The restful garden area of the Nurture Spa in Tagaytay City. (Photo by JC VALENCIA)

It’s a dream that most stressed-out city denizens have—that of having a spa in their homes.  However, the cost of creating peaceful and convivial surroundings that can double as a place for rejuvenation is certainly something that’s simply out of reach for most ordinary folks.  But is it?

Perhaps, one can take a cue from Nurture Spa in Tagaytay City.  The establishment recently gave the press a preview of its facilities and although its surroundings are first-rate, it is nonetheless home-y enough and simple enough to be easily replicated in most homes.

Located at one of the rural barangays of Tagaytay, the place  is surprisingly compact, with its land area not exceeding a hectare.  The rolling terrain probably made construction a bit difficult for the owners, thus necessitating the building of clusters of accommodations instead of one big easily-managed structure.  Hence, the distinction between spa suites (the rooms located at the main building), the forest view rooms, garden view rooms, and perhaps the most popular of all, the Heritage (Igorot) huts—all of which are separated by landscaped gardens lush with greenery that only the climate of Tagaytay can induce to grow.

Anyway, all the accommodations, with the exception of the Heritage (Igorot) huts, have the same design sensibility.  Hence, the rooms have walls painted with light colors, with furnishings of rough-hewn wood.  Curtains are at a minimum but gauzy fabrics (reminiscent of traditional mosquito nets made in Batangas) are used most noticeably around the beds.  No doubt, the use of these fabrics can easily create a spa-like atmosphere, considering that the slightest breeze can make them sway languidly—thus adding to the peaceful effect that the rooms aspire to.

With regards to the furnishings, rough-hewn furniture is the norm in lieu of the overly worked and sculpted furnishings most Filipinos are accustomed to. Although it is safe to say that the furnishings were made according to specifications, the pieces are definitely rustic and in fact, can be easily bought along the roadside furniture shops that line the roads leading to Tagaytay (most especially the Silang-Sta. Rosa road).

The rooms likewise have an oriental-like feel to it because of the use of design accents that evoke an Eastern sensibility.  However, these are kept to a minimum, with native designs easily gaining the upper hand when it comes to an overall look.

Almost all the rooms have views of greenery—either natural, like the surrounding forests of Tagaytay, or Nurture Spa’s landscaped gardens.  Greenery in this sense not only softens the rooms’ surroundings but likewise create a clean and hygienic environment conducive for relaxation.  (Some plants have natural anti-microbial properties aside from air cleansing properties).

All in all, Nurture Spa’s rooms are simple and elegant, not necessarily resort-like in look, but one that even a city denizen can easily create—even in the polluted and stressful environment of the city.