Given his mastery of reimagining classic Filipino elements and fashioning them into modern home furnishings, furniture designer Jed Yabut’s home, unsurprisingly, exemplifies how rooting one’s style in tradition need not come out as dated or predictable.
Surrounded by wood furnishings with warm tones and raw stone flooring, this Homestyle visit begins with the genkan (anteroom)—the room where, Yabut explains, "people take off their shoes and put on their room shoes.” With an entryway as carefully planned as his, it is clear that this is a home that keeps Asian values at heart.
Jed Yabut’s four-story house was retrofitted after its initial purchase in 2021. A product of the 2020s, where we saw the meteoric rise of more streamlined architecture and minimalist neutral interiors, the property was initially outfitted with “safer” shiny white floors and plain ceramic and marble bathrooms. Under Yabut’s discerning eye, however, this home underwent a personal transformation. While many homes are renovated to become more modern, this one was designed to echo more of the past.
“Everything you will see in this house is a collection of things I designed, things I found in old houses, things I’ve seen in vintage thrift shops, and things we have had for generations,” he shares.
From the receiving room’s mindfully chosen Vigan tiles to the lush Banig lounge chair designed by Yabut himself, the homestyle encapsulates a vibe that is indeed very eclectic and very modern Filipino. Inside, Yabut showcases a genuine glass buoy from pre-war Batanes next to an unpolished slate coffee table found during a trip to Bulacan—a testament to local craftsmanship.
01 - Karie Bedside Table Lamp Shade, 02 - Elephant with Ancient Man Figurine Display, 03 - Yellow Starburst Large Pillowcase, 04 - Twilight Metal and Fabric Chair, 05 - Cubico Marina Rust Standard Metal Side Table, 06 - Vanilla Stripes Large Pillowcase
Adjacent to the living room is the powder room, where dark, distressed walls create an almost cavernous ambiance. It is also where a large Hollywood-style vanity mirror and an angular, rusted metal pedestal lie in place of your typical ceramic sink. Grittier than the rest of the space, its distinct lived-in nature grounds it back into the home’s overall theme.
Moving back to the living area, Yabut ushers us into his favorite part of the home—his pocket garden. Originally a sliding glass door that led out to the yard, the space is now closed off with a textured rock wall, select greenery, and an oversized driftwood log from the rainforests of Quezon.
A novel take on bringing the outside in, this pocket garden allows rainwater to come from its open ceiling. “So when there’s rain during the day or in the evening, this place becomes like a cascading waterfall.”
Next to this pocket garden are feature walls. Rather than opting for more conventional art, Yabut chose to anchor balusters from ancestral homes in Pampanga. Said feature walls bookmark the dining area, which was originally part of the house’s exterior space. In its present form, the dining area is a closed-off interior space that features Yabut’s own 10-seater Tinikling dining table.
07 - Halo Design Radix-8 Pendant Lamp, 08 - The Pacifier Mixed Media Painting, 09 - Kantennah Leather Accent Chair, 10 - Oyster Bronze Round Metal Side Table, 11 - Ilang Ilang At Iba Pa Mixed Media Floral Painting, 12 - Salina Teak Leather Chair, 13 - Bilao Chair, 14 - Amika 10-Seater Dining Table
A few feet away is the breakfast café nook, a moody spot with hanging plants and featured Yabut designs. Jed Yabut’s interior embraces how time ages, influences, and gives character to everything it touches. This is evident in the flooring, which is made of aged and polished concrete. “Now, it has so many scratches and lots of cracks,” he explains. “But that makes up the character of the room.”
In the kitchen, a large wooden countertop and island sit atop a stone base. Made of brass panels and complemented by a suspended ceiling, each section was carefully treated to give it a more lived-in appearance. The stone veneers that make up the backsplash also give off a time-worn aesthetic. “I’m not a very modern person where everything has to be polished,” Yabus shares. “I want it to be very rough, I need it to be very natural and organic.”
The console corner next to the staircase holds a distinct vintage charm. In it lies an old heirloom console table revamped with new Oriental wood accents. Atop this sit a Sri Lankan tapestry and a pre-loved glass table lamp from Manila.
15 - Umaga ng Pamimili India Ink on Abaca Paper, 16 - Tindero ng Mani India Ink on Abaca Paper, 17 - Timid Smile India Ink on Abaca Paper, 18 - Kapa Rattan Ceiling Lamp, 19 - Untitled Acrylic Painting on Canvas, 20 - Calauag Wooden Bench, 21 - Sonya Wooden Console Table, 22 - Malabulak Sculpted Blossom Lamp, 23 - Rhythm in Lapiz Azuli Mixed Media Painting, 24 - Book Case II
Up on the landing sits a Yabut Bugkos bench made of adobe stone, while next to a Jed Yabut Kapa pendant lamp and another personally designed wooden bookshelf are a portal frame and balusters that feature a Gabaldon school window that masks a more modern window underneath. Adding color to the neutral space, a Belegal painting of Palarong Pinoy is mounted nearby, next to a brightly-hued teal door made of capiz shells and sampaguita-decorated glass tiles.
On this same floor are the master bedroom and bath. Having lived in Tokyo for a spell, Yabut says this space features Filipino-Japanese aesthetics. True enough, stepping into the master bathroom feels like stepping into an onsen—but with Filipino flair. For his storage, Yabut designed symmetrical wooden cabinets that match the rest of the room’s cream and wood color scheme. A lover of local materials, the baseboards are topped with dark yakal panels.
25 - Bekker Bedside Table Lamp Shade, 26 - Ava Solid Wood King Size Bed, 27 - Sapling Bark Small Pillowcase, 28 - Brown Stripes Pillowcase, 29 - Concealed Mixed Media Painting, 30 - Stilletto Dark Wood Side Table, 31 - Hulma Dreams Avery 8" 3-pc Bed Linen Set, 32 - Golden Stripes Boudoir Pillowcase, 33 - Pica Pillow Brown Lumbar Pillow
While the tiles in the majority of the space are ceramic with a wood-inspired finish, the shower room is starkly fitted with plain white tiles—a clear nod to more minimal Japanese styles. The Jap-Filo blend continues in the bedroom, where cranes and rising suns serve as motifs. “The headboard is a divider that I saw in a Japanese thrift shop,” the homeowner states.
34 - Fara Orange XL Rectangular Carpet Rug, 35 - Duyan Lounge Chair, 36 - Lavish Coffee Table, 37 - Tiye Wood Decor Object, 38 - Sabien Vase, 39 - Sherise Cou Vase, 40 - Cosmic 4 Acrylic Painting on Canvas, 41 - Tripod Wood Base Floor Lamp Shade, 42 - Megan L-shape Sofa, 43 - Maeva Naranja Pillow Case, 44 - Gold Specks Pillowcase
Leaving the master bedroom, Yabut leads us into the family room, an entertainment space designed to foster comfort and bonding. While Yabut’s self-designed sectional sofa and accent chairs provide plush seating, the console is made with the same steel found in the staircases. The coffee table is a DIY project made using hand-poured cement that was then stamped with tropical leaves. Lastly, the art and decor in the room are curated to convey Filipino ancestry.
“What we loved about this house when we bought it was this beautiful, huge balcony,” Yabut says of the covered outdoor space right next to the family room. A departure from carefully manicured landscapes, this green space was purposely made to appear wild and untamed. Overall, this lush patio makes for a refreshing natural break that calls to mind the same untapped beauty of Yabut’s beloved Philippine islands. Without a doubt, Yabut’s home is a lot like a microcosm of the Philippine archipelago—diverse and rich, with respect for nature, time, and tradition.
45 - Zuri Wooden Stool Chair (Set of 3), 46 - Jestha Accent Chair, 47 - Athens PE Rattan Chair, 48 - Barbados Glazed Ceramic Plant Pot, 49 - Pangaea Glazed Ceramic Plant Pot, 50 - Bali Bench, 51 - Trinidad Glazed Ceramic Plant Pot, 52 - Hyperborea Glazed Ceramic Plant Pot
