A sustainable home through interior design

"Interior design is not just about decorating a space; it’s carefully planning the space to make it efficient and livable." This is the principle that drives interior designer Jasmine Oyek in every project she undertakes.

Oyek’s dedication to his tenet is evident in her entry for the recently concluded Metrobank Art and Design Excellence (MADE) National Competition for Interior Design. Her grand-prize winning concept – tropical modern with a twist of minimalism – answers the competition’s call to create suitable and sustainable home interior designs.

Aptly called "Sustainable Haybol," Oyek’s design vision was brought to life in an actual model unit of Federal Land, Inc.’s Marquinton Residences. The two-bedroom, 47-square meter unit was transformed into a modern tropical home that is both dweller and environment friendly. "The design is modern in a sense that it is free of frills and ornamentation," says Oyek. "At the same time, it’s tropical because it maximizes the use of natural light and ventilation."

Though she holds a degree in advertising, Oyek found her calling in interior design. A graduate of the Philippine School of Interior Design, she placed second in the board exams and received the GUHIT Award for Most Promising Interior Design of the Year.

Oyek cites her brother’s encouragement as the most influential factor in her shift to interior design. "He’s an architect, and now we usually work together in coming up with design and space planning concepts for clients," related Oyek. Both share the same penchant for modern tropical designs. "We live in a tropical country, so the weather patterns are always a big consideration," shared Oyek. Putting eaves to keep the rain out, keeping homes well-ventilated – we study these matters when we conceptualize a home’s design. Oyek is also partial to clean and modern lines.

Before going to the drawing board, Oyek takes the time to talk to clients and know more about their lifestyle. "You have to know your client’s needs and preferences, learn more about how they live," said Oyek. "For example, some people love to putter around the kitchen and therefore would like this particular area to be spacious. Once I designed a bathroom that included a flat screen TV, because a client spends a lot of time in this room. It usually is very difficult to change this when you begin to execute a design concept, so it’s good to have these preferences asked right from the start."

Oyek also said that clients usually know what they want, but don’t know how to say it. "They usually say ‘gusto ko maaliwalas ang bahay’ but they don’t know the technicalities that go with achieving this, and that’s where we come in," related Oyek.

Interior designers are often faced with many challenges, not the least of which is space. For the unit she was given at Marquinton Residences, Oyek made sure that every inch of space is maximized. "We used sliding wall panels as partitions for the two bedrooms, so you can open these to have more space or close them when you need privacy," related Oyek. "The raised flooring of the bedroom, as well as odd corners, hides more storage space. The multi-purpose furniture also allowed these items to be stored away when not being used."