Читать книгу Tropical Interiors - Elizabeth V. Reyes - Страница 8

Lindy Locsin hallway with Val Padilla floor lamp.

Tropical Elegance

Contemporary Asia shines through this elegant Philippine style that merges traditional artefacts with modern crafts. Designers employ subdued textures, fine Philippine artwork, and masterly forms of furnishings.

The mat-upholstered Millie Love Seat by Yrezabal bears a graceful demeanour, backed by the S-curved Molina screen. The organic divider-a wood and steel grid filled in with a natural vine mesh-along with the Alberto table lamp, were designed by Val Padilla for Locsin International. The golden chair with a knotted armrest is the Malena Lounge chair by Yrezabal. The ecru silk and hemp rope 'carpet' is an exotic fabric creation by Silk Cocoon.

Contemporary Cane

Natural light and myriad shades of white are mandatory design elements for smart contemporary homes in the Philippines. In their Makati house, Gregg and Aida Marshall have personalized these basics by adding creamy Javanese sandstone, linen-white fabrics, filmy katsa muslins and a conscious use of the tropical light to form an elegant home.

After some eight changes of address in 12 years, Indonesian-born Aida Arifien Marshall has gleaned an appreciation of the comforts inherent in American design and successfully married these with the traditions of Southeast Asia- in this case, a fine collection of the Asian crafts she so loves. She viewed some 90 Makati houses before deciding on this big, white house for the family's new residence.

To extend the house's views and afford more natural light, Aida revamped the central areas by installing sliding doors and a large picture window in the sala. Their walls, and the lanai floors, were refurbished with creamy sandstone tiles imported from Aida's Javanese hometown, Jogyakarta. Teakwood furniture and sandstone jars- part of the Arifien family's business-decorate the interiors. A white-upholstered sofa folds around a massive, square coffeetable, remodelled from an antique bed. Seated in this elegant Asian sala, everyone gazes out toward a picturesque Balinese water garden, designed by Aida's mother.

The statuesque Gia lamp with a capiz finished shade; Julio woven black-leather chair; and Metro, a three-level light table, are contemporary chic designs from Padua, Yrezabal and Locsin. Decor bowls and flower vases wrapped in black twine and wooden vessels with woven rims are modern accents by Carlo Tanseco for The Store.

A window seat with Oriental airs. The well stuffed Nobu Accent chair (by Yrezabal) has won apt recognition in the Japanese market. Nobu sits by Dumbo, a barrel-shaped light table (by Locsin). The modern setting is complemented with ceramics by Rivera Clay, Makati.

It is on the Marshalls' airy lanai, which looks like an open -air stage with drapey white curtains-that our stylist Aida Concepcion assembles an array of fabulous, contemporary Filipino furnishings. Playing against backgrounds of natural sandstone, katsa curtains and garden greenery, she orchestrates several romantic-contemporary settings.

The furniture items of this spread are produced by leading Philippine designers for the overseas market. The matted loveseat, Millie, and three stylish armchairs are manufactured by the Yrezabal Corp, local inventor of the arty but exclusive Permacane process. Permacane is an high -tech method of laminating rattan cane to form sculptured limbs for creative furniture.

There are other remarkable designs in a tropical -modern mode. The Molina screen is a graceful confection of nita vine applied in a 'crazy weave' format hiding its unique S-curved steel frame. This see-through screen and the two modern accent tables, Metro and Dombo, each with translucent side walls, were created by furniture designer Val Padilla, for exporter Locsin International. The oil-polished Relax chaise, made with handwoven solihiya (open cane-weave), comes from Lightworks, naturopath designers of "organic furniture that flows with the cosmos".

Languid scene in Madame Arifien's Balinese garden. A long lounging chaise by E. Murio Inc. combines fine Malacca cane and exquisitecolonial taste. Two stone accent balls made of Pinatubo volcanic lahar are from Amazing Space, Shangrila Mall. The colourful malong cloth is from Zamboanga, courtesy of stylist Aida Concepcion.

Tropical accessories. The organic stoneware pieces are by Ugu Bigyan (artist potter of Quezon Province), while the vine tray is by Mr Renata Vidal, designer owner of First Binhi Corp, decor-product suppliers with sheer genius for recycling nature's vines and grasses. The nailed-down wooden vase and the stringey, twined vase (picture directly below) are designed by Carlo Tanseco for the Store Inc. Tanseco trained in architecture, but jumped right into designing crafts for his Gen-X lifestyle store. Three colourful resin lamps are retro-modern designs from The Raphael Legacy of Cebu; the resin-mosaic lamps won the Mugna Award 2001 for their seventies-mod design. They stand upon an unusual copper-finished table with three legs, from Lightworks, Manila. A Philippine shell suite by the window: translucent capiz shell stars in two diamond-cut lamps; while egg shells provide a natural crackled finish on a white sphere vase; designs by Carlo Tanseco for The Store Inc., Makati. White linen throwpillows, courtesy of Aida Marshall. The most naturally elegant flatware in town are made of the unique mother of pearl shell, finely detailed with hand wrought silver and black kamagong wood; designs by Cosonsa of Cebu.

The languid Relax chaise combines plantation mahogany and solihiya (open cane-weave). This modernized planter's chair and the runo-grass tray on the floor are examples of eco-friendly, organic furniture design by Ravi Singh of Lightworks, Manila. Two oversized candle stands entwined in rattan vine and a hollow rattan globe are designs by Carlo Tanseco for The Store Inc., Makati. The stoneware tea set is from Regalong Pambahay, Ortigas.

The Zobels' casually elegant lanai, dressed with romantic Oriental overtones. Here is the indoor-outdoor lifestyle at its best-with a picturesque view of the bamboo grove. The fanciful candlelight chandelier is by Yola Johnson.

Hacienda Romance

This hacienda-style home with a distinct Mexican flair was the first residence designed by the young Andy Locsin, a Harvard-educated, progressive architect. Inspired by the modern works of renowned Mexican architect, Lu is Barragan, Locsin designed a large homestead for the Spanish-Filipino, Jaime Augusto Zobel and his Colombian wife, Lizzie. An elegant home, it was conceived to evolve continually in style as their family grows.

There's already been a fiery new incarnation to the house. The modern, all-white stucco walls have been rekindled in a Beijing terracotta red tone and many of the lanai rooms have taken a dramatic turn- towards an unabashed romantic flavour not previously there. Lizzie Zobel derives her many inspirations from mixed international sources, then collaborates the arrangement with her favourite designer, Yola Perez Johnson, owner of the abaca carpet shop, Soumak.

Yola Johnson has a gift for mixing rustic materials and romantic imagery. She entered the field of interior design through the manufacture and export of Soumak's abaca-hemp carpets, hand-woven pieces much sought after by clubs and resorts (today every rustic-chic residence has one or two). Johnson wields her talent for home-decor using the most native, natural materials and then imbues her creations with pizzazz within its interior setting. She in turn credits her savvy client for being " so open" to her exotic, exuberant ways with ho me design. She draws attention to the Zobels' giant padded coffeetable (see right), created from wrapping a woven mat around a massive wooden box, and praises Lizzie Zobel's acumen by commenting that "most homeowners could not work with those big proportions". She also custom designs furniture such as the romantic loveseat, a Victorian-style two-seater wicker sofa with a lacy, almost transparent, backrest and unusual pointed, onion feet "It's a very romantic loveseat," she smiles.

The classic Philippine butaka-an elegant kamagong wood version of the traditional plantation chair (made by Kit Roxas of Tawalisi)-stands regally alone on the open air lanai amid a processional colonnade. A fine, patrician pina scarf hangs over its arm.

The other corner of the lanai is occupied by large wicker sofas, palm fronds and white muslin curtains. Grounding the space is a black Chinese wedding cabinet and an imposing central coffeetable, wrapped in fine banig or matting. Still there's room for a rustic lampshade of natural nito vine.

The lime green dining room is a romantic contemporary suite composed around two six-seater modern tables made of dark supa iron-wood, said to be three centuries old; two modern Chinoiserie lantern lamps from Italy; a French carpet; and the Victorian-style impressionist painting of "Juan Luna's wife" by young artist Mariano Cheng.

A once-nondescript corner-space was transformed into Lizzie's "sexy bordello" room. The orange sitting room is now a dramatic conversation piece, draped with layers of curtains and furnished with stuffed Victorian sofas, mixed Chinese furniture, and glowing cylindrical lanterns made from a delicately torn piece of antique damask silk.

The refreshing Asian tropical breakfast table. Gathered around a long solid wood table (from Tawalisi, Makati), eight finely finished cane armchairs with Chinoiserie flavours were designed by Yola Perez-Johnson and produced by E. Murio. Natural cane furniture balances well with the airy paminggalan, a traditional Filipino kitchen cabinet with slatted wood panels.

The owner and the designer share a love of candle-lit chandeliers, hot tropical colours and voluminous drapery. They're proud of their Moroccan-style tent, a glass-lined cabana in the garden, separated from the house and the deep blue pool. Lizzie's smart black and white curtains formerly in the lanai have been recycled as tent-style drapery-a perfect foil for the Zobels' Dalmatian.

Johnson is proudest of the orange bordello sitting room, a dramatic space draped at all doorways with shimmering abaca-rayon curtains, created by fabric designer Elisa Reyes. Inside, one wallows in stuffed sofas covered in silks, sat ins and fantasy. Warm light glows from several rectangular Chinese-inspired hanging lamps, designed around a piece of antique damask silk Lizzie Zobel brought back from her travels.

The "La Sagrada Familia" is a rare and precious religious icon, here enthroned over a Philippine divan with Napoleonic curved ends and fine bone inlay.

The guestroom's regal bedstead. The headboard is an ornate wooden panel, fully carved on a rose theme. The lush metallic-threaded curtains, held back by two pivoting bedside lamps styled by Yola Johnson, are from Silk Cocoon, Manila.

The country-elegant look reposes on Florante Aguila's spacious lanai. The contemporary wicker sofa chairs by Mehitabel of Cebu are complemented by organic accents from designer Renato Vidal of First Binhi Corp-two leafy towers and a shaggy fruit basket, large nito vine planters (left rear), and wild golden grasses on the coffeetable.

Country Elegance

Filipinos have evolved a local architectural style known as Philippine Mediterranean. Traits of the ltalianate villa-by-the-sea have migrated to the tropics Filipino architects have imported red-tile roofs, white stucco walls and spacious salas flowing out to airy lanais. Interior mezzanines overlook the sala while small balconies decorate the second floor. Below, arched doorways and warm-coloured tile floors create wide spaces for entertaining, tropical Manila style.

Florante Aguila's Mediterranean-style house in Makati is significant as the last residence designed by national artist and architect, Leandro Locsin. The cantilevered porte-cochere at the end of the long driveway gives the house a certain Locsin ambience as do the wide interior spaces adorned with giant antique furnishings from old churches and houses. The sala, dining room and TV-den are furnished with elegant wood pieces, supplied mainly by Designs Ligna Inc, a company evolving from traditional to more contemporary lines. The classic Philippine wood items are combined with a stunning array of Chinese furniture, heirlooms sourced around Asia.

The Filipino rustic style blends well with this Mediterranean-style abode when applied to the lanai. This shady veranda his open to garden views, and outfitted with the most comfortable, informal, rustic furnishings. Interpreted by urban homeowners this means country colours, elegant wicker furniture and a touch of nature in the accessories. The rustic contemporary lanai of the Aguila abode-here styled by contractor Connie Castro- showcases wicker furniture from Cebu's leading manufacturer, Mehitabel, alongside modern designs by Manila-based companies.

Contemporary ideas in rustic furniture include biomorphic lounging chairs and standing lamps fashioned from handmade paper. These are designed by Val Padilla for Locsin International, a leading furniture exporter who has successfully tapped into the Italian and German markets. Created from twisted seagrass woven over steel tube frames, the singular Penelope chair and the two-part lounging chair, Angelo, are ideal for any contemporary space. The two upright, faux-Japanese paper lamps, were conceived originally for the Italian market: " The Italians wanted lamps that reminded them of the Orient," recalls Padilla.

Stylist Castro uses the lanai too to showcase earthy yet chic accessories made of stoneware and creative grasses. Quezon potter, Ugu Bigyan, displays his latest organic creations along with a giant black stoneware rock, meant to imbue an urban home with rustic flair. And displayed on every tabletop are the varied, ultra-organic, grass arts by Renata Vidal of First Binhi Co.

Contemporary luxe in the Aguila main sala. The modern square coffeetable is by fine-furnisher Designs Ligna Inc. Elegant sofa upholsteries were sourced in England. The colourful cock-fight painting on the easel is by Cacnio, cockfight specialist.

The inner den speaks quietly tropical and tastefully refined in the classic conventions of Mehitabel furniture (Cebu). The floral painting is by surrealist-modernist Onib Olmedo in an unusually happy period.

Aguila's antique kamagong mesa altar is dressed with thoroughly modern accessories as the indigo blue stoneware jars and a painted plate by potter Ugu Bigyan of Quezon. The giant laminated mirror with a 'wood-strings parquet' motif comes from Johanna Lacson, the recycled crafts' designer of Bacolod and Manila.

Rustic modern furnishings in all-natural materials. Penelope is a sculptural seagrass seat conjured from the plump grass plaited over a steel tube framework; it's comfy too. The shapely paper lamp makes a modern statement for Filipino design as oriental, organic and ornamental. Both designs are by Val Padilla for Locsin International. Accent cubes bundled in natural twine, by Renata Vidal for First Binhi Corp.