Here’s another repost. These photos are from June 2011. We featured  two adjacent homes that share a connected lanai. The separate houses belong to two sisters. Interior designer Frenjick Quesada worked on both projects. Unfortunately we only have photos from one house.

I wore a printed and colourful K&Company dress. My shoes are plastic. Got them from Melissa. I designed my earrings. They’re made of blue sappires and diamonds but no, I didn’t set them like Princess Diana’s and Kate’s ring. This is the lanai of the first house. A small fence separates the two houses but they remain accessible by a gate. Visually the space appears as one.

The first house was designed in a more classical way, with a muted palette. Frenjick used machuca tiles to create the appearance of a rug. That’s the side entrance which leads to the lanai.

Hallway leading to the bedrooms.

The master bed uses one of my favourite styles of Daphne Linens. I love this set because of the texture of the ruching. Frenjick lined the walls with wallpaper.

The daughter’s bedroom. She wanted something glam and inspired by Audrey Hepburn.

Country-style kitchen. The island counter was once a simple desk which they upcycled.

See the island counter? Brilliant. I was wearing a striped dress from Muji with a faux coral necklace and wedge Melissas.

Frenjick gave this living room a pale palette using classic furniture.

Here’s another repost from my old livejournal. I featured this house in early 2011. This is Ana Rocha’s house by the beach in Batangas. She doesn’t like calling it a “beach house” though it sits right on the beach. She has created a space that’s more than that. This is her creative haven. She comes here to recharge, relax and entertain friends. Ana is an artist and entrepreneur. She owns a few restaurants and a jewelry store in Greenbelt 5; she designs jewelry and interior spaces as well. Architecture runs through her blood. Her grandfather, an architect, designed a building in UST – the extension of the main one, if I’m not mistaken. She is also related to Patrick’s maternal side of the family.

Here are some highlights from the Urban Zone shoot we did in Batangas. I brought my kids along, which I rarely do. But it was an out of town treat, and they got to meet a distant relative.

Ana and I at the entrance pavilion.

The other side of the entrance pavillion. I love that the foyer is in a separate pavillion.

It opens up to this…

One of the guest rooms. High ceiling. Lots of natural light.

Inside the main house. She had that table before she built this space.

Main house and pool

I love how the pool is raised.

Talk about attention to detail. Check out the way her staff raked the sand in the public beach.

Last month, I hosted the HISTORY™ event here in Manila. I learned that History ™ was ranked the number 5 TV network in the US. All along I thought the History channel just aired documentaries and biographies. But in the past couple of years they’ve produced some hit shows. I also learned that they are aiming for the male market and hitting it  right on target with shows like Pawn Stars, Hidden Cities and Top Shot.

One of the top guys in HISTORY™ is a Filipino-American. Executive Producer Paul Cabana created hit shows like How The States Got Their Shapes, Life After People and Top Shot.

With three major projects under his belt, it seems like Cabana has already mastered his craft. But the proudly Pinoy production bigwig insists that it’s no easy task and he still has a lot to learn. “An executive producer’s job entails more than inherent creativity — there’s also a business side to it, an entrepreneurial aspect that requires me to regard my shows as a franchise I should grow, market, and expand,” Cabana explains. (Source: Press kit)

Me and Paul Cabana at the event I hosted.

History™ is available on Cablelink Ch44, Destiny Cable Ch57, Dream Satellite Ch27, SkyCable Ch25 and other local cable operators nationwide.

The other day, over Twitter, I received this from Sharon Cuneta! Out of the blue. Is that a mega endorsement or what?

I thanked her in my timeline. And she tweeted back. “Meant every word! Stay awesome!”

I’m giddy. Thanks Sharon!

This is an Urban Zone story we did back in 2009. I’m reposting it because I think we can all learn from this story. This was the home of  Brian Mangio, an architect.

The house was built in the 1930’s by a wealthy American family who lived in the Philippines. The main house was in the City of  Manila. They built this as a weekend home in a style similar to bungalows in Camp John Hay, Baguio. Back then San Juan was still “provincial.” They had stables for their horses in this huge property.

It’s has been subdivided since then. Some of the land had been sold and converted into condominiums. The house and the last 3,000+ sqm had been acquired by the Mangio family.

Before: This is what the house looked like when they acquired it.

After:This is what it looks like now after Architect Mangio’s restoration project

Before: The side of the house facing the water tank

After: The side of the house was converted to be the main entrance

Inside. The living room (one side used to be the master bedroom). Brian tore down the ceiling, exposed the trusses, added clerestory windows and emphasized the natural colour and texture of the adobe stone walls.

The modern kitchen

How the kitchen looks from the outside

The enormous backyard. Brian’s parents live in the other end of the yard. (I love the idea of compound living, with extended family as neighbours. I’ve never been in this situation. What’s it like?)

The back porch. There used to be a view of the city of Manila from here (San Juan). Brian built a little pavillion for home spa services in the other end of the yard.

Original water tank from the 1930’s. Brian installed new pipes and a new tank. It’s a stunning feature. This is the only private water tower I’ve seen in Metro Manila.

Rare Philippine Eagle owls (a mom and dad) had made this tree their home. They’re not held in captivity. They’re free to fly in and out. They come back regularly and one time they lay an egg that hatched successfully. Amazing. This property is a stone’s throw away from Greenhills, a highly urbanized area. It’s a good thing the Mangio’s are keeping the sprawling property as green as possible. Just next to their lot, a high rise development is about to go up. Hopefully the owls still find their way back to their tree. (Photo from Brian Mangio).

The baby owl. Born in Brian and Annalou’s backyard tree. Somewhere between San Jan and Quezon City. (Photo from Brian Mangio).

Brian and Annalou Mangio with me and Stanley Castro of UZ, back in 2009.

It’s great to have young architects, like Brian Mangio, who are enlightened enough to know the importance of preserving architectural/historical gems. More of this, please…