Bask in the Warmth of This Family's Modern Tropical Home

February 12, 2019

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By 

Gel G. Galang

Almost every homeowner knows a thing or two about nightmare sessions in home construction. Whether it’s a paint shade applied a tone darker or mismatched pieces already custom-made and bought, there are things that not even the most meticulous planning can fully anticipate. That’s why this couple’s home construction experience is one both of them describe as serendipitous—from the jived collaboration of ideas to synced executions, all of which made for a pretty smooth-sailing project.

It all started when the homeowners got Architect Michael Coscolluela to construct their home in the south. Already a friend of the family, Mike’s addition to the team was the first of several great decisions that the couple made when they began work on their dream home.

Originally, the man of the house was confident in having a glass house, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows and a lot of natural light for a modern appeal. Before the headaches started, Ar. Michael stepped in with a few ideas of his own, scrapping full windows to keep the couple’s privacy from prying eyes in the school in front and trading too much natural light for a relatively cooler home that works for a west-facing property.

It didn’t end there. When working with a canvas of 800 sqm, it is easy to forgo function for aesthetics. With a sizable lot, one can opt for grander constructions, the kind that is more standout than structurally sensible. However, this was far from Ar. Michael’s plan. Coming from the Coscolluela line of architects, he is well-versed in maximizing spaces of houses and putting them to good use. “At first I thought I wouldn’t like the design, then when he explained the considerations, we ended up with this great house,” says the man of the house. This technique can be seen in the little details and the sprawling choice of materials.

The main wall facing the living space is made entirely of wooden planks, bringing life in courtesy of natural elements, while also housing a secret no-handle door leading into the kitchen.

The little nook in the corner by the stairs has fooled many guests looking for the powder room. Smartly hidden almost like a trap door, Ar. Michael transformed the space beneath the stairs into a guest bathroom, with mirrors wrapped around the walls to play a clever trick on the eyes.

Interior designer Jacy Medina came later on following the completion of the exteriors. Call it another chance encounter, as Jacy is a friend of and interior designer recommended by the architect himself. Almost immediately, IDr. Jacy and the lady of the house agreed on the broad strokes of how each area of the house would look like.

“We’re lucky that we jived in terms of the style that we wanted, so it was fairly easy to work with Jacy. We just told her what we had in mind, and I think on the first or second design she presented, she got the concept right away.” There were even times when she and Jacy would exchange ideas, sending design pegs almost at the same time with almost the exact same look.

The couple’s love for clean, neutral, and modern finishes was echoed by IDr. Jacy’s own design instincts. Neutral colors dominate the home the moment you enter through the big front door. Playing with wooden elements and metal furnishes, the design was able to achieve a sense of balance that exuded modern senses without giving up a home’s warmth. “I wanted the interior décor to go well with the home’s tropical modern style. That’s basically where everything took cue from along with the couple’s laidback style—simplistic, modern, but still very homey,” says IDr. Jacy.

Beyond the design elements, even the furniture pieces held a serendipitous story that added more sentiment with fewer expenses. When the couple bought the lot, three Gmelina trees were planted at the front lawn. Instead of cutting them down and discarding them, the couple decided to incorporate the trees into what would be their dining table and foyer.

Their trusted contractor made this possible, granting them the beauty of personalized furniture with better durability at a fairly lower price. “We were lucky to get the team that put the house together. It was a good coming together of people. Unlike other homeowners who had a nightmare or those who changed designers kasi they wouldn’t really conform to what you want them to do, when we put up the house, sa ‘min minimal problems lang.”

Even though the couple and their son have comfortably settled in the home over a year ago, it’s clear that the friendships built during the construction were not forgotten. It can be seen clearly in the home design ideas that the lady of the house and Jacy still share with each other. Or the hanging papier-mâché bear in the son’s room, a gift from Jacy on his first birthday.

“While working on the house and even afterwards, we found friends in them as well. We would still hang out,” says the couple almost in unison. Perhaps another thing that you don’t plan out is the little takeaways you get after a project is over. And in this couple’s case, it turned out that more than the house, they also got to build something just as important.

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