Christmas and Cool Bulbs: Calzone’s, San Francisco

Calzone’s, San Francisco

Minimally lit and incredibly detailed, this lightbulb can be spotted at Calzone’s, a bistro style Italian restaurant in the heart of North Beach, San Francisco.

Last Christmas, my family and I took a trip to San Francisco for about a week. One of the most memorable food places I’ve ever been to is Calzone’s. The whole restaurant embodied its Italian roots with lots of decors literally everywhere.

This lightbulb was hung above our table where we were seated. At first, it looked like a regular lightbulb just nakedly hanging there, but when I stared at it, I noticed it wasn’t something ordinary. Interesting enough, the strip of filament was lit up without the bulb producing high impact lighting. It was obviously for decor, but I’m still intrigued as to how it came to be.

My favourite part of the restaurant (other than the food) has to be the contrast with how industrial this lightbulb looked yet opened cabinets filled with fake ingredients as well as real alcohol at the bar, brought that tight-knit Italian family feel. The whole place felt warm and cozy while the lightbulbs simply hung there subtly adding a pop of uniqueness at the table.

Space Planning Success: Living Room Interiors

Quezon City, Philippines

This picture perfect interior hits close to home, literally. It is actually my aunt’s living room in Quezon City, Philippines.

Walking into the front door of this house, I immediately loved this setting. It looks like it came straight out of a magazine!

The first thing that I noticed is the smart decision the interior designer made which is having a little cut out into the ceiling (since it isn’t a high one) to make the space look bigger.

Even though the seats of the sofa are high, it doesn’t overwhelm the area because of its low back. The mini coffee table also adds to the visual trick because it creates a bigger distance from the ceiling due to how low it is. Spacing out groups of pillows not only gives a more comfortable leaning place, but also gives more life to the sofa. This is heavily influence by the living room’s colour scheme.

Keeping the major parts of the space neutral allows for just the right amount of accents on the pillows, area rug, and a single chair. Even though the prints are all different, none of them clashed because of good colour blocking. The lampshade is also a nice touch to make it feel more homey.

Another thing I find really cool is how there is no wall between the living room and stairs. This could be a little bit dangerous, but I think it makes the house flow better, creating a smoother transition from the living room to the stairs.

All in all, kudos to my aunt’s interior designer. In fact, I hope to meet her on my next visit to the Philippines. Her work on this living room is something I always remember and is what actually added to my little spark of interest in interior design. I don’t think I’d ever get tired of seeing this picture, or the actual place itself.

Awe in Architecture: Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Singapore

This breathtaking structure is none other than the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, located in the Chinatown district of Singapore.

Personally, I am not a buddhist but when I laid eyes on this temple, I was pretty speechless. Even though I don’t align with the religion, I stood there for a good few minutes just admiring and taking in its beauty.

I chose this angle to show layers of its flat roofs with pointed corners curved upwards. I found it very interesting how looking at it from afar made it look so symmetrical and geometrical, yet when I walked closer everything about it came to life – the colours, flags, lanterns, and flowers. Even the details under the roofs were intricate and perfect.

It was simply amazing how I felt peace just staring at this temple. Its art spoke for itself without the need to use anything complicated – just lines and neutral colours.

Breaking Straight Edges: Bishan Loft

Bishan Loft, Singapore

This top view photo was captured from the 34th floor at Bishan Loft, an Executive Condominium in Singapore.

I specifically aimed for the solid view of the facilities because it’s a nice break from all the buildings you’d see out the window in Singapore since it has been very developed. If you look closely, you’d notice that the swimming pool is actually shaped like a turtle.

When I first saw this view, I was immediately intrigued as to how the architects and designers thought of creating the layout this way. More so, how well it was all planned. Having the pool shaped like a turtle with trees and roofs for shade created a very calm and relaxing feeling, both visually and physically. I think the tennis courts were a nice addition not only to the facilities, but also to the visual balance of its top view. This is because it goes with the earthy colours used around the whole area, keeping it natural and fresh.

Ultimately, I think the whole area was designed well because they managed to bring relaxation amidst all the straight edges of its surroundings.

Real Relaxation: The Venetian, Macau

The Venetian, Macau

Famous for its Venice, Italy design inspiration, The Venetian is a luxury hotel and casino resort in Macau, China.

The execution of the designers’ intention was on point. This picture would pass as a postcard, but being physically there was a whole new level – like being inside a postcard.

The structures were marvellous, actually looking like the ones in Italy. Even details of the place were carefully added. The colours used were fairly different, yet harmonized because of its warm tone. The fact that the canals mirrored the blue skies was very fitting. Having those two go together formed a calm mood in the midst of all the crazy shoppers surrounding the canal. The gondola ride is the cherry on top of the relaxation at the canal, slowly floating on the water as the gondoliers sang.

I think the whole concept of bringing Venice to Asia worked really well. It literally felt like I was in Italy, not China. I have no doubts as to why this place is such a tourist spot, it gives you the whole experience – hotel, resort, casino, shopping, food, all in one place! What more can you ask for?

Cabin Comfort: Tagaytay Highlands

This cabin-looking place is none other than The Highlander Steakhouse at Tagaytay Highlands, a restaurant where only the most tender cuts of steak and dreamy desserts can be found. The place itself had a cabin-like structure both interior and exterior. …

Bikes and Baguettes: Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila

Spiral, Sofitel Manila

This Paris-themed setting was the first thing that caught my eye when I walked into Spiral, a restaurant buffet in a 5-star luxury resort hotel in Manila called Sofitel. The mini version of the Eiffel Tower set on top of a counter made an impression that the original structure is much bigger and higher. This immediately catches your eye however, because of its intricate cut-outs imitating its inspiration in a creative way. I also very much LOVED the bike stationed in front of it. The colours matched the French flag and the baguettes were a nice touch tying the whole concept together. I think the idea behind this small section of decor was well executed. It definitely made me feel very luxurious while the temptation to ride the bike and hand baguettes out was barely stoppable.

Form and Function: Philippine Airlines

In the summer of 2013, I felt that I needed a change of scenery. Vancouver was getting dull and repetitive, so I decided to visit my home country – the Philippines. I wanted to be there for as long as I …