MANILA, Philippines – For 31-year-old Carlo Antonio Jimenez, his two-bedroom condo unit at the Cypress Towers is just a transit point. Suggesting this notion are the steamer trunks and assorted leather luggage all over the living room and kitchen side. But the Bates Asia director for strategic planning is not packed up to leave. In fact, he is staying there at least during his bachelorhood.
The vintage travelling chests and their contemporaries are now serving as coffee tables, bar counters and curio to his self-styled home in Altiva, one of the three buildings of the DMCI Homes-built residential complex along C-5 Road, Taguig City. With a little touch of creativity, Carlo turned the antique trunks into stylish and useful stuffs inside his condo unit.
Completing his unique interior design are two black lampposts and black horizontal lines on the wall that give him the feel of motion and more space, plus the high chairs for the dining table and different shapes of mirrors hanging on another wall.
“It’s like the train station feel,” Carlo says, explaining the motif of the unit turned over to him in November 2011. “It’s a place where I can hang out before I move to my next stage in life.”
Carlo did not need to hire an interior designer to dress up his first owned home. His fond for old travelling luggage meets his modern lifestyle. He personally purchased the items and accessories in different antique shops and online stores and refurbished them by himself. He also brought an old couch from his mother’s house to complete his ideal abode.
The arrangement complements the Cypress Towers ’ features to create the perfect sanctum for Carlo. He loved the floor layout of his corner unit the first time he saw. The place is also near his office in Bonifacio Global City and the price for the unit is lesser than the smaller ones he checked near The Fort.
The architecture fits the solo occupant’s energy-saving nature.
“The pinwheel design of Cypress Towers allows for better circulation of sunlight, which I agree. It’s true,” says Carlo, who uses low-wattage LED lights for the lampposts and white paint for a portion of the living room walls to reflect light better.
Besides the natural light that allows for minimal use of electricity, the pinwheel configuration of each building allows optimum circulation of wind for natural ventilation.
The height of his room provides distance from the noise near the ground or lower floors while offering a good view. “It’s a hassle to wake up to noise from your neighbor like kids playing around, cars and all that,” he says.
With the balcony in his unit, he and his mom enjoyed watching the New Year’s Day’s fireworks from a high level for the first time.
Initially, Carlo was hesitant to try the amenities not knowing how these are maintained. He was later impressed after observing the diligence of the maintenance crew.
“The pool is great. The al fresco dining is nice; that’s where I meet visitors when my room is a mess,” he says.
Other amenities are an indoor dining area, parks, playgrounds, gazebos, jogging paths, podium park, view deck, badminton court, fitness gym, game room with billiards, table tennis, darts and entertainment center.
DMCI Homes is the country’s premier triple A builder-developer that brings serviced, themed communities within reach of urban families who once had limited residential options, but still aspire to achieve a comfortable, enriching quality of life proximate to their place of work. For inquiries on DMCI Homes projects, call (02) 324-8888 or visit the website www.dmcihomes.com. - (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)
