Seasons' Home
Summer

All things contain varying degrees of yin and yang. The yin and yang continually interact, creating cyclical change. Some describe this ceaseless change as the swing of a pendulum. Winter gives way to spring, only to return in a matter of months; heat replaces cold, which gives way to heat; night follows day, which reemerges after some hours of darkness. There is a sense of wholeness in the movement of yin and yang. The natural process that unites the two is the Tao.

One thing I like about living in Hong Kong is the change of seasons. Although the Philippines is relatively near, we only get two distinct seasons, the dry and wet.

Above: The platform in the vestibule serves as a seat when taking off footwear. On the cantilevered ledge above is a composition of Chinese paper fans on a wooden triangular frame. The basket contains assorted cotton hammocks bought in Pattaya, Thailand. A Burmese wooden figure of a Nat or spirit, guards the entrance.

I matched the feng shui wall to the width of the antique Chinese scroll depicting the summer plant, lotus, to create a small vestibule behind and to visually stop the view from the main room spilling into the lift corridor. The wall facing the main door repels the negative forces from coming in.

As the saying goes, it is not what you use but how you use it. I used corn matting, burnt bamboo chairs, beige travertine marble and bleached teak wood to create a light tropical feel to my living room. To highlight the inexpensive corn matting, purchased from China Emporium, and to give a hint of color, I laid a silk Kashan carpet over the matting.

The tall Dracaena plant in a stoneware pot offsets the large painting. For convenience, I exposed the Bang and Olufsen music equipment and my record collection beside the built-in banquette upholstered in raw Indian cotton. Bleached wood slats above the banquette conceal the stereo speakers. I draped the floor cushions with fabric made from Cannabis Sativa hemp from Thailand.

FROM THE READERS "Your ability to make a common man like me appreciate your work is more than enough recognition of how great the book is. The book transcends from being a catalogue of your achievement, towards the appreciation of your art and ultimately it becomes a window of your soul. Your book is an inspiration." Michael Concepcion, Manila, Philippines; September'98

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[Book Cover] | [Contents] | [Foreword] | [Introduction] | [Formative Years] | [Space to Start] | [Tools of Trade] [Concept Renderings] | [First Break] | [East by Southeast] | [Working Manner] | [Space Transitions] | [Seasons' Home] | [Sunsets' Place] | [Pied á Terre] | [Something Different] | [Restrained Elegance] | [Dream Zones] | [In Comfort] [Prestige Investments] | [Asian Gallery] | [Lighting] | [Objects] | [Flowers] | [Afterword] | [Professional Profile] [Personal Profile] | [Sign Guestbook] | [Guestbook]

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