Built to Last, Restored to Shine
In 1960, Architect Antonio Abad designed this home for San Juan's then-mayor — a confident expression of mid-century modernism that set it apart from everything else on Gaerlan Street. Its signature breeze-block walls, colorful stained-glass windows, curved archways, and parquet terrazzo floors were not merely decorative choices. They were a statement of permanence, of pride, and of possibility.
For decades, the house stood as a quiet landmark — its proportions and character largely intact, even as the town grew and changed around it. It was known. It was remembered. But it needed someone who could see what it could become again.
That someone turned out to be two people: Buji Libarnes and Nikki Dela Paz-Libarnes — a surfer-architect couple who also own Vessel Hostel and The Lark Inn in the La Union surf community. When they found the Lewis House, they undertook a meticulous restoration: preserving the original terrazzo, the wooden louvres, the capiz shell chandelier that still hangs in the stairwell. They brought in mid-century furniture, curated a menu that honors the unhurried pace of provincial life, and opened the doors to guests in early 2025.
