A 1980s Family Home Gets an Update

Stepping into the Antonios’ home feels like being invited to plunk down on the most comfortable spot in the living area and put your feet up. For a house built in the 80s with furniture that’s older than the homeowners, it’s pretty bright and airy.

Couple Chuchay and Ian Antonio’s 240sqm home sits in a compound occupied by two other houses where two of her siblings live. The couple, along with their kids, used to consider the entryway and the whole of the second floor their own space. Chuchay’s mom, former Pasig City vice mayor Lorna Bernardo, used a part of the ground floor as her home office. A year after her January 2013 passing, the couple decided to renovate the house.

“We were working on a budget, so gusto lang namin talaga paint lang,” explains Ian about the renovation. But they eventually ended up breaking down some walls in the living area. As a result, the house became more spacious. The renovation only took a month since the couple didn’t do anything major—they kept the house’s original layout and salvaged most of the furniture from the house that Chuchay grew up in. Despite the renovation, both the tangible pieces and the happy family memories remain intact in this house.

Read the original article ("Heirloom Haven") in the April 2014 issue of Real Living Magazine. Download your digital copy of Real Living on the Real Living App now! Log on to summitnewsstand.com.ph/real-living for more details.