Ferdie Ong, in one of the home's mini theaters, demonstrates the features of the BeoVision LCD which is manufactured by Bang and Olufsen. (Photo by NOEL B. PABALATE)

MANILA, Philippines -- Normally, young bachelors who have the money to burn would opt live in a penthouse in one of the newer high-rise condos. But not Ferdie Ong, a successful businessman in his early 30s. He chose to live in a house. And it’s not just any house. His very first home is located in Forbes Park in Makati and it’s large enough for an entire family to live in. He could have bought a house in another neighborhood with a somewhat smaller cachet. But it was the Forbes residence that met his criteria.

“I needed a house that had a lot of space. It had to have spacious living areas and open grounds,” he says. “And it had to have a swimming pool.”

This house he chose couldn’t have been more spacious, especially for just one person. It’s a one-story affair that has a huge lawn, both in the front and in the rear. “The house was built in the 1950s,” he says. “It was one of the first to be built here.  The layout was fine but I wanted to have a modern house, with lots of glass walls, high ceilings and clean, simple lines.”

Ferdie hired esteemed Architect Ramon Antonio to help him turn the house into a modern “pad” fit for a young bachelor, or a Hollywood star. He says creating sleek, modern homes is Antonio’s forte.  Antonio also landscaped the minimalist garden and worked with Ferdie on the interiors. “The shell of the house is intact,” says Ferdie. “The layout is more or less still the same, but the look is entirely different.”

Light colors dominate the interiors. It’s a showcase of modern furniture and gadgetry. And being an L-shaped house, every room has a full view of the garden, which is accented by a few bamboo trees. Even the bedrooms that don’t face the garden have a view of the garden located on the eastern section of the property. Every room is equipped with glass sliding doors that open out to the garden.

The furniture in the house is imported from Europe. As it happens, Ferdie is the official distributor of the furniture in the living room, dining area, the pool area and the garden. Under his company Living Innovations, Ong imports the products of Minotti, which is based in Italy. An Engineering graduate (he at one want point wanted to take Architecture), Ferdie’s career has long been centered on home interiors. His parents were in the modular kitchen business and that’s where he first worked.  But he also liked the arts and he liked to travel and during one of his trips to Europe, he discovered Minotti.  He liked what the Italian company was producing and he decided to be the official importer of the brand. “I felt here in the Philippines, there were few brands of quality furniture to choose from.  I knew there was a market for this,” he says.

He opened a showroom at the Shangri-La Mall in Mandaluyong. His company later branched out to other upscale home interior products, all made in Europe ; from kitchen appliances (Gaggenau), kitchen counters and cabinets (Bulthaup), to home entertainment systems (Bang and Olufsen) and chandeliers and lamps (Barovier and Toso).

In fact, Ferdie’s house is a virtual showroom of the products he sells. Every furniture piece is by Minotti. The enormous LCD TV in the living room, which is equipped to show 3D movies, is by Bang and Olufsen, a Danish manufacturer. The kitchen is a showcase of Bulhaup cabinets and Gaggenau appliances.

“I did want the house to serve as a showroom of sort,” he says. “Clients, who don’t want to have to go to the mall to check out the merchandise, can visit my house here.” Such customers include high profile celebrities and those who live in Makati and don’t wish to brave the EDSA traffic to visit the showroom at Shangri-La Mall.

Ferdie himself is tired of having to drive all the way to Mandaluyong to work. He’s set up office in the house. His marketing staff and three designers report for work in this residence. He says it’s very convenient and because of the sheer size of the house, he says he doesn’t feel he’s lost any privacy. His own bedroom is his own private quarters but the other bedrooms are open for viewing. After all, these rooms also highlight the entertainment systems he’s presently distributing.

One room for instance, is a mini theater furnished with Minotti sofas, coffee tables and arm chairs and an LCD by Bang and Olufsen.  This mini theater would do James Bond proud, what with all the gadgetry. The system includes a remote control that operates the TV, DVD player, BeoLab speakers, the blinds and even the lighting system. No wires are visible as it’s the mission of Ferdie’s designers to conceal anything in the system that might make the room look cluttered.

“We at Living Innovations can build this kind of room in any house,” says Ferdie. “We install the equipment, the wiring. It’s always best for a client to work with us while he’s still doing the plans for the house. But we still can install a mini theater in any existing home.”

Despite all the gadgetry and priceless accessories, the Ferdie Ong residence doesn’t look ostentatious. Credit his taste for subdued elegance; the house is a showcase but it’s also a relaxing home to be in. “Prior to moving into this house, I was one guy who liked to go out and party every night,” he says. “And this place is just right between The Fort and Ayala Center. Yet now that I have this house, I never feel like going out anymore. I just want to enjoy it. I’m more of a homebody now. Even my friends aren’t interested in partying anywhere else. They just also want to be here.”

For inquiries, contact Living Innovations Corporation at Tel. No. 830-2230.