The house’s brick-red façade immediately gives you the idea that it isn’t one of your run-of-the-mill homes. The moment you step through the large wooden doors and into the foyer, you are greeted with nothing less than sheer opulence. A mix of Mediterranean and southern Californian style, the home is a testament to richness and volume.
The living room with its Louis IV chairs and sumptuous couches are upholstered in Clarence house fabrics from the U.S. Trinkets from travels, such as English tea caddies, silver boxes from Cambodia and Chinese antiques from Hong Kong, are positioned in places of prominence in the home.
Labor of Love
If home is truly where the heart is, then this one has the heart and soul of the lady of the house in its foundations. For her dream house, she pored over interior design magazines like Architectural Digest during the home’s construction. Although the house itself had an architect, its interiors are purely the work of the owner. She’s a slave to her house according to her.
When ladies buy clothes and jewelry for themselves, she purchases things for her home. Furthermore, she prefers a little bit of extravagance to simplicity and admires the minimalist look but nevertheless prefers to have her own home look full.
Practically every nook and cranny is adorned with something from various travels abroad which includes elaborately-designed rugsof different patterns and materials. As a matter of fact, a huge Persian rug majestically is laid on the floor of the living room which accentuates the furnishings in the area. Also, many pieces come with a little story behind them.
A little-known fact about this home is that the living and dining room walls were expertly painted as evidenced by the skills shown in the fine painting of faux-wood and marble finishes and subtly textured borders. Several people who come to her house think that her walls are wallpapered.
Little did they know that feathers were used to create the effect. Off to the side of the dining room is the door which leads to the kitchen. It is spacious with a rustic feeling, much like what may be found in a book on the Italian countryside.
Artfully littered here and there are the owner’s favorite pieces from extensive travels abroad as well as an impressive collection of ivory and tortoise-shell artifacts. From combs to opium pipes to bracelets to small daggers, these rare objects are carefully arranged in places of honour in her foyer and living room.
The piece de resistance of the owner’s collection would be the 17th century tortoise-shell writing desk with ivory details, found in Manila.
A Fusion of Influences
European touches include two Picasso paintings, which grace the walls in the living room. There are also various antique prints of engravings around the house and the dining room set made from narra and mahogany. Off to one side of the dining room is yet another opulent piece: the buffet table made once again from narra and mahogany with silver inlay. An antique chandelier hangs over a table that seats eight where the lovely homeowner likes to give intimate, sit-down gatherings.
The home’s décor is decidedly Eurasian in look and ambience. You begin to wonder where the southern Californian influence is. As a matter of fact, the outside walls of the house were originally painted pink to depict some of the houses that are found on the California coast,” the owner explains. Also, the lanai, which runs the back corners of the house and spills over to a small garden with a pool, has a tropical feeling to it.
The patio gets a nice breeze blowing through it when the weather is just right. When the weather is not at its best, however, it’s time to retreat to the den, which on weekends is overrun by two rambunctious grandchildren who simply amazes the owner as they haven’t ever broken anything so far.
Flowers are also an important part of this lady’s home. She insists on having them everywhere. The sweet fragrance permeates the rooms, giving it a cheery, lived-in feeling. Amaryllises are her favorite blooms. Come this Christmastime, her home will be awash again with red amaryllis. Scented candles have also become part of her home for both the ambience it gives and the soft fragrance it exudes.
The ultimate luxury for the woman of the home is not her countless trinkets accumulated from countless travels abroad, not even the elegant and expensive rugs UK can totally boast about, or the opulence of her living room but that she and her husband have their own separate bathrooms. “The older you get, the more space you want,” she remarks with a blink of an eye. More space or less, this woman truly knows how to turn a simple living space into something that is nothing short of remarkable.