A Tropical-Inspired Vacation Home in Quezon City
To cozy up the two-bedroom condo unit, interior designer Angelo Aguilar refurbished the existing furniture pieces and added nature-inspired touches

Filipinos who are working overseas often invest in properties in the Philippines so they have a place to come home to whenever they visit. Some even earn extra income from their investment by choosing to rent it out. In designing this two-bedroom unit in Quezon City, interior designer Angelo Aguilar had to take into consideration the owner’s wish to have a vacation home in the city that’s functional and flexible enough to work as a staycation space.
“The client also wanted a tropical-inspired home. Since some of the furniture pieces were bought in advance, we had to refurbish them to make sure they go well with the tropical style,” explains the designer. Angelo also had to be creative in terms of adding sleek storage solutions to make the most of the most of the 62sqm space.
See the rest of the condo unit below:
Living Area
It’s quite unusual to find two separate seating pieces in a compact space but Angelo found a way to make it work. The dark brown sofa is spruced up with pillows showcasing tropical leaves to go with the theme as well as match the framed wall print. “I also added pillows in bright colors to serve as accents,” Angelo shares.
The other side of the living area that faces the entertainment wall features a simulated white brick wallpaper by Neu Muri Designs.
The customized entertainment cabinet is made of laminated wood in cement was finish. To make sure the owners have enough storage, Angelo added drawers and a shelving unit for décor pieces and collections can be displayed.
Dining Area
Wooden slats separate the living area from the dining area. The wall-to-wall mirror panel with wooden frame helps create an illusion of bigger space. Using wooden frames that match the slats make the look cohesive. “For the accent wall, we used the same white brick wallpaper while the pendant lamp serves as the focal point,” explains the designer.
Kitchen
Since the unit is still new, the owner wanted to focus on enhancing the look of the cooking area. To accomplish this, Angelo installed T5 lights under the cabinets which also come in handy when preparing meals as well as leveled up the sink by installing a mixer faucet.
In terms of overall look, mosaic tiles in a hexagonal pattern were used as backsplash. To liven up the space, one wall is painted in orange, too. Since there are different essentials stored in the kitchen, Angelo added wire baskets inside the base cabinets as well as installed two additional shelving units in laminated wood.
Master Bedroom
Angelo had the bed refurbished to match the design of the room. The solid wood strips in walnut finish make the room look and feel taller. To keep clutter at bay, the designer also designed the headboard to have storage compartments in addition to the drawers under the bed for storing extra pillows and blankets.
At the foot of the bed is the study desk which also features the same solid wood strips and storage options. “The mirror panel beside the desk also conceals another storage nook,” says Angelo.
Second Bedroom
“One of the challenges I encountered in designing this unit involves the second bedroom,” shares the designer. “It’s quite compact and we need to maximize the space and it’s function,” he adds. To do this, most of the items in the room had to be customized including the bed with extra drawers and a pull-out bed.
To free up floor space, Angelo also opted to add a floating study desk and shelving unit. On the side of the desk is the customized wardrobe in laminated wood.
Bathroom
To improve the bathroom, Angelo installed a wall-to-wall mirror with ledge and T5 lights and a laminated wood cabinet under the sink. He also had the wall behind the shelving in teal blue to serve as accent.
Ready for your own home makeover? Get in touch with interior designer Angelo Aguilar through email at acga.designs[at]gmail.com. You can also follow ACGA Designs on Facebook.