Real Living Space

I’m posting some stuff from Abundance. We shot these a few months back in a brief exhibit at the New Manila Living showroom (this is a nice, sleek furniture showroom that’s set up like a real house—you should definitely check it out at No. 78 Doña Hemady, Quezon City, if you’re anywhere near the area). Abundance, which is run by interior designers Leo Almeria, Marites Magcase, Rosalie Sia, and Pia Sy, is a collection of tasteful, mostly Asian-contemporary pieces, which are available at Rustan’s Tower Shangri-la Plaza Mall and at Rustan’s Makati. Here are a few of their pieces (click on the pictures for product details). They’re perfect for those who dig the pristine, contemporary Asian look:

You can read more about Abundance in the Get Inspired section of Real Living’s November 2007 issue. Photos by Miguel Nacianceno.

Thank you all for all the information you gave about the mysterious IKEA Makati store. And thank you, Becky, for sending us a MAP! (Click on the map below to enlarge) Guys, here’s where you can get your IKEA fix locally, or you can also shop online at http://thestorefront.multiply.com. Have a great weekend!

Our Real Makeover features have always been one of our readers’ most favorite sections.  In spite of all the hard work it requires from The Real Living team, we take joy in creating beautiful rooms and homes for those who deserve it.  I know it sounds showbiz but it is true! It’s great collaborating with lovely homeowners, and creating ideal spaces that they can enjoy and maintain for many years to come. =)

We’re opening an opportunity to create more beautiful spaces through Real Living Space. Check out our new Promos page for a regular update on contests, including our Monthly Real Living Real Makeovers. Now, you can also have a chance to win a FREE room revamp! Click here to find out how.

I’ve been getting a lot of wood lately. Oh, don’t be so green-minded; it’s not what you think! A week ago, my friend Marco introduced me to this strange yet intriguing blog called “It’s [k]not wood”, at http://itsknotwood.blogspot.com. As promised, this blog features anything faux-bois (fake wood). There is no mid-70s cheesiness here, and it doesn’t disappoint—there are vinyl tiles and floor mats, faux-wood-grain printed bags, even a faux-wood Hello Kitty figure! Some of the cutest products are the greeting cards that are printed with wood grains like this:

Some of the other wood products that have inundated me this week are the furnishings from local company Sindo. Their 2007 collection carries rattan round core bent to mimic those beautiful growth rings you see in the trunks of trees. This is kinda environmentally friendly—you don’t have to kill a tree to get those lovely wood grains and rings! Instead of paintings, try an abstract looking trio of panels:

All hail haspe! Put this chest of drawers in your dining room or bedroom:

OK, OK, I know this isn’t made out of wood, but I can’t resist posting this aerodynamic-looking chaise lounge:

Sindo is located at 4/F, Building A, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City and at 156 Marick Drive, Cainta, Rizal. Please dial (02) 634-7975 for more info.

We just photographed a home in this beautiful apartment building along Roxas Boulevard. It’s actually a post-war apartment, but it retains its lovely Art Deco detailing like an authentic creaky elevator with a rotary dial (they recently added a new elevator since that one kept on breaking down) and this beautiful staircase (reputedly haunted!).

It also has a great view of Manila Bay, recently blighted by this construction site behind the Rizal Stadium (we think it’s the Ocean Park building):

And the homeowner was so kind as to tour us in the adjoining units. They all have big windows and generous floor space, something alien to modern-day condo dwellers in the Philippines, and a wonderful surprise in the rear balcony—a clear view of the roofdeck of the Luneta Hotel!

For the curious, the Luneta Hotel along TM Kalaw St. in Manila, is one of the last few standing pre-war structures in Metro Manila (another one is the Uy-Chaco Building in downtown Manila, designed by Andres Luna de San Pedro, son of artist Juan Luna). It has fantastic, French-inspired architectural details, and amazingly, it survived WWII. It was thought to be in danger of being demolished, but fortunately, it is now being renovated —hopefully to its former glory.

It must be amazing to live in this unit, and wake up to such a sight! (This is something only heritage geeks can understand) This unit is still vacant.

You’re invited to attend a free workshop on “Mini Makeovers” by Issa Villar, Real Living Associate Stylist, this Saturday (October 20) 4 pm at the 4/F of Fully Booked, Bonifacio High Street branch. It’s the same event (organized by Robinsons Land Corporation) where Rachelle did her talk on “Interior Illusions” last week. Hope to see you this Saturday! (Go, Issa!=))

Sorry if some of your comments have disappeared, I normally don’t delete them, but they have been lost in cyberspace. My last Ikea blog disappeared, too, will upload it again. This blog service is so sucky.

The “New Pretty” trend in furnishings has been around for a quite a few years already. It’s a quaint, flea-market-chic, halo-halo style. My own description of it would be an eclectic mishmash of small, geometric prints, colorful Scandinavian prints, large traditional damask prints, and a lot of vintage furniture. You might have seen it in foreign magazines like Elle Decoration, Domino, and Marie Claire Maison, but finding “New Pretty” products locally is quite challenging… though I have spotted a few pillows with that look in SM Homeworld, surprisingly.

We recently stumbled upon an entire store that albeit small, carries all stuff New Pretty—Village in Legazpi Village, Makati. It’s a bit of a challenge to find: you go up to the side entrance of the second floor of unassuming Valuepoint Building, but once you get past the old wooden doors, you’ll see one of the cutest, interesting stores ever, and it’s a warm, fuzzy, happy place. Village is chockfull with classical furniture in funky upholstery, vintage fabric pillowcases, French bistro ceramics, 1960s lamps, ceramic dinnerware, totes, and more. The owners find brand new or vintage pieces and rework them into New Pretty by repainting or reupholstering them. Considering they’re one-off pieces, most of the prices are quite friendly, and they use the cutest fabrics as well.

On your next lunch or coffee break, check out Village at Unit 204, Valuepoint Building, 227 Salcedo St, Legazpi Village, Makati City (it’s near the corner of Gamboa), or log on to www.phlog.net and search for “Village”. Also, watch out for more about Village in a future Real Living issue.

Get great everyday meal tips and recipes from our friends from Good Housekeeping! They will be holding a Good Housekeeping Cooking Demo this Sunday, October 21, at 1 to 5:30 pm. This FREE event will showcase extraordinary versions of our usual dishes at home, cooked by the Good Housekeeping Food Editor, Maricel Abad and a special guest chef. Plus, you’ll get the chance to get cool freebies and prizes!

Reserve your seat now! Email seatreservation@summitmedia.com.ph with “Good Housekeeping Cooking Demo” as the subject heading. You may reserve via text, by typing GH PROMO DEMO <name> <email> <birthday>, then sending it to 2948 (for Sun, Smart and Globe subscribers).

The secret Palanan Makati store that sells Ikea remains elusive still (I went round and round this afternoon but I couldn’t find it!), but I was lucky to find someone who sells it online—and locally!

Someone called “Little CEO” (eyebrows raising) sells it online on something called The Storefront. Log on to http://thestorefront.multiply.com to see what she’s got on stock; it changes every so often. Right now she carries small Ikea items like kitchen implements, desk accessories, pet dishes, and super-cute kiddie products. The prices are pretty competitive and as close to Ikea price as they can get. Here’s some of her stuff—I am so wanting this Magnetic Bar (P220) for my ultra-cluttered desk:

And since I’m a coffee addict, this Milk Frother will serve me well. Super-cheap too! At P200, why plunk down six figures for an espresso-machine-foamer-chuchu?

As I mentioned in my September post about Ikea, they sell absolutely cute kiddie home items. Here’s a Froggy Feeding Set that’s up for grabs:

And finally, a Tray with legs that can fold up so you can tuck it away after breakfast in bed:

Check it out! Meanwhile, I shall search for the elusive Ikea store again…