Affordable Alternative Materials for Luxurious House Designs

For most Filipinos, how a house looks could equate to how much was spent on it but actually, Philippine house design and cost aren’t necessarily equivocal. There are materials that you can’t put a price on because of how uncompromising their qualities are. Some of these include nara wood, mason bricks, marble, and more. These materials are expensive for a reason; they are sturdy, uncommon & hard to harness or create, and have very good long-term value. 

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Regardless of your desired house design in the Philippines, there’s a way to make it work even on a tight budget. You can opt for materials that have a lower cost (and marginally lower, but not bad quality) and still be able to have that terrace you’ve always wanted or guest room that can wow any of your neighbors.

Alternative to Wood

When it comes to cheaper alternative wood material, it would be great to only consider it for walls and ceilings because the best quality alternative material for hardwoods is plywood. Don’t let the thin piece of material think twice. Plywood is actually very sturdy but because of how thin it is, it’s best not used as flooring like other desirable hardwoods.

wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood

Alternative to Stone

Especially because of the climate that the Philippines has, houses that are purely made of just wood isn’t recommended. There has to be stone and cement. When it comes to creating house designs in the Philippines, an almost irreplaceable component are hollow blocks. They are cheap to buy, easy to use, and are perfect heavy duty but still breathable material to construct houses with that can withstand bad rainfall as well as smelting hot seasons.

Alternative Flooring

Some luxurious houses in the Philippines will have hardwood for floor, completely shined and waterproofed. They could have terraces with scratchproof marble or granite that totally pulls the whole look of the house design together. You can get the same aesthetic effect at a lesser cost with ceramic tiles. Whether wood or stone designs, you can find a ceramic tile that looks like its original counterpart. 

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When starting your house design, don’t go easy on how ambitious you want it to look even if you are constructing on a tight budget. These cheaper alternatives to more expensive materials in the Philippines can still ably and reliably get your house plans through.

6 Indigenous Materials for your Contemporary Filipino Home Design

Even in the modern age where we can make houses from foreign materials imported to the country, the climate, topography, and overall tropical aesthetic begs that home design in the Philippines center on or at least incorporate indigenous materials. Not only are they cheap but they’re well suited to the country’s conditions as well to its overall aesthetic.

Abaca

We start off this list with panitikang Pilipino’s (Filipino literature’s) first letters, A-Ba-Ca! The abaca is known to be made into ropes, but in recent years, it’s used for decorative fixtures. It can also be woven into fabric and affixed to frames to create furniture. Abaca is also anti-bacterial.

Rattan

Rattan is highly pliable strands of palm that are woven together to create decorations and furniture. It’s very breathable, light, but also sturdy.

[http://yamakawa-rattan.com]

Molave

It’s known to be the hardest locally available wood used for construction. Molave is strong but is also lightweight, so it’s ideal for most construction uses. Because it is smooth to the touch, it adds a balanced and delicate aesthetic to your home design to make your house in the Philippine classy yet modern.

Coconut Shell

Coconut shells are a nice alternative material for decorations and other basic home items. They’re lightweight, cheap, and hard albeit not as pliable. They’re great for dining and kitchen utensils and other miscellaneous fixtures like lamps and ashtrays.

Capiz

Capiz is not very cheap, but it is very beautiful. Aside from being used for lamps, it can also be elaborately used for Colonial Spanish styled sliding windows or Japanese tatami styled doors.

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Bamboo

Of course, no truly Filipino inspired home design can be without bamboo. In the Philippines, bamboo is the primary material for native houses called bahay kubo. A big portion of the house can be made out of bamboo—actually, you can make the whole house out of it. It’s versatile, strong, but also breathable and cheap.

Build your Philippine Home: Design Phase

One of the biggest Filipino dreams is to be able to make a home design and build it. To some, this sounds complicated, and when you consider the fact that you have to create blueprints, floor plans, and get certificates and permits, it might also look complicated.


But in reality, it doesn’t have to be that complicated. Building your own house isn’t very hard, and in this article, we discuss beginning your home design in the Philippines.

Plan it out on paper

First, you have to plan it out. And not just in your mind. Look for target locations and actual lots for sale. It would also be better if you have a purchased lot already so you'll have the measure of the land where you can base your design.


To get started, list the main rooms (bed, kitchen, bath, dining, and living room) and then list down additional rooms you want plus the key features (lofted bedrooms, walk-in dressers, al fresco dining, etc.). Top it all off with the design aspect (Victorian style, Traditional Filipino, Modern, etc.), make a hand-drawn draft that you can show an expert, and you’ve got yourself a solid home concept.

Consult with reliable people

You aren’t an architect. But in case you are, it’s unlikely that you are also an engineer. In the unlikely chance that you are both of them, we’re going to bet that you aren’t a contractor. Point is: you need other people, particularly experts, to help make your home design in the Philippines turned into an actual house.


Consult with an architect about making your design concept come true as well as how to economize the space to make it happen. Talk to an engineer to learn what is possible and what is farfetched—not because you think it can happen means that physics is going to let it happen. And talk to an accountant or a previous homeowner to get you expert referrals as well as to help you keep your budget in check.

Design & Refine

Your architect is most likely to create a 3D model of your home. Look well into this so that you can pitch in changes before construction begins. Remember that a change you want to implement a step too late may no longer be possible when a physical change to the land start to happen to make your home design in the Philippines come true. Also, like previously mentioned, in as much as you are suggesting an improvement, be open to the possibility of making compromises on your previous design.



And you have a plan ready! Congrats, you’ve succeeded in the first part of making your home happen. Next time, we’ll talk about the other phases of building your home.

Ergonomic Home Design Ideas for Philippine Houses

Let’s face it, affordable homes in the Philippines mean that you are paying less but also for less space. One of the key factors that we are constantly addressing when it comes to Filipino housing is that albeit the prices are reasonably affordable for the average Filipino worker, the house is usually only big enough to support families of at most three.


But even if your home isn’t very big, a little idea can go a long way so we try to wrap up some home design ideas and improvement concepts that you can use on a quaint home to be able to make the most out of it.

Expandable/Dividable Rooms

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Let’s say you have a home, and because of space constraints, the rooms that are supposed to be apart are a little too together—what do you do? Also, what if you have space, say, a living room or a kitchen that goes on way too long and some of the space can be used for something else—what do you do? You use dividers. Dividers help you separate a room at a low cost but not only that, it helps you make two rooms become one in case you need extra space for guests or when doing activities.

Utility Trolleys

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Utility trolleys aren’t necessarily a change you implement on your home space, but they are a very viable instrument you can use to help get around more easily, as well as help you maximize your home design in the Philippines. You can use utility trolleys to carry similar items around that you frequently use like cleaning supplies, cooking items, or workshop and automobile parts & tools.

Trailer Home

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Nothing says ergonomic more than having a comfy movable home. The only downside with a trailer home is that it can’t be expanded on its own. But basically, the world is your backyard when you live in a moving van. And if you want extra space, then, how about converting a truck into a house?


There are plenty more ways to maximize small living spaces for different home designs in the Philippines. It’s more up to make sure you go for designs that are both intuitive and useful for your purposes.