An Artist Couple’s Townhouse With Vintage Touches
This exuberantly fun home is an extension of a couple’s quirky personalities and their shared passion for creativity
Seeing this house makes it easy to tell what Bru Sim and Marcus Nada share: a love for the arts. Both are visual artists at the helm of the design studio called Electrolychee.
When Bru and Marcus aren’t occupied with their work, they’re busy with domestic duties and “parenting” obligations to their two cats. “Being a homeowner is a full-time job. We’re pretty lucky to have a shared garden that pulls us away from the computer. We also love having friends over, or meeting them at galleries, gigs, or markets, because real-life socializing is a lot more fun,” Bru relates.
The creative couple collated pegs that helped them communicate their idea to their architect. “We showed him an inspiration folder we culled together,” she narrates. “It was a mix of tropical and modern. Likewise, we were inspired by Ray and Charles Eames’ house. But the interior design is solely Marcus and Bru. It freaked my dad out initially that we wanted a colorful house.”
Bru adds, “We really went around Manila (and outside) to source thrifted vintage items and gutted furnishings from old houses. We also looked into my ama’s warehouse and repurposed items from our old compound.” It took two years for Bru and Marcus to complete the look they wanted, and for the couple, working on their own nest has been a great experience that brought them closer. Bru adds, “We have to work together to maintain the house and coordinate its look and character. Volt-in kumbaga… the house is an ongoing project.” And from the looks of it, this creative cocoon can only look better through time.
