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Manny Gomez and Rocky Custodio opens up their chic home in the south

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A Southern Refuge For A Stylish Couple

Jar Concengco

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/e783fad8-f833-4584-89d8-3b47e86a6d45_jar_6947a.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>It’s no secret that it can be a stressful endeavor for a couple to build a house together. Power dynamics come into play and your relationship can be put to the test. The rewards, however, of working together on something as meaningful as a home are plentiful. </p><div><br/></div><p><strong>Manny Gomez</strong> and <strong>Rocky Custodio</strong>—a recruitment executive and a senior buyer for a fashion brand respectively—embarked on this journey together and came out of it with an even deeper relationship.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/b4f79487-ccbf-43af-b0c6-ab55a2ad07cb_hab00643-hdr.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Located in a new neighborhood in the south, their home stands alone with no neighbors. They worked with architect <strong>Liza Crespo </strong>of <strong>Ecotecture</strong> whom they previously worked with for a rental home in <strong>Alfonso, Cavite</strong>. The home’s gray stone cladding is topped with a skillion roof with timber soffits while vertical louvers in light wood break the monochrome palette of the structure. A lush garden designed by <strong>Plontour </strong>fills the front yard.</p><div><br/></div><p>Entering the home reveals a similar monochrome palette with shades of grays, blacks and whites. There are splashes of color such as the abstract painting of purples and pinks by <strong>Wipo</strong> that hangs in the entryway or the chair in amber leather in the living room. The short foyer opens into the open layout of the living area, dining, and the kitchen. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/c6ba5612-ee61-471c-8eeb-46e31742942a_hab00760-hdr.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>For the interiors, Manny and Rocky had interior designer <strong>Louie Gotinga </strong>of <strong><a href="https://metro.style/living/home-tours/art-filled-home-by-siglo-interiors/36173" target="_blank">Siglo Interiors</a> </strong>design the spaces. </p><div><br/></div><p>“The layout of the house was already set by the architect. So it was a respectful collaboration between us and the architect,” Louie says.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/a2542965-5acb-4d9c-8acb-f32abeb72981_hab00859-hdr.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>The living room is the favorite space of Manny which has an L-shaped couch by Casa De Dios lining the corner wall of double-height windows. The TV wall incorporates an enormous slab of marble that Manny originally didn’t approve of. </p><div><br/></div><p>“This house is very contemporary and sleek,” says Louie. “Manny is very particular even with the furniture. Manny is very strict about his lines. He was against anything with curves or furniture in a kidney shape for instance. He likes clean and straight lines.”</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/44c929ac-a74c-479c-8b9d-a76246cc8038_hab00724-hdr.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>So when Louie suggested adding a wall feature of marble, it went against Manny’s original vision, thinking that the veins of the marble would be too busy against the rest of the home’s look. Louie knew how to convince his clients. “Louie brought us to the showroom and showed us this slab of marble and it had an impact on us. It’s different from just looking at small swatches,” recalls Manny.</p><div><br/></div><p>The corner is now Manny’s favorite part of the home and finds him working there often when not in the office. “It faces southwest. So it only gets good light without it being too hot,” Louie mentions. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/d29cddac-5cc5-4c1f-8d59-22abed3b99da_hab01696-hdr.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>At night, the space is illuminated by the Zattelite orbs by Schema that hangs from the ceiling. The curtains are all automated to be drawn at certain times of the day or by a push of a button when the couple wants more privacy.</p><div><br/></div><p>Most of the walls are clad in fluted paneling in a chocolate walnut finish which had gone through many iterations for the perfect shade. “You can see the aesthetic of the house is very masculine. They’re very hands on and very particular with the tone of the wood. We had to go through several swatches to have that chocolate walnut approved,” Louie shares.</p><div><br/></div><p>Shelves display books on travel and other objets d’art that illustrate the couple’s life together: a stuffed leather plushie of a corgi (the couple own 2 corgis and a schnauzer-yorkie), a drawn portrait of the couple with their dogs, a glass Orlina sculpture, and an &amp;Tradition Flowerpot Table Lamp in mustard. </p><div><br/></div><p>The dining table comfortably seats eight with chairs from BoConcept while a floor to ceiling window frames the vertical garden outside. Their kitchen is Häcker and has a beautiful Calacatta counter. While Manny enjoys cooking and brewing coffee in the kitchen, Rocky finds himself sitting at the counter most often. “I love doing my weekend work on the stools,” Rocky says.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/7f577022-4485-4dc2-8683-a77069ed76ef_hab01183-hdr.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>There is a room in the home that does embrace a lot more color with mid-century furniture—Rocky’s office. It’s defined by dark green accent walls, Eames chairs, a mustard couch, and a Noguchi Rudder Table (a coffee table with two hairpin legs and a wooden one that looks like a boat’s rudder).</p><div><br/></div><p>The couple knows they have different tastes and that to have a peaceful build together they knew they had to compromise certain things. “This would be a more mid-century modern house if Rocky had more say in the design of the interiors. There would be adobe stone and a lot more color everywhere. But I had a different idea. So we talked,” Manny reveals.</p><div><br/></div><p>“We agreed to have the common areas and bedrooms to be as neutral as possible,” Rocky concurred. </p><div><br/></div><p>The primary bedroom echoes the chocolate walnut fluted paneling downstairs with white walls adorned with artwork by Micaela Benedicto. The only pop of color is an amber chaise lounge at the foot of the bed. There is a door that leads to the impressive walk in closet and primary bathroom. Louvers neatly hide clothes from sight and leads you to a bathtub at the end of the room.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/d4d268fb-f5f0-4bb1-9154-14529fdbd1e9_hab01910-hdr.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>The home also features a gym (“The most unused room”, jokes Rocky) and a guest room on the ground floor. “Our architect originally didn’t want to have a room on the ground floor to have a bigger living space but we really required it for the future if we stay here in the late stage of our lives,” says Manny.</p><div><br/></div><p>The home is a balance of the couple’s dynamic but also plays on the idea of making the home a refuge from their busy work life. “I think it really helps psychologically. After a hard day’s work we get to come home and clear our mind. It’s big enough to have space even from each other—which is important,” Rocky shares about the 360 square meter lot.</p><div><br/></div><p>For those who are also building their forever home for their family, Manny imparts good advice. “Choose the right suppliers. Even though you have professionals working with you, try to get as much information to make an informed decision. The person who will live with these decisions is not the architect or the interior designer, it’s you, the owners. Whatever mistake or good work that’s done by the team will have a direct effect on the residence.”</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/7c0bdfee-2183-4b48-8b53-2a1221e0d012_hab01516-hdr.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Interior Photos by <strong>Hilary Buenaflor</strong> for <strong>Siglo Interiors</strong></p><p>Portrait Photos by <strong>Jar Concengco</strong></p><div><strong>Related Story: </strong><a href="/living/home-tours/corso-buenos-aires-via-spontini-milan-condo-by-lla/35017" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">An Abundance Of Natural Light Is The Attraction In This 60-Sq. M. 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