A DWELLING OF THEIR DESIRES
She’s a force in fashion to be reckoned with, he’s a food magnate with a fine taste for adventure—together, they built a home that speaks well of their passions and nurtures the family’s extraordinary bonding experiences
Happenstance brought this business-driven couple to acquire this pristine expanse that they converted to an extension of their main residence. When the property came out in the market, the power couple decided to strike while the iron was hot. No stranger to making wise decisions at the most crucial points of the unpredictable economy of the country, the duo reaped the benefits of the acquisition—an abode that perfectly serves their family unit. Comfortable at every corner, tasteful at every turn.
“Building this house took much effort because we had to tear everything down so it would complement the other house,” she says, on a warm afternoon when Lifestyle Asia visited their beautiful home. Clean lines and neutral palette make the place easy on the eyes. “The design of the house was, of course, a collaboration between our family and our interior designers, which was headed by Vince Lozano of Astetik Design and finishing touches were done by Cheska Nolasco. We are just very happy working with them because they really made sure that everything had a personal touch.”
The daunting task of combining a previously owned space with a new one proved to be a challenge. But the duo dared to move forward with their chosen team of experts. The risk was totally worth it. “The whole challenge in merging the two units was to complement each other. The biggest was tearing everything down, but it was a necessary change to really achieve the vision. Now, we are very happy with how it looks. We are excited for new decorative details to spruce up the space, like art pieces, and décor.”
Considering the simple aesthetics of the space, the personal touch that the couple requested reflects on the fine details and placements in each room of the house—an Emporio Armani branded scooter by an immaculate white wall, a Ben Cab masterpiece by a couch placed with Hermès pillows, or well-placed quirky décor that reflect the duo's wit and humor—exquisite, opulent, and more than anything, thoughtful. It is a harmonious amalgamation of his and hers, a skillfully-presented balancing act of two unique points of view and personalities.
PASSION AND PURPOSE AT HOME
“My husband was more involved with the design of the house, from the tiles, accessories, furniture, decors and color scheme. As for me, I got very hands-on with the walk-in closet,” she says proudly. The spacious walk-in closet is a sight to behold. Two opposing walls filled with shelves of sartorial
pieces. It is a colorful array of shoes, hats, bags, dresses, and every girl’s dream accessory. “It is basically a representation of my passion since my field of work and expertise is in the fashion industry. This is where I display and keep most of my stuff over the years. Being in this space is like walking into a lot of memories, which brings a window of happiness.” A wonder woman of sorts, the mother of two has built her empire in the local fashion industry while still maintaining a youthful glow.
Her husband on the other hand, whose expertise lies in delivering international food concepts here in Manila gets to display his prowess in the well-stocked kitchen which features a marbled island counter and similarly made backsplash with cabinets colored in dark shades. “My husband is an amazing cook. He’s actually a better cook than I am. But we plan our meals together. We usually like it very thematic yet healthy at the same time. Sometimes we opt for shabu
shabu, yakiniku, or steaks,” she says. As we can only imagine, with such a discerning taste, her husband perhaps can definitely whip up a fine feast for their unit, reflective of the thousands of customers his chain of restaurants have pleased over the years.