IDEAL HOMES:GABRIELLE SINGER, SONGWRITER

Owns a Thirties four-bedroom house in south-east London, where she lives with her mother and toddler son

LOCATION: It would be where my parents come from, which is the gorgeous island of Dominica in the Caribbean. It's one of the greenest islands in the Caribbean because there are 365 rivers. My mother and father were born in Dominica but they left the island when they were young and met over here in Britain. I go to Dominica two or three times a year.

ESSENTIAL LOCAL AMENITIES: The beach - I would like to step out on to the beach and not have an hour's drive to get there. Stores - so I could run out and buy all the things I could possibly need like chocolate. I'd like the sulphur springs and the Boiling Lake on my doorstep.

CHARACTER OF THE BUILDING: Big and old and grand, but very welcoming.

PERIOD: Twenties

CONSTRUCTION: Built on four floors, it would be made of stone and marble with a slate roof.

BEDROOMS: Ten - I've got a big family.

BATHROOMS: Six, and I'd like each one to be different. One bathroom would have a big cast-iron bath, another would have a Jacuzzi.

RECEPTION ROOMS: I'd have a big ballroom with a specially shaped ceiling so the sound quality would be superb and I could sing in there. Another reception room would have a big fireplace, a big plush carpet or rug and the biggest couches. There would be music everywhere. Music to me is the key of life. My dining-room would have a huge table.

ESSENTIAL KITCHEN FEATURES: Every mod con known to man to save me as much time as possible. The kitchen would be huge with a big island in the middle and loads of space to run around. I'd like loads of cupboards full of spices and seasonings. The kitchen would be pale wood, light, white and airy.

DECORATIVE STYLE: Pastel colours - pale yellows, warm soft peaches and natural calico. I also like Egyptian things and I've got loads of pictures of hieroglyphics and Nefertiti which were actually brought over from Egypt.

LUXURIES/GADGETS YOU WOULD INSTALL: A recording studio, a gym, a swimming pool and the biggest playroom/poolroom for my son. I wouldn't have servants - I like the idea of running a home.

THE SINGLE OBJECT YOU WOULD HAVE IN YOUR HOME AND GARDEN WHICH SAYS MOST ABOUT YOU: A chocolate bar vending machine!

ANY SPECIAL OUTBUILDINGS: I'd have the gym in an outbuilding at the bottom of the garden so I'd have an excuse not to go in winter. "Hey, I can't go to the bottom of the garden - I'll get cold!"

VIEW FROM THE WINDOWS: Palm trees, waterfalls, the sulphur springs and the Boiling Lake.

SIZE OF GARDEN: I'd say the size of a football pitch, but then I'd feel sorry for the person who has to cut the grass. So maybe about 200 to 300ft.

GARDEN'S BEST FEATURE: My cultivated palm trees - I want my garden full of palm trees.

WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE LIVING NEXT DOOR? Nobody.

WHO WOULD YOU HATE TO HAVE LIVING NEXT DOOR? I wouldn't like to say.

AND THE MOTTO OVER THE DOOR? Make me smile with a choc!

WHAT IT WOULD COST: According to the Dominican High Commission, Gabrielle's ideal home could never be a reality. Dominica is not known for its beaches; Portsmouth and Calibishie are the only places where there are properties located close to the beach. Such properties would cost between US$8 and US$10 per square foot. It is possible to build on Dominica but bearing in mind the size of the island (290 square miles) Gabrielle would be unlikely to get permission for her ideal home.