Who: Patricia Ho Douven is the founder of interior design studio White Jacket, which specialises in work for the hospitality and food-and-beverage sectors. Its projects have included JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach, Naumi Hotel and Indian fine-dining restaurant Rang Mahal.
Ms Ho Douven, 42, who started her studio in 2010, was a recipient of the Society of Interior Designers Singapore's inaugural 20 Under 45 Interior Design Award last year. She lives with her husband, a Dutch tech executive, in the East Coast area. They have no children.
"I try to start my weekends by sleeping in a little, as I'm usually awake at sunrise on weekdays.
My husband and I have a ritual on weekend mornings. We go to YY Kafei Dian, a Hainanese coffee shop in Beach Road, so I can get a strong cup of coffee. It has really good local coffee.
I've become such a regular that the staff recognise me by the mug I take along. They see it and automatically prepare my order, which is kopi gao siew siew dai (strong coffee with just a little condensed milk).
After that, we head to the nearby War Memorial Park with our dog for a walk or to East Coast Park for a swim at the beach. We spend a lot of time outdoors.
For lunch, we often go to Old Airport Road Food Centre. I like the lor mee there. Or we might go to Fu Lin Tou Fu Yuen in Siglap for handmade yong tau foo.
I used to play tennis on Saturday afternoons, but have stopped for a while to explore new sports. I took up wake-surfing at Punggol at the end of last year and also dabble in kite-surfing at East Coast or Tanah Merah.
I'm an interior designer for the hospitality sector and restaurants, so it's important that I stay up-to-date with the scene here. Weekend evenings are a time for me to try out new restaurants and socialise with friends.
A restaurant I recently enjoyed was Rappu, a handroll bar in Duxton Road. I like the large counter seating and the casual vibe, which make for a perfect hangout place with friends.
One of my favourite restaurants is Odette at the National Gallery Singapore, although this place is more of a special treat as it's three-Michelin-starred and expensive.
There's also Kotuwa, a Sri Lankan restaurant run by chef-owner Rishi Naleendra. I used to travel to Sri Lanka often and miss it, so the amazing food at Kotuwa is a nice substitute.
Every Sunday morning, I head out to Legends boxing gym at Clarke Quay. Boxing is my passion. When you're boxing, your mind and body are fully aligned. It's strangely meditative.
Sunday afternoons are similar to Saturday ones - we engage in sporting activities or relax with our dog outdoors.
On Sunday evenings, we might watch a documentary on Netflix - I recently enjoyed Midnight Asia, a travel series that explores six Asian cities at night - or connect virtually with family overseas.
