secluded sanctuary « 🌴The MC Resorts

My Castle Away From It All, Quiet Sanctuary

Love the little name games! 😊😂 Anyway..

Four years I had been away. “Coming home” is still only a plan. In those 4 years there had been 4 monsoon seasons. June 2022 starts the 5th. The house sustained damages on the roof on the first year I was away. There had not been ANY repairs since. Needless to say that it kept getting damaged all through the succeeding typhoon seasons. It would be a sad homecoming, and a VERY EXPENSIVE one! I will do a total roof replacement, I will gut it out to the concrete walls, then rebuild from that foundation.

I’m hoping the Guest House remained safe, but since it is locked and I have the key- no one on the ground knows its condition from the inside.

I could only sigh. Not from dismay at the expenses, not the amount or time or work it will command, but my energy, my will; DO I STILL HAVE IT IN ME?

Rebuilding. Restart. Renew. Rebirth. sounds like my life, and just as well. After all these renovations it will stand only for me, because of me. I will take that!

[ Bullet points below were from its previous undamaged original construction. Why I had to write it out is because I need to let it out ]

The Roof– asphalt shingles but I may replace it with roof tiles. [ I will typhoon-proof this House. Maybe my challenge to Mother Nature! ]
Main House has high inverted V-style ceiling for max air circulation. [ this empty space will be turned into a loft.]

Floor space is 40feet x 38feet excluding the Porch.
It is designed solely as a Beach House so the layout is very simple. The House is divided simply into Master Bedroom and Living Room / Kitchen. [ The kitchen will be moved to the outside courtyard that will be built into a reception / mini clubhouse / kitchen / mini greenhouse for my orchids, adjacent to the dirty kitchen ] [Something like the photo below but more open. Upstairs will be the office. ]

Two bathrooms, one in Master Bedroom, one adjacent to the Living Room. [ Second bathroom will be converted to utility/ washroom ] It’s be a very pretty tiled utility room with tinted cube glass windows! 😁 Insane! ]
Separate Shower Room also for Guest use. [ Will be removed! Tilings below Tsk! ]

“Hole in the Wall” Liquor Cabinet, and a Sink Island.

The Kitchen area is organized with wood cabinets which are separate from the counter construction and all can be pulled out independently and moved. I preferred it this way rather than built-in cabinetry. I dislike those permanence.

The Kitchen also feature a quirk: it has what I call the “Hamburger Window”. This is basically a screen that rolls upwards when prompted. This is to facilitate serving foods and drinks to Guests who are lounging on the Porch. Since the Porch had become the breakfast, lunch, and dinner area, this feature really helped. No need to close-open the Storm Door leading to outside from the Kitchen.

[Kitchen will be turned into an entertainment bar for company]

All walls are concrete, no wood, as insect deterrent.
All floors are tiled for moisture repellence, and repeated rough treatment including getting wet most times.
Main House Courtyard is also tiled. [Courtyard will become an extension Receiving Room /Temporary Clubhouse]
Air Conditioners on Master Bedroom and Living Room.
Doors and Windows of Main House are double spaced to 120 inches. Front Door is made of 2-inch Red Philippine Mahogany hard wood.
Stacker Door on Master Bedroom- simply a patio door made of Australian Glass which folds like accordion when you open the door, and stacks into 3 panels and tucks away on both left and right sides. I LOVE this feature because it opens the doors extra-wide to the Porch, and on to the ocean. What a View!!

Stacker Door withstood severe sand blasting from one of the typhoons which dumped massive amount of sand despite the porch buffer

Stacker Door above in one of the more intense typhoons withstood sand blasting. Great test for its durability when I thought the tiny claw lock won’t hold the door together on a stress test like wind buffeting from Mother Nature

Imported Australian Glass– assembled in the Philippines– All windows and patio doors of the Main House and Guest House are double-pane energy efficient glass windows made from this Australian glass. All moulding and frames are stainless coated with baked-in anti-corrosive coating with 15 year warranty against sea salt.
Front Doors All-Hardwood Philippine Mahogany— colorful natural tints cut into 2-inch thickness are used as main doors to all the rooms.