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MIS Capitol Bataan
BATAAN, Philippines -- Balanga, capital of Bataan province, is a busy, bustling city. It feels just like an extension of Metro Manila, because everything is accessible here. The night life is lively yet the city is never crowded and traffic is non-existent. In fact, it takes just a short drive to the outskirts of Balanga for one to enjoy Bataan’s beautiful and often dramatic-looking natural landscape.
Restaurants and bars are aplenty in this city and visitors have a choice of trying out the affordable turo-turo outlets or the more cosmopolitan bars and cafes. In one of the quieter sections of the city is a cafe called Blue House. It’s located on a picturesque, tree-lined street, which is just a five minute drive from the city plaza. It’s an ideal address since after all; Blue House looks as pretty as a picture. The structure that houses the main cafe occupies just a small portion of the landscaped lot. In fact, the front lawn takes up more space than the house itself. The garden is filled with colorful flowers that accent both the main house and a gazebo. The style is American colonial, and the exterior is painted in blue, of course.
The effect of the place is ethereal and fairytale-like. This is a house that could attract the likes of Hansel and Gretel, and Goldilocks as well. All this prettiness has made Blue House one of the top attractions of Balanga. The charming design comes courtesy of the owners’ daughter, Jasmine Mariano. An interior designer, she says she was inspired by the American clapboard homes she had stayed in when the Marianos lived in the suburbs of New Jersey. “My brother and I stayed in New Jersey for a year, and one of the houses we lived in looked similar to this blue house,” she says.
The interiors also follow the traditional American look, with lots of recycled wood used for tables and accents. But customers also love having their coffee in the garden, under a trellis or under a huge tree, or in the gazebo, which all make a romantic setting.
Born in Balanga, Jasmine is a graduate of the Philippine School for Interior Design. When she commenced her career is a designer, she became a champion of the modern, minimalist look. She was a believer in the all-white and all-glass house, she says. Yet eventually, she lost her passion for contemporary designs and focused on the more traditional styles. “Traditional has a richer look. It has character and personality. It’s hard to express the personality of a homeowner when you go for the modern look. You also feel limited with the things you can do or add,” she says.
When Jasmine designed the house, it wasn’t originally intended to be a coffee shop. It was an office at first. Her mother, Brenda Mariano, is a real estate broker and she needed a base where she could meet with clients. Jasmine also needed the office for similar reasons. Her mother Brenda Mariano says, “When we planned the office, we wanted a place that would attract attention or feel inviting. It had to be a place that could charm our clients. It helps us win them over!”
Jasmine chose to paint the house blue as it happens to be her mother’s favorite color. “And people often use safe colors for their homes. I wanted to make a statement so I chose a bold color. It would be noticeable and it would complement the landscape design I had in mind,” says she.
People did take notice and this helped Jasmine expand her client base. “I had to make the Blue House look very attractive, because I wanted to stress the importance of interior design in home building,” says she. “Often, in the provinces, people are not aware of what interior design is about. People may have the budget to build an expensive house, yet they don’t have the ability to create a beautiful home. It’s usually a hodgepodge of the styles they like.”
Because of Blue House, many residents of Balanga are learning to appreciate the work of an interior designer like Jasmine. People would go to the premises just to have their pictures taken. It was becoming a tourist spot of sort. This compelled the Marianos to open it up to the public. They did so by turning their office into a coffee shop. It helped that they happen to be avid coffee drinkers. Jasmine’s brother Michael picked up a lot of coffee recipes from New Jersey and in no time at all, Blue House opened.
Jasmine says the name actually came from the folks who liked to visit the house when it was still an office. Says she: “They just referred to it ‘that blue house.’ So we just adopted the name!”
Contact Blue House at (047) 612-1406.
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