Enter the dramatic space of Kitty Bunag, winner of this year’s Tatler Homes Design Awards in Best Use of Colour
In the heart of Sta Ana, Manila lies the unique residence of one of the country’s leading design leaders and interior stylists, Kitty Bunag. Here, she has embraced both conformity and trend, showcased in a style singularly her own. The result is a masterful touch of organised chaos crafted with a lot of love in a fluid indoor-outdoor arrangement.
In case you missed it: Celebrating Philippine creativity: the Tatler Homes Design Awards 2023
Bunag’s special place is an ancestral house that she inherited from her parents. A garden and a small pond by the living room lend natural light and air to the space. Her thoughtfulness shows in every inch, reflecting her well-travelled lifestyle and changing moods. “Whatever I’m feeling, it is reflected in how I arrange my home. I regularly need a refresh in my space’s decor each time change happens as energies shift and move about. My surroundings are naturally a reflection of this.”
Known in the industry for her asymmetrical and non-minimalist style, Bunag loves to mismatch furniture and accessories that surprisingly result in a harmonious space. Living in her family’s ancestral home has exposed her to antique and vintage furniture that she has grown to love and wake up to every day.
“It takes a lot of practice as my style evolves, I learn a lot as I get exposed to travel and to different projects. Since my aesthetic is basically mood-based, I style as my heart beats. I go with my gut and I love to layer relentlessly! It took a lot of tries before I got the rhythm. It’s my space so it’s my rules. You could say, I went to school to learn the rules before I broke them,” shares Bunag.
Bunag lives in this sanctuary with her sister, their spouses and their children. “I’m conditioned in a way that if my surroundings are disorganised, I can’t work at all. I have to fix the room first before I can focus. Fortunately, my sister just lets me make the design decisions in the house.”