heydays with hanna: February 2017

Designers and Artists all have their favorite works, big or small scale, the criterion of making it into the favorite list would not be as complex as others think it is. At least for me, I consider a project a favorite when there is a strong collaboration between me and my client. Collaboration in a sense that I know that my client trusts my judgements and that they give me the freedom to translate their vision of their space. It's been quite some time that I actually worked on a space, I decided to lay low in Design and Construction because I want to prioritize finishing my graduate studies as soon as I could. But as I was collating my portfolio from last year, I came across to this particular project where I felt the most creative, and I felt the high respect and trust from my client.

When my client approached me to re-design his space, he was very particular in telling me how he wants this space to double as his home and an avenue for entertaining chosen guests. He also was strong about the idea that this place will be the gathering place of prayer, worship, and spiritual discussions among friends and brethren in Christ. The client also gave me the hint of how much he loves staying at hotel suites and enjoying the cozy and welcoming space.

With this, I decided to provide a space that is not limited by it's space but instead one that works around its given space. I played around the idea of muted colors, play of lighting, and the elegant juxtaposition of the Parisian-New Yorker Penthouse aesthetics.

Since it was a condominium unit, I retained the existing open plan of the common areas to maximize the distribution of the natural light coming from the window and to give an illusion of an elongated and wide space. Another thing that I loved in working with this project would be the sourcing of products, it was a mix and match of modern and classic pieces from both luxury and thrift brands. I wanted to show how a space can be designed and presented with a complete function given limited the space.

Since the theme was a hotel suite, I wanted to give the guest bedroom and Master's bedroom different treatment when it comes to the design approach. The guest bedroom is also a space that the owner uses when he is not entertaining any guests, and this is the only bedroom that has a television, so I want to give the owner a different experience when he is in this room. I played with the idea of a young modern bachelor who enjoys video games and TV shows on his free time.

Both bedrooms were relatively very small in size, but the Master's bedroom is indeed gifted with an amazing panoramic view of the iconic Luneta Park. I maximized this idea and re-positioned the location of the bed, making it face the beautiful view of the historic park. The owner is a tea connoisseur, so I applied the different grades and shades of tea in the color scheme and treatment of the room. I intentionally did not encourage the provision of a television here, I wanted to promote this room as a place of rest and meditation for the owner as well as a space to rejuvenate from a day's work.

Up to now, every time someone comes up to me and tells me how they appreciate this space, my heart warms up. It is indeed a small space but the work and heart put through this project is just something that made me a more mature designer, through this project I actually realized how much I want to provide meaningful spaces driven by my client's trust and drive to collaborate on their space. It just makes so much difference when there is a good rapport between the client, contractor, and designer. I also learned through this project that compassion and prayer play a huge role in dealing with the unexpected adjustments you need to make in every project.

Indeed, it is a sweet life. I cannot wait to produce another meaningful space such as this.

Special thanks to my contractor, Architect Ron Ricafort for making this vision come to life.

Contact me if you wish to entrust your space with me!