A coffee-table book and the Seda brand

ELEGANT living room of Lhuillier residence

EXQUISITE HOMES and beautiful properties in our country and abroad are showcased in the limited edition, coffee-table book, “Home & Away.” Published by Lifestyle Asia magazine, the country’s first glossy and elegant book was recently launched at the Writers’ Bar of Raffles Makati.

“Home & Away” is a collection of features—all beautifully appointed interior spaces that reflect the lives and interests of its residents. The homes are not merely showcases, but also capture the distinctive lifestyles of the people who live in these private spaces.

Featured homes

One of the properties featured is the three-story home of architect and sculptor Carlo Calma. The color scheme of both the interior and exterior is a gradation of neutrals set in a mix of minimalist and modernist setting. Aside from the generous use of glass, Carlo has incorporated matte, stainless-steel finishes and leather with his eclectic mix of furniture.

Another spectacular home among the showcases is that of businessman Michel and Amparito Lhuillier in Cebu City. A breathtaking view of the Cebu countryside complements the fabulous sprawling home. Beautiful photos of the living spaces are also seen in the book.

Lifestyle Asia editor Anna Sobrepeña and husband Chito were joined by the rest of the publishing team, headed by One Mega Group chair Jerry Tiu. His daughter and managing editor, Cheryl, was also present to greet their special guests.

LHUILLIER dining room from Home & Away Book

Lifestyle Asia is the prestige title of One Mega Group. It set the pace in the industry by being the first to hold a corporate event in the newest luxury hotel in the country, the Raffles. The hotel formally opens this month, just a few more days away.

Seda BGC

February is also the time when the Seda Hotel in the Bonifacio Global City will be formally launched. The new, urban-lifestyle hotel, with 179 rooms, is the flagship in a series of Seda properties being launched by Ayala Land. The Seda brand will offer the advantages of location, excellent service and great value.

The cozy Seda BGC is right in the high-energy environment of Bonifacio High Street. Shoppers seeking out the myriad retail and dining options offered by the linear mall can unwind at the hotel lobby and restaurant.

The hotel’s streamlined lobby makes use of glass walls and an open layout. According to Seda group general manager Andrea Mastellone, Seda hotels have been envisioned to be integral parts of the vibrant Ayala Land communities blooming all over the country.

Clean and unembellished lines combine with casual chic to make the Seda look very welcoming. The airy guest rooms with high ceilings are designed to give its occupants an efficient and comfortable living environment.

Well-known Filipino architect Conrad Onglao designed the hotel. He uses a palette with basic neutrals in both the guest rooms and the rest of the hotel. The overall design intent, he explains, was to keep the surroundings simple and elegant, and to create artistic focal points with a local touch.

At the BGC Seda lobby, the focal points consist of artistic pieces by artisan Anne Pamintuan, furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue, photographer and industrialist Jaime Zobel de Ayala and other Filipinos who have gained a global following. In the guest rooms, photographic interpretations of the emerging business district by established photographers provide points of interest.

CONTEMPORARY interiors of Seda Hotel lobby

Seda brand

In general, the Seda brand was envisioned to offer the best that the Filipino has to offer—not only in art and furnishings but also in service and best hotel practices, Mastellone emphasizes.

Other properties of Ayala Land Hotels & Resorts include Seda Centrio, Cagayan de Oro with 150 rooms. It is now operational and is a key destination of the Ayala Land-developed Centrio, a mixed-use project in the northern Mindanao city. Centrio includes a mall and offices.

Seda Abreeza, Davao, within the Abreeza mixed-use community in the Southern Mindanao capital, is set to open in the next few months while another Seda hotel in Nuvali, Laguna, will be completed by the last quarter of the year. It’s great to see how the country’s premier real estate developer, the Ayala group, is making a renewed investment in hotels in our country.

Follow @tessavaldes on Twitter or e-mail her at [email protected].