Catriona Gray describes what’s inside her dream home ‘pundar’
MANILA, Philippines — It has been three years since Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, her family’s breadwinner, has ticked off another item in her bucket list: to have her own dream home!
“Oh, sobrang saya! It’s been three years na, so very, very happy!” she told Philstar.com about her condo, which she calls "Casa De Gray," in Pasig City.
“This is my first home that I ever owned and been done up to my visions,” she enthused.
She could not wait, she said, to have in her home all the five pieces in her first ever furniture collection she designed in collaboration with Pampanga-based furniture company Genteelhome.
“I’m very, very happy because I’m such a colorful person! If you see inside my home, ang daming colors talaga, kaya I’m really happy to see that it’s really reflected on the pieces,” she said.
When she designed her collection, Catriona considered how well these can fit in her dream house.
“I was thinking, what were really the pieces that add value to me, that I really use? That I feel like have a purpose, hindi lang s’ya pretty pero functional din s’ya. That’s how I thought of it.”
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According to her, her collection is a perfect fit for her home because her house is somewhat a museum of locally-made furniture.
“(My house is) very colorful! My taste is bold and eclectic. So I have a lot of different colors and mostly locally produced and sourced furniture.”
Included in her collection is the Mayon Lounge Chair, a two-piece lounge chair and ottoman set, inspired by the lava flows of Mayon Volcano. Its warm pink and orange hues pay homage to the designer’s mother’s childhood memories of Mayon’s fiery eruptions in Bicol. The curves reflect the natural ebb and flow of molten lava, exuding passion, power, and homecoming.
“The Mayon is very significant to me. And even to my mother, so to have a piece that reflects my vibrancy and the curves, the shape of the lava there, is really special to me as well,” explained Catriona, who has also become iconic because of her Miss Universe “Lava Walk” with a matching Mayon-inspired gown.
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If she could extend her collection, she would love to add dining chairs and tables “because in my own home, the dining table is such an anchor. I have my family over, my friends come over, all our kuwentuhan, our game nights, everything, happens on the dining table, we got all our food. So I really appreciate the value of the dining table so much.”
While she had her own dream home in mind when she first designed the collection, she also wants those who would buy her furniture to be part of her design journey.
“Kaya may bookshelf ako kasi I love bookshelves, you can make it even for even your dining ware… Or you can make it your books, your plants, you can make it anything you really want. Each piece sana can be seen in anyone’s home, no matter what work they have or what their aesthetic is. I feel like the pieces can find a place there.” — Video by Deni Bernardo; video editing by Chyna Merin
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