Design Folder: Your Online Design and Decorating Resource

taking matters into our own board

If you’re familiar with The Secret, you probably know about vision boards. A vision board is simply a collage of the things that you want to do, to be, to have, and to achieve. You can find an interesting read about the power of vision boards here.

Yesterday, the three of us plus Green Guide decided to make a group vision board (above) of the things that we want to achieve for 2011. Needless to say, we aimed high and allowed ourselves to be pretty ambitious, hehe! So that each of us has a copy, we took pictures of the vision board and made it into our phone’s wallpaper! Sort of a daily reminder of our goals for ourselves and for df.

A vision board can also be a pretty (and inspiring) addition to a work space. Below are some samples I found:

This is our way of looking forward to a happy, prosperous, and productive 2011! df

* photos via pinterest

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the designers become construction workers for a day

2010 has been a good year for DF. Apart from the obvious blessings that we received (meeting new friends and acquaintances, getting positive feedbacks from readers, and being a finalist in Philippine Blog Awards to name a few), we were also blessed with the opportunity to help other people through blogging and volunteer work. One of which was the chance to join the bloggers’ build of Habitat for Humanity. Lilli and Ana went first and joined the build in Bayan ni Juan in Calauan, Laguna last October. Green Guide and I, who weren’t able to go to the Calauan build, participated in the second bloggers’ build last November for a multi-storey housing in Pasig.

During the build in Pasig, the architect (Green Guide) and the interior designer (me) were construction workers for a day (or more like half a day). While both of us are no strangers to a construction site, we never had any hands-on experience in construction work (unless you’ll count the manual concrete mixing that I did in an architecture class back in college). Needless to say, we were pretty excited. Our friends from Habitat referred to the experience as a ‘total body workout’. But personally, I’d like to call the build ‘a more intense form of crafting’ to appeal to those diy ladies and handymen out there, hehe.

Based on her experience in the Calauan build, Lilli told us that we’ll enjoy the activities because they’re like working on a craft project. She also added that our OCness will come very handy. And she’s right! We got to do three activities: 1) tying of re-bars (reinforcement steel bars) which was like knitting/crocheting only with a metal wire as our yarn, 2) making of Concrete Interlocking Blocks (CIB) which was like working on a sculpture or maybe pottery with a mold, and 3) passing of pails of wet concrete (Ok, this was the physical workout part, haha! But because it didn’t require much focus, I got to chat with the other bloggers beside me at the same time.).

The Habitat for Humanity site in Pasig is different from the usual row houses of many of their communities. Because of limitations in space, they maximized the lot by building upwards with a 4-storey walkup. Although each residential unit is only around 25 square meters (Ana, please correct me if I’m wrong), the 3-meter floor-to-ceiling height allows for an additional second floor of crawl space for sleeping.

DF’s tagline says, ‘Idea files for your ideal space’. Design Folder is our own little way of making the world a better place to live in by informing and empowering Filipinos to create their ideal homes and offices. However, let us not forget that the underprivileged families equally deserve a better home and a better community as well. For 2011, maybe you can find the time to volunteer and join Habitat for Humanity in building homes. You can contact them here or through their facebook page for inquiries on how to volunteer.

More beautiful homes and more happy families in 2011!!! -ardel

merry christmas!

More than the pretty lights, the glittery ornaments, and the beautifully-wrapped gifts, it is the love that we give to and receive from our friends and loved ones that make Christmas special and meaningful.

From all of us at Design Folder, have a merry Christmas!

lili and nana giveaway winners!

Here are the winners for our lili & nana giveaway! Comments on the post, including those made via their facebook account, were arranged chronologically, from #1 (first comment) to #26 (last comment). Congratulations to Ina Juan, Kat, and Misty! We’ll get in touch with you via email on how to claim your wrappers  :)

Thank you to everyone who participated. We enjoyed reading your comments

Lili and Nana wrappers and other products are available at Fully Booked branches and Scribe (Eastwood).

upid’s UPGRADE sneak peek

For the past 8 years, the interior design students of UP Diliman have traded the traditional design exhibit project that most ID programs annually organize for a more realistic and “hands-on” endeavor of rehabilitating spaces that cater to the less fortunate Filipinos.

While interior design has always been viewed as a service that only the rich can afford, the ID program in UP (UPID) hopes to change that by allowing the Filipino masses to benefit from well designed interior spaces, one project at a time. This is not only in line with the University’s thrust towards public service, but also in accordance with the real principle behind the professions of interior design—“to contribute to the enhancement and safeguard of life, health and property and the promotion and enrichment of the quality of life.”

Before, UPID’s annual design projects have been focused on the rehabilitation of underserved institutions such as public hospitals, public schools, and orphanages to name a few. This year, the students took the challenge of improving actual residences—real homes with real families! In one of Gawad Kalinga’s communities in Quezon City (Gawad Kalinga-Laura), the students have chosen 7 residences with different family profiles.

One of the students, Carlo Miranda, Associate Head of UPGRADE, shares with us his batch’s experience during the duration of the project:

After more than three months of psyche-breaking brainstorming, numerous design proposals, and stressful fundraising schemes, our batch, collectively called UPGRADE, is now ready to share the seven completed homes at the Gawad Kalinga Site, Laura Street, Brgy. Old Balara, Diliman, Quezon City.

In taking part in the design and construction process, we realized the impact of what design can do — that it can promote environmental awareness, upgrade spaces, enrich lives, and help improve the people’s outlook in life. Our batch saw this project as a great challenge, not only on how small spaces can be maximized and how to creatively use our very limited resources, but also on how well-designed homes could possibly lead to better lives, better individuals, better families, and better communities.

Below are photos during the project turnover last September. Next week, we’ll share with you the dramatic before-and-after photos of the homes that the students transformed in less than three months. df

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wiiiiiiiiin!!!

Design Folder is nominated in this year’s Philippine Blog Awards for the Best Lifestyle Blog and Best Blog Design categories. Crossing our fingers that we’ll win (or that the event will at least have loot bags for the nominees, haha)!

DF FTW! The Secret!!!

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a day at bayanijuan with habitat for humanity

Ever since I can remember, I’ve always wanted to join a Habitat for Humanity build, so when the Design Folder team was invited to the Bloggers’ Build a few weeks ago, we jumped at the chance.

When we arrived at the build site in Calauan, Laguna on a Saturday morning, I noticed right away how organized everything was. We first visited Site 2 of Habitat’s flagship project in Calauan called BayaniJuan where they, together with partners, are building 1,000 homes for families presently living in the danger zones along the Pasig River banks.

I enjoyed every activity we got to do in the site, especially the first one! The obsessive-compulsive in me really liked filling the holes of the Concrete Interlocking Blocks (CIB) with cement. I liked it even more because while doing the activity, I got to talk to one of the recipients of a Habitat home. She told me how happy she was to be in the community and told me stories of the friendly volunteers of different backgrounds and nationalities who’ve been to the site.

I guess I liked that first activity a little too much because they had to pull me away so we can proceed to the next activity – hauling of CIB. We joined the Habitat Youth Council in laying out the blocks to form the walls of each 20 square meter row house. It was kind of nice seeing everybody work together for one cause. And because the building process was so organized and efficient, I just blinked and the walls of about 5 or 6 row houses were almost halfway done!

Another great thing about the build is that we had a chance to learn about the future communities that will develop in BayaniJuan. I’ve always wondered what happens after construction materials have been put away and homes have been built. It’s comforting to know that the recipients of Habitat homes will be provided access to facilities, clean water, a daycare center, education and livelihood opportunities.

Thank you to Habitat for Humanity Philippines for inviting us to join this very rewarding experience! It was a great way to spend a Saturday. Learn how you too can join a Habitat for Humanity build by going to their website or contacting them at info@habitat.org.ph or at telephone number (632) 8973069.

*Photos courtesy of Nicky Sering

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art swap

The past couple of months have been very busy that I almost forgot about the art swap!

Initially, I was planning to send two “interior designer” items: a watercolor drawing and a handmade coffee-stained pillowcase. The bad news is that the pillowcase is still sitting on my desk, waiting for the remaining 30% of the needlework to be finished. Because I don’t want my dear Ning to wait any longer, I’m just sending two watercolor renderings instead, which can readily fit in an 8″ x 10″ frame.

Long before I learned Sketchup and became accustomed to making photo montage perspectives in Photoshop, I made my illustrations manually using pen&ink for the line drawings, watercolor for rendering, and colored pencils for highlighting/shading. I learned this multimedia trick from my all-time mentor Lilli (yihee!) way back in college.

Above is a drawing of the Philippine Bahay na Bato for a class in Architecture when I was in 2nd year college, while the one below is an interior rendering for my third Space Starters article back in 2005.

Right now, my package is on its way to Ning who’s in Indonesia. I hope it will reach her very soon.

Lilli, Ana, hope you can mail your art swap packages too! -ardel

design trail: traveling without moving

I just took the Lakbayan quiz and I got a C-! I guess I haven’t really gotten to explore much of the Philippines yet. For those of us who lack the time and resources to travel the country, plus63.com (or +63 which is the area code of the Philippines) is a great alternative to see the sights. Plus63 Visuals + Vibes is a “site for Philippine Music and Travel discovery”.  You even get to hear original Filipino music while looking at the amazing photos (some of which I’ve posted here).

You can also share your photos from your travels to different parts of the country. Visit plus63.com for more info. - lilli

{photos courtesy of plus63.com; photos from the top: airplane by melody sy, shoegazing by charles buenconsejo, capiz by berns de leon, miniature vigan, sunset by small onglatco}

visuals with vision contest

Reposting via Ideals blog. (see also our feature on their happy, creative office HERE)

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YoCard’s Visuals with Vision. In Partnership with Oneline.

This project is an effort to create awareness on the concept of Social Design. Draw. Shoot. Illustrate. Advocate. V2. Amateur art and design enthusiasts / students are welcome to join. You can submit as many entries per category. Only one winner per advocacy will win PhP 20,000 worth of gifts and prizes and will be printed on the next advocacy campaign. 

1.  Sign up at http://oneline.ph/signup?form=creative
2.  Click on the Visuals with Vision badge
3.  Upload your entries @ 300 dpi and 6×4.25 at http://oneline.ph/organizations/139
4.  Describe your work and fill us in about your personal details 

Deadline of submission is July 31, 2010