Faux the love of style

It was hard to resist an invitation we got via e-mail to check out this place. It was even more tempting because the guy inviting me is an interior designer, whom I have known since he was a boy. Tito Ocampo Villanueva is the handsome son of Nena Villanueva. Of course, the latter needs no introduction because the lady is a prominent figure in home design.

Tucked away in a crowded commercial area, Tito’s condominium is quite hard to find. After making a few turns following directions furnished by friendly traffic officers, we finally reach our destination. Inside, we find the receptionists rather cold. The general atmosphere at the reception hall is quite dreary. Tito’s unit is just a short walk from the elevator. Three steps and we’re at Tito’s door. His security grills are unlike those of the rest. And voila! The instant we step in, we feel we’re transported to another part of the world. The minute I fanned my eyes around the room, our hidden design antenna tells us that this young fellow exudes a certain class and sophistication common to seasoned designers.

But let me qualify what I mean by class. I have observed that some young designers try very hard to ape trends portrayed in trade magazines, foreign or local. They are lured by passing fancies and sensational trends. This is not so in Tito’s case. Subtlety rules his world. His color story borders on the quiet and understated. His choice of patterns, although bold at some point, is offset by the light shades he opts for, to steer clear of clutter.

In terms of lighting, Tito gets an A plus. Tiny pin lights are so sagaciously curated that one is inclined to think there are no artificial lights in the entire apartment. I can detect that he does not favor the manner in which houses featured in the much revered Architectural Digest are flooded with lights, resulting in rooms that look as though they were part of a stage set in a Broadway play.

In the area of appurtenances, he does not confine himself to any particular period or provenance. Lucky to have a maternal grandmother who early on detected that Tito was the artistic one among her grandchildren. To him, she had bequeathed family heirlooms that have survived the times, World War II, and the elements. Tito gravitates towards the classics but an item or two in his condo points to the fact that he is with-it as well. Lacquerware from exotic places, now de rigueur in decorating, did not escape Tito’s discerning eye.

One good thing going for Tito is his ability to execute faux finishes. As I photograph his air-conditioned dining room, I notice the flawless ragging and marbling he did on the walls. With ease, he accomplished the same impossible task on the cornices surrounding the entire room. He jazzed up old pieces of furniture by applying silver or gold leaf on them. A divider framing the hallway, which leads to the kitchen and the dining room, is deliciously silver-leafed, lending a cosmopolitan air to the entire place.

Through osmosis and exposure, Tito has acquired all this flair. While growing up, he was immersed in the activities of his mom who was a most-sought-after interior designer. In the ’80s, while studying business at De La Salle, he was helping his mom, particularly on the jobsites.

Sensing his aptitude and potentials, his dad Tony sent him to New York, not to pursue a diploma but to join some programs or enroll in courses to further his education in the early ’90s. But he says he got his best exposure and training when he became the only Asian to host the prestigious annual Kips Bay Show. At the show, young interior design students help in explaining to guests some of the salient points of the different entries and the works of participating designers.

His parents could not have made a better decision sending their son to a place like New York. As all will agree, the city is the melting pot of diverse cultures and civilizations. Here, the best products from Europe, Latin America, Asia, and even off-the-beaten tracks like Nepal and Africa, find their way. At the ABC alone (all of eight floors), you can immerse yourself in the varied items carried by the prestigious store, and find the virtues and downsides of various designs. Go to the home design section of Bloomingdale’s and a novice can check out the latest trends prevailing in the retail trade.

A window shopping spree in the SoHo district will sharpen an observer’s instincts while checking out – touching or feeling – the displays. Things you thought you’d only see in ads in glossy magazines are all here, inviting one and all to savor them with their eyes, even if their purses won’t allow them to purchase the items. The merchandise is free – for looking at – at tony establishments like Sak’s Fifth Avenue, Henry Bendel, Takashimaya, Bergdorf Goodman and lately, Versace, the flagship stores of Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and the list goes on.

Tito confides that of the design stars he came to know personally while spying on the many activities inside the design world of the Big Apple, he looks up to three persons till now. These are Vicente Wolfe, Sally Sirkin Lewis, and his favorite of them all, John Saladino. It’s often said that one imbibes tricks of the trade from people whom one emulates and admires. It’s quite clear that Tony’s days spent in New York were worth every penny that Tony and Nena Villanueva invested.

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For questions or suggestions, write: xtnesp@hotmail.com..