Design Folder: Your Online Design and Decorating Resource

q & a: local furniture suppliers

A couple of weeks ago, we received an email from a df reader asking for local furniture suppliers and I thought of posting the email and my reply for the benefit of those readers who may have a similar concern:

Hi! I really enjoyed reading your articles.  I’m in the process of finishing my new home. My question is, do you have any recommended contemporary, modern  furniture makers or contractors in Metro Manila ?

Thanks!

C. Y.

Based on my experience, I have three furniture suppliers/makers that I can recommend:

1) BIARA in LRI Plaza, N. Garcia St., Makati and in Alabang Town Center (near True Value)

2) AGP FURNITURE at the 3/F Towne’s Bldg., Pasay Rd./Arnaiz Ave. (look for Lea Purungganan)

3) 1903 FURNITURE, Home Furnishings Center in Market!Market! (look for Joan)

I’m personally happy with these suppliers. They have great customer service, their prices are very reasonable, and the workmanship is good. In short, you’ll get great value for your (limited) money.

Biara and AGP can do all sorts of furniture using different materials. For most of my custom upholstered furniture (especially sofas), i go to AGP. On the other hand, 1903 Furniture is a Pampanga-based supplier which means they are very good with furniture pieces in wood and indigenous materials.

If you know other good furniture makers that you would like to recommend, share them with us! -

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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cebu weekend

Hello everyone!

Ana and I just got back yesterday morning from our weekend in Cebu. It was tiring but every minute was well worth it. While we’re still working on the photos and the articles, we’ll give you first a preview of our trip. Too bad Lilli Beth and Green Guide were not able to join us because of work and their theses.

Our two-day trip started with a very early 4:15am flight to the Cebu. Good thing our hotel had vacant rooms and checked us in immediately when we arrived. We were still able to grab a good three hours of sleep before we hit the furniture show.

Day 1, Friday, was spent going around the CebuNext Furniture Show at the Waterfront Hotel. We ooohed and aaahed over the impressive furnishings from Cebu’s top furniture and lighting companies. We even got to meet some famous designers like Kenneth Cobonpue, Vito Selma and Clayton Tugonon. Talk about being star struck! Read all about our feature on the CebuNext show tomorrow.

We spent Friday night with two friends, photographer Ian Santos and architect Chito Basit, who both happened to be in Cebu as well. After dinner in Ayala Terraces (which very much resembles Greenbelt 3) we went to the highly recommended Z Bar at The Tinder Box along Archbishop Reyes Ave. in Banilad. The bar’s interiors were designed by Kenneth Cobonpue. To call it beautiful or interesting would be an understatement. Again, special thanks to Ian and Chito for being our photographer and “sponsors” that night, hehe!

Day 2 started early with a cab drive to Mactan Island to visit BE Resort (formerly known as Microtel, Mactan). Maybe because of her lack of sleep, Ana almost forgot her camera! Along the way, we got a glimpse of Sharngri-la Mactan’s lush driveway and uber private Abaca Boutique Resort’s gated front.

It was like a breath of fresh air when we finally arrived at the white, bright, and colorful place of BE Resort. Unfortunately our tight schedule only allowed us to stay around two hours to shoot a couple of the resort’s areas.

In the afternoon, we made a quick visit to Kenneth Cobonpue’s inspiring showroom. We almost missed the place because we were looking for a showroom with a ”Cobonpue” or a “Hive” signage. We didn’t expect that the site was actually an unassuming place which also includes the designer’s workshop/factory. 

Our last stop, but definitely not the least, was the house of Ted Gonzales, uncle of Zina, a good friend of mine from UP Interior Design. His passion for architecture, interior design and art produced a lovely place which he and his parents call home.

This week is not enough to feature everything about our trip. So, we will be dedicating the next two weeks for all the design goodness that we have encountered in Cebu starting tomorrow with our feature on the 2010 CebuNext Furniture Show.

product wars: department store shopping part two

For the second and last installment of our department store shopping series, we went to Crossings Shangri-la Mall and Landmark Trinoma.

I visited Crossings at Shangri-la and found lots of interesting items. They’ve upgraded their home section. Before, there were only a few furniture pieces displayed at Crossings. Now, they are really keeping their home section alive and bright – especially with the accessories. There were a lot of interesting vases to choose from! I think their theme now with the vases is “coral reef.” The downside is that there were more interesting accessories than furniture pieces. I guess it also matters that the space they’re occupying is very limited. They can’t really display many big items.

Overall, though, the pieces available at Crossings are worth a second look. They’re also very affordable and they have frequent half-off sales. Here are my finds:

clockwise from upper left: droplight, P2,698.00; table lamp, P1,238.00; dining set, P19,998.00; pillow, P349.75; metallic vase, P1,779.75; queen bed, P23,198.00; arm chair with ottoman, P11,800.00; green container, P1,108.00; green vase, P1,439.75

Ms. CFO was the one who visited Landmark and here’s what she found:

“There were a lot of great finds inside Landmark, but these were mostly home accessories.  You can choose from a wide variety of lamps, photo frames, and bathroom accessories.  I found the designs of the floor lamp and tray quite unique and affordable.  For the big items such as the sofa set, the bed, and the dining table, Landmark had very limited choices, most of them either had a similar color palette or design.”

clockwise from upper left: bed frame, P11,999.75 / bed (orthopedic), P10,719.75; photo frame, P259.75 (set of 3); floor lamp, P1,099.75; tray/organizer, P249.75; L Type sofa, P10,000.00; dining set, P9,900.00; bath organizer, P199.00

We hope you enjoyed our two-part department store shopping series. Don’t forget to answer our mini poll below:

product wars: department store shopping part one

I’ve spent a huge chunk of my life in malls. I’m a mallrat – and I’m not ashamed to admit it. What’s not to love about malls? They have everything you want and need. They have cinemas for the film buff, boutiques for the fashionista, bookstores for the reader, and a food court for the hungry. And of course, malls also have something for the homeowner – department stores with lots of nice and affordable furniture and accessories.

This is what I love most about the home sections of mall department stores. They offer a lot of choices. But the possibilities and options can be a bit overwhelming. So we, the Design Folder team, decided to do a challenge: find the best and most affordable pieces that mall department stores have to offer.

Let’s start with SM Megamall and find out if they’ve really “got it all for you.”

Ardel checked out SM Homeworld at the basement level of Building B, while Green Guide went through the furnishings at Our Home at the basement level of Building A. Here are their finds:

“There were not much interesting/stylish selections for the big items–dining set, bed frame, sofa, arm chairs, cabinets. Most of them look very typical.  So, for that part, it was quite a challenge for me. However, I’m still a big fan of SM Homeworld because of their good selection of accessories that are very affordable. Although it’s not included in the list, it’s worth to mention that they also carry a wide range of beddings, from affordable ones to high-end lines.” -Ardel

Clockwise from top left: two-seater sofa, P10,950.00; 21″x15″ frame with matte board, P469.75; ikhea drop light, P2,299.75; pillow, P149.75; four-seater dining set, P15,950; yellow green accent chair, P6,995.00; two-drawer side table, P4,995.00; table lamp, P3,249.75; turquoise molded plastic chair, P1,995.00; and red vase, P579.75.

“Our Home is packed with a range of really nice products, from basic items to trendy pieces. Unfortunately, the really good ones are quite expensive. They have a range of styles and price points for the main furniture pieces–sofa, chairs, cabinets, beds–so you have a lot to choose from. Similarly, Our Home also carries home accessories that are basic and affordable, as well as stylish but a bit more pricey (i.e. umbra line and their table lamps).” -Green Guide

Clockwise from top left: Eglo Fargo, P3,4999.75; pillows, P499.75 (blue plaid), P549 (gold metallic); quadro wall decor (mirror), P4,999.75; white bed frame (queen), P11,000; dining set, P24,950; Eglo sendo, P1,499.75; circk wing chair, P13,000; geneva coffee table, P8,995; small canvas bin, P299.75; and 3- and 2-seater sofa set, P24,950.

style shopping: space encounters

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.