The living room appears to have an asymmetrical setup, and the purple sofa had to be customized to fit into the condo unit’s asymmetrical walls. Iya had the sofa done at the Orient Deco Furniture (184 San Ramon Street, San Angelo Subdivision, Sto. Domingo, Angeles City). The abstract painting above the sofa is a gift from her boyfriend, TV host Drew Arellano. “Wala nang space sa bahay ni Drew, so he gave that to me,” says Iya. “I guess, bumagay lang sa place.”
The chandelier above the dining table was purchased at Dexterton, a furniture store that carries high-end brands such as Il Loft by Giorgio Saporiti and Malnati Italia by Carlo Malnati. It has showrooms in Quezon City (157 Sgt. E. Rivera Street) and Makati City (Lepanto Building, 8747 Paseo de Roxas).
Iya had almost every piece of furniture custom-made. “We got it all made to fit the place. When we go out kasi to buy, masyadong malaki, masyadong maliit—so ’pinagawa na lang namin.”
Gina Bocar, who painted the colorful walls, did the aboriginal-style wall painting in the guests’ powder room. The painting reflects Iya’s Australian roots. “Gina had a book of paintings like this, and this was the one that we wanted,” Iya says. “One, ’cause it’s kinda aboriginal. And Aussie I guess.”
This terrace became the subject of a makeover segment of ABS-CBN’s At Home Ka Dito, hosted by Charlene Gonzalez. Mommy Ellen says the terrace used to be bare. The makeover gave it a design in keeping with the condo’s resthouse ambiance.
Iya says she wants to learn how to cook, but her hectic schedule does not give her the time to do that. Although she spent her growing-up years in Australia, she’s still as Filipino as can be. One of her favorite snacks, for instance, is turon.
Perhaps the most “artsy” item in Iya’s place is this sculpture of a huge, metallic guitar by sculptor/musician Lirio Salvador. The artwork is called Sandata ni Juan. Lirio is part of the Elemento band, which plays experimental music using instruments that he makes from materials around him, such as bicycle chainrings, steel plates, and kitchen gear. It was love at first sight for Iya when she saw this: “I’ve never really wanted to buy art, but this was different.”
The Myx VJ can’t live without her jeans, sandos, and shoes, as this closet reveals. Mommy Ellen is not sure how many shoes are in this closet. She admits, “Marami pang nakatago.”
Iya has a tiny “pet” in her living room—a plastic crocodile. She and boyfriend Drew Arellano went to a Halloween party dressed up as Terri and the late Steve Irwin, cable television’s famous crocodile hunters. So Iya and Drew bought two toy crocs. “He has one, and I have one,” she says. Both of their plastic crocs are named Jograt.
This balcony is connected to Iya’s room—“so I feel like it’s part of my room,” she says. She considers the balcony and her room her sanctuary. The view from here isn’t bad, either. “I wanted the balcony, I wanted the view,” Iya says.
