Inside a Magnificent Bahay Kubo-Inspired Retreat

“My husband, who is French, dreamed of having a nipa hut,” the lady of the house days. 

While most of the neighboring houses mirror city homes, this couple opted for something low maintenance with abundant natural lighting and flexible with good bones. They collaborated with veteran interior designer Ivy Almario and Cebu-based architect Ed Gallego, who is known for his bahay kubo inspirations and cross ventilation ideas. He worked on the initial drawing of the husband, who happens to be an engineer.

While the idea is quaint, living in a hut is not very practical for a country prone to typhoons. Architect Gallego helped the couple to build a fortified version of a nipa hut home. He brought a modern eye to the traditional ways, retained the best qualities and edited some of the less successful ones. The wife says, “When you enter the living room, the corridor is pretty wide. In case a typhoon visits, we have to close everything and the space is pretty small. The living room can be converted into a fourth bedroom because the sofa doubles as a sofa bed.”

Continuity and simplicity

Repetition in the architecture and interior design is fundamental to this two-storey house. To infuse continuity and simplicity, the house was restrained in both the materials and palette. Concrete played a pivotal part as the flooring, walls and ceiling. To soften the look, the architect insisted on a surface preparation finishing material called Lanko for the exterior and interior. Specially shipped from France, it produces a milky effect over time.

The sociable couple likes to host intimate parties for family and friends. Guests who decide to sleep over stay in identical bedrooms; even the beds, designed by the architect, are the same. Each room comes with their own private bathroom dressed in the same grey tiles, and kept hidden through distressed louvered doors camouflaged as closet doors.

Yet, the finished effect is not at all severe. All areas, for example, have display walls for their eclectic, colorful art. The couple acquired them from Vietnam, which is known for their art galleries. Currently, the husband is living in Hanoi so the wife divides her time commuting between the Philippines and Vietnam.

Aside from the art, the husband’s nautical objects are found throughout the beach house. The wife says, “He has been collecting them even before we got married, and we have been husband and wife for 32 years. They come from all over the world, some from French antique shops and some from a 100-year-old boat from the Pakistani navy. They say all boats have to die at a certain point and the government auctions them off. These came from the Admiral’s quarters.” The collection is inspired by the husband’s hobby of sailing, which is a common pastime for the French.

View from the south

While the couple is adamant on keeping things simple, they had one requirement while scouting for the ideal property: a view facing the sea going in the south direction. The wife says, “My husband claims it is more alive. You feel an energy that is not present when facing north.”

The property is blessed with just such a view, and the architect and designer focused on producing invisible borders between the indoors and outdoors through large windows and flexible partitions that can open up for more space or enclose one. They maximized the seascape by using sliding doors instead of a permanent wall for the back of the house. This also helps cool the place and make it brighter.

To enjoy the view further, a patio was created with a mini bar, lounge and dining area. For this couple, the heart of the house remains its outdoor spaces. In the daytime, the wife’s favorite area is the swimming pool. At night, she enjoys staying in the upstairs balcony because it is wide, and during the months of October and November, they receive a special treat of falling stars. She says, “We do not really like air conditioners, but we installed them for guests. We just didn’t expose the aircon.”

Nothing contrived

Due to the husband’s banking career, the couple has traveled the world and changed houses 14 times, residing in such places as Egypt, India, Caracas, and Paris. They previously set up residence overlooking the English Channel, a project her husband was part of. In the Philippines, their house looks Indian. In France, they have a 110-year-old house.

They admit that the styles of their homes vary. However, they stand by one philosophy: Nothing should be too contrived. The wife says, “I do not want guests to be swimming, then telling them later not to sit in certain areas and make them feel uncomfortable. We want everything to be functional and not just for display. Every piece of furniture has to be used. This is a very practical house. Things have to mix and match and we share the love for open spaces.

She admits, “To be honest, we didn’t warm up to the idea of building a home here initially even though we have been members for the longest time. We felt it was too manicured and preferred Tali, but we thought it was a good place in the end because our children had many good memories here when they were younger. “Also, the marina is just nearby. When my husband gets old, he can go down with his telescope and spy on people,” jokes the wife.

Article by Cal Tavera

Photographs by Paul del Rosario

Special thanks to Metro Home and Entertaining Magazine