When I did the Space Starters section for MyHome’s May issue, I visited Gus* Furniture’s showroom at The Residences in Greenbelt to source for featured items. I like the style of the store–modern but very casual, clean and sleek but not too “polished”. And I love how they integrated the chalkboard walls (which is recently becoming a mini-trend) in their showroom.

Their store is located at the G/F The Residences at Greenbelt, Makati. They also have a small store at the 2/F of LRI Design Plaza in Nicanor Garcia, Makati. To know more about Gus*, read our previous feature here.

A week ago, we went to visit the pop-up shop We Are Triangle at Cubao X. Because their store officially opens at 6pm (and because Cubao X only starts to come alive at night), we were relatively early at 4:30pm  and even found owners Micaela and Bobby Benedicto  setting up the space.

The home and lifestyle shop has a mix of artsy stuff: reproductions of mid-century furniture, artworks and framed prints, books, pre-loved bicycles, skateboards, totes, tees, CDs, band merchandise, notebooks, badges and other home and fashion accessories.

From this open corner space, which was their spot during their 2-day launch last December 10 & 11, they’re now at the 2/f of Heima in Cubao X until mid-January. No details yet on their next location. However, Micaela shared with us that they have some pretty exciting plans for the store this coming 2011, including a possible permanent address for the shop!

To get updates on when and where they’ll be popping up next, join their Facebook page here.

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‘If new products can come and go, why can’t the stores that display them do the same?,’ says trendwatching.com. They call this trend ‘pop-up retail’, much like a nomad, wherein a shop pops up wherever there’s a good space available for them, or perhaps a demand for their merchandise in a particular area.

We Are Triangle, a furniture and lifestyle shop led by architect and Outerhope’s lead vocalist Micaela Benedicto, is adopting this fresh new approach in retail. They’ll be ‘popping’ today and on Saturday in the space beside Mogwai in Cubao X. After which, they’ll pop-up and temporarily stay at the second floor of Heima, still in Cubao X, until mid-January. For a preview of their items, visit their facebook page here.

We’ll be dropping by their shop tomorrow afternoon. Watch out for our feature on them in the following weeks. df

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Here is the third installment of our holiday gift guide for 2010. Each of these items is under P500 and they are all available at SM Megamall. -lilli

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Image above: 1. Kultura Filipino Tinalak frame, P299.75, Alibangbang Leaf frame, P349.75; 2. Kultura Filipino Manila tumbler, P259.50 (for two, P129.75 per piece); 3. SM Department Store Store-It Shelf Sweater and Accessory Organizer, P249.75; 4. Kultura Filipino Banana Leaf Coasters, P299.75; 5. Our Home Silver Vase, P499.75; and 6. Dwell Photo frame, P425.60; 7. Kultura Filipino Tissue Holder, P349.

Here’s a collection of less expensive gifts under P1,000. We have  something for the kitchen, something for the living room and something for the bedroom. Take your pick! (Click on the item names for the sources)

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Image above: 1. Paper Towel Holder, P999; 2. Spice Containers, P295; 3. Damask Rectangular Tray, P595; 4. Dahlia Candle Holder, P395; 5. Flat Wine Holder, P645; and 6. 5-pc Clothes Hanger, P250.

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Yay, it’s the month of gift-giving! Have you started your Christmas shopping already? If not, we’re helping you out with a series of gift guides. However, instead of fashion accessories, toiletries, and knick-knacks, we’re doing a roundup of practical gift ideas for the home. I’m starting it off with slightly pricier items with gifts from P2,000 & under. I was actually aiming for a P500 & under set, but the mannequin lamp and ceramic corals are just too pretty to edit out from this ‘girly’  set. I hope you’ll find something here for your loved ones. (Click on the item names for the sources) -ardel

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Image above: 1. Princess Rosette Lamp, P1850; 2. Bird Candle Holder, P285; 3. Hyacinth Pillow, P495; 4. Tulip Pillow with  sequins, P495; 5. Silver Ceramic Coral, P899.75 from Crossings; 6. White Ceramic Coral, P1,549 from Crossings; 7. Red & Yellow Flower Wall Decals, P350; 8. Heima Scents Soy Candle, P400.

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Because of their taste and the immediate dizziness that I get from them, I’m not a fan of alcoholic beverages except for the sweet and highly diluted mimosa (with lots of orange juice). In spite of that, I have always been intrigued by the culture behind wine. You can count me as a wine ignorant until I got the assignment to cover Wine Story, a new wine shop in Shangri-La Plaza Mall.

Established by the same company behind Healthy Options, Wine Story is definitely not your usual wine store. Unlike other shops that simply sell wines, Wine Story is like your one-stop shop for everything about wine. On top of their wide selection of wines, they also carry crystal wares, wine books and tasting diaries for those wine aficionados. 

What primarily sets it apart from other stores is that it only carries high-end wines with Bordeaux being their specialty. Compared to common table wines, I was told that the high-end ones boast of a more complex taste. Their bottles are displayed like how one would display diamond jewelries—showcased in a lighted glass case (bottom photo) which, in their case, also functions as a cellar.

Because their bottles are pricey (if I remember correctly, the least expensive bottle is at Php 5,000), they allow their clients to “preview” some of their selections before settling on a bottle. Their 32-bottle enomatic machines or automatic wine dispensers (top photo) make wine tasting look and feel so high-tech. A small LED panel (above) displays the characteristic of each wine and the prices per glass. For wine enthusiasts and wine newbies alike, this feature also makes it possible to enjoy different wines without spending a fortune.

To complement its high-end identity, the store’s interior, designed by interior designer Nicky Magcase, features top of the line materials and finishes to give the brand an equally luxurious image. -ardel

As promised, here’s a sneak peek at Heima’s new home in LRI, Makati before they formally open their doors tomorrow!

Heima, which is at home in Icelandic, is a design and lifestyle store by young interior designer Rossy Yabut and her partner Bong Rojales. Just like their first store in Cubao X, their second home in LRI will also carry the same fun, youthful vibe through their signature colorful pieces, quirky art pieces, and dainty accents.

True to the meaning of Heima, the store is laid out and designed to simulate the areas within the home, where you have a foyer, a living area, a dining area, a kitchen (the store’s counter space), and a home office or study. Apart from the store, the space is also home to Rossy’s design office, Heim Interior Design Inc.

Apart from their 2010 collection, we are also excited about Heima’s collaborative pieces with Inksurge, Everywhere We Shoot, Team Manila and Folk Superlative, which will be showcased during tomorrow’s launch.

CLICK HERE for more details on “There’s No Place Like Heima” launch party. See the rest of our photos in the picture gallery below. {Thanks Rossy and Dy! }

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For the past two to three years, we saw how the luxe style, characterized by glamorous hotel-like designs, dominated the design scene. Starting last year, I noticed that a new style is emerging—a kind of aesthetics that revives eclecticism and combines it with a youthful fun, pop attitude. This is what we saw when we visited Space Encounters, a home and lifestyle store by noted interior designer Wilmer Lopez.

The concept of the store is simple—to offer chic, fun and comfortable pieces that make a statement in any space. Their collection of furniture, decors, and lifestyle accessories is primarily inspired by Wilmer and his partner Thor’s travels. Their items are mostly Asian pop and Scandinavian retro, including several iconic pieces.

When they travel abroad, Wilmer and Thor love to go to flea markets and hole-in-the-wall stores for unique finds. For the store, they wanted to re-create that same experience of going to those places.

The design of Space Encounters has a distinctly fun and energetic vibe. There are no dull corners in the store. Vibrant colors fill the space. The walls are painted in a bold color, clad in bricks, or covered in a decoupage of interesting Asian movie posters (photo below). Their disco-like counter (first photo), inspired by the movie Saturday Night Fever, is made of colored glass blocks. A set of metallic Bauhaus pendant lamps hangs at one end to balance off the look.

To complete the design, they also made the arrangement of their merchandise to follow the same casual “flea market” concept. The pieces are all laid out in a dynamic composition.

Many of their furniture are reproductions of mid-century Scandinavian pieces using either Teak or Mahogany. Their chairs can also be upholstered in vintage European fabrics. What we especially like about their furniture, apart from being conversational pieces themselves, is their compact size which can perfectly fit the small space of a condominium interior.

Their home and lifestyle accessories are sourced from different countries, mostly from Asia. There are colored Buddha figurines and heads, framed prints, vintage home items, original movie posters and even fashion items like colorful watches and wallets.

If you want a personal encounter with Space Encounters, visit them at Unit B, Mezzanine, Padilla Bldg., F. Ortigas Jr., Ortigas Center, Pasig City. You can also check theirFacebook  here for more information.

Our photo shoot on Dr. Balisacan’s studio brought us to this fascinating lamp store in Kamuning. 

DL Design, short for its owner’s name Doy Lagos, is a small shop that’s home to interesting, one-of-a-kind lamps. Doy was the one who designed the Moses lamp, the wicker and steel droplight in Dr. Balisacan’s living area.

Doy’s designs are really interesting. Very unconventional, I must say. One thing I like about them is their sculptural form. They can make a statement in a room without looking too overpowering.

DL Design has lamps ranging from the classic contemporary Filipino pieces…

… to pieces that are rather playful and quirky.

In designing interior furnishings, it’s quite tricky to strike a balance between being sculptural and being able to blend harmoniously with the rest of the space. Probably Doy’s background as an architect gave him the kind of sensitivity for both aspects of design.

If you want to see more of Doy’s lamps, visit his website at www.dldesign.multiply.com.

His shop is located at 51 Kamuning Rd., Quezon City, but is open by appointment only. Better contact him before dropping by. He could be reached at 09205624075.

*photos are by Jerome Albrando for DL Design.