...it also captures the essence of this place that has grown around its owner and followed her journeys
Collaborating on the second home, Saratan made sure to cull from what the landscape had to offer. He calls it a house that looks like it “enjoys its surroundings” as it soars above a sloping terrain. Made of two structures resting on stilts, it is built in a contemporary style that allows the maximum use of glass and opens up to take advantage of the breeze.
An elevated walkway connects the living and dining areas from one structure to the other, which holds the master suite. “The highlight of the design is a four-and-a-half metre cantilevered extension of the master bathroom, an outdoor space for the shower, and the natural stone tub from Bali,” Saratan says, pointing to the most stunning part of the house. The pond and w ater features, which Saratan suggested for the first Calatagan house, were again requested to enhance the calming atmosphere of the second house.
Local craftsmen from the area were employed to make the simple pieces of furniture. For beds and sofas, however, Zobel went to another long-time collaborator, the furniture designer Yola Johnson of Soumak Designs. “Patsy is firm about using indigenous items made by Filipino hands,” says the designer. “But of course, the object must also have a real use for her home.”
In this home, even the curtains are a joy to look at, and the banig sofa is a source of comfort when reading or resting. “Patsy has a high regard for Filipino craftsmen,” Johnson says. “She lovingly chooses to position their pieces around her sanctuary in Calatagan, where you will find only local materials.” These are abaca rugs made in Bukidnon, abaca curtains woven in Bulacan, banig from Marawi used as