00:00 Hi OG, I'm Jolo. Welcome to Castle Celia the farm and today I'm going to give you a quick
00:05 tour of our modern Mediterranean villa. Let's go!
00:08 Castle Celia is our family farm that sits on a 10 hectare property.
00:21 It is located in the quiet town of San Pablo City, Laguna.
00:24 In the year 2020, after graduating from my first degree which is business management,
00:30 I took over the design and build process of the whole property.
00:33 Since I was young, I've always been interested in architecture and design
00:38 and always dreamed of becoming one and now I'm pursuing it.
00:41 So for the facade of the house, we were inspired by a Spanish Mediterranean villa.
00:51 That is why we used terracotta Spanish roof tiles from Seville, Spain
00:55 and sandblasted walls for that Mediterranean feel
00:58 and lastly the repeated arches to give that hacienda design perspective.
01:02 So right off the entrance, we have this front porch and this is where my dad
01:08 loves spending his mornings with his cup of coffee while looking over the animals.
01:13 [Music]
01:17 So right before you enter, I'd like to show you these custom-made handles by the artist
01:39 from Industria Gallery. It adds character right before you enter. Let's go in!
01:43 So right when you enter, you're greeted by this foyer area.
01:54 And this table, I'm pretty proud of it because I made it myself.
02:03 So right to the side, we put in a real jasmine tree and it brings the nature in
02:08 and it brings this amazing scent throughout the whole home.
02:11 So this is the living area of the home and as you can see, it's an open concept.
02:22 It is meant to bring people together and actually, it's the most used space in the house.
02:27 To mention, this coffee table is actually really interesting because
02:34 it's made out of recycled wood planks from our fishpond and it adds a lot of character throughout the space.
02:39 So right over here, fun fact, I couldn't find the perfect art piece that fits the vibe of the villa
02:47 so I made one myself just like the rest of the art pieces throughout the whole home.
02:52 [Music]
02:55 Actually, we've been boyfriends for 7 years now.
02:59 So it's been a long time but actually, he's the one who became my husband.
03:03 It's still the two of us.
03:05 We really worked hard.
03:07 We really started it.
03:09 We were the only ones who got married and worked hard to give all the blessings to our children.
03:14 So, with God's mercy and help, it became successful.
03:19 [Music]
03:22 Here in Casa Celia, we have 3 bedrooms.
03:25 One main bedroom and two minor bedrooms.
03:28 And right now, we're standing in the archway leading to two rooms.
03:32 And here, I wanted to give a moment for this photo wall that captures our family.
03:36 [Music]
03:42 So for all the bedrooms, I wanted it to feel like you're on vacation every single time.
03:47 So right now, we're in the main bedroom.
03:49 And actually, all the bedrooms have their own individual toilet and baths.
03:52 And we want it to feel cozy, minimalist, and simple.
03:55 [Music]
04:05 That brings you to our indoor dining.
04:07 This is where we love to eat and have our game nights.
04:10 It opens up to this amazing view of the pool and the rest of the property.
04:14 So this piece, I collaborated with my interior designer, Ms. Karen Maximo Fernando.
04:18 And I just love how it came out with the natural finish of the wood and the solihiya.
04:24 And right above it is an artwork by Trebua Bay.
04:27 And we just painted over it so that it would fit the overall aesthetic.
04:31 [Music]
04:38 We acquired this property before the pandemic.
04:41 And then, the pandemic hit, and I got sick.
04:44 So it's a good thing that I have a good son, Jolo, who took over.
04:49 He's smart, just like his dad.
04:52 I'm happy that we were able to build this house through Jolo.
04:59 So I'm really happy here.
05:01 [Music]
05:03 So this is my mom's favorite area, the kitchen.
05:06 And since she really loves cooking, I wanted to give her the space
05:10 where she can enjoy doing what she loves while having a relaxing ambience.
05:15 So an architectural detail that I want to talk about in this area
05:18 are the vaulted ceilings and the exposed wooden beams.
05:21 For me, it brings in the Mediterranean feel inside the home.
05:24 [Music]
05:30 I told her that ever since we got married,
05:34 every time we buy something,
05:36 we always pray that it's really for us.
05:41 But if it's not, then it's not.
05:44 I told her that.
05:45 So we really prayed that we'd be able to buy it,
05:49 that it would be nice, and that there would be no problems.
05:51 And God's mercy was fulfilled.
05:54 [Music]
05:56 So right off the kitchen is the laday.
05:58 And as you can see, it's another dining table
06:00 which I designed to be a bit more communal.
06:03 [Music]
06:05 And right over here, we have this outdoor lounge.
06:08 And it is connected to this hanging daybed,
06:11 which I think is pretty unique.
06:12 And here, we love to spend our afternoons
06:15 to enjoy the sunset and the summer breeze.
06:18 [Music]
06:22 We're now in the pool area,
06:24 and I think it's the perfect size for this villa.
06:27 And here, we have some daybeds for us to enjoy.
06:30 [Music]
06:35 So for the other outdoor spaces present in the farm,
06:38 we have this fire pit over here.
06:40 And it's the most amazing spot in the farm to go stargazing.
06:43 [Music]
06:46 This is an unfinished project here in the farm,
06:49 which is this fishpond.
06:50 Here, you can do your morning yoga or even fishing.
06:53 It's an additional recreational area here in the farm.
06:56 [Music]
07:01 So since this is a farm,
07:03 I wanted to provide my mom a very accessible herb garden.
07:07 Because as compared to the city,
07:08 when you need something, you have to go to the grocery store.
07:11 As compared to here, you can just pick it off right in your garden.
07:14 [Music]
07:17 We've been here for a year.
07:19 We raised this with our friends and relatives.
07:23 No one here is sad when they come home.
07:27 Everyone is happy.
07:29 We still come back here.
07:31 My husband said, "We're here, we'll remember."
07:35 [Music]
07:39 So we're now in the gazebo.
07:40 And as you can see, we have another dining table
07:42 because we love entertaining and having guests over.
07:45 And over here, we have the outdoor kitchen,
07:48 which houses my beer collection.
07:49 [Music]
07:52 Our family is very sentimental,
07:54 and we got to keep some of my dad's old toys when he was younger
07:57 and my grandfather's bike.
07:58 And it added a lot of personality to the space.
08:01 [Music]
08:05 So I'm very proud and humbled with the outcome of this villa
08:08 because it's my very first design and build project.
08:11 And I'm very grateful for the opportunity that my parents gave me.
08:15 It was such a learning experience.
08:17 And I would want to thank my whole design team,
08:21 which is Kuya Anjo, Ate Karen, and engineer Alfredo Dulay
08:25 for guiding me along the way.
08:27 I couldn't have done it without any of you.
08:29 [Music]
08:32 My message to my children is to really strive
08:36 because that's what we did as a couple.
08:38 We strived to finish it well,
08:43 to do the work that they need to do
08:48 so that they can continue this kind of life.
08:51 My advice is to never stop dreaming.
08:55 Keep on dreaming until you achieve your goal.
09:02 [Music]
09:09 That ends our tour.
09:11 Hope you guys enjoyed this episode.
09:13 Thank you guys for watching.
09:14 Bye!
09:15 [Music]
09:16 If you have an interesting or inspiring story that you want to share,
09:20 email us at stories.onlygood@gmail.com.
09:24 And so that you won't miss an OG channel video,
09:27 subscribe now and hit the notification bell
09:29 to get updates on our latest episodes.
Comments