The ravishing Lorna Tolentino with her boys: (form left to right) Mark Anthony, Rudy Fernandez, Renz, and Raphe. LT says she's not treated at all like a princess at home: "Ano ka, one of the boys ang turing nila sa akin! Kung minsan, yaya."

In the White Plains home that Rudy Fernandez and Lorna Tolentino have shared for 23 years now, the living room maintains a clean color scheme with simple yet relaxing hue: white, cream, mocha.

Lorna says the colors were basically chosen by her friend Rene Orosa, an interior design based in the U.S. The furniture and accessories in this room are sourced from Old Asia an Mediore.

YES! helps LT add a few more decorative pieces for the house which has been renovated five times. The abaca carpet Triple A is an addition. And so are the glass vases and the floral arrangement. The recently acquired chandelier is made from alabaster.

"Mas maganda siya ngayon, says Rudy of the house. The tall but chunky wooden center table in the living room is one of the original pieces here. "Paborito 'yan ni Lorna," he adds. "Matagal na 'yan, e."

Painting by Tarn Austria adorn this wall.

LT is always on the lookout for new home ideas. "Mahilig siyang magpaayos ng bahay," says Rudy, in what might be the understatement of the year.

LT herself says she had planned to overhaul the White Plains home into a transparent all-glass structure: "Maganda 'yong open lang na puro glass, 'tapos kita lahat 'yong dining. Ganoon ang gusto ko," But the architect of the house, Me-Ann Alvarado, objected. "Maawa ka, LT," Me-Ann said. "Mag-build ka na lang ng bago."

But LT isn't keen on moving, since most of their relatives have been living in White Plains for so long. "Isipin mo, ha? Mommy ko, nasa Joey Lane Street. Relatives ni Rudy, sa Derby. So, dito na talaga kami ever since. So, wala na, hindi mo na talaga maiaalis pag nakasanayan mo na."

The couple's acting awards are neatly displayed on this console table in the den. But what stands out among the awards is a trophy from the Asian Film Festival, circa 1956. It was awarded to Rudy's father, the late Dr. Gregorio Fernandez.

An underrated writer-director today, Yoyong Fernandez was—along with National Artists Gerry de Leon and Lamberto V. Avellana—one of the leading filmmakers of his era, now known as the First Golden Age of Philippine Cinema. He won his best-director trophy for his masterpiece, Higit sa Lahat, starring Rogelio de la Rosa. He also directed a little-known film called Sampung Libong Pag-ibig, starring Charito Solis and Eddie Rodriguez and introducing a new actor named Jose Ejercito—now better known as Joseph Estrada.

The den can be called the most pristine part of the house. A favorite of LT's is an oriental drum that poses as a center table. The room has a cork ceiling. As it is in the living room, the pieces here are from Muebles Italiano and Old Asia.

Another shot of the den from a different angle.

Daboy's favorite artwork is the portrait of LT painted by Danny Dalena. This was commissioned for the Romy Suzara film Uod at Rosas (1982), in which Johnny Delgado played the painter who supposedly did the portrait. Another priceless piece hanging in the den is a painting by National Artist H.R. Ocampo.

The dining area is a simple and unfussy space occupied by a long table and a china cabinet. "Nagsa-suggest lang ako, pero si Lorna ang nasusunod," says Rudy on decorating their home. "Pinapabayaan ko muna siya sa gusto niya. Kung minsan, kumokontra din 'pag hindi ko type 'yong ipapalit niya. Sasabihin ko. Parang hindi yata bagay.'" The pieces in this room are from the high-end furniture stores Muebles Italiano and Old Asia.

Lorna Tolentino started as a child star. Rudy Fernandez began acting when he was a teenager. She was seven years old and he was 17 when they first met at the LVN studios. LT recalls that Rudy told her uncle that he would court her when she got older. They first made a movie together—Leap Year Ngayon, Pipikutin Kita—when LT was 14 and Daboy was 24. Nine years later, in 1983, they got married in secret civil rites in Nueva Ecija. She was 23, he was 33. In 1992, they married again in a religious ceremony at the Villa Escudero in Tiaong, Quezon.

Daboy can't help but share more funny anecdotes about his past illness. "A few days after the operation, ayaw bumaba ng fever ko, nasa 39 degrees. "Yong general check-up, okey lahat, so good news 'yon. The bad news, sabi ng doctor: 'We don't know where the fever comes from.' May nagbiro, baka kulam. So one time, nagdala na si Lorna ng palaspas, hinahampas na 'ko." He laughs heartily at the memory. "No'ng isang beses, sa shower naman. Sobrang init ng ibinuhos ni Lorna sa 'kin! Sabi niya, 'Tama 'yan, baka nga kasi kinukulam ka!'"

Lorna in the master bedroom, where the centerpieces are another H.R. Ocampo painting and a mirror covering half the wall at the head of the bed.

(From left to right) Raphe, 22; Renz, 20; Rudy; and Mark, 27. Rudy describes his sons: "'Yong mga anak ko? Mahiyain sa umpisa, 'tapos 'pag naging ka-close mo na, madaldal na, gano'n."

Renz, 20, is taking up psychology at St. Paul's University in Quezon City. "Si Renz, start siya ulit ngayon sa first year, kasi hindi na-credit 'yong mga nakuha niya sa ibang school," LT says. Renz's room is a sparsely furnished blue-colored space.

Renz's room.

Raphe's room.

Says Daboy of Raphe and Renz, his sons with LT: "Mabait 'yang dalawang 'yan." As for Mark Anthony, his son with Alma Moreno: "Mabait din 'yang batang 'yan. Ang naging problema lang niya, 'yong pagda-drugs niya before. Pero without the drugs, napakabait na bata ni Mark."

Rudy says the White Plains house-and-lot was bought in 1983 for P1.3 million. The cost of renovation—P700,000—was more than half of the original selling price.

"Matagal na 'yan," says Rudy of the backyard pool. The poolside bathroom combines the raw (stones under the sink) and the modern (fixtures).

The two-story, three-bedroom house rests on a 900-square-meter lot. "'Yong original nasa 450, 'yong extension another 450," says Rudy. "Actually lease sa amin 'yong extension. Mahal bilhin."