The celebrated Filipina painter Anita Magsaysay-Ho was noted for her cubist, socio-realist paintings of beautiful, strong, and happy women in Philippine settings.
So it isn’t any surprise that the woman of the house is an avid collector of Magsaysay-Ho’s works–a strong woman, at that. She called on Grace Moslares of Magara Designs to style her condo, which she shares as a halfway home with her husband. All the decorator had to do was dig through her client’s extensive collection of paintings, sculptures, and furnishings that were all just in storage.
“The owners had such a huge collection of artwork, furniture, and antiques, all we really added to this condo unit were the window treatments and soft furnishings,” Grace admits. “It was just a matter of picking and styling the items. My intention here was for the Magsaysay-Ho paintings to be the focal point in the entire home.”
To let the magnificent paintings shine, the decorator focused on soft, darker shades of gray, teal, and eggplant to offset the warmth of the artwork. Selected personal antique furniture and ceramics, plus simple woven rugs were then added to complete the look.
In all, it was an interesting project for this decorator, not only because of the art, but because of the fact that you can put together something fantastic with what you have on hand.
Follow Grace Moslares on Instagram @magaradesigns.
Rachelle Medina 