Filipiniana in a different mood

EVERYBODY who has visited this house in Cebu raves about

its great style. More than anything else, the owner, who is an

interior decorator, says the theme is Filipiniana shown in a

different mood.

Proudly displaying world-class

furniture and furnishing that's

created in Cebu, this residence was

once featured in Elsa Klench's

''Style'' on CNN.

The house is not about status

symbols, although the visitor will

be impressed by the beeswax

candles and the travelers' palms in

their full glory.

''If you look at what's in it,

everything is basically made by

Cebuano hands,'' she says. '' Cebu

is a trading post. It's never been a

rich province. Money has been

hard-earned and used frugally.

When the boom came, retailers

cashed in and then they realized

that Cebuanos are stingy. They are not used to spending

compared to Manilans. Cebuanos get their value for money. If

the furniture is well made, they will pay the price.

Fine labor

''In setting up this home, the furnishing shows fine labor and

design with global influences. Cebuanos have earned a

well-deserved reputation because of hard work. They take it

seriously. Showing off is not appreciated here. As a designer,

Cebu lets me be creative because the materials are here. There's

skill and art and it's based on a work ethic.''

Cebuanos can produce hand-tooled leather chairs and tables,

English Regency chairs executed in rattan and sakangs that

look like Chinese antique elmwood cabinets. Elsa Klensch

featured the humidor, done in macasar and ebony with bone

inlays. Glass fruits are sold only in home stores in the States

and Europe.

Since the house is nestled on a hilltop, the main area for

entertaining is the verandah, which offers a resplendent view of

the city. The furniture in the open living room such as the

woven leather chairs that resemble rattan weaves and the coffee

table with a Mactan stone top and molave legs can withstand all

types of weather conditions.

Sourced over time

The objets d'art and bibelots that give the house character were

sourced over time. The objects are reminders of travels and

happy moments with loved ones. Some personal items are

displayed in the library such as a cello that belonged to her

father. The rattan furniture made by inmates in Bilibid belonged

to her husband's grandfather.

''Acquiring furnishing is like building a wardrobe. You get some

fashionable and trendy pieces over time, then you look as if you

have tons of clothes after some time. That's the same with

furniture. Buy what you love and find a place for it,'' says the

owner. But also practice restraint. She is proud that there's no

furniture in storage.

There are also archaeological diggings discovered while the

subdivision was being developed. The lot of this residence

used to be an ancient burial ground. From the diggings,

limestone and fossilized shells are housed in the bookshelves.

The dicor theme of the library is based on the balance of light

and dark tones. The dark tones come from the tortoise shell,

bronzes, brown and beige marble, beads, and cloissonnis.

These are contrasted with light objects such as ostrich eggs,

Igorot lightning belts, Filipiniana prints and other objects made

from light woods and ivory. Some objects come in two tones

such as the opium pipes and the zebra rug, a memento from an

African safari. The lightness of molave sets off the deep color of

balayong.

Gardening tips

However, there are corners devoted to Oriental items. A

Burmese xylophone is displayed in the bar, a regular fixture in

any Cebuano home. Chinese gods are set on niches. Hidden in

elmwood cabinets are ceramics, pottery, pitchers and urns from

the Asean region. Elmwood panels with fretwork are made into

doors.

The choice of Oriental objects is merely an extension of our

cultural heritage. ''It's who you are,'' she says.

One can get a lot of gardening tips. For instance, to shield

visitors from the glare in the verandah, vines are displayed like

swags in a curtain. Plants are also used to soften a hard-edged

canopy.

''The plants are all tropical and Filipino. I hate red palms. It

doesn't matter if a plant costs P50 as opposed to P10,000 as long

as it's green,'' says the owner. ''The pleasures are natural, and

they are all here. Why put so much value on the price of a plant

when it's about oxygen coming in the air through the leaves?''