The members of the Manahan family are naturally gifted visual artists. Who would have thought, then, that their inherent talents can lend their homes quite a unique and creative point of view? This artistic mindset was applied in the making of editor and artist Juana Manahan Yupangco’s home, where each piece and every corner in the house was subject to each family member’s approval first before receiving a place there. This shows how invested each member of the Yupangco family is in creating the eclectic space filled with art pieces. Family, for Juana, is husband Rick Yupangco and two young children Rosanna and Jaime.
But apart from her new, small family, Juana’s penchant for carefully curated art pieces is in her very bloodline: Her father is actually ABS-CBN senior vice president and director Johnny Manahan (Mr. M to most), who few realize is a licensed architect and a visual artist. Her mother is surface designer Tats Manahan, and her sister is product designer Lilianna Manahan.
Each room provides a different experience and, of course, a family member’s contribution. The vanity mirror in the bath area is beautifully framed and hand-carved by her mother. In her favorite place in the house, the kitchen, she kept a minimalist-inspired design with a newly installed custom chandelier piece from her sister Lilianna. But Juana is also not one to shy away from her own design chops. She hand-painted the girls’ vintage-inspired room herself with pink upon their consultation.
Having polished the elaborate condominium unit for just a little more than a year is almost an impossible feat, knowing what the design process entailed. But she has interior designer Chat Fores to thank for. “[Chat] knows my entire family has a lot of input, so she was good at managing all of us,” she laughs. Items like the Chinese prints given by Juana’s father to exotic bathroom ornaments purchased in Venice by her mother, after much thoughtful consideration from everyone, found a place in their home.
Rick was also as hands-on in the interior choices. The intricate wooden floor, which he secured, was entirely cut and carved by hand and furnishes the entire flooring. This became a perfect counterpoint to the white walls present in the majority of the space. This was Juana’s choice as she is a fan of “all things shiny” so the white background allows her chosen furnishings to stand out more, especially her favorite silver stainless steel door frames.
Of course, the making of the family space wouldn’t be possible without a little disagreement in the mix. This shows in the living room’s design and art pieces chosen by the couple themselves. She shares, “[My husband’s] taste is louder and more graphic. Mine is more abstract.” But they manage to hit a middle ground with displays of lavish canvasses by artists such as Nikki Ocean, Pipo Alido, Bembol Dela Cruz, and Chati Coronel, which deck the living room, and extend all the way to the dining area.
So if we take notes on how Juana made their space, we’d discover that creative collaborations and relationships are important in the home. Besides, it’s a place where everyone converges at the end of a long, tiresome day, and Juana thought about it well enough to make sure there’s a piece of every one in every nook and every cranny.
Source: Denise Fernandez for Inquirer Red, “Housing Heritage,” November 2015.
Photos by Jilson Tiu