A Practical 37sqm, One-Bedroom Condo Home for a Balikbayan Family of 4
IDr. Mika Abad designed a charming space that can also serve as a retirement home in the future
When it comes to designing a home, it’s a given to fall in love with different styles at the same time. There are just so many ideas out there that it can be challenging to streamline what you want. This is where a design professional can help you–the same way interior designer Mika Abad helped the owners of this newly turned-over condo unit in Bonifacio Global City.
“My main principle as a designer is to ‘always make the most out of the space.’ I had planned to create combined spaces and incorporate multifunctional furniture to make sure every corner is utilized,” shares Mika. By understanding the priorities of the owners, the designer was able to achieve a space that’s cohesive, functional, and reflects the personalities of the users. The extra special touch? Mika was also able to bring in elements reminiscent of their home in the United States.
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A one-bedroom Scandinavian-chic condo unit
Foyer
Since the unit opens up to the kitchen on the right, Mika had to create a faux foyer. The designer accomplished this by furnishing the compact corner between the bathroom and bedroom doors with a black-framed rectangular mirror and a small gray padded stool.
Kitchen with Breakfast Nook
The kitchen brings on the charm, with the chosen colors and materials reminiscent of chic country-inspired cooking areas. According to Mika, the kitchen used to have L-shaped cupboards but they had to remove the shorter side to accommodate the big refrigerator.
White rippled Zellige-style subway tiles serve as backsplash while adding texture to the space. To avoid clutter, wooden pull-out drawer trays inside the counter were added as storage for kitchen essentials.
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“We also added task lighting to brighten up the area. Aside from additional carpentry, only the outer parts of the counter were re-laminated to a different color. We retained the unused cabinet carcass and black countertop to save on costs,” explains the designer.
The kitchen countertop features a pop of blue-gray color to meet the client’s requirement as it suits their style. It’s also a welcome sight that guests will surely love upon entrance.
Breakfast Nook
Instead of having a conventional dining set, a breakfast nook was incorporated into the kitchen to save on space. It also helps separate the kitchen from the living area while providing extra space for food prep when needed.
“The counter has a built-in stepper to help the owners maintain a correct sitting posture when staying at the breakfast nook for a long time,” Mika adds.
Living Area
In a small space, it’s a must to achieve a bright and welcoming look. For the living area, they settled on a light-gray color for the walls and white wooden blinds which are commonly seen in Western-style homes.
A section of the niche was closed off to achieve a centered furniture placement that meets the wife’s requirements and the husband’s request to have a display shelf. The niche now functions as a built-in lighted display shelving and extra storage.
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To break the monotony of the space, a pastel blue accent wall with molding serves as a backdrop for the sofa bed. Completing the look is a locally made capiz mirror that complements the gold lighting pieces. “The subtle blue accent also covers the beam and column in the kitchen,” says Mika.
Beside the TV console is a work/vanity area that showcases the wood, white, and gold combination.
Bedroom
To achieve a cohesive look and a bright ambiance, the same light gray color and window treatment seen in the living area were also applied in the bedroom. A white and silver-patterned wallpaper serves as an accent while also matching the padded beige headboard.
Since most of the pieces in the room, including the compact vanity area beside the bed, are already neutral, colorful beddings complete the bed to liven up the space.
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Bathroom
Mika shares that the client wanted to elevate the look of the bathroom while also adding practical storage. To make this happen, a glass shower enclosure was installed while the dismantled kitchen cabinets were reused as overhead storage in the T&B.
Meanwhile, random pattern tiles featuring cool earth tones that match the existing brown tiles were installed as the focal point. These materials work perfectly well with the pastel green-colored walls.
“We also had a shelf and custom floating lavatory counter fabricated in the same wood color, then paired with a vanity mirror with light,” the designer says.
Interested to work with interior designer Mika Abad? You can follow her on Facebook: Mika Abad Interiors. She is also on Instagram: @mikaabad.interiors. For inquiries, you can email her at mikaabad.interiors[at]gmail.com.
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