A Leo-Nized Home

Ubiquitous is the word that aptly describes well-liked and admired designer Leo Almeria. Think of an event that involves design – it could be on furniture, home accessories, interior arrangements for the home, condominiums, business centers and hotels – and Leo will be there. As for his work, well Leo has done just about everything.

It is amazing how much energy is packed in the slim and almost frail build of this vegetarian. Do not be fooled by that, however, because his gentle movement and delicate voice command attention nonetheless. The respect has undoubtedly been established through many years of experience. His 20 years of teaching in the Philippine School of Interior Design has brought about a rich knowledge of an art form that many moons back was not a favored career to take.

A good number of his former students are now active in the field and they look back at their school days and Leo with a great deal of gratitude and respect. Intrigued by his wide-ranging work, I decided to invite him for an interview.

As a professional in the field of interior design, Leo is open to all kinds of design tastes. "An interior designer can open the eyes of his client to his ideas but mainly he serves as the hand that guides with one main thing foremost in his mind: the personality of his client. This is his priority above all else," Leo states. "A designer must always remember he is not the one who will occupy and live in the house that is being fixed. Therefore, he has to be a bit of a psychic in trying to draw out what the client wants and also be sensitive to what the client expresses."

But how about the designer’s personality, doesn’t that count? "Well, common sense will tell you if you can work harmoniously with a client. Through the years, my clients almost always know the designs I prefer to implement. So in one way or the other, there is already a recognized style that is mutually agreeable to both parties."

I still could not get enough of that client-designer issue so I had to ask about what happens if the client is particularly difficult? Leo smiles and pauses briefly, as if arranging his thoughts on how to explain himself articulately.

"It is basically a marrying of ideas," he says. "Knowing one’s priorities is definitely a must because this would mean establishing the needs, personality and lifestyle of the client. Mahilig ba siyang mag entertain or private ba siya? What design style does he prefer, is it colonial, tropical, modern, Mediterranean, lahat yan may solution – in short, I study their preferences, their goals and the givens to determine what is appropriate for them."

What if there are too many givens, far from normal that a designer would expect ? "When it comes to face-lifting or renovating a place, for example, and you encounter too many knick-knacks and décor as most Filipinos love to collect, then the approach is to organize the items and details. Depending on how much each piece means to them, they can be segregated into groups and put into different areas. It’s a simple case of simplifying the clutter."

Leo exclaims, "Editing is the word! If there are too many things and the client does not want to let go for sentimental reasons, make a theme for every room and make a story out of it. Some people who have struck it rich have favorite mementos from their humble beginnings and they should all be given importance. Better yet, keep some in a cabinet and rotate the display sporadically. Then, there is excitement built like looking forward to experiencing a new collection at different times of the year."

I was actually impressed at Leo’s versatile approaches to different situations. I was thinking of what solution I would have given the situation and most probably, it would not be as compassionate. Or I would probably not know how to handle it and excuse myself from the project. But Leo is simply empathetic. This is the core of his expertise.

So, my next question was his predilection when it comes to design. "Asian-tropical-Filipino," was Leo’s instant answer. "It is very important to me that I am able to inject a Filipino touch whether by the use of materials, fabric or works of art. We Filipinos are so gifted in the field of design, among others. It is always with great pride that I do what I feel I must for Filipino design to flourish here and abroad. As much as possible, I also work toward incorporating the tropical sun in my projects by maximizing openings especially when there is a view."

"I also love gardens but when the space does not allow a garden which I feel ideally every home should have, it gets very exciting when I am able to extend the room into an open green space even just visually. I do this by getting the garden colors inside the structure. For example, a bromeliad color with other flowers , stone or wood arranged inside can project an extension that maximizes whatever view and sun that are available from the exterior of the area."

From that I moved to bigger structures that he had done. I know for example that he is the design consultant for Essensa, a building designed by I.M. Pei. How did he feel handling a modern structure? "I am actually very comfortable with anything modern. It gives the designer a lot of room to experiment and innovate. For this reason, I enjoyed doing the home of a banker and his wife, one of my recent residential projects. To begin with, the structure is very modern and the couple wanted a particular look which I designed and put together with them. They also had a good number of things already and so we planned together what to do with them. Trust is a crucial factor in one’s relationship with the client and since we had it from the start, it was smooth sailing from there."

What is his idea of the ideal client? "One that would hire me before the house is actually built. This way, the client has defined his plans and feels secure about what he wants."

Through the years that I have known Leo, he has dabbled in many projects that have proven to be fulfilling to his soul. How else can one describe someone who gets extremely excited over a project like the GSIS low-cost housing project in Leyte?

"I loved the project because I was challenged to give decent and pleasant surroundings for low-income families. Each flat was allotted a P70,000 budget and that had to translate to a two-bedroom fully-furnished unit." Leo is animated in explaining what he did. "I went to Shoemart – simple as that – and got the basics: appliances like stove and electric fans, then the beds and bed sheets, including, would you believe, curtains! Then for décor, I used the local baskets of Leyte and colorful artworks of school children for the wall ...and it really looked not just happy but very respectable! The people were initially shocked thinking it would cost too much. Later on, they were simply thrilled. "It can be done if there is a will," Leo said with conviction.

Leo’s list of clientele include all ages, from yuppies to the high-end patrons from the corporate world. He is consultant to varied companies: multinational offices, department stores and many firms with showrooms. He does visual merchandising, styling for books and magazines, as well as window displays such as the one of Townes. In between all this, he has a line of home décor which he started many years back and they have been displayed and distributed in major shops here and abroad: lamps, trays, vases and plates.

What lies ahead for this busy designer? "I am simply willing to go on and on expressing my ideas and hopefully continue to teach until my energy permits. Life is after all about discovery vis-a-vis gaining knowledge."