See How This Family Home Combines Midcentury and Tropical Design

January 10, 2019

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By 

Miguel R. Llona

Moving from a small home to a bigger one can be quite an adjustment. The breath of space can be daunting, as each empty corner expects to be filled with furniture. Trying to find the right pieces and décor could be a nightmare, especially if you’re unsure of what you want.
 

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The living room is a showcase for some of the house’s most eye-catching furniture pieces, such as the butterfly chair from Space Encounters

For the family in this Alabang home, deferring to the designer for the style choices was a good decision. Interior designer Joy Ejercito took the clients’ brief: a house filled with mid-century-style pieces to decorate an eclectic home that feels fresh and uncluttered, even though some elements appear to be uneven.
 

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The husband has his own den on the second floor, furnished with items with strong, masculine textures and lines. Floor-to-ceiling mirrors line one wall, extending the illusion of space

Letting the designer have free reign on the interior design has its merits, though it can sometimes rob the space of personality. This doesn’t seem to be the case for this house, as there are plenty of conversation pieces that mostly pertain to the husband’s Japanese heritage and love for automobiles.
 

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The bedrooms benefit from having a balcony overlooking the street, as seen here in the masters bedroom. Wide eaves prevent sunlight from toasting the rooms, and the family can even lounge around in the balcony for some quiet time

 The house occupies 900sqm. of a 1300sqm. lot, with a pool, a garden, and a garage for the husband’s cars and racing bikes wrapping around the structure. One of the clients’ main concern was to have a house that would give their eldest child who has special needs, more space to move in, something that wasn’t possible in their previous residence. The spaciousness is apparent from the living room alone, which opens out to a lanai overlooking the pool and the gazebo that the family loves to hang out at.
 

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The wife shares that the gazebo is the family’s favorite space in the house. It’s hard not to see why, with a cool breeze all but inviting you to laze around on the outdoor sofa and swing

The way the living room spills out into the lanai makes for an ideal area for entertaining guests, something the owners could only have dreamed of when they were still living in a cramped condo unit. The house is bedecked with items from Space Encounters, the go-to brand for mid-century furniture with a modern flavor, and complemented by display pieces from Global Views.
 

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The children’s bedrooms is a stark contrast from the refined aesthetic of the house. A customized wallpaper helps delineate the room for the brother and sister, and adds color to the whole space

What makes the house shine, however, is its adherence to tropical design principles. There is ample lighting due to properly positioned windows and openings around the house, yet the interiors remain shaded due to long eaves that deter harsh sunlight, from coming in. The result is a well-illuminated home that doesn’t feel stuffy or hot inside, and makes room for all of its clients’ requests and desires.
 

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The wife loves to cook, which explains the vast space provided for the kitchen. The drop lights above the bar counter are from Space Encounters

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