RANDY Ortiz was meant to be a housewife, or so the top designer believes. And his sanctuary in the heart of Makati proves he could be right.

Since early December, his dining table has been laid out with his eclectic collection of china in marbled crimson and black goblets with clear glass stems. It?s his Christmas table setting this year.
Ortiz loves entertaining, and he?s been playing host to the hilt since he moved in his first home two years ago. His extended family, running away from the noise and smoke of New Year?s Eve, will share Christmas dinner in his seventh-floor condo.

The tableware is part of an eclectic collection of home accessories and furniture he has thoughtfully accumulated over the years, and which he knew would have a place eventually in his dream home. It?s thoughtfully laid out on the glass-topped table, underneath of which is a mosaic of square-cut mother-of-pearl and beveled glass pieces (the idea of which he got from a wall décor in Tagaytay), all custom-made down to stainless steel base. He?s had several offers for the table, but he?s always put his foot down.

Piece de resistance

?I love everything here,? the fashion designer says. ?This table is the piece de resistance.? In fact, many of the key items in his house were custom-made, like a low marble-topped table by the dining area and the gray sofa in his living room.

Living in a condo was never part of Ortiz?s plans. He was scouting for a future ?retirement place? in Tagaytay when the Makati property came along. It was in an old edifice, though that wasn?t an issue; old structures have always appealed to him. And he knew building a place from the ground up would drain his savings.

The offer for the 300-sq m space was too hard to resist; Ortiz, who grew up and had always lived in his parents? QC home, quickly signed on the dotted line.

?The main attraction was the space. I knew I could do so much with it.?

While this is an old structure, he made sure the interiors are very contemporary. He wanted it to seem airy and open so he stuck to a clean, neutral palette: white for the walls, shades of gray for the key furniture. Even his curtains are in soft gray. The accent pieces are mostly in black, crystal and steel. Even his dogs, a poodle named Chichi and a Labradoodle named HV, are black and white. ?I like things to match,? he says, laughing.

Masculine

His bedroom is decidedly masculine, with only a red chair and a red painting by Doltz Pilar to contrast against the ashen canvas of space. Here he watches TV, and, oftentimes, eats, too. A small terrace by his bedroom is reserved for smoking guests.

His white tree, bought three years ago in Cubao with good friend and TV host Lucy Torres (who has the same tree, but different ornaments), used to have only white and silver balls. He?s added black balls to update it this year, after a plan to replace it with a copper one proved too expensive.

Ortiz largely credits artist-designer Pilar, his longtime friend, for the look of his home. It is Pilar who tempers his flamboyance, who spikes a monochromatic corner.

At the center of his flat, Ortiz transformed a bar into a guest powder room, enclosing it in frosted glass, with customized marble sink. A Pilar painting that blends onto the wall adorns the powder room.

The house indeed is a virtual gallery of Pilar?s artworks, his large paintings the focal point of several rooms. A black piece sits on the floor of the living room, alongside an Arturo Luz and an obelisk by Anton Quisumbing, a gift from the sculptor. A series of Ivan Acuña hangs on a hallway wall, also a gift from the artist, opposite another hallway with driftwood ?sculptures? bought in a recent Citem show. His BenCab sketches are displayed in his office.

Ortiz took down the walls of the adjacent kitchen where, once or twice a year, the designer, who majored in hotel and restaurant management at La Salle, cooks for special friends.

?I buy pieces from everywhere. A trip isn?t complete if I don?t get something for the home. Sometimes I have things shipped.?

Filipino touches

From Bangkok?s Chatuchak market, he brought home an assortment of throw pillowcases in baroque-style-pattern fabrics. He had also endlessly begged an exporter in Cebu to sell him a set of round vases, a tray and a nest of tables, all in mother-of-pearl, that are now among the centerpieces of his living room. From these come the Filipino touches in his home, says Ortiz.

?I think one advantage of being a designer is that I have a factory,? he says. ?I can ask the reliable Mang Jun to take measurements and make my curtains. And it?s P25/yard. He works within my budget.?

His growing crystal collection is testament to moments of weakness, Ortiz says with a grin. It sits proudly on a Patricia Urquiola side table. The owners of B&B Italia and Furnitalia being Ortiz?s clients, he often gets special rates for choice pieces?floor lamp in the living room and the Urquiola table. A heavy narra table came from a suki in Baguio, from whom designer friends Vic Barba and Anthony Nocom also get their furniture. He chooses upholstery fabrics from Shell Canvas. He also gets pieces from Bo Concept and Dimensione.

From time to time, he rearranges the pieces to make the décor look new.

?I think what I got from my mom is that I was meant to be a housewife,? he says, laughing heartily. ?I?ve collected pieces over the years. I didn?t get these things overnight. I especially love my plates and goblets? ?

This isn?t yet his dream home, Ortiz admits, ?But it has become my sanctuary, definitely.?