Last 2013, Kris Aquino and her two sons; Josh and Bimby, finally moved into a house a three-storey property in Quezon City.
Unlike the modern houses nowadays, Kris’ new house has a homey-cottage ambiance because of an enchanting garden, which features open spaces and investment furniture pieces.
Before moving into the actual house, Kris decided to do some renovation on the house with the help of the interior designer Rossy Yabut-Rojales and the Heim Interiors team.
The renovation process only lasts for three and a half months despite the size of the mansion.
Rossy said:
“Ang bilis, considering malaki ‘yong house. We had to take down some walls and do some expansion. The original house kasi, ang natira lang bale ‘yong shell niya, the structure itself. We had to make the necessary adjustments according to Kris’s needs. Plus, i-factor-in mo pa ‘yong feng shui. Ang vision niya kasi is parang it’s more of the Hamptons, ‘yong classic nacountry home na perfect for the family,”
Let’s take a tour of the newly renovated house of Kris.
Living Room
Wide-open windows are done to invite more natural light to strike the inside of the house and this also has the illusion of moving you away from the city life because of the garden view that can be seen. Chartreuse as seen on the front door, yellow area rugs and white furniture completes the whole place.
The area rug and the Thibaut wallpaper design behind the TV give the whole look for the area keeping it clean and simple. Sectional sofa, stately upholstered chairs, and the glass-top table in the middle are all costume-made.
Kris prefers to have a dining table-long on this area rather than putting a coffee table.
Dining Area
Making it look elegant, a chandelier is a place above the dining table. The dining table was from Kris’ late mother, former President Cory Aquino. It was repainted with white and revamped with an oval-shaped glass top to suit the theme of the house.
The matching chairs were paired with a white couch for a more inviting vibe for a good with the family and visitors. Kris’ loves for chandeliers always comes in a pair as she learned it from a feng shui expert.
Kitchen
The area was used to be an open one where the lanai and garage are located and Kris asked Rossy not to build a partition between the kitchen and dining to have a good space. Kris loves cooking that’s why she intended this thing to happen in her new house.
Rossy followed Kris’ request of having the kitchen design ready to entertain her visitors while Kris’ prepares food. An island is a place to act as an extra storage in the kitchen a breakfast nook, and as an extra prep space when needed.
The island has cookbook shelves on the side and a marble top. The lights in the kitchen are influenced by her make up mirror with alternating yellow and white lights for better lighting when she likes to film inside the house.
The marble touches bring in elegance, the stainless steel finishes add a modern appeal, and the distressed wood adds warmth added together makes the whole scene in the kitchen making it in line with the concept. The appliances are hidden on drawers and underneath the cabinets for seamless coordination.
Makeup Room
It is situated at the first floor of the house to keep the second floor where the private rooms are located. Rossy made it on this floor for not to disturb the sleeping ones when Kris needs to get ready on early call times.
She said, “Paraaccessible, you don’t have to go up. For example, there’s a makeup artist, hairdresser—they don’t need to go up sa bedroom. They’re just here sa baba,”
The posh “Hollywood lights” that complete the mirror, a suggestion by makeup artist Juan Sarte is the highlight of the makeup room.
The room also acts as Kris’ office and exercise room. It has a private toilet and a washbasin just like those in salons.
Stairways and storage
Walking up the staircase, the wall is studded with Kris’ photos and her sons taken by Mark Nicdao. The wall connecting the first and second floor has prized painting and a portrait by President Cory by National Artist for Visual Arts Ang Kiukok.
On the second floor, a glass cabinet contains Kris’ collection of designer shoes accordingly arranged by colors and are illuminated by LED lights.
Private rooms are found on the second floor of the house and are wall-to wall carpeted. “Nasanay na kasi sila. Gano’n kasi sa previous home nila, kaya pagdating dito, Kris instructed me na wall-to-wall carpeting din. Pati sa mga rooms nila, naka-carpet din,” Rossy said.
Bimby’s Room
The room has black walls and a ceiling with glow-in-the-dark stickers of stars and alien ships. Complementing to the walls and ceiling are bed sheets which are white with hints of yellow and orange.
Looking at the room’s wall are Bimby’s framed photos with the family. The room is inspired by Batman who happens to be Bimby’s favorite superhero at that time. It has a tv and a drum set for his entertainment.
The room also has a private T&B with an enclosed shower area, quality fixtures, and a high-tech toilet with advanced features.
Josh’s Room
“We had this wallpaper customized. Right from the start, travel theme na talaga ang gusto ni Josh,”said Rossy so they put a huge map on an entire part of the wall.
The room has a simple yet very relaxing ambiance with a customized bed completed with white sheets, an open cabinet for clothes, and shelving units for his shoes.
Josh has a desktop placed on a wooden table with drawers.
Josh also has a T&B similar to Bimby. Most of the spaces inside the T&B are filled with basic essentials.
Walk-in Closet
It is on the third floor of the house. Instead of making this space as a guest room, it was turned in Kris’ wide walk-in closet. With a wide window to illuminate the whole room, it also has a pair of a chandelier and a sloped ceiling for the wider illusion of the room.
“Gusto ko talaga ng open. Ayokong mayexcuse to be cluttered. Pag hindi ‘yan bukas, magulo ‘yan. Totoo naman, di ba? Kung maraming ‘tinatago, maraming gulo,” Kris shared.
Clothes are arranged and organized according to their uses. A storage unit in the middle of the room is used to store accessories like belts, handbags, and wallets and alike.
Outdoor Area/Garden
Near the front door are planter boxes where citronella is grown. The backyard above is meant for al fresco gatherings, BBQ parties, growing fresh herbs, and giving the space a relaxing ambiance getting you closer to nature.
Kris was inspired by Pinterest to have a bougainvillea garden with a white trellis installed above the windows for the thorny and ornamental flowering vines to cling to.