A Warehouse Turned into a Bright, All-White Home

It's normal for family members to drift apart as time passes. Either the children grow up and start their own families, or everyone becomes too busy with their jobs that quality time together becomes shorter by the day. This was a problem faced by Myrna M. See, as her three children are always preoccupied with various ventures. Making it worse is the house's lack of a common area so every family member holes up in their rooms, only coming down for meal times. Myrna's solution was to renovate the warehouse adjacent to their house into a space that would encourage her family to come together more often. "[The warehouse] used to be an empty, sad hole where we stored a lot of items from our businesses. That's why we just went straight upstairs to our rooms whenever we came home," says Marlowe, one of her children.

With the help of interior designer Kimi Manuel, the interiors of the two-storey warehouse were transformed into an all-white haven filled with several furniture and trinkets from Myrna's collection. The ground floor is an ideal place for gathering, while the rooms and a private office are found upstairs. "This house is really for [Myrna's] children, where they'd be confident to invite friends. They're very sociable, so there are always lots of people invited when there's a celebration. This house is all about supporting and strengthening that lifestyle," shares Kimi.

Renovating the warehouse was a challenge, especially with all the stored items that had to be moved. The structure was mostly kept as it is, with few walls being torn down and the columns remaining in place. Several exposed pipes had to be hidden, so the ceilings are uneven in places. Given all the changes and the welcoming atmosphere it has, the house has been getting praises from visitors, too.

Foyer/Staircase