Olio's Washroom

I've written about Olio previously.  It's a great Italian restaurant in Cebu.  Today I write about a peculiar washroom that I've only seen in Olio.  I think it's a great design however - I think it should come with instructions since it took me some time before I figured out how to use it.

Restrooms are located upstairs.  You would have to up this curved/spiral staircase.

Upon landing at the second floor - you will see this and if you're like me, you would think that it's art work. 

Only upon closer inspection would you realize that it's the wash area.  It's a beautiful design - but as I said earlier - it should come with a user manual.  It took me a while to find a pedal at the foot of this contraption that works like the drinking fountain pedals.  Step on it and water comes out.

You'll see that you can actually see part of the kitchen downstairs because the wash area is made of frosted glass.

Comfort Room

Filipinos call restrooms - comfort rooms.  To be honest - I don't know how that started because the tagalog word for rest room does not translate to English word for comfort.  Palikuran - is the Tagalog word - and it roughly translates to a place at the back ( which is where it used to be found in the Nipa hut - the pre-spanish colonial house of the Filipinos.

So if you find yourself in our country - and you need to look for the restroom - ask for the CR (Comfort Room).

Retro Cam Pictures @ Tropical Hut

We were in Marikina.  I had one too many soda which had me looking for a bathroom.  Found Tropical Hut. 

 

 

Bringing the Bathroom into the Bedroom

In the past twelve months, I have stayed in three different hotels wherein the bathroom has a window which opens onto the bedroom.  The practical use of those window is of course to allow someone to watch TV while they are using the tub.  From space management perspective it does provide an illusion of the room being bigger.  I used to like the idea and when I first saw it in one hotel,  I considered as a layout for my house.  After seeing the second and the third version of such a layout,  I have changed my mind.  As much as I can appreciate the advantage of such a layout,  I realize that I’d like to bathe in private.  Having the window out there, is a little bit too exhibitionist for me.

Bringing The Outside into The Loo

A couple of weeks back, we wrote about the Terrace @ 5th.  It’s a restaurant in the new Greenbelt 5.  Its interiors aim to bring outside dining inside.  The interior designers ( which we had been told were the Almario sisters ) successfully achieved that.

An amazing part of the overall decor was the loo (or the restroom).  It was decorated in such a way that you would feel you were actually in someone’s greenhouse with the walls covered with vines.   I love it.  It actually reminds me of another interesting restroom with a similar concept.  This time it was in a shop in Tagaytay called Ilog Maria.  They sell products made out of organic honey and bee pollen byproducts. 

Here are pictures of the two bathrooms.   Terrrace @ The 5th, strictly speaking, is a just a powder room but the Ilog Maria restroom actually has a shower head installed inside.

Left: The Terrace @ 5th,  Right: Ilog Maria