MANILA, Philippines ? Singer Aiza Seguerra says that the dcor of the condo unit she shares with partner Che and their pet dogs was inspired by a favorite resort on Boracay Island.
With the help of architect-friends Carl Morales and Olive Robles, Aiza and Chen recreated the relaxing hideaway in their private space ? as evident in the mostly wooden furniture and the adobe finish of the white walls.
?I?ve always been partial to modern Asian or Mexican style,? she explains. ?It?s cool. Suwabe lang.?
She points out that Carl and Olive fully understood what they had in mind. ?They?re good friends. We just explained to them what we wanted and they worked around our budget.?
Even if the entire city is in chaos and work is piling up, she says, she feels ?safe and relaxed? in their comfort zone.
?We didn?t aim for it to look like a posh hotel, though,? she says. ?We wanted it to feel cozy.?
At first, they considered a ?modish look with bright red walls. But as we grew older, we realized that white and wood suit us better.?
The minimalist design concept reflects the residents? no-fuss, yet creative personalities.
?When we were renovating it, the condo guards said it looked unique ... as if you?re in a different world,? Aiza recalls.
That was precisely the goal, ?for it to look old but new.?
Since moving in two years ago, they?ve filled the two-bedroom flat with furniture found here and there.
The dining table, bedroom side table and living room bench were made by roadside craftsmen from Tagaytay. The two solihiya chairs in the living room are vintage finds from a thrift shop at the Marikina Shoe Expo in Cubao. The bar stools are from a store in Tiendesitas.
All the doors and kitchen cabinets were custom-made by Olive. ?It?s called Dau wood. It?s from Pampanga pa raw [yet],? Aiza says. ?We wanted to capture the vibe of ancestral homes in the province.?
The only concessions toward modern technology are the LCD TV sets, laptop, aircon unit and refrigerator. ?But I?m still looking for a vintage ref I could restore,? she notes. ?Che spray-painted the electric fan gold so it would blend with the earth color theme.?
As for the pair of Samsung LCDs, DVD players and Playstation consoles, Aiza is seriously contemplating on hiding them in a cabinet with capiz windows as doors.
That would complete the rustic ambience, she asserts.
?When we visit other homes that are modern and filled with clutter, we feel tired,? she says.
The location?s also perfect. ?It?s very accessible. It?s near work, gimik [fun] places and our friends? homes.?
Aiza?s mom Caring lives in a neighboring condo building as well. ?It?s a great arrangement. She?s nearby, but we still have our privacy. Plus, we can always invade her kitchen when we?re hungry.?
Since Aiza?s asthmatic, Che is very particular about keeping the place spotless. ?When you have asthma, it?s a blessing when your partner is obsessive-compulsive about cleanliness.?
Che?s constantly armed with a rag and a bottle of Lysol.
Their favorite pastime, Aiza admits, is to bum around the house the entire day. ?Nakatunganga lang [We do nothing]. Playing video games. Watching DVDs. Feeding my fish in Facebook?s Fish World. Reading mystery books.?
She also plays her acoustic guitar and records sample tracks that usually end up in her CDs ? like ?Para Lang sa ?Yo? and her latest, ?Aiza Seguerra Live!? (She also released a CD in Singapore, ?Open Arms,? under the regional label S2S.)
?When I do my demo tapes, you can usually hear our pet pugs barking in the background,? she says.
Still, the place, a room with a breathtaking view of Manila Bay at dusk, is a haven for inspiration seekers. ?Maganda ang sunset diyan sa sala [The sunset is beautiful in the living room],? she says wistfully.
Just like in Boracay ? as can be seen in framed photographs of the couple displayed all over the pad.
E-mail: bayanisandiego@hotmail.com
