Tessa’s way

Author: Dinna Chan Vasquez
Column: Life & Entertainment

Last year, it was a White Christmas for Tessa Prieto-Valdes and her family, complete with snow courtesy of a snowmaking machine. She even changed some of her furniture to white as part of the color scheme. Being the all-or-nothing type, Valdes made Christmas 2007 in her home quite spectacular and chilling.

This year, the Bikram yoga practitioner and New York Marathon finisher went a little more conventional in gold. By October, her house already sported Christmas decorations in gold for a magazine cover.

After some time, Valdes realized that conventional is not her. So she did something that everyone would say is “so Tessa.”

“I started adding touches of black,” says Valdes.

Now, black and gold may seem a bit strange for a Christmas color scheme but expect Valdes to carry it off beautifully and maybe add a color or two before the season is even over.

“I am so confused. The décor is already beautiful but I want something that is very me,” she says.

The confusion stems from her visiting stores and bazaars where she found more great stuff. Valdes scours bazaars for export overruns that she can use as accent pieces. She cites the Noel Bazaar as a great place for overruns.

Valdes also went to Florasilk in Las Piñas where she was inspired by the fuschia, purple and lilac scheme.

Confusion and all, this is what Valdes says about being an interior designer—the wide array of choices.

Many people will be surprised to learn that Valdes, a wife and mother of four, Celebrity Duets winner, socialite and fashion icon, is a licensed interior designer with a lucrative practice. She studied at the University of Sto. Tomas and College of Notre Dame, specializing in lighting and kitchen designs.

During “normal” times, the Prieto-Valdes home is a Venetian palazzo complete with murals of angels and beautiful sculptures and paintings.

She also hosts Q Channel 11’s House Life, a home improvement show, with young talents Tristan Jovellana, Aissa Gonzalez and Marilen Faustino Montenegro. Aside from home improvement tips, the show also goes to residences of celebrities and notable personalities so that viewers may get decorating ideas and be inspired.

In its pilot episode, House Life featured the home of Dr. Vicki Belo, a Valdes client, in Makati. The following week, Valdes visited the condominium unit of real estate heiress Divine Lee, who got tips from the host on how to maximize floor areas and accentuate walls.

The show has also featured the closet of young socialite Princess Violago; the house amid lush gardens of landscape artist Rading Decepeda; the Moroccan-inspired home of Sophia Araneta; landscape artist’s Bobby Gopiao’s home that’s line with design elements rich in history and intricate artistry; the modern oriental-theme abode of architect Tessa Alindogan; and the bachelor’s pad of soccer player Phil Younghusband.

House Life, which airs every Monday at 7:25 p.m., has so far aired 10 shows. Valdes looks forward to the Year of the Ox to continue providing the best tips, creative insights and information on the hottest design trends in furniture and home accents.

“House Life is like a technical show in the sense that we feature artists and artisans in a way that hasn’t been done before. We introduce them to the public because aside from a few who patronize their works, they are not household names,” says Valdes.

Valdes also wants to incorporate things she has learned as a student of feng shui into the show. A few years ago, she attended a seminar by world-famous geomancer Lilian Too in Manila and this started her fascination with the feng shui. She even went to Malaysia to attend a seminar.

“I would like to do feng shui interiors and landscape for the show. Feng shui landscape is called ‘energy of the sun,’” says Valdes.

Another story idea that she is pitching is one on the home of good friend and World of Feng Shui owner Maritess Allen.

Yes, Valdes loves hosting and has even made sacrifices because of it.

“I’ve learned not to talk too much and overwhelm my guest. I let him or her say her piece because most of the time, I really talk too much sometimes,” she adds.

Source: Manila Standard Today

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