"Beauty" is a broad and subjective term, and when one is asked to create something beautiful—especially when it comes to home design—achieving it may be a bit difficult because of varying tastes.

This is the issue interior designer Jean Paul Dela Rosa encountered when he was asked to work on a family’s condo unit. "Basta maganda," was the only instruction he got from the couple that owned the unit.

"So ang naging solusyon ko 'dyan, 'pag sinabi mong maganda, that's what I think they would like," Jean Paul says. He pegged his design of this roughly 65-sqm condo unit on the owners' house in Singapore, which he describes as "Western with a touch of Asian artifacts." He believes that the design of the family’s house in Singapore, which they've lived in for 13 years, is what is beautiful for them.

Jean Paul sees the unit as the couple's investment, but right now, the unit exudes a unique charm and beauty, waiting for its owners to step in and enjoy their little home.


(First published as "House Beautiful" in the "Real Home" section of Real Living Philippines' August 2010 issue. Photos by Jun Pinzon. Styling by Gwyn GS Guanzon. Adapted for use in Female Network.)