There is a definite Asian slant in the interiors here, as seen in the eclectic array of Oriental artefacts artfully scattered throughout the flat. Antique Japanese dolls dating as far back as the Meiji Period occupy the side tables alongside prayerful Buddhist statues from Thailand and Indonesia. A pair of brass lamps—each in the form of a graceful apsara—flanks an antique rosewood escritoire desk from Vietnam, a paean to Huibonhoa’s own Vietnamese heritage. Terra cotta figures from China smile benevolently from the coffee table amidst a jumble of books about art and art history. All of the items are from Huibonhoa’s personal collection that has been growing for quite some time.

“I’ve loved antiques since I was a young girl,” she explains. “Whenever I travelled with my family, I would keep an eye out for objects that would catch my fancy. As I grew up, I would buy a few pieces here and there.”

It is in the master’s suite that one truly gets a sense of the consul’s elegant taste when it comes to antiques and objets d’art. Chinese lacquerware and hardstone portraits hang on one wall, flanking a set of large, delicate celadon bowls in glass cases. Larger celadon vases stand in the corners, complementing the subtle green-and-white palette that colours the room. Adding to the air of serenity is a large, ornately carved Buddha, its hands raised in benediction. It is certainly a room that invites guests to take their ease, far above the bustling cityscape outside the window.

“Not everything here is Asian, of course,” Huibonhoa adds, pointing out the bulk of the furniture in the space which is more French in terms of design. “The furniture helps soften the overall look, and the Persian carpets on the floor add a bit more warmth.”

Art is another thing that sets this particular consulate apart from its peers. As one enters the consulate, the first thing that one sees is the amount of rather expertly curated art on the walls—mostly the work of local artists, save for a distinctive mixed-media piece depicting a geisha with demurely downcast eyes. This piece by and I kept thinking about it. When I came back to Manila, I was worried that someone else had bought the painting; there were others in the gallery at the time I was there. But I was able to contact the gallery, then the artists, and the painting was soon shipped to me." Bali-based Spaniards Mersuka Dopazo and Teresa Calderón serves to emphasise the space’s feminine aesthetic with its soft colours and delicate brushstrokes. For Huibonhoa, it was a painting she could not get out of her mind.

“I first saw the painting when it was on display at [the Modus Art Gallery] in Paris,” she says of the piece. “The face of the geisha caught my eye  and I kept thinking about it. When I came back to Manila, I was worried that someone else had bought the painting; there were others in the gallery at the time I was there. But I was able to contact the gallery, then the artists, and the painting was soon shipped to me.”

The Dopazo-Calderón painting is just one of several pieces that add colour and character to Huibonhoa’s homey workplace. In the open layout sitting room that spills over into the dining area, a pair of Isabel Diaz’s floral canvases blooms on the walls, transforming the space into an urban bower. In one spot, abstract pieces by Jigger Cruz add a hint of modernity here. To one side, a woven version of one of National Artist Benedicto Cabrera’s Sabel paintings—part of his collaboration with Dutch carpet company Moooi—occupies a large section of the wall, its hints of brown and ochre complementing the soft shades of the interiors. As a stark contrast, there is a predominantly jet-black abstract painting by Nicole Coson that hangs in the dining area, as well as Ronald Ventura’s surreal black-and-white illustration of a crouching human form, a tangle of vines in place of its head.

“I know these are unusual,” Huibonhoa admits when she points out the contrast.“But I like to keep things interesting by hanging up artworks that can serve as conversation pieces.”

Indeed, this can also be seen in the small gallery that occupies one wall of the room that serves as the consul’s office. Here, it is the surrealists who seem to have made themselves at home: the work of maestro Salvador Dali joins more contemporary pieces by Andres Barrioquinto, Rodel Tapaya, Juvenal Sansó, and the later, more abstract paintings of Alfonso Ossorio. These add an interesting and colourful touch to a simple room that calls to mind the interiors of French Indochina with the white shutters at the windows and elegant desk, another element that serves as a throwback to Huibonhua’s ancestry.

Despite the fact that this is wher e she works as opposed to where she lives, Huibonhoa has brought a bit of festive sparkle to her consulate as the holiday season draws near. A tree bedecked with botanical ornaments and fairy lights stands in the sitting room, blending right in with the floral artwork on the walls and the fresh-cut flowers that sweeten the atmosphere. Glittering centrepieces rest upon the dining table—a welcoming touch for anyone who comes in. It would not be going to far to say that this space is a reflection of the consul herself: elegant yet approachable, a well-travelled soul who brings the best of the world home.