Design Tranquility
Phil Daily Inquirer 10/29/2008
At the end of a stressful day, we retreat to a sanctuary—our home. This need is driving many to settling down outside the city, in the north or south of Metro Manila.
One such sanctuary home is Westgrove in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, where many city slickers have decided to settle down.
We visited the home of two sisters one rainy Friday morning. Taking the road to Westgrove felt like being in another world.
Their house has narra flooring, with ambient music playing in the background, a light breeze drifting in from the lanai, and the smell of freshly brewed coffee wafting from the kitchen.
Uncluttered
Working with architect and contractor Rey Pineda, the owner, who prefers to remain unnamed to keep her privacy, explains that she wanted a simple uncluttered look.
The design hardly uses partitions, giving the homemaker the flexibility for a makeover later. Instead of spending extra on an interior decorator or intricate finish, they kept things simple and focused instead on good furniture that made a statement.
Unique pieces by designers like Milo Naval and Kenneth Cobonpue help define the home’s Asian Modern aesthetic, which to the owner is not about rustic pieces but rather a philosophy of simplicity.
Muted earth colors add to the Zen-like atmosphere. The lived-in feel shows that comfort has not taken a back seat to design.
Another advantage to this open layout is that the house felt a lot more than its 500 square meters. A three-level house, with the service area below the living area and the bedrooms above, the owner paid attention to the movement within the home.
“I feel like I’m on vacation when I come home,” she says, adding that Westgrove is a perfect family environment with its clean air, wide open space, and the peace and quiet of life away from the bustling city. “It only takes me 40 minutes to get to work.”
Her sister and her sister’s son also work in Makati. They all agree that going home to Westgrove is no problem because the advantages of living there outweigh whatever hassles come from the commute.
On weekends, other family members stay over. They go to nearby Tagaytay for dinner and spend the rest of the weekend lounging around the house.
The owner says, “When I come home feeling tired, I go through the front door and feel my energy coming back. The plants and the air lift my spirit.”
With abundant trees, a calm environment soothes and rejuvenates. In short, it is home.