If there’s one thing Filipinos can (somewhat) thank the pandemic for, it’s how it gave rise to the passion for making one’s home as aesthetically pleasing and fitted with all the creature comforts we can afford. Philippine home design has changed so much in sensibilities and style, going beyond looking “native.”
We can say contemporary Philippine homes are influenced by global design trends, but home owners still manage to keep it distinctly Pinoy with their ingenuity: such as designing homes and spaces that are apt for the increasingly hot and humid Philippine weather, always able to accommodate and entertain big families and guests, and also save energy and space in some cases.
It’s by the very definition of what a contemporary home is that Filipinos make current home styles their own: Contemporary design, according to Architectural Digest, is “defined by a mix of styles and aesthetics” as well as “clean lines, decorated minimalism, and current trends.” Elements that many contemporary homes tend to have are “open spaces and floor plans, neutral color schemes with pops of color from artworks, statement chandeliers or pendant lights, and a breadth of materials including soft textiles, metal accents, carved wood, and natural woven elements,” among others.
If you want visual proof, look no further than the contemporary homes of popular Filipino personalities whose IG posts about their abodes never fail to inspire our own dream homes.
1. Resort-like casa of Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera
The newly built family home of fellow actors Dingdong and Marian looks every bit a luxurious contemporary dream home based on the parts of it we see on their social media, highlighted by a lot of wood, glass, and opulent little details added by Marian herself. But beyond all that, it’s a testament to the couple’s hard work for the sake of ensuring a comfortable life for their two kids—truly a Filipino trait.
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Dingdong revealed in a Facebook post that the dream home his family moved into last Nov. 10 took him two decades to work for. It included a photo of the back facade of their new home that he also posted on Instagram. Based on the photo, it’s an imposing three-story home, which they reportedly started building in 2019.
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Some details of their home Marian shared on IG Stories the day they moved in included daughter Zia’s pink room featuring “Blushberry” wallpaper from Manila Mural. A snap also showed the floor-to-ceiling windows of their contemporary dark wood-themed living room with made-to-measure curtains. Another photo posted by Dingdong with his brother whom he called “our Engineer…who has been with the project from day zero, till today,” showcased more of the pendant lights hanging over their living area and wood and glass contemporary staircase in the background. One home detail Dingdong did share in a separate IG post is how they used sustainable wood material for their outdoor living space. Marian said Dingdong was very hands on in every aspect of building their home.
2. Six-storey tropical mansion of Small Laude
Filipinos on YouTube and social media love to follow entrepreneur and socialite turned vlogger Small Laude’s luxurious lifestyle. The first time she indulged her followers with a house tour was in the 2021 pilot episode of “It’s A Small World,” Small’s own TV show on Metro Channel.
Here, she talked in more detail about how her six-storey tropical mansion is done in a contemporary style by world-renowned architect Ed Calma. Its mix of sleek lines, open spaces, and tropical touches go well with sunny Philippine weather. The home appears to take advantage of this with roof and ceiling details that allow a lot of natural light to come in, solar panels on the roof, as well as having several beautiful gardens.
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Small personalized various rooms of the house by picking out furniture and decor from abroad. The inviting living area, which is divided into two sections so different groups can hang out when entertaining guests, features eye-catching MINOTTI sofa and Rimadesio pieces. The ethereal pendant lights are Henge’s Tape Light, designed by Massimo Castagna with hand-curved metal bars and energy-saving warm light. Small’s home also boasts an impressive collection of art from both renowned foreign and local artists, including Ang Kiukok, Romulo Olazo, Takashi Murakami, and Madsaki. The foyer features a painting by National Artist Jose T. Joya.
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There’s a distinctly pink salon on the roof deck of Small’s home that’s styled to look like the vibe of The Beverly Hills Hotel, complete with pink velvet furniture and banana leaf wallpaper. Beyond is an outdoor space that features Kenneth Cobonpue furniture. Another cozy outdoor space in Small’s home is a fully furnished gazebo surrounded by lots of plants. It even has a swing and lots of spots for Small and her family or friends to just chill over merienda.
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3. Massive mountaintop home of Chesca and Doug Kramer
If there’s a celebrity home that constantly inspires home envy recently, it’s the sprawling mountaintop mansion that actress turned creator Chesca Garcia and her husband, athlete turned creator Doug Kramer, share with their three kids. Located in Antipolo, Rizal, which sits on the slopes of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range, Team Kramer’s multi-level home is a combination of modern rustic and chic industrial themes that incorporate a lot of wood.
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Doug and Chesca were very hands-on when it came to building their house and its subsequent renovations and improvements, according to Doug. Notable details in their home include large drop lights on the high ceiling, spacious living and dining areas with lots of room for entertaining big families and groups of friends, home cinema, and their kids’ study. They don’t even need to go out of town to enjoy the country’s tropical climate, breathtaking sunsets, and skyline views—they just need to look out their floor-to-ceiling windows or hang out in their pool area and lanai, their favorite part of the house.
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One of their more recent renovation projects involved “converting and improving our Lanai and adding a new Pergola by our garden and even a Koi pond,” Doug revealed in an IG post. They added an al fresco dining area and more sitting areas for when they’re hosting get-togethers with family and friends, as well as moved Doug’s barbecue grill here.
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4. Sleek and stunning Skypod of Kryz and Slater Young
Another internet-famous home that comes with its own signature name, Skypod, is that of influencer couple Kryz Uy and Slater Young (who also happens to be a civil engineer). They both decided on the home’s industrial-minimalist style with an open layout, then hired Cebu-based LLG Architects to help them with both the architecture and interior design, making sure the interiors matched their one-of-a-kind glass house. The highlight is the swimming pool placed right smack in the middle of the property.
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The super Instagrammable luxury home looks every bit like your dream vacation cabin, nestled on a mountainside of Cebu City, offering spectacular mountain views from floor-to-ceiling glass windows and walls. In their YouTube house tour, Slater said that Kryz wanted the house to be very bright, allowing as much natural light as possible. They even installed jalousies close to the ceiling all around the house to let in more light. To keep Skypod just as illuminated at night, LLG Architects designed state-of-the-art lighting all around the property, including solar-powered lights along with flood lights in their garden to save energy.
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Kryz had specific requirements for “Skykitchen,” which they kept open so she doesn’t feel isolated when preparing meals. Apart from several smart kitchen appliances, Kryz’s favorite part of her kitchen is the sink, which they ordered from Amazon in the US. Among its cool features are an automatic faucet and soap dispenser that allow hands-free use.
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5. Contemporary new home of Camille Prats
Actress turned creator Camille Prats’ new family home is the textbook definition of contemporary style. It features spacious and open living, dining, and kitchen areas. Instead of a solid wall, they placed sliding glass doors to separate the kitchen from the living and dining areas to contain cooking smells. Their luxury Italian modular kitchen by Novacucina has immaculate countertops and kitchen island.
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The staircase is made of glass and wood. Elegant and minimalist seating pieces are brightly lit by various lighting fixtures, including pendant lights by Shadows & Patterns that add “some personality to our minimalist home,” Camille shared. She also mentioned that their carpets from Abstrakts Manila Carpet Rugs add “softness to the overall feel of our home,” while Raphyten Marketing made the curtains and blinds for their huge windows and glass sliding doors.
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6. Fully functional tiny house of Iya Villania and Drew Arellano
Hosts Iya and Drew’s guest house in Taytay, Rizal has been drawing a lot of attention for how they’ve turned a small space (48sqm) into a place for their brood of four to play and rest. A lot of commenters call it “maganda,” with some even noticing the Australian touches (Iya hails from Down Under): “OMG amazing! It’s like you took a Sydney home and plopped it in Manila!”
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In a post that showcased the interiors of the second floor of their home, Iya shed light on why it’s not meant for their family to live in: “The upstairs was really more designed for napping and resting so the playground is the place for active play…my family and I have been testing it out first before we let you guys use it too.” It appears it’s meant to be a short-term rental, with beds to “be set up according to the request of the user/family,” she explained.
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In a home update reel on IG, she did say that “the place was primarily designed for the kids,” that’s why a playground with climbing walls and nets, slides, swing, and trampoline take up half the property. That doesn’t mean they didn’t go the extra mile to make it look not just picture-perfect but also comfortably liveable. Besides a fully-equipped outdoor kitchen with countertops made of sintered stone, it also has an al fresco hangout area that overlooks the yard and offers views of Metro Manila in the distance, as the house is situated on an elevated area. In addition to air-conditioning, they also installed ceiling fans to save space while addressing the unrelenting heat in the Philippines.
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