Call me old school or even nostalgic but I’d still prefer to build a house that is inspired by the houses that were built in the 1800’s here in the Philippines.  I’d prefer living in these kinds of houses compared to a condominium.  Why?  It’s because these houses were built with a lot of creativity and dedication from the carpenters who built them.  And even love if I may use the word.  This is because the houses built in that era are very detailed.  They have intricate designs even on the ceilings and they’re very cost effective. They use lesser amount of electricity since the carpenters then have carved holes into the wood that they used for the ceiling and the upper portion of the walls which let the air circulate in the house.

The doors and windows are big which let the light enter the house.  And the walls underneath the windows can be moved so that more air can go in and out the house.  It has a spacious living room for entertaining the guests, a patio and an azutea (a balcony) if you like watching life pass you by, and a mini court yard where you can sit and relax.  How these houses are built is just one of the influences that the Spaniards have brought to the Philippines.  I think you can still see this kind of houses in Spain and even in Mexico.  But I guess only a few people can afford to build them for it is really hard to find good wood like Narra and Yakal these days.   If ever you’ll be able to find some, it will be a bit expensive.  I guess using alternatives for wood will be a good idea.  For my house, I’ll probably install Kenneth and Mocks windows and doors.  Since it’s made of glass, I can install a sliding door so that I can see the fountain or the tree that I will be planting in the mini courtyard in the middle of the house.  Then I’ll use MatWood tiles for my floor since old houses use wood for the floors and MatWood has tiles that looks like wood.