SERENDIPITY // My first Ever Interior Design Project

Presenting... my Interior Design thesis practicum for a.y. 2014-2015 second semester! :) woohooo!

The client’s hometown serves as the inspiration for this bedroom. Similar to the Jaranilla’s Iligan residence, the room has valuable sensations that will make the place a little more personal than usual. I wanted this area to be a reflection of the owner’s character which will then be used for sleeping, relaxing, and doing daily activities and hobbies.

The style is Contemporary Eclectic, taking the forms and function of the contemporary style while merging it with different design styles having a tranquil Zen ambiance at day and a melodramatic ambiance at night.

The project is entitled, “Serendipity”, from its own meaning – a luck that takes the form of finding valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for. The designer’s proposal is to incorporate reflections of the owner’s old home which will be discovered each day through ornaments, patterns, and decorative that will be valuable and nostalgic to the owner in a comfortable retreat.

I conceptualized and did the plans for a month --- talking to the client, working on the plans, looking for suppliers, etc. And for a month, I've been consulting my thesis adviser regarding everything --- the floor plan, ceiling plan, interior elevations, concept board, image board, swatch board, and everything that involves this interior design project.

Here is a before and after photo of my very first interior design project --- facade. ;)

And as to what I have said in the construction phase of this project, my practicum design project started from scratch so the architectural construction was also squeezed in the time frame.

But after careful planning and sourcing, I was able to manage my time. And now, allow me to present to you....

*drum roll please....

SERENDIPITY - A Contemporary Eclectic Bedroom of a Private Residence

My first ever interior design project!

At day, the room's interior is tranquil-zen with a color palette centered around a color scheme best for the elderly since my client is my grandmother.

This was my favorite project from the whole room design! I hand-painted this wall mural and then I incorporated this special wall clock to add more personality (personal touch) and to add more sentimentality and nostalgia to the room.

The size of the toilet and bath is only 4.9 sq.m and to make it appear bigger, I used a horizontally installed 20 cm x 40 cm tiles in white. Also, I designed a built-in mirror-finished closet cabinet.

At night, the room becomes melodramatic which is very relaxing and soothing.

This bookshelf design I incorporated in the room is also interesting for it gives life to a dull and boring wall which is very functional as well because it holds the book collection of the client which I arranged according to colors.

The entertainment area plus the altar.

And the wall that pushed me to my limits (haha). This wall cladding is a request from the client. I originally wanted this to be white because white is seven hundred percent better than this multi-colored one but the client insisted on this color so there.

But hoooray for my very first interior design project! Finishing this design project on time and working on this is bitter sweet but I am just extremely grateful and happy to be able to finish on time and graduate. If you'll ask me if I'm happy with the outcome, to be honest, I don't know. My original design plan wasn't followed. A lot of changes and adjustments happened in the process mostly because this project started with a "bahala ka na kasi ikaw designer" from the client but became a "I want this and that, and follow whatever I want" kind of project. The thing is, my client was my grandmother and my thesis/practicum adviser and professors always say that the toughest client you'll have would be your parents and/or relatives. True enough, it was hard for me to work on this and contradict what my grandmother wants for the room. I mean, if it's someone I am not related to, it would be easier for me to argue and fight for what is right in terms of the design. I have shed buckets and buckets of tears for this interior design project But I swear I learned a lot from this interior design project and I think the University of Santo Tomas has done its job very well. Thank you my alma mater. :)

What matters most is that my client is happy with her new room! :">