Cebu-born fashion designer Jun Escario and Australian partner Simon Miles, create a relaxed and modern home inspired by a favorite destination.
This is an excerpt from Lifestyle Asia’s June 2023 Issue.
Designer Jun Escario built a name in high fashion as well as his work with top corporate clients, like his much-publicized revamp of Cebu Pacific Airlines uniforms. Unbeknown to most, the designer also makes the uniforms of just about all of the country’s casinos. It’s no wonder he maintains quite a hectic work schedule, shuttling between Manila and his home province of Cebu every week.
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While in Cebu, he gets to enjoy the beautiful house he built some four years ago with his interior decorator partner, Australian Simon Miles, the concept of which was sparked by a favorite travel destination. “We love Greece so much that the house was very much inspired by it,“ Escario says. It sits in one of the prized properties in Cebu’s gated Maria Luisa Subdivision, with an unobstructed view of the area’s hilly terrain and a natural light show on clear days.
“We got lucky with this lot,” Escario proudly shares. “We get to catch the rising and the setting of the sun.”
“It’s a very rare cul-de-sac in Maria Luisa, because it gets both,” the designer adds, “and the reason why the view is the focal point of the house.”
Nestled calmly on one of the subdivision’s highest lots, the house is a modern expression of the couple’s Grecian ambition, which still looks current and fresh to this day. “We didn’t set out to build a showcase, that isn’t true to our taste or lifestyle,” Escario explains, “I also use it for my photoshoots, that’s why there’s a lot of spaces, or empty plains.”
Indeed, the architectural bones and inner volumes were adapted to Escario and Miles’ needs and their preference for uncluttered lines, while optimizing the lot’s natural features.
The couple also considered the future. Now, the art room and a gym are on the lowest level. Above that is the drive-in garage, dirty kitchen, and guest bedroom. The combined living-dining area, outdoor garden, and a fitting room are on the third level, with the master’s and TV room located on the top floor. “Later on, we will be using the guest bedroom for ourselves,” Escario discloses, “When we’re no longer capable of using the stairs, haha!”
In terms of their palette, the pair chose a soft tonal range anchored to white, with beige, pale gray, and black as secondary colors to create a calming atmosphere. The color scheme also provides a suitable background for Escario’s fashion shoots.
Read more by purchasing a copy of the Lifestyle Asia June 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.
