A Stunning Mediterranean-Asian House By The Sea
This La Union home with Mediterranean, Balinese, and Filipino touches proves that you can live grandly by the beach
This family home by the sea holds a lot of surprises. Once you’ve gotten over the intricately carved, Balinese-inspired main door, you are immediately arrested by a sneak peek of the breathtaking view of the pool, and beyond that, the beach.
But it’s not just any beach; this magnificent home is right in front of a “point break” in La Union, where professional surfers flock to catch the waves. “The icing on the cake was the fact that we did not know this was a surfing area, and our house is sitting right smack in the action!” the lady of the house excitedly relates.
Guests are treated to a spectacular view of the infinity pool in front of the beach.
The couple sought the help of the late architect Gina Vistan-Nanion, who happened to be a very good friend. Initially, the wife wanted a Miami-inspired house, “all white cement and glass windows because that was what I saw in magazines,” she recalls. But the architect dissuaded her, explaining that such style would not be suitable for the location. “Gina explained to me that these designs were nice, but would not do in a tropical country like the Philippines because it would be humid and I will be spending a lot for cooling the place.”
The architect imported a pigment from Italy to achive the brilliant yellow hue of the house.
Because of this advice, the homeowners decided on a mix of Balinese, Mediterranean, and Filipino styles. Wood is everywhere—from the main door to the flooring and even wall accents. The homeowners scoured the northern part of the country, looking for old houses where they could salvage wood from. “We were able to buy three old houses, which make up majority of the wood you see here. The rest were bits and pieces we got from retailers.”
This impressive home is a product of hard work and patience. The couple, who are entrepreneurs, started out with just a two-storey rental space, eventually moving to a bigger home as their family grew. There, they stayed for 23 years before moving to this beachside sanctuary last 2007. “We are proud of this because it represents our hardships and delayed gratification,” adds the lady of the house. Everything looks well thought of, and nothing seems contrived. Patience, indeed, is a virtue.
