Page 14 - Condo Living

NEIGHB OR S

CU R T A I N
COV E R S
Kris and Soleil hides their
clutter behind white canvas
curtains in the bedroom

Meet Millennial power couple Kris Abrigo and Soleil
Ignacio. Both in their late 20s, the two have taken the local and
international art scene by storm. Kris has murals on buildings in
BGC and Hong Kong, while Soleil has numerous collaborations
with dozens of giant fashion and lifestyle brands.
The two met when they were still studying in the University
of the Philippines and have been together for eight years now. The
two have resided in her parents house but recently moved out.
While they are used to living together, Soleil admits that getting a
condo of their own was the ultimate act of adulting.
Located in the middle of Mandaluyong, the condo is very
accessible to local art galleries and the offices of the brands they
often collaborate with. Aside from convenience, the couple opted
for this space because of the landlord’s leniency to pets. Soleil has a
white, fluffy cat named Pugo. Also, the landlord is fine with them
painting in the space, this was an important factor because they
needed a home that will double as a studio. “He’s a fan of art and he
understands the nature of our work,” cites Kris on the landlord.
Both creatives, they saw the unit as the perfect opportunity
to test their interior design skills. “I’m a frustrated architect and
Soleil is a frustrated interior designer,” Kris laughs. They wanted
something white and clean, a contrast to their works that are both
heavy on color. They also incorporated a lot of warm woods to
make the space homey and welcoming. “It’s bohemian with touch
of contemporary and mid-century,” explains Soleil on the style of
their unit.
“Ayoko ng mural dito,” Soleil jokingly rolls her eyes when
asked if Kris will paint on the walls. So, instead of murals, Kris
incorporated a lot of plants. He shares that he loves collecting
plants, it’s remnant of his childhood in Bicol. It also makes the
space refreshing, especially since the two Millennials are often out
and about in the concrete jungle.
When asked how interior styling their unit differs from their
creative process, Kris says that it’s not so different. “As a muralist,
my style is very geometric and I usually follow a grid, this style
Deeper in the unit is the couple’s bedroom tucked in its own
can be seen in the space. The layout is very angular.” For Soleil,
pocket. The main bed frame was also made by Soleil’s brother.
Opposite page: Soleil’s study table was customized by his it’s the other way around. Instead of her art influencing the space,
younger brother who has his own furniture shop called Woja the space is finding its way in her art. “I’m starting to put more
Ignacio Designs. The two tables cordon off her side of theunit. interior elements in my work now, I incorporate furniture in my
She considers this as her favorite spot in the space. One of her illustrations and I’m into interior styling now,” she shares.
main design mantras in styling the unit? She often asked herself The biggest challenge in formulating their first home?
if the areas will be photogenic. She initially laughed at the thought
Creating the perfect layout that will segregate work and play given
but admits that it is important. After all, the two have a huge and
the limited space. “We made sure that the space can accommodate
constantly growing following on social media
everyone, especially since we often have friends come over,” shares
Kris. However, they admit that the layout will change the moment
Both being super creative, they get bored with it —which is probably soon. “In our old studio,
we would move stuff around every three to four months,” shares
they saw the unit as the Kris. “In the two months we’ve been living here, we changed the
layout three times already because it just didn’t feel right,” adds
perfect opportunity to test Soleil. The two share that rearranging the furniture around helps
them feel re-energized, they even consider it as an exercise of their
their interior design skills creativity. “The unit will never be finished, this will always be a
work in progress,” concludes Kris.

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