The luxury of natural light

MANILA, Philippines - Interior design that captures the changing qualities and the movement of light across a living space several floors above the ground adds character to residential condominium spaces.

In a 156-sq. m, three-bedroom unit at the luxury twin-tower The Beaufort at Bonifacio Global City now ready for occupancy, interior designer Tina Periquet sought to capture this sense of light and luminosity in the room interiors.

 “The quality of the light that comes in is what creates character and mood at different times of the day,” explains Periquet.  “We want to showcase how light can play an active role in a setting — streaking down a narrow column, dancing on a glossy surface, or shimmering through a frosted glass panel.”

The angular contours of each room are molded into symmetrical shapes, with irregularities transformed into built-in amenities — windowseats, work alcoves, storage and display niches.  Ceilings are kept high, with strategically positioned LED lights highlighting art and architectural features, and shaded lamps providing soft, yet efficient, task lighting. Woven drapes filter sunlight while framing the spectacular views, and deep pile rugs add texture and softness.

Unlike a pure white color scheme, which can be cold, the designer favors ivory to make the interiors feel humane.   The walls, ceiling, flooring, fabric, rugs, pillows, lamp shades, paintings and flowers are in various shades of ivory and greige (from the French word grege, which refers to the natural color of raw silk).

Contrasting accent colors of indigo and orange, which pick up the shades from oversize abstract paintings on two walls, spice up the space.

Furniture and accessories with light-reflective surfaces such as the marble dining table, polished chrome frames, huge mirrors, glass and ceramic vases make the space feel lighter and even more expansive.  A dark taupe wallpaper adds a dramatic contrast and serves as an effective backdrop for the lounge seating on one side and the dining ensemble across the room.  Furniture is mainly from the designer’s own Casa Periquet collection.

In keeping with the trend of integrating the kitchen with the dining room and living room, only a counter separates both spaces. One can enjoy the view or socialize with the family while preparing a meal. The theater-style kitchen allows daylight to flood in through a wide opening, framed in Mozambique ebony veneer, highlighting new natural stone counters, opaque glass walls and stainless steel fittings.

In the bedrooms, the existing warm-toned wood floor planks are retained, lending a golden hue to the white walls and bed linens. Glass and metallic finishes are paired with snow-white bed linen and cushion fabrics in shades of cement, taupe and cafe latte.

In the bathrooms, mirrored and glass panels replace tile as the primary wall treatment, both for practical and aesthetic reasons.  “Mirrors not only reflect your image, they reflect light, making the room feel brighter without adding additional light sources, and they reflect the space around you, making it expand both visually and psychologically,” says Periquet.  “It’s got the luxury of height — 2.9-meter ceiling, which is rare these days. That’s eight inches higher than the standard 2.7 meters,” says Periquet. “When you’re in a condo, you may feel the constraints of a predetermined box. If you are given a bit more vertical space, then you feel that you’ve been granted an additional amenity that wasn’t part of the equation.”

Lofty ceilings, an abundance of natural light, and permanently open views of green landscape make The Beaufort a good buy for investors and expatriates seeking units ready for occupancy.  They would also appreciate that there are only four units to a floor, allowing utmost privacy.

The bathrooms and powder room come with pristine porcelain tiles, a Corian counter and frosted-glass divider. The designer added a distinctive metal trim to frame the glass and large mirrors for added dash.