Eco-friendly designs
for living spaces

"Nature is a key component of making a home look warm and inviting. When people start appreciating the beauty of nature in their homes then begins their search to preserve it," says Joey Tesalona, design consultant of JT Designs Studio, a consultancy firm offering innovative interior design options for residential, commercial and exhibition needs of the local and international clientele.

New York trained Tesalona knew he would come home and serve his country through what he knows best.interior design. He perfected his craft by working for luxury companies such as Frette, Italian home linen, Patek Philippe, and Felissimo Design House, and later went on to design residences in uptown Manhattan.

Tesalona also designed and curated a number of major exhibitions, and one of them featured everyday functional objects like furniture, home accessories and fashion that are made of either recyclable, recycled and natural materials and echoes a call for eco-friendly living.

His gift of design was honed in Felissimo Design House, a Japanese-owned design oriented boutique shop in New York. Working his way up from assistant visual director to the company's head visual director, he transformed the showrooms into works of art. One of his projects for the company, Life Symphony, was a collaboration of works from designers from around the world, from Marcel Wanders, Philippe Starck and Karim Rashid, who use eco-friendly practices such as low energy manufacturing and utilization of recyclable or renewable materials.

While Life Symphony was a whimsical and colorful take to preserving nature, Whiteout exhibition showcased the works of designers who followed the theme of white, which gives the message of purity and of being proactive in environmental conservation.

Tesalona also incorporates his love for greenery in his client's spaces saying, "My signature touch to any interior that I do is about bringing nature in, like touches of fresh flowers, which are the best accents to any interior. It changes the whole aura of the room." He also believes in Feng Shui (meaning wind and water), which is a way of life that helps individuals live in harmony with the environment.

JT Designs Studio is located at 116 B&M Building, Aguirre St., Legazpi Village, Makati City. For more information, log on to www.tesalonadesigns.com.