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Nikki Gil-Albert, Amanda Griffin-Jacob and Dr Z Teo express their love for entertaining in their beautiful sanctuaries, while interior decorator Ram Lopez-Vito Bucoy chimes in with tips on creating an inviting space
The last century bears witness to a radical transformation of the cosy kitchen. Before the mid-Forties, traditional homes regarded it as a purely utilitarian space often relegated to the back of the house. However, the enduring appeal of open floor plans becoming popular in the past decades has established it as an integral hub where the family gathers. More recently, it is where they can likewise entertain a bevy of guests.
See also: 5 Beautiful Open-Plan Kitchens We Love
These days, whether one is an eager foodie or an avid host, the kitchen gleams as the crux of a discerning abode. Fresh from styling this issue’s cover shoot, Manila-based interior decorator Ram Lopez-Vito Bucoy II weighs in with his tips on designing a sociable space. “Make sure you have a nice big counter,” he relays right off the bat. “I like to entertain, and I like having people around the kitchen.”
Above Decorated by Ram Lopez-Vito Bucoy, the minimalist Caraterre kitchen from Scavolini pops with vibrant inflexions
Decorated by Ram Lopez-Vito Bucoy, the minimalist Caraterre kitchen from Scavolini pops with vibrant inflexions
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To invite loved ones into such a personal corner of one’s home, requires a depth of intimacy. From crafting the menu and styling the tablescape to steering engrossing conversations over the course of the meal, the seasoned host knows how to bring something more to the table than the ordinary homemaker.
Inspired by his own travels and his mum who equally loves to host, Bucoy adds that “presentation is key” and suggests the use of beautiful porcelain to liven up the dining table and the kitchen in general. Pieces like these are, after all, what add character to the entire experience. The passionate maximalist says, “I like things lived in. I always tell my clients when we’re in the process of decorating to not be in a hurry when buying items for the house. You must love them first. Don’t just buy because it’s on sale or because everyone has it. It must be unique—ideally a conversation piece.”
See also: Threads of Time: Ram Bucoy Tells Us How to Incorporate Indigenous Weaves in Home Decor
Ornate porcelain, silver and glassware inside a Scavolini kitchen’s sleek drawers
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With interesting stories to share about their beautiful homes and kitchens, three luminaries show us how they entertain in style. “Home dinners: that’s really my jam,” chirps singer-turned-interior design student and self-proclaimed introvert Nikki Gil-Albert, sharing how she prefers smaller groups to bigger events. “I just find the preparation that comes with entertaining so therapeutic, from setting up the mood lighting to fussing about over all the details, even considering the sense of smell.”
In her radiant smile, Gil-Albert adds that food is simple. Everyone loves to eat. Yet it is in these little touches that entertaining becomes an incredibly personal activity. The mum of two muses: “Maybe it comes with being a homeowner that you enjoy creating a vignette. More than the food, I’m big on how my guests feel when they go to the house. I want them coming over and feeling like they can relax.”
Above Nikki Gil-Albert in the strongly industrial Diesel Open Workshop kitchen, which with Bucoy’s touch is given an eclectic British Colonial element
Above A brunch spread consisting of the spinach quiche and bacon and cheese quiche from Cartel Deli, croissants from Ijo Bakery, Belgian waffles from Liege Manila, scones from Dough & Grocer, lobster and shrimp rolls from Bun Appetit and Spanish breakfast toasts and sandwiches from Bar Pintxos
Nikki Gil-Albert in the strongly industrial Diesel Open Workshop kitchen, which with Bucoy’s touch is given an eclectic British Colonial element
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Settled in a contemporary residence that lends itself to entertaining, Gil-Albert and her husband BJ enjoy welcoming a close set of friends to their home nearly twice a week. “For that, maybe I won’t roll out the red carpet anymore. We’ll go to an area in our house that we call the sunroom, which is like a lounge area, where we sit on the floor around this huge rattan coffee table to eat,” she explains.
Of course, the setting tends to vary when the occasion calls for a more formal social in the dining room or an even more intimate one where her friends will come over to cook in her kitchen. With the island centre stage, Gil-Albert loves that the airy space was designed with entertaining in mind. She details, “I’m not much of a cook myself but I made sure that, if I were ever to get into it heavily, I’ll be able to entertain while I’m in the middle of cooking. So, I have a bar set up by the island, a wine chiller in the corner, long counter spaces to serve as a buffet and lots of storage.”
See also: Interior Stylist Leona Laviña-Panutat Tells us How to Decorate the Dining Table
Similarly keeping an open kitchen for her frequent guests, Amanda Griffin-Jacob shares how entertaining can be a team effort. Currently based in Singapore with her husband David and their kids, the International Justice Mission ambassador, Glam-O-Mamas founder and green living advocate would often invite her girlfriends for casual lunches and find themselves gravitating towards the kitchen to prepare together.
It isn’t so different for the grander occasions either. Griffin-Jacob enthuses, “I like getting fresh flowers from the market but I’m not great at arranging; so when I have the more formal events, I’ll sort of recruit my girlfriends to help me.” Delighting in how entertaining likewise fuels her creativity, the British Filipina expresses her fancy for incorporating locally-crafted pieces into her tablescape as frequently as she can.
Above This vegetarian spread in the Scavolini Caraterre kitchen includes the Wholesome Salad from Wholesome Table, vegan moist chocolate cake and vegan chocolate chip cookies from Simply Healthy Manila, hummus from Berry’s Deli, falafels from Gang Green and vegetarian kebabs and pita from Hossein’s
Above Amanda Griffin-Jacob bares a smile in the Scavolini Caraterre kitchen
This vegetarian spread in the Scavolini Caraterre kitchen includes the Wholesome Salad from Wholesome Table, vegan moist chocolate cake and vegan chocolate chip cookies from Simply Healthy Manila, hummus from Berry’s Deli, falafels from Gang Green and vegetarian kebabs and pita from Hossein’s
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Whether it’s in her championed causes or in her inventive flair, Griffin-Jacob stays grounded to the Philippines. Having both grown up in the country, she and David have always eagerly taken their youngsters on unforgettable sojourns here and have more recently begun building their “dream house” in Sta Elena Golf & Country Estate. While that remains in the works, Griffin-Jacob was glad to rave about her apartment in the city and specifically how her kitchen there is a centre of activity for the entire family.
“It’s certainly a hub, especially with four kids, because children are always hungry! I have a 12-year-old son and he just eats us out of house and home,” she cheerily remarks. Utilising every inch of space in her Manila property through different pull-outs, organisers and slide-out pantries, Griffin-Jacob worked with Italian manufacturer Scavolini to bring this masterfully catered sanctuary to life. “I remember thinking that it would be quite a challenge to fit everything I wanted. We just didn’t have the space to put in a full pantry, but Scavolini was truly helpful and knowledgeable about how we could create one that would fit and match the aesthetic,” she says. “I love that my kitchen is light, from the backsplash to the marble tops. Everything looks very clean and streamlined.”
See also: Entertaining Where It Matters: Inside Scavolini's Renovated Showroom Launch
While it can be said that the two ladies essentially revel in creating the perfect ambience, Dr Z Teo talks about his penchant for entertaining as the man in the kitchen. Whenever he isn’t engulfed with helming The Aivee Group, the Singaporean CEO will be, almost always, cooking up a storm, with dishes that burst out with flavour from his home country. He says, “Coming from Singapore, these are the foods I’m used to. But when I’m in the Philippines and I give them to friends and family here, it’s a new experience for them and there’s so much appreciation and excitement. To see their eyes light up and they go like ‘Oh wow, what’s this?’—it makes me happy.”
In many ways, entertaining at home is a means to communicate one’s story and persona. The dermatologist-entrepreneur says, “It reveals one’s personality. You can express yourself more comfortably in your own setting, and I think that translates as well to the food that you prepare, the ambience and the whole dynamic of the place.”
Above Musing about his Scavolini kitchen in the works, Teo says he prefers his kitchen to be robust, masculine and heavy-duty
Above Dr Z Teo makes his famous homemade laksa from scratch in the Scavolini Boxi kitchen system with accessories from the from the Mia collection
Musing about his Scavolini kitchen in the works, Teo says he prefers his kitchen to be robust, masculine and heavy-duty
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At their Manila address, Teo describes many of his most treasured gatherings as “rambunctious”—meals are served in family-sized portions, and everyone is free to grab a bite or a plateful of their favourite selections. “[During] the more casual gatherings, I’m actually in the kitchen most of the time with my guests beside me and they’ll eat from my wok,” he adds with a grin.
On the menu, there are often rich but authentic renditions of the spicy Laksa and the ever-comforting Fried Bee Hoon that Teo was first taught by his mum. As a father of three, he additionally details how his second son has also taken up the hobby and expounds on how cooking is a love language in itself. “It’s different from having food catered or ordering from outside. That’s just a phone call; it doesn’t have that extra ingredient of love and preparation,” he enthuses.
See also: At Home Recipes: Explore Asian Flavours with These Shrimp Recipes
While Teo calls the kitchen a place that teems with laughter and happiness, Gil-Albert articulates, “There’s something about how it holds a lot of core memories. It’s where family meals and recipes are shared, created and passed down. And it’s in the kitchen where we congregate at several points in the day.” Griffin-Jacob agrees, “As a child, I [remember being] in my grandmother’s kitchen and she would be baking rhubarb pies. Those nostalgic memories that come up are just so beautiful and they are what childhood is made of. I hope that when my children are adults, they look back and enjoy thinking of those moments, too.”
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Credits
Photography: Sonny Thakur
Make-Up: Al De Leon and Frankie Bacierto
Location: Scavolini Store Manila
Production: Stephanie Zubiri
Trained as a student journalist, Mac’s knack for writing was a serendipitous discovery. Years later and she can’t imagine doing anything else. When she isn’t typing away on a story, she revels in being lost in a new city, revisiting a cosy film or sitcom, and idling away with her dogs.
