LAGUNA, Philippines — For more than four decades, legendary Filipino fashion designer Patis Tesoro has transformed a modest bahay kubo in Laguna into a vibrant creative sanctuary where fashion, art, sustainability and nature exist side by side.
What began as a weekend retreat for Tesoro and her late husband, Tito, gradually expanded into a colourful compound featuring her private home, guest spaces, workshops, a store and a bed-and-breakfast.
Today, the property reflects the same fearless creativity that made Tesoro one of the Philippines’ most distinctive fashion pioneers.
A Home That Grew With Time
Unlike homes designed around a rigid master plan, Tesoro’s Laguna sanctuary evolved naturally over the years.
Her approach was inspired by traditional Filipino architecture, where spaces can grow and expand according to the needs and resources of the people living in them.
The result is a place that feels layered with memories, colour and personality.
Every corner tells a different story — and almost nothing feels purely decorative.
From unusual door handles to recycled ceramic and metal vases, Tesoro has filled the property with objects that reflect her life, imagination and love for collecting.
Escaping the Concrete for Nature
Tesoro’s decision to build a life closer to nature was deeply personal.
After decades spent in Manila, she longed for cleaner air and a stronger connection with the natural environment.
Her Laguna property allowed her to explore a more environmentally conscious way of living, including principles associated with permaculture.
Rather than relying entirely on intensive planting, she has embraced the idea of allowing indigenous crops and trees to grow within their natural ecosystem, including fruits such as lansones and guava.
For Tesoro, nature is not simply part of the landscape. It is part of how the entire property lives and grows.
Where Indoors and Outdoors Blur Together
The sanctuary also reflects Tesoro’s appreciation for Southeast Asian design traditions.
The boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces are deliberately softened, allowing fresh air, natural surroundings and decorative elements to interact.
Guest areas feature hand-painted walls inspired by nature, with images ranging from flowers in decorative vases to branches filled with foliage and fruit.
Intricate dividers featuring peacock motifs add another layer of visual detail while helping allow the cool Laguna breeze to move through the interiors.
The spaces are colourful and expressive — but they are also designed to respond to the local environment.
Ocean Waves on the Ceiling
One of Tesoro’s favourite features inside her private quarters is a hand-painted ceiling mural inspired by ocean waves.
The mural originally came from her former home in San Juan and was brought into her Laguna sanctuary as a way of preserving a personal memory.
The result brings movement and colour overhead, turning the ceiling into one of the home’s most dramatic artistic elements.
It also captures Tesoro’s approach to design:
Nothing has to stay in its original place if it can be reimagined somewhere new.
Bamboo, Recycled Objects and Sustainable Design
Sustainability appears throughout the property in unexpected ways.
The dining area includes a candelabra made using bamboo available on the grounds, while recycled materials have been transformed into decorative objects.
Tesoro’s design philosophy embraces reuse rather than perfection.
One of the most striking examples can be found outside her private quarters, where different-patterned Machuca tiles cover the space.
Instead of rejecting mismatched discounted tiles, Tesoro arranged them into what she described as a carpet-like composition, creating a courtyard with the visual energy of a patchwork quilt.
What others might consider imperfections became part of the design.
More Than a Home — A Creative Community
The Laguna property is not simply a private retreat.
Beyond Tesoro’s residence are workshops, a store displaying textiles and guest accommodations.
Over the years, the compound has become a gathering place for artists, creatives and visitors from different backgrounds.
Tesoro also hosts discussions and symposiums involving artists of different ages, reflecting her belief that creativity should be shared rather than kept behind closed doors.
Her choice to live within a barangay was also intentional.
She values the opportunity to build friendships with people from different communities and backgrounds, believing those connections bring new energy to the place.
A Sanctuary Built Around Creativity
Tesoro envisions the Laguna property as a space that encourages people to make, experiment and create.
Her work has always extended beyond fashion, and the sanctuary reflects that wider creative spirit.
Art appears in the architecture.
Fashion appears in the textiles.
Nature appears in the gardens.
Sustainability appears in reused materials.
And personal memories appear almost everywhere.
The result is a home that feels less like a finished project and more like a living artwork that continues to evolve.
The Bottom Line
Patis Tesoro’s vibrant Laguna sanctuary is a reflection of a lifetime spent celebrating Filipino creativity, craftsmanship, nature and individuality.
Over more than 40 years, a simple bahay kubo has grown into a colourful creative community filled with workshops, guest spaces, art, textiles and sustainable design ideas.
From hand-painted ceilings and bamboo creations to recycled objects and patchwork-inspired tiles, the property proves that a home does not need to follow a strict formula to feel meaningful.
For Tesoro, the most beautiful spaces are not necessarily the most perfect ones — they are the spaces filled with memory, imagination, nature and the freedom to keep creating something new.
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