Designing Condos

MANILA, Philippines - Buying a condo unit in the city, especially in a busy, commercial area like the Makati CBD, is a great investment – one that doesn’t come cheap. When you buy a unit, you’re paying to own the room. You’re paying for location, proximity to your needs, amenities and service.

And although it’s not always easy to live in such a small space, it’s a sacrifice many are more than willing to make.

There was a time when rich families lived in mansions with sprawling front yards and gardens in posh metro subdivisions. Now, many of these families are moving closer to the city center and getting the best high-rise units money can buy. I guess you can call it trading up. The Pinoy lifestyle haschanged and it’s no longer practical for people to live in mansions. The luxury of space is losing its value to the more urgent, necessary luxury of time.

Gone are the days of s p a c i o u s c o n d o u n i t s – unless of course y o u p a y more millions to have more space. Normally, condo units being sold in the market have spaces where you could barely move; or spaces that you can’t use standard sized furniture pieces, or sometimes you get more space but the shape is so irregular that you can’t seem to make use of the given space. I have personally encountered several problematic condos wherein the Master Bedroom cannot even fit a Queen Size Bed; a post in the middle of the bedroom, or simply the lack of space, and the list goes on…

But how do you really solve problematic condos? Here are some simple solutions that could help in making your stay in your condos worthwhile.

• Plan your space well. Make sure that the traffic flow is easy through the furniture layout. Make sure that the pieces are all in proportion to each other.

• Maximize your space… Have as much storage space as you can by having built-in cabinets that are from floor to ceiling; putting drawers under the beds; choose furniture pieces that have storage spaces as well - like, for the end tables and coffee tables.

• If your problem with your condo unit is the low ceiling, just paint the ceiling the same color as the walls to give you an illusion of a higher wall.

• If your living room area cannot accommodate a standard size sofa set – don’t push it. Do not hesitate to have your sofa set custom built to suit the size that you need.

• Install mirrored walls. If you don’t like mirrored walls, put oversized framed mirrors on the walls or put floor mirrors parallel to a wall where there’s a dining set or a living room set. This will provide the illusion of bigger space.

Mirrors wouldgive you the feeling of vastness – of course, it will just reflect the ambience you have created.

• If your condo unit has an open layout, where upon entering can see the kitchen dining and the living area, it’s better to install hardwood flooring all throughout the space up to your kitchen.

This will give you a very warm, elegant and a unified “look”, just make sure to clean the kitchen floor after using for maintenance.

• Dress up your windows. Even a small space needs dressing up, so it may not look like the poor cousins of your neighbours.

You can use side drapes, roman shades, wooden blinds – I don’t use vertical blinds for residential condos because personally I think vertical blinds are more apt for office spaces.

• Accessorize. Do not be afraid to used oversized accessories when decorating your small condo. Using oversized or normal sized accessories would give you the illusion that all the furniture pieces you have used are of standard sizes.

• Don’t be afraid of color. For condo units with limited space, color may be the saving grace of your unit when designing. Just choose your favorite color, and then add the complementary colors of your choice of color in about 50% 25% 25% ratio. When you have achieved the balance of colors of your preference you can adjust the additional colors with your accessories like throw pillows, vases, books, curtains. et al.,

Designing your condo may be a tough undertaking, but you will surely get your fulfilment upon the completion of your condo. So good luck in building your dream condo living!

Jigs Ranada Adefuin is a licensed interior designer and a board topnotcher, Jigs is known for mixing the knowledge he acquired from his studies and updates it with the current trends.

He is the mind behind Adefuin Design Studio, an interior design and design project administrative firm engaged in designing posh residential projects like high end condominiums, townhouses and loft spaces as well as commercial spaces from concept to installation. Visit http://www.adefuindesignstudio.com.