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There's always room for (Home) improvement

Author: Dinna Chan Vasquez
Column: Life & Entertainment

A home improvement show hosted by socialite Tessa Prieto Valdes seems unlikely but House Life, which debuts on Q Channel 11 on Monday, showcases the interior designer's knack for making homes more beautiful.

Indeed, the public is more used to Valdes attending parties dressed in elaborate costumes and donning colorful wigs and wearing outrageous false eyelashes.

"Many people don't know that I am a licensed interior designer and that I have my own company," says Valdes, who studied at the University of Sto. Tomas and College of Notre Dame.

She specialized in lighting and kitchen designs.

"This means viewers will be seeing a lot of beautiful kitchens in the show," says Valdes.

But that's not all. She will be joined in the show by young interior designers Tristan Jovella, Aissa Gonzalez and Marilen Faustino Montenegro. The quartet will tackle everything from home improvement to makeovers and celebrity homes. They will also look at condominium living, a new phenomenon that requires a lot of space planning.

The show will also feature Philippine interior and furniture designers.

"We want to tell people how much talent we have in this country," says Valdes.

Other features of the show include monthly makeovers, where a lucky family will have part of their home makeover; get that look, which will recreate part of a celebrity's home for less; design tips from Valdes; house agent, which will serve as a headhunter for the best home items and a section where Jovella will offer solutions when it comes to fixing or sprucing up the home. The latter would include instructions on how to repair a creaking door, troubleshoot in the bathroom and fix the kitchen.

For the first episode on Monday, Valdes visits the home of Dr. Vicki Belo in Makati. She says the "house that lipo built" holds many interesting pieces with equally interesting stories. Cristalle Henares, Belo's daughter, will give Valdes a room-to-room tour.

"The interiors are very well-crafted, reflecting the owner's fine taste," says Valdes.

Valdes will also visit one of Belo's clinics, which has a reception area that looks more like a hotel than a medical facility. The interior design was done by the show's host herself.

House Life also gets an exclusive coverage of Real Living Magazine's biggest house makeovers ever. From a rundown apartment, the RL team transformed the home into a chic abode.

The other designers will also get busy. Jovella will demonstrate how to refurbish an old chair while Aissa and Marilen scour Valdes' own house to find knick-knacks they can use for a safari-inspired table setting for a romantic dinner for two. Tasked with organizing the dinner at no extra cost, the team does a great job of coming up with a special but cost-effective set-up.

Source: Manila Standard Today