Happy Skin's Jacqe Yuengtian-Gutierrez's City Abode Is Polished With Resort Style Sophistication

There’s no denying that the summer months are drawing closer. Humidity fills our days and all we can think of is a refreshing getaway to a faraway destination where we can relax and cool down from the heat. But if you find yourself unavailable to book that trip, revamping the home into a resort-style space could be the cooling respite for the season.

Happy Skin’s Jacqe Yuengtian-Gutierrez is ahead of us, as she decided to turn her urban abode into a “resort feel in the city”-themed space. Working with Hurray Designs, the 365 sq.m. house is a perfect representation of a vacation residence that combines luxury and cozy.

Hurray Design’s Pat Calayan takes us through the whole space. Beginning with the entrance, the open floor plan welcomes you to the place’s three areas—the kitchen, the dining area, and the living area. Sheer curtains help filter out natural light. They also created visual hierarchy by adding different levels of large-scaled woven lamps paired with contemporary furniture in the dining area. 

Meanwhile, the team demolished the walls of the existing pantry in the kitchen to open up the space and placed an island with a waterfall countertop in the center, which beautifully frames the whole kitchen. “The kitchen has a mix of light oak and white cabinetry paired with Britannica quartz countertop by Mobler for that luxe look,” Pat shares. “We also took all of the storage into consideration and coordinated with Porcelanosa to add all the necessary accessories based on their requirements.” And to place a beautiful highlight in the space, the existing window was kept to frame the view of the family’s outdoor herb garden. 

Onto the living area, Pat points out to the HAY Mags Soft from Design Story as the main feature of the space. “Its rounded edges and soft curves enable the space to be more inviting and comfortable to lounge in. Texture was added in the wood tones and woven fabrics and cool tones in the artwork. The living area has access to the Lanai which has comfortable outdoor seating and lush landscaping,” she adds.

The entertainment room, on the other hand, boasts of a large custom sectional sofa, neutral-toned furniture, and an array of throw pillows as accent pieces. The Komiko coffee table by Vito Selma gives a unique form to the space and has a pull-out side table for additional furniture.

The gym has wood ceiling slats that serve as the highlight of the room, with recessed linear lights for a streamlined look. Here, as well as in the home office, mirrors were used to create the illusion of bigger spaces.

For the master bedrooms, the team explored different neutral fabrics with textures “to give the space a more comfortable feel in the upholstered bed, sheets, and drapery.” Blue and green tones add that seaside vibe, matched with other tropical elements. Meanwhile, the kid’s bedroom was repainted to match the look of the bright and airy room.

And finally, their roof deck is furnished with outdoor furniture with cream upholstery and wooden frames. There will be no shortage of light with the installation of string lights, sconce lighting, and surface mounted lights, while lush greenery and artificial grass turfing top it all off. 

“The goal to successfully merge ‘resort feel and the city’ is to have a home that feels like an oasis. A place where you can find comfort, unwind, and recharge after a long day,” Pat explains. If you want to recreate a similar feel, they share a few pieces of advice. 

“Explore neutral palettes with a few touches of cool colors, warmth in wood tones, and create texture using natural fabrics such as abaca and linen. You may also bring the outdoors in by adding greenery in the space. You can also try incorporating different tropical elements, such as abaca, solihiya and balance it out with streamlined furniture for that contemporary look,” Pat offers. 

And since the Philippines is a tropical country, there’s no better place to take inspiration from than our own! “Shop local!” she urges. “There are so many local furniture stores you can consider, especially for this design style.”