back local artifacts and ethnic decorations.

How big is the house? Has there been any renovation done to the house? 

There have been some renovation works done to extend the living room and wet kitchen (at the back). The total built-up area of the house after renovation is 4,200sq ft.

What were the reasons to extend the living room and the wet kitchen?

The original layout of the house saw a wall separating the living room and the garden. We decided to knock down the wall, put up a and created a simple porch, which unites the indoor and outdoor living. We decided to turn some parts of garden in the backyard into a wet kitchen for her cooking convenience. She’s an amazing cook (laughs)!

Now let’s talk about your career. Now that you have been doing a lot of modelling gigs, do you plan to build a career in the entertainment industry?

I definitely want to stay in the entertainment industry, but currently I have yet to decide where to go and what to do. I have come to realise that many people in this business are versatile – they try everything before finally settling with a niche skill.

Being a relatively newcomer in this industry, I would like to try acting and hosting a radio show, and then see where I fit in. In the meantime, I’m also busy running my online boutique business.

Lastly, what are your thoughts about property investment? If you were to get your own place, how would your design it?

I definitely want to get a place on my own. Given my profession and lifestyle, a condominium unit seems to be the best option. Ideally, I would like to live around the Bandar Utama and Damansara Perdana areas. As for the design, I imagine there will be a lot of woodworks. And I would keep the colour scheme to earth tones. But perhaps I would play around with colours when it comes to fabric, lighting and decorations. It will be just a simple and comfortable pad.

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