Posts
Interior and accessories designer Ricardo David’s Ermita home was built by his grandmother Paz Mascuñana in 1926.
The house was occupied by the Japanese during World War II. Old photos show that the interiors were made of tropical hardwoods, with the wood-carved furniture popular at that time.
During a siege, the interior architecture was burned, leaving only the shell.
After the war, Mascuñana rebuilt it into a duplex of sorts. The interiors reflected the architecture at that time—whitewashed walls, narra flooring, high ceiling and heavy baseboards, with Filipino wooden furniture.
Weary of the period look of neutral background which had become too bland, David discarded the furniture, the vintage woodwork and modernized the interiors. The spaces are still dark, due to the half-shut windows, but the interpretation is modern.
David favored a muted color scheme. He streamlined the modern furniture and juxtaposed them with period pieces that had simple lines.
He also installed contemporary lighting fixtures which he himself designed.
The colors are purple and gray in the living room, vermilion in the study room/den and chocolate in the dining room. The wicker matchstick shades block off the sunlight, creating a mysterious but intimate mood.
Since muted shades do not reflect the light, there has to be a play of toned-down colors with soft, matte materials to pull off the scheme.
The light colors of furniture and strong patterns of the rugs lighten the look without breaking the scheme. Wooden furniture, a mix of new designs and antiques and the narra flooring look striking against the knocked-back colors.
photos:
Awash in purple and gray
The living room is awash in purple and gray which, says David, were chosen to bring out the colors of his paintings. His paintings otherwise looked flat against white walls so he painted a darker background. The purple-gray mix actually enhanced their subtlety.
Since friends liked to lounge around his place, he built two beds, covered in a warm brown ultrasuede. Pillows, also ultrasuede, in various shades of brown, add comfort. Roller pillows in green silk provide extra sheen.
The clean lines of an antique cabinet, teakwood benches and refurbished chairs from Dao complement the look. The strips of track lighting lend a contemporary touch.
David’s art collection includes Lindslee, RM de Leon, Bencab, Jim Sta. Ana, Bobby Nuestro, Claire Uy and Lex Clip.
The chocolate walls and patterned flooring augment the woods. The focal point is a simple tanguile table, painted in black. To make them look contemporary, his grandmother’s heirloom dining chairs were painted black, with ultrasuede upholstery.
Breaking the monotony
To break the monotony of chairs, the other side of the table is furnished with a narra bench with a dhuri thrown in for some color.
A stack of red wooden cabinets, a gift from his friend, Albert Avellana, cut a dramatic contrast to the deep tones. The metal frame of the circular canvas lighting fixture is good accent.
The walls are lined with presents from artists—Chinese brush strokes from his cousin Rachy Cuna, for instance. The other presents were from Michelle Lim, Dan Raralio, Sam Penaso, Solomon Saprid, Popo San Pascual, Lito Carating, Benjie Cabrera and Roger San Miguel.
David’s favorite room is the study and den. The orange is toned down by red, brown, white and yellow, to create deep vermilion. Accessories are in beige, rust and light blue to create a handsome scheme.
The work area has an Indonesian work table, a narra cabinet from Bohol and a reupholstered study chair in ultrasuede.
The conversation area is a mix of heirloom pieces such as a floral-printed, cane-backed sofa and armchair. It also has David’s contemporary designs such as the cube, which serves as a side table and a tray table, all in woven strip leather.
A wrought-iron candleholder adds sparkle, while the bold prints of the kilim rug give punches of color.
The tiered lighting fixture is made of halogen bulbs, ensconced in brown fabric.
Not only has David created a transitional look, a blend of the old and new, he has also achieved visual harmony.
0 comments:
Post a Comment