Sandy Pete and Philippines Design Inspo Travel
An open-air living concept gives any “California Room” a run for it’s money. Kinda like calling the Super Bowl the world championship, the golden state is far from having a monopoly on indoor/outdoor living spaces.
“The person you want to be would go” -Brendan Leonard
Few things inspire (me, you, everyone?) like stepping out of my daily routine, exiting my Instagram algorithm and visiting far flung places. Long before I ever launched a formal career that involved the design and and implementation, I would take photographs while traveling and save them in folders on my phone or computer labeled things like “baja design inpso” with the intention that one day, in one project, I would revisit these images and pull from them. True story, when I designed our backyard, the style I told Mariel (my wife) I was targeting was something I called “Baja Zen” largely inspired by the revolution that has happened in the Valle de Guadelupe, near Ensenada, and surrounding areas.
For those that know, Mariel is Filipino, born in California to two Filipino parents who were both born and raised in Manila. Through US military and medical careers, they ended up in California by way of New York and have written for themselves the closest thing to a textbook version of the American dream I have personally come across. Truly inspiring stuff.
As a Long Beach, California born and raised kid, with a father who was born in Long Beach and a grandmother who was born in Compton - when it was a rural farming community on the border of Long Beach, and with LA roots that go back multiple generations on my mom’s side (LA, Hollywood), I feel pretty at home right here in Southern California. But strangely, have also always felt a bit lacking a true “culture” in this era of cultural hyper-awareness. Now with a son who is half-Filipino, I felt it important to begin the story of his connection to that side of his family as early as possible, and with all the things I’ve heard about happening in certain parts of the Philippines, from food, surf culture, and an island design aesthetic combining cultural authenticity with international progressiveness, we decided to make the trip and see what we could see.
Left: Tab top linen drapery
Tab top draperies are not something we do many of. But in this case the casual nature felt just right. This could work in an indoor / outdoor space, someone going for a modern Moroccan sort of vibe, or something very boho / Joshua Tree.
Center: Tab top detail
In an otherwise pretty minimalistically designed space, the light and texture of this privacy lined, natural color linen drape added a really nice feature to this space.
Right: French pleat linen-blend drapery at the beach
This opened my eyes a bit to the opportunity for French pleat draperies. Often seen as formal and stuffy, many clients will opt for a crown pleat or two-finger pleat. Yet with the material selection here, as well as the other design choices, the elevated nature of this French pleat drapery juxtaposed nicely with the otherwise very casual beach vibes.
In the uber-casual atmosphere of the Philippines island provinces, two themes kept emerging for me. Design-forward spaces that juxtaposed modern and international touches of luxury with casual cultural authenticity, as seen here with this pretty luxurious French pleat drapery, wicker furniture and sea shell decor; and cool, minimalist natural spaces that felt akin to places like Bali with, with certain distinct character.
Natural textures, woods, and plants…yes, please.
Some additional inspo and vibes from the island, and an appearance by “Sandy Pete” (aka our son Nolan) himself. The phrase “sandy feet” was uttered quite often, and when said with a Filipino accent, it sounds a lot like “Sandy Pete” - so when Nolan would stuff his mouth full of sand at the beach, his new nickname and alter ego was set.
For a California kid visiting the Philippines for the first time, when locals discovered I had a half-Filippino son, the embrace was immediate and apparent - somehow, I felt at home. Culturally and aesthetically, I was also reminded of parts of Latin America, where I have traveled extensively, and if you know a bit about Filipino history, makes sense.
If you are looking for a place to visit, relax, and soak in some design inspo yourself that is off the well-trodden “influencer” path, somewhere to reset your perspective and algorithm (literally and figuratively), I’d highly recommend a trip to the Philippines. The people are welcoming, the weather is nice, and the vibes are just right. It may just influence your next remodel.