The Extroverted Aesthetic Of Jojie Dingcong

Powerhouse brand builder and talent manager Jojie Dingcong builds an opulent home that reflects his buoyant personality. 

This is an excerpt from Lifestyle Asia’s October 2023 Issue.

For everyone outside of his orbit, the soft-spoken exterior architecture of Jojie Dingcong’s Bacolod home is surprising, being everything he’s not. Well, except for the flaming red door. “As far as the giant red door and the grand red staircase are concerned, they’re all mine,” Dingcong explains. “I love red, in the same way I love Louboutin shoes with red soles, haha! It’s my personality, and of course, Architect Omon Maravilla totally agrees.” 

Jojie Dingcong home facade
Jojie Dingcong called on architect Omon Miravilla for the design of his Bacolod house, and got expert advice during the construction from Alice Eduardo.

READ ALSO: Contemporary Code: An Ode To The Clean Edges Of Modern Style

THE FLAMBOYANT FLAIR OF JOJIE DINGCONG

The interior space, on the other hand, is more revealing of Dingcong’s personal style. With its disparate art and decor, the homeowner’s flamboyant personality as a powerhouse brand builder and talent manager is expressed in full splendor. “Andy Warhol influenced my aesthetics,” Dingcong admits, “but I’m the provincial Warhol, haha!” 

Jojie Dingcong home inside
A Persian carpet and a zebra rug define a seating area for two. Antonio Manahan Jr.’s
resin rhino stands guard, beside a pair of mother of pearl lounge chairs purchased from Derek Ramsay’s mother, Medy Ramsay. Behind the seats are portraits of the homeowner.

It was back in 2014 when Dingcong called on Maravilla to realize his dream of building a home that took two years to finish. “I don’t think I’ll build another house,” Dingcong says of his personal project, “because I’ll die!. I mean, you have to talk to so many people. And there are things that I wanted, like I didn’t like columns in my house. It’s a good thing that I was advised by Alice Eduardo in terms of the technical side.” 

OPULENT PROPORTIONS 

Maravilla created the shell and helped with the decoration of the interior spaces. “I totally love his aesthetics,” Dingcong says admiringly. ”He is a design genius. To create a ‘grand room’ is our common idea, so when he broached it to me, I knew right away that we are both in sync in terms of vision.”

Jojie Dingcong home interiors
Demet dela Cruz’s “Power Horse” stands by a lounge area which has a sectional sofa from Philux, an Italian glass-topped table from Mentxaca, and an old Chinese cabinet repurposed as a bar. The greens and florals are by Bacolod-based florist Jun Lim.

Maravilla was also attuned to his client’s lavish sense of scale, constructing a 27-foot high ceiling when Dingcong asked for “real height” in the grand room, which is an open space where the lounge areas and dining room are located. When it came to decorating, the architect and client used the substantial inventory of art, furniture and objects that Dingcong accumulated through the years. 

Both experimented with the layout and placement of the furniture before Dingcong made the final decisions. “That’s because I really believed that, since I will be living in it, I have to love everything I see every waking morning,” he says. 

ECLECTIC STYLE 

And it made sense to choose a palette with white as the primary color complemented with neutral earthy tones given Dingcong’s dizzying antiques and decor collection culled from both local and foreign stores. Some of his favorite resources include Derek Ramsay’s mother, Medy Ramsay (who sells privately), Karen Santos’ specialty shop Kassa, and Philux for the furniture. “My personal taste and style is very eclectic,” he says, “so I mix Asian, modern, etc. If something speaks to me and resonates strongly, I will definitely put it in the mix.”

Jojie Dingcong home bedroom
The bed is from Italian brand Giorgetti, “a gift from my best friend Dr. Vicki Belo” says Dingcong; the japanned escritoire is from Kassa.

Read more by purchasing a copy of the Lifestyle Asia October 2023 magazine via SariSari.shopping or select newsstands in National Bookstore and Fully Booked. Subscribe to the E-Magazine via Readly, Magzter, and Press Reader.

Photos by Ed Simon of Kliq, Inc.

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