Erica Concepcion-Reyes is a grand dame in the making
If elegance had a home, Erica Concepcion-Reyes’ space would be it.
Like a gem cut from light, Concepcion-Reyes lives in layers. She enters the room in a flowing kaftan, with Pucinni’s “La Bohème” swelling through her halls first, then Verdi’s “La Traviata.” Long tapered candles flicker in their silver candelabras, casting shadows on the bold, heavy strokes of the seemingly innumerable Jigger Cruz paintings. Her art collection is impressive, with sought-after contemporary artists on the walls and well-loved antiques on the tables.
But don’t mistake elegance for austerity. In person, our host is warm, light, and disarmingly easygoing, the kind who can make a resplendent space feel welcoming rather than intimidating.
“What brings everything together is that each piece is chosen with love,” she says. “I’m very drawn to craftsmanship—whether it’s an antique silver candelabra or a bold contemporary painting, I look for pieces that feel thoughtful and have soul. I don’t mind mixing styles and periods; if you only surround yourself with one kind of beauty, it can start to feel flat. Life—and homes—should have layers.”
Like many grand dames, Concepcion-Reyes is multifaceted herself: a muse, a collector, and a jewelry maker all at once, as she layers a sense of timeless style into her personal space.
A home of sensibilities
Concepcion-Reyes’ home reads like a diary told through objects. “My collection started very naturally,” she reflects. “I would come across pieces I loved, and slowly they became part of my home.”
In the foyer, an arch is flanked by wood salvaged from carosas used in provincial processions, standing like dramatic, mini columns. Nearby, santos, made with both faith and good ol’ Filipino craftsmanship, line up like guardians. The santos are neatly placed alongside silver jewelry boxes, a contemporary painting in a gilded frame perched nearby. Like any good foyer, a solid round table anchors the center, crowned with a lush birds-of-paradise floral arrangement.
And true to the spirit of a gracious host, an array of snacks and sandwiches from Milky Way awaits—served, of course, on gleaming silver trays.
In the dining room, chandeliers hang from the ceiling, casting shadows onto a lace tablecloth dressed with fine crockery and gleaming flatware. Celadon curtains sweep down, the curtains matching the light green walls. Like the great halls of European palaces, where color is used to convey mood, her design choice that leans toward greens echoes this language of majesty.
Moving into the living room (or shall we say “drawing room” or “parlor?”), one comes across a polished grand piano, poised like a reflection of the host’s own affection for music. Concepcion-Reyes admits shyly that she occasionally sings, which makes sense, as her home has been bright with music ever since we stepped in.
Even the powder room is plush. Softly perfumed, the details feel considerate for guests with fluffy hand towels and a range of scented soaps and lotions. Outside is a painting by Marina Cruz, emanating a sense of tenderness in the fabrics and folds of an infant’s painted dress.
She stops to bring our attention to an installation by visual artist John Santos. “It feels edgy and unexpected,” she says. “It sits beautifully alongside more classical pieces, creating a dialogue between past and present.”
On this symphony of details, Concepcion-Reyes says, “I go with what moves me… Classics ground me, but contemporary works bring energy and playfulness. That balance is what makes a space feel alive.”
The art of continuity
Concepcion-Reyes’ instinct for a dialogue between past and present extends to her fine jewelry.
She specializes in fine estate and vintage pieces, jewels that come steeped in their own histories. She reimagines pieces with history from Europe, the US, and of course, the Philippines, particularly old-world gold and traditional craftsmanship.
“My role is really about finding these special jewels, preserving their stories, and matching them with people who will love and cherish them for the next generation,” she explains.
Less about ornament and more about continuity, the wearable creations echo her home in the sense that they are too crafted, soulful, and enduring. “Being surrounded by things I love—art, antiques, textures—naturally inspires me,” she shares. “It makes me notice details, shapes, and combinations in a more thoughtful way, and reminds me to slow down and curate a collection of jewelry that truly lasts.”
“I love beauty, but I don’t take it too seriously,” she continues. “I’m drawn to things with history, with character, and that feel personal. I’m drawn to jewels that are unique and striking, yet always elegant.”
The modern grand dame
If today’s mood were a jewel, she imagines it as a deep green emerald ring, set in warm yellow gold—something to slip on with jeans or let catch the light at a black-tie dinner. And if she could dream aloud of collaborators, she cites women like French fashion designer Jacqueline de Ribes and former First Lady Imelda Marcos (“women whose elegance and understanding of the power of jewelry, paired with fashion, remain a source of inspiration”), as well as Ramon Valera, the National Artist for Fashion Design who continues to inspire the young grand dame.
Opera still hums in the background, now with Pavarotti filling the room. With a mix of classical Filipino and European pieces, but also contemporary works, Concepcion-Reyes sees both “as part of who I am.”
To call her a grand dame in the making is not an exaggeration, but an acknowledgment of a life composed with intention, depth, and an instinct for timelessness, not without a sense of warmth and lightness.
