A Colorful Townhouse With Asian Touches

When homeowners Alex and Joy visited one of the Philippine School of Interior Design’s (PSID’s) graduating class exhibits, they met Ann Katherine Dee-Santiago, the future designer of his home. “Siya lang kasi ang pumansin sa akin doon,” says Alex with a laugh. Two years later, they hired Ann to work on their townhouse, which boasts high ceilings and white interiors enveloped in a modern shell.

“We started first with the ground floor,” says Ann, who wanted to introduce reds and beiges to warm up the stark white of the living and dining areas. Flourishes of red are found everywhere-from the vivid accent wall to the graphic, scarlet curtains that highlight the large sliding doors, to the pops of color found on the throws scattered on the beige couch. A series of wall-mounted lights encircle the space, providing it with dramatic lighting perfect for the couple's nighttime parties and dinners.

When Ann hopped on board the project, the couple was practically newly married; and during the process of planning, designing, and building, Joy had gotten pregnant and had given birth to their first baby. "Halos sabay," Joy says, a little surprised at how she was able to pull off giving birth, building a new house, and moving in all within the year. Ann laughs at the routine she and the couple had created for themselves during construction.

The move, having coincided with the pregnancy, was serendipitous because their baby was able to have his very own room—a luxury the couple wouldn't have been able to offer if they had stayed in their small condo unit.