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style shopping: heima’s second home

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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spacelift: the cradle project

The most significant thing that I learned when I was still a student in interior design is that good design is supposed to be for everyone. It is very sad that in reality, the design practice continues to cater to the elite few of this economically struggling society. I know that having one’s home designed by a professional is definitely not included in the priorities of many Filipino families. I also know that it would be too idealistic to hope that design professionals would lower their design fees so that more people and institutions can afford their services. I only wish that interior designers, and even architects, would organize themselves more often to sponsor (or maybe ask their suppliers to sponsor) projects for the benefit of the less privileged ones. After all, the main thrust of the design profession is to improve the quality of life, right?

Now on its 8th year, the graduating batch of UP Interior Design has been doing design projects to improve facilities of institutions such as public hospitals, public schools, an orphanage, and low-cost housing projects. This is in place of the usual annual design exhibit that most interior design schools organize. UPID thought of this alternative to put the students’ money to a better use. On top of that, it is also meant to support UPID’s advocacy of promoting the value of the interior design as a discipline geared towards improving the lives of people.

This year, the graduating students of UPID, collectively called IDeya (Interior Design by Empowered Young Artists), came up with The Cradle Project, a renovation project for 6 outpatient facilities of the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC).

Before the renovation, PCMC looked like a typical public hospital–deteriorated facilities with depressing interiors.

The Cradle Project renovated the following areas: general pediatrics clinic, nephrology, adolescents’ clinic, social services office, nutrition clinic, and children’s library. The design concepts for the areas all centered on creating environments that heal the body, inspire the mind, and uplift the spirit.

Don’t you just love these spaces?! A huge improvement from their previous state. Seeing the renovated clinics is just awe-inspiring. Congratulations to IDeya! I hope that when you go out into the real world, you’ll bring with you the values that you’ve learned from this experience.

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[Have you given your space (or furniture) a makeover? Share it with us! Email us about it with before and after pictures at mydesignfolder@yahoo.com. ]