Makeover Time! Homeowner Didn't Think A Sofa (Or A TV) Would Still Fit In Her Studio
Well, guess what? A Real Living makeover magic happened.
IT professional Ichi Pestano was working in a banking institution in Makati City when she and her partner Erwin Patilan moved into their 22sqm studio in Mandaluyong City in February 2018. She changed jobs a few months later to become an operations project manager at a multinational company, which offered a work-from-home setup. Great, right?
The problem was Ichi had no proper work area in their place, so she made do with whatever was available — the bed, the dining table, and even the ironing board!
“Ang situation po, cluttered, walang gamit, walang design. Gusto ko po conducive siya sa work and for creativity. Nagba-blog din po ako,” she recalled writing in her makeover entry.
To organize and make space for Ichi’s needs, Real Living worked with Matimco and interior designers Honey Mutia Cervantes and Rosa Manduriao of Desaurum Interiors.
The two designers knew getting the right working space was crucial. “Kailangan niya ng space for working, for blogging. So kailangan may table siya talaga. Nagba-blog siya ng makeup, so kailangan din niya ng natural light.”
Every space needs to serve a purpose, and in a studio, that space needs to be multifunctional as well. Cervantes and Manduriao had the task of making sure Ichi's home did not feel cramped and stuffy. And there was one more thing: Ichi wanted an industrial and minimalist feel with a neutral color palette. Her request went perfectly with the first thing on Desaurum Interiors' to-do list: do the floor in Matimco wood, laying the groundwork for the whole home design.
Take a look!
You think such a small space like a studio cannot handle dark colors — well, think again. To get the industrial look yet still keep it warm, the designers used Matimco's prefinished PCW Ultra 2.0 Hybrid Floors in dark brown, which has a textured surface already. This floor is also waterproof and scratch-resistant. It's also easy to install with the glue-down method. Each piece is so light that Ichi managed to accept and carry the boxes it came in when it was delivered!
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