October 3, 2018
I had a meeting with Prof. Leo Almeria, Philippines’ most respected and multi-awarded interior designer.
Our house needs some structural repairs and interior renovation after that. I asked Leo to come over to help me infuse some simple architectural details on the walls and archways.
Twelve years ago, he was the one who designed our high ceiling in the great room, not the hand-painting. He also designed our simple altar, the front porch and the two tall columns, and some areas in the kitchen. He also chose the original printed draperies in the family dining.
As soon as Leo entered our house, he said “ay, ang linis linis ng bahay na ito”. He said para daw bago, it was as if he had just seen it “kahapon” lang because nothing has changed much, maayos at malinis pa daw. I was happily surprised at his compliments because we’ve always thought that our house was messy. He also complimented my decors. “At gusto ko ang mga dekorasyon mo, tamang-tama lang”.
I brought him to our bedrooms to show him that they too need some sprucing up and organization. We don’t have lots of storage spaces and I am too lazy to plan and organize where to put our stuff. The solution we’ve been doing so far is to give-away our clothes.
He smiled upon seeing our bedroom, malinis daw at maayos. He told me I should see the houses of some of his clients na super magulo at makalat.
He said our house only needs some repainting, maybe re-arrange some decors and furniture to make it look lively again.
He told me about a female client of his who bought a unit on the top floor of a high-end condo in Greenhills. Leo did all the interiors including furniture design. After she and her family had just moved in,
nag earthquake. She and her son who were sleeping on the bed were thrown off by the sudden jolt. She was relieved they hit the wall instead of the glass window panel. She immediately called Leo asking for his help to find her a house to live. Yung nakaapak daw sa lupa. Ayaw na nya sa high rise condo.
Leo Almeria teaches at the Philippine Institute of Interior Design and at the University of Santo Tomas. His design works have been featured in dozens of magazines and books and he also lectures on design in other countries. He was the mentor of many successful interior designers and stylists in the country. His company, Leo Almeria Design Studio does professional interior design services for residential, hotels, boutiques, and other commercial and institutional projects here and abroad.
