Real Living Space

Watch our tour of this month’s Ultimate Makeover of the Baldevarona’s home on Urban Zone! Get to see up close the amazing “after” results of designers Jean Paul dela Rosa and Kristine Neri’s work.

Catch it on September 5, on ABS-CBN Channel 2, right after “Sunday’s Best.”

Finally guys, this is the moment you’ve been waiting for—the Ultimate Makeover issue! I know everyone has been dying to know (or to be chosen!) who the Ultimate Makeover winner is (this winner got an almost P300,000 renovation!). Well, our lucky and kindhearted family are the Baldevaronas of Lagro, Quezon City, whose daughter Abby’s heartfelt wish was to bring back their home to its former glory. “It is sad that the home you loved and gave roof to others turned [out] to be so neglected, ugly, and barely standing still,” she wrote to us. Well, she got her wish, as her completely renovated, brand-new home by designers Jean Paul dela Rosa and Kristine Neri is now on the cover above!

But I won’t spoil the show and post the rest of the pictures—check it out yourself! And we have several makeovers in the mag. Instead, I’ll post all the “before” photos in this issue, starting with Miguel Nacianceno’s home…

…Marie Calica’s apartment…

and of course the Baldevarona’s. See all the amazing “after” photos in the September issue.

But aside from Makeovers, our September ish is chockfull of other interesting features as well, such as our lovely Breakfast Buffet party (styling by Cleone Baradas)…

…DIY decor extravaganza—these are all easy projects you can do on a weekend!

And I just looove the feature on Shopping at The Collective—look at all of these lovely alterna-stores like Sundae…

…and eco-boutique Ritual.

You can get the amazing, features-packed Real Living September 2010 issue for only P140 at newsstands and bookstores nationwide. (Photos by Vincent Coscolluela, At Maculangan, and Miguel Nacianceno)

Dapitan is a budget shopping area Real Living has revisited every year or so. Tucked in a quiet area within Quezon City (and near Manila), this covered palengke/tiangge of home finds always has new surprises whenever we come back. And people always flock to the place to score uber-cheap ceramic ware and plates. Like these found in the first stall up front—I was able to get the robins-egg-blue saucers here for about P20 apiece.

Amongst the stalls that sell faux leather storage bins (a must-have at only P500 a pop, compared to the usual P1,000 plus in the malls), there was this stall that sold raffia food covers for P120 apiece. They also carried these lovely bunches of faux roses (though you can get the real deal for much cheaper at Dangwa a few streets down).

And this Dapitan is the secret place to buy caterer’s gold Tiffany chairs! Though this classic stool would make a lovely seat for a girl’s boudoir.

And some of the best finds ever—these cool Fornasetti-style cups!

Find out where these stalls are located and learn more about Dapitan in the Shopping section of the August issue of Real Living, out now. (Photos by Jun Pinzon, pictorial direction by Coni Tejada)

Real Living’s August issue is out and it’s all about your second most favorite topic (we all know your absolute first is the Makeover!): Small Spaces. This month, we’ll show you how to live big, even if you have a teeny, tiny home! Case in point: these fab condo units by designer friends Jean Paul dela Rosa and Kristine Neri…

And creative director Gwyn Guanzon chooses the best multi-tasking furniture…

…plus a hot new trend—letters and script on furniture and accessories! These are amazing.

Assistant stylist Coni Tejada shows us 3 ways to display/store our flat screen TVs (no cabinets needed!). This one’s from Sharp, their new Quottron TV. (By the way, has anyone watched Salt yet?)

And in the Real Makeover, don’t miss how designer Hannah Acab-Faustino transformed this toy-strewn (stair rail-less!) family home!

Real Living’s August issue is out now at newsstands and bookstores nationwide for only P140. (Photos by Ocs Alvarez, Miguel Nacianeno, and Jun Pinzon)

Real Living’s 7th Anniversary Issue is out already! Check out our special cover with designer Kristine Neri’s condo project. Here’s more of that small but beautiful home inside!

Other fab article in the issue: A special feature on Real Living through the years—my, how we’ve grown! I started reading Real Living even before I worked here, and of all the shelter magazines in the market, it was one of those I always looked forward to getting (hey, we even preceded Domino!)

Another fave article that month—Mabel David Pilar’s different tips on using trays. Pretty!

Since our theme is Budget this July, Coni Tejada shows us how to dress up our dining room in stages, and when you can afford it (this is the “Budget” setup—it still looks great!)

We’re doing a lot of budget makeovers in this ish as well. See how Gwyn Guanzon transformed this chair for under P1,000 (this is the “before” pic):

And how makeover designer Kat Villanueva made this sad kitchen happy and bright:

Check it out now! Grab a copy of the Real Living July 2010 issue for P140 at bookstores and newsstands nationwide. (Photos by Ocs Alvarez, Miguel Nacianceno, Vincent Coscolluela, Jun Pinzon)

Hi all! I’m happy to announce that the fifth book in our Real Home Ideas series is out! Do grab a copy of Real Home Ideas 5: Small Space Solutions:

Now I know must of us live in small spaces—condos, studio units, shoebox-sized apartments—so you’ll definitely appreciate the tips here! You’ll get 101 ideas from our small-but-beautiful homes…

…storage solutions for wardrobe, kitchen , and bath (plus must-have catchalls from SM Homeworld!)…

…and best of all, a DIY floor plan kit so you can pre-arrange your furniture layout before even lifting a finger!

So check it out now! Real Home Ideas 5 is available at newsstands and bookstores for only P195, such an affordable price for a lot of ideas!!! Cover image photo by Miguel Nacianceno, styling by Gwyn Guanzon. That lovely house on the cover is the home of Frances and Vince Sales; it’s one of my fave homes! =)

The LRI Design Plaza shoot was my first official RL shoot and honestly, I was really nervous. During the first thirty minutes, I was chanting “what next what next what next” inside my head. I felt I didn’t know what to do. And another thing, there were too many awesome shops, so little time. Good thing Coni, our assistant stylist called the shots so I just had to follow her lead.

I was trying to control my curious self, unfortunately I failed—I found myself checking out anything and everything that caught my eyes. I can’t even count how many times I heard the line “get out of the frame,” (Oh my! haha) If you have read RL June 2010’s Shopping section, you’d know what sent me prying around.

There were a couple of items I fell in love with, including these oh-so-precious-and-girly brushes from Erfe’s Designer Furnishing Shop.

And this reading corner at Triboa Bay Living reminds me I need to find a good book soon and do some serious reading!

The lamp and one-seater from Kish gives out a striking manly aura which I am just simply drawn to.

Definitely an eye-catcher, this red resin divider is a to-die-for piece from Haute Design.

The shoot was fun and tiring, but seeing the June ish makes me more than proud. And yes, it’s my first RL issue too! (Photos by Vincent Coscolluela) LRI Design Plaza is located at 210 Nicanor Garcia St., (formerly Reposo) Bel-Air 2, Makati City.  Click here for more info, or grab a copy of the latest issue of Real Living magazine, for P140 only, at bookstores and newsstands nationwide.

The RL staff was so sweet to surprise me with a whole page in the June issue (my swan song). I was touched to read what everyone had to say, and because of the madness and chaos of the move, I wasn’t even able to give everyone a proper goodbye. So consider this my proper goodbye!

My first ever staff photo with Real Living

Five years ago, I was nearing the tail-end of my stint at a professional services firm, and was about to make the jump back into publishing. My co-workers and I were sitting around a table during lunch, and someone asked what our top three dream jobs were. My first answer was, “Managing editor of Real Living.” It was a job I really wanted because I believed it played to my strengths–time management, organizational skills, people skills, with a bit of creativity. And it was a magazine I wanted to join because it was truly something I was interested in.

It was tough at first because, in magazines, people aren’t at their desks all day. The staff is constantly out, sourcing, doing oculars, pulling out, shooting, so save for turnovers (when we have to close an issue) it’s rare that we’re all in the same place at the same time. So I had to eat by myself sometimes, work quietly at my desk. But over time, through stressful deadlines and shoots where everything seemed to go wrong, I grew close to the other people behind RL, some of the best people you could ever meet.

I think Carl was bored the day he made this mock cover! I seriously wanted to print it out and frame it!

Rach, our editor, once joked that she thought she could retire and leave me as RL editor in chief. But I honestly never thought I could fill her shoes. She has this knowledge and understanding of design that I can’t possibly match. I feel that RL is truly a design authority because she’s at the helm.

Gwyn, with his quick wit, can instantly come up with zingers. I can’t count how many times his one-liners made me guffaw. My fondest memory of Gwyn is of spending a few days in Sumilon, Cebu with him and having a taste of the dreaded interesting torta.

Coni, oh Coni. How I love this girl. There can only be one Coni Tejada, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I once told her that she was my sunshine at the office, and without blinking an eye, she answered, “I think I’m your rainbow. Kailangan may ulan muna!” My very first RL shoot was with Gwyn and Coni. We had to shoot a chair story in a bunch of locations in one afternoon. Tall order, and everyone was stressed out. There we were, standing in a street corner in Malate for an hour, waiting for our driver who had gotten hopelessly lost in the streets of Manila. We were all feeling pretty cranky by then. Things weren’t going as planned, and one of us, in exasperation, blurted out, “Kulang na lang umulan!” And right on cue, there was thunder. And rain followed soon after. We felt so defeated then, but looking back, it’s one of my favorite RL memories!

Kath–I am so happy that she’s back! Whenever Rach would ask me who I wanted to train as managing editor, I would answer “Kath” without skipping a beat. She is one of the most reliable people I know, and she cracks me up sometimes even when she doesn’t mean to be funny. And she always patiently listens and feigns interest whenever I have stories about my butterball niece. (Kath, I’m sorry you’ve had to endure that. Haha)

Arlene, our art director, makes such lovely, lovely illustrations (to go with her lovely personality!). Some of my most favorite RL covers are by Arlene! It’s always nice hearing her talk about her plans and her dreams, and I am touched that she shares these with me and confides in me.

Katherine aka Kaye, so efficient! She would just hear me discussing a shoot over the phone, and next thing I know, I have a vehicle prepared for the shoot already! She always does her work with a bedimpled smile on her face, which is why she’s such a heartthrob at the office.;) And we have a shared passion for Ultimate!

Hannah–I didn’t get to know Hannah much, but she seems like a joy to work with. She always greets me with a cheery “Hi Miss Tish!” I’m glad that I only moved a few desks down because I still get to see her and my other girls.

I’m very bad at goodbyes–I always end up being a bawling mess. I’m kind of thankful that the transition period was such a busy time, because it kept me from thinking about how much I was going to miss RL and my RL family. Because even though they’re still around and I see them all the time (and even though I am happy where I am) it’s not the same. I miss them. Every single day.

Hi guys, the June ish of Real Living magazine is out this week, and it’s such a fun read!!! This month’s issue is all about putting personality into your space, which I believe is epitomized by the charming, blue abode of Nenet Nolasco, a.k.a. “The Tuyo Lady.” Also check out one of my fave interior designers Wilan Dayrit’s elegant take on a bachelor’s home…

…check out the new shopping spots at LRI Business Plaza, this is the ever-changing merchandise at Kish…

…the RL Notebook and Get Inspired features incredibly creative home office designs and solutions…

…and of course, get tips on how to find your style from our guest creatives, ranging from Smart Parenting ed-in-chief Mia Fausto, artists Gail and Marija Vicente (aren’t they so cute?) …

…and fashion designer Tippi Ocampo gives us advice in the RL Notebook on how to create your own cool workspace (Tippi, I know you’re busy with Fashion Week, good luck dear, you can do it!)…

..and of course, find out how interior designer Kristine Neri’s Real Makeover of this window-less bedroom turned out!

Check out also these features: the RL staff translates their fave outfits into a room, a fun poker-themed Father’s Day party, the ultimate Real Estate Listing, and more! Get your copy of Real Living magazine at newsstands and bookstores for only P140. (Photos by Ocs Alvarez, Vincent Coscolluela, Miguel Nacianceno, Ito Ocampo, Jun Pinzon; styling by Wilan Dayrit, Gwyn Guanzon, Coni Tejada; makeup of Gail and Marija by Sam Unson Gallardo and hair by Theresa Carbonell)

Can you believe that this living room…

…is actually the same room here???

Check out designer Grace Moslares’s amazing makeover of this entire house—plus other jaw-dropping befores and afters (!)—in the May 2010 issue of Real Living magazine, out in newsstands and bookstores now for only P140!!! (”After” photo by Vincent Coscolluela)