Unearthing the blueprint of a modern tropical home

MANILA, Philippines - What makes a beautiful tropical house? For travel, arts and feature writer Elizabeth Reyes, it’s one that skillfully blends modern taste with a genuine respect for traditional styles. Such was the focus of her newest book, Tropical House: Cutting Edge Asian Interior Design, which was recently launched at Furnitalia, Fort Bonifacio Global City.

The launch, hosted by Paulo Alcazaren, was attended by well-known architects and designers such as Ed Calma, Miguel Pastor, Ramon Antonio, Kathleen Henares, Jorge Yulo, Leo Almeria, Emmanuel Miñana and Joy Dominguez. Also present were some of the prominent homeowners featured in the book, including retail tycoon Ben Chan, restaurateurs Rikki and Beng Dee, Ronnie and Laura Rodrigo, Anton and Lisa Ongpin Periquet, landscape artist Ponce Veridiano, and Patxi and Sofia Zobel Elizalde.

Tropical House, available exclusively at National Book Store and Powerbooks, features the work of world-renowned Italian photographer Luca Invernizzi Tettoni, who is famous for his stunning work in capturing the beauty of Southeast Asia’s finest hotels and resorts, spas, homes, tropical gardens and archaeological sites.

In this book, Reyes and Tettoni bring forth a stunning collection of homes that easily showcase modern Filipino architecture and design at their finest and, at the same time, reveal Filipinos’ preference for tropical-modern fusion, a trend that is currently being embraced by other homeowners in Asia and other parts of the world.

Having previously worked with Tettoni for her groundbreaking book Filipino Style, Reyes greatly admires the photographer’s ability to weave in his own interpretation of the design. “Luca has the incredible skill of creating his own story and message through his pictures,” she enthuses. “When he walks into a space, he starts to envision scenes and vignettes that, for him, best reflect that space’s spirit.”

But how did they go about choosing homes? Reyes explains: “We wanted to feature houses that had that interesting mixture of Eastern and Western influences. I noticed that a growing trend among tropical houses is the use of modern furniture as basics, then the adding of traditional Asian pieces as embellishments.”

She adds that another emerging trend in design, particularly in terms of interiors, is ecological correctness. “A lot of Filipino homes are designed to be part of their immediate surroundings, instead of being a disturbance to it. They make use of natural landscapes so that they seamlessly blend in with the view—nothing too harsh or abrupt—and form a beautiful harmony with nature.”

Both Reyes and Tettoni hope that this fascinating preference for fusing together the natural, traditional and modern is something that will soon be seen in more Filipino homes. “For a house to show individuality in terms of design is an ideal—and one that is totally achievable,” Tettoni states. “Hopefully, more homeowners will be moved to find what it is that they want their homes to depict. Once they do, it becomes an extension of who they are and where they come from.”

Reyes concludes that after seeing all these homes and getting to know their owners, it is clear that today’s tropical houses are a celebration of the old and the new. “We are very much aligned with current international trends in terms of design and architecture, making our designs also globally relevant. But at the same time, these are the same trends that are encouraging Filipinos to develop a deeper appreciation for local materials and décor.”

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