There is so much beauty in old things that had stood the test of time; and there are some things that you just cannot let go of – like an old house. It takes a lot for a house to become a home. It is for this belief that I had decided to maintain the “old” and traditional feel of our house and infused some modern elements to blend it into the present time. In a lot of ways, it is still that same home that we love; only this time, it has been transformed into something more interesting.
In this photo they're reconstructing some of the other parts of the house.
They’re pushing and putting a coconut logs under to help in moving the whole house and that’s called “Bayanihan” . “Bayanihan is a Filipino term taken from the word bayan, referring to a nation, country, town or community. The whole term bayanihan refers to a spirit of communal unity or effort to achieve a particular objective." – From Wikipedia.org.
Standing proud and pretty in pink is our Nanay Bering’s, an 86 years old woman, with her newly-renovated home in Catandala Batangas City, Philippines. It looks clean, airy and homey on the outside and it exudes that classic and traditional feel of a Filipino home inside. It looks every bit like a relaxing “rest house” or vacation home away from the hustle and bustle of the city life. It is now far from being musty despite of the years that passed.
Façade: Before
Façade: After
In this house, everything had been incorporated to complete the look that our Nanay’s home deserves and with each piece has its own story. Like woven baskets to organize books and albums which Nanay Bering used it while selling fishes in her younger years, some old oversized clay jars for corner pieces- (which the designer just picked it up from the trash and personally varnished it), crocheted table runner made during the younger years of Nanay Bering’s daughters - just to embellish the antique dining table and various native pieces that serve as decorations. The antique walls had been treated and painted with modern colors as well to create a suitable ambience.
Living room during construction: Before
Living room: After
Kitchen during construction: Before
Kitchen: After
Dinning Area during construction: Before
Dinning Area: After
Bathroom during construction: Before
Bathroom: After
In this house, everything had been incorporated to complete the look that our Nanay’s home deserves and with each piece has its own story. Like woven baskets to organize books and albums which Nanay Bering used it while selling fishes in her younger years, some old oversized clay jars for corner pieces- (which the designer just picked it up from the trash and personally varnished it), crocheted table runner made during the younger years of Nanay Bering’s daughters - just to embellish the antique dining table and various native pieces that serve as decorations. The antique walls had been treated and painted with modern colors as well to create a suitable ambience.
Flower arrangement for accents
Going upstairs is for the boys and girls rooms. As you can see the hallway has family pictures which some stood for years. This part of the house was the "PRESERVED ONE’". Half of the house were demolished to build a new one but this part was retained because our family wants to preserved the feeling of "togetherness".
The unvarnished old stairs and now it had its contemporary looks!
Hallway of Memories...
Most of its important elements had been preserved like the living room set, staircase and windows among others. Some interior decorations and details that blend well with the theme have been added like the modern ceiling, storage spaces and the beautiful lighting. Pictures adorned the wall up the stairs which reminds us that this humble abode is the home of a family that had celebrated a lot of joyful memories and had managed to weather the storms.
Boy's room
Girl's room
Our Nanay’s old home has a very welcoming feel now. It is the kind of place that anyone would love to come home to. It is inviting and very comfortable with details that had been well thought of. Renovating and giving it a modern twist gave us amazing results and it was all worth it. As a Filipino we always celebrated Christmas and new year at this house with the whole Family and other relatives.
This renovation project which was designed by
Lalaine Atienza Javier and of course with the help of her family especially her dad,
Victor Javier, which they had brought back the ‘ beauty of the old’’ in this project. She is my cousin and she graduated Bachelor of Science major in Interior Design at University of Sto. Tomas (UST). As of now, she’s doing some freelance job and helping her mother on their small business.
