Once-upon-a-blue-moon model Jay Lagdameo, son of the former Rory Cojuangco, is happily married to the comely Joy, daughter of the late socialite Sevie Ledesma. This happy working couple looks forward to spending their quiet evenings after work together inside a cozy duplex in a safe neighborhood somewhere in the suburbs.
On the other side of town, another young and beautiful couple resides in a townhouse side by side with other equally young couples in one well-guarded complex. The svelte wife is the former Katrina Alunan, daughter of former DLG secretary Raffy Alunan and his wife Bao. The man of the house is Roy Gonzales, one of the kids of RC Gonzales.
When I requested the Lagdameos to allow me to show their home their instant reply was that they reside in a shoebox. But when I entered their place, I discovered that, yes, their home is not one that boasts big spaces; rather, it is cozy and comfortable.
Jay points out proudly that some of the pieces in their place are refinished furniture, which have been handed down to him by his generous mom. One such piece is this side table constructed along the Japanese design that I remember was the rage in the Sixties. The all-black piece, accented with the familiar Japanese brassware, is splashed with black lacquer paint and what shows is the rich and grainy narra used in this wooden furniture.
Another piece the couple had happily refurbished is a two-seater Natuzzi sofa originally upholstered in leather. It’s now clad in seafoam green jacquard linen. Just like their trendy peers, Jay and Joy display their partiality to handcarved stuff imported from Bali, Indonesia. The other ethnic things in the Lagdameo place were personally picked by the couple in Morocco while vacationing there. Rich carpets in earth colors are used as wall hangings. They go for the pointillist works of young artist Jack Salud.
Obviously influenced by the decorating approach their elders subscribed to, Katrina and Roy opted to do their home, which they share with their two young boys, in a very genteel and traditional fashion. A classic three-seater sofa upholstered in white linen fabric hogs center stage in the living area. An old-fashioned round table skirted to the floor and holding a shaded lamp acts as a side table. Sharing space on the tabletop is a couple of framed family photos and a vase carrying an arrangement of scented dried flowers.
Across the living area nonchalantly stands a round dining table that cozily seats six people. The straight back dining chairs are slipcovered in off-white linen accented with mocha strips. The dining table top is made of thick clear glass and supported by a simple wrought iron base. A Chinese cabinet, customized to become an occasional bar, stands on one corner of the dining area. A simple buffet cabinet, topped by a sizable mirror framed in Oriental fretwork, executed in cherry wood, keeps the dining table company.
Katrina, who currently designs a line of clothes for kids on a part-time basis, is mighty proud of the activity room she designed for her two sons. Bright, bright colors reign here. The juiciest of yellows and the coolest of blues dominate this child-friendly rumpus room, replete with writing desks, shelves overflowing with toys, books and more books. Of course, kids’ rooms are never complete without that box called the TV set.
Having viewed both homes, I can say that today’s young couples exert a conscious effect to make their homes not only comfortable but jazzy as well. Starting with the wedding gifts they received, couples go into the serious affair of fixing their own homes in the approach or style they feel most comfortable with.
Some opt for settings where Ikea-ish, no-nonsense things serve their basic purpose. Yet some go to great lengths to express their individual tastes and preferences. Aside from the Lagdameos and the Gonzaleses, we have observed that many, in forming their ideas and approaches to decorating, are highly influenced by the exposure they had earlier. Where and how they spent their childhood somehow manifest themselves in the manner they conjure up their personal style.
I’ve had a first-hand experience in this area through all my four married children. One would think only the daughters imbibe the taste gathered through exposure, but I have discovered that so have my sons. My pre-occupation with obsessive home decorating to some degree has rubbed off on all of them. And it makes me especially glad to spot one or two of my tricks in the manner they fix up their individual homes.
Second generations are definitely not copycats aping their predecessors. On their own, they form their individual design vocabulary but as we all say: First impressions last forever.