Her newlywed clients wanted a home interior that’s minimalist and “low-maintenance.” She gave them not only that but a sleek, urban contemporary home perfect for their busy lifestyle.
Located in Santa Cruz, Manila, this 149-sq-m, three-bedroom condo unit in Le Ben Mar Bldg. II was designed to maximize space and project an urban aura.
“When I design, I get to know my clients—what they want and what their lifestyle is like,” says interior design consultant Kerstin Calubad.
“I started the design way back in February and worked on it for two months. Everything was changed except for the flooring. The kitchen was demolished; all the existing closet units and existing tiles were all changed. I wanted the design to be sleek, so there’s a lot of chrome finishes, a lot of glass and mirrors,” she explains.
The unit, modern and minimal, boasts an oversized mirror framed with wengue that clads the left side of the wall upon entrance; opposite to it is a contemporary console table that doubles as shoe storage with a touch-lock mechanism.
Further into the living room is a custom-made L-shaped sofa furnished with chocolate brown and turquoise throw pillows amid a predominantly neutral interior.
But what highlights the room is the cantilevered travertine piece with an illuminated niche to hold sculptural pieces alongside pictures of the couple. Right next to this is a storage unit in wengue veneer that not only houses the everyday accumulation of all sorts of things but also kitchenware, which will prove to be helpful due to its proximity. In line with the minimal style is the dining set that is in clear glass with chrome legs.
The original layout of the master bedroom was oppositely flipped with the bed to the left and the closet to the right to solve the presence of a post that is no longer noticeable.
“In a condo, you’re definitely concerned with space; I mean storage space is very important. So in the bedroom, I made sure that there’s a lot of storage space. Behind the leather-padded headboard are storage units. There’s also a concealed storage space behind the bedroom’s mirror, and they’re quite happy with that,” explains Calubad.
A chartreuse color was chosen as the accent color as this has refreshing properties to the eyes. Across the bedroom is a flat-screen television flanked by a minimal closet system clad with wengue veneer.
The toilet and bath of the master bedroom is clad with a linear, textured tile that runs right across an angled wall that provides the sense of continuity, thus also making the angled wall less noticeable. A vanity mirror with a storage unit behind it was used in both the common and master toilet and bath with a quartz-stone vanity top to eliminate worries of water seepage.
With the couple’s hectic work schedules, it is but expected that the third room of the unit be converted into a home office. The area has come alive with the cantilevered table tops in ducco white with white glass tops flanked by a light gray cabinetry that create a clean and soothing palette, suited for stressing work environment. On the wall are six black-and-white framed pictures from different parts of the world, taken by the designer herself.
“Traveling helps a lot, with work and in designing. Since I travel quite often, I get inspired by different places. Because every time I visit somewhere new, there’s always something unique about it, when I have a project, I think back and think if you can incorporate this and that,” shares Calubad.
Now on her second year at the Philippine School of Interior Design and getting ready for the board exam, the young interior-design consultant points out the importance of hiring an interior designer for one’s home.
“Interior designers are trained to maximize the space, to ensure that form and function are both served. They also give advice not only from the design schools but also from experiences. It takes the load off the person when he/she has an interior designer,” she explains.
“Both city people and working from 9 in the morning to the wee hours of the night, this urban-minimalist interior was catered to their fast-paced lifestyle that can hardly accommodate domestic duties. Clean lines in chrome, glass, travertine stone and wood create a simple and modern interior that still maintains that warmth needed for any home,” she says.
Marianne A. Tocmo
(Photo by Roy Domingo)
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