Real Living Space

Brides-to-be, don’t become Bridezilla! Put down this event in your calendar instead:

The Martha Stewart Weddings bridal fair will have talks by restaurateur Gaita Fores, makeup artist Barbi Chan, fashion designer Rajo Laurel, and only the best designers, caterers, and suppliers to help you out on your big day. March 28 to 29, Tent Pavilion, World Trade Center Pasay. Register at www.summitmedia.com.ph/mswbridalfair and your entrance is free.

Like many of the people who long for the perfect home and have a single-digit EQ, I am a fan of makeover shows. And I dearly love the one with the biggest heart - Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

So I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this book by Ty Pennington, the host and team leader for every makeover they do on the show.

This book is what you need if you’ve been dreaming of renovating your space for the longest time. It would inspire you and teach you, quite easily, how to go about the process of redoing your living, working, and sleeping areas.

Ty’s practical tips matched with his heart-warming experiences on the show would move you to go and get started on that decorating project. It doesn’t matter if its a minute or a colossal redo. Ty would make you want to just do it.

Here’s a excerpt from his introduction:

“If you want to inject light, energy, and optimism into your life, making over your home - or even just a single room - is a good place to start… It doesn’t matter if you own or rent where you live, it’s your nest, your habitat - it’s you. Make it an inviting, fin, and relaxing place to come home to.”

Pick up a copy of the book and be inspired by Ty’s ideas and experiences. After all, the titles says it all - Good Design Can Change Your Life.

Available at Power Books.

The Body Shop is known for selling stuff for, well, the body, but they’ve got a few things for the home too. Currently available: their special edition Spring Summer Collection of home fragrance oils.

They’re P250 each, and you can put ‘em in the special edition Flower Garland Oil Burner (P895)–a purty frosted glass burner with a floral motif.

Upon initial sniffing, I like the Apple Blossom (or Apple Flower) one best. But will have to wait and see (smell?) how these oils translate when they’re put into the burner. The awesome thing about the products is that they’re made of Community Trade (”a targeted purchasing program of accessories and natural ingredients from disadvantaged communities around the world”) ingredients. Do good, look good, feel good…smell good!

A dear friend was asking me about the secret IKEA store again this morning, then I stumbled upon this cool quiz on how to find your IKEA style (click here to check it out). I took it and turns out my style is “Modern Fancy”:

I chose fuchsia-black-gray as a palette, a red Lykta lamp, Etsy-esque textures and various bold Scandinavian patterns, and the site declared me as 60% modern, 20% Scandinavian, and 20% country (I beg to differ!). They also recommended that I “make business personal again.” Hmmm, food for thought.

Even though it’s only IKEA-furnishings-based, it’s a good tool if you’re decorating your house and you don’t know what specific style you’re leaning to. So try it out and tell me what’s your IKEA style.

Shine, an officemate of ours, is getting married on Saturday. And being me, I still don’t have a present for the newlyweds. So there I was, going around Ayala Center when I found myself perusing the shelves of The Landmark Makati’s china section on the topmost floor.

Look at what I found:

Aren’t they so pretty?! And dainty too, since they are the size of saucers. I may not have found anything for Shine and her groom that day but I certainly found a couple for me!

(Which reminds me, I still have to find the lovebirds the perfect gift. )

That’s it. I just watched the movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and I swear I’m going to save up for a trip going there. Quite a stretch, since Barcelona is one of the most expensive cities in the world! But seriously, go out and watch this movie, which is a tale of passion, obsession, repression, reckless love, and various versions of menage a’ trois, all done Woody Allen-style.

I’ve been waiting for this movie since middle of last year, but I guess the movie folks back here thought that a Woody film wouldn’t be box-office news. It’s got everything–a tour of Antonio Gaudi’s work in the beautiful city, the casual-chic clothes, Javier Bardem, but I love the houses, too. Expat family friend Rebecca Hall’s affluent villa is Architectural Digest-perfect, but I prefer Javier Bardem’s bohemian, creative-chaotic, adobe-walled artist’s studio. Get a glimpse of it here, in the scene where Penelope Cruz still looks gorgeous enough for a Mango ad shoot after a night of attempting to kill herself.

Enough said, hope you catch it this weekend. Adios.

Just spotted this online: enigmatic tea and coffee cups from Bailey Doesn’t Bark. Not available locally, but you might want to check out the unusual/beautiful (I really like unusual/beautiful) pieces for inspiration. Look at this teacup with the ghostly illustrated remnants of a teabag and spoon, very Leanne Shapton-like.

Another witty set—their Postcup Series of cups where you can have a personalized message printed onto it and sent to your loved one, or choose from the many cryptic or sappy messages available. It’s Griffin and Sabine on caffeine!

I promised myself I wouldn’t jump on the Valentine’s Day bandwagon, but I’ve been seeing too many red roses on the street, I got irritated. So my advice is, nix the expected red roses, and give her a Voluspa candle instead (these last longer):

I think this line of imported fragrances was named after some creature of mythology, but I got a whiff of these creme candles lately, and they are way sexy. Forget vanilla, cinnamon and lemon—these fragrances are complex, unexpected, and very seductive. My picks are the familiar champaca (yes, that local flower—but this time, not too cloying, very feminine and boudoir-like), and casimiroa (tropical and fruity, with hints of white ginger, smells like a resort destination).

Oh, and now what about your roses? Well, save that for another night, instead. Voluspa is available at Rustan’s Department stores, the beautiful tubs sell for P1,450 up.

I was on my way to a drunken night at MeiDay at Cubao X over the weekend when I decided to swing by Bong’s Vintage Pop shop (practically an institution at X). This is what I found in his back room:

This is Bong’s own version of the haphazard chest of drawers by Droog; albeit taller and more imposing than the original. I’m not sure if it’s also held together by a sturdy band, but I tried opening some drawers, and they all held up together and were pretty sturdy. Folks, please don’t try making this at home—keeping all those drawers balanced and standing could be a bitch!

Also spotted in the store window was this armchair.

It’s reminiscent of those roadie boxes at concerts, but this time in bubblegum pink (there’s a version in aqua as well). Bong says the vintage-y printed laminate on the seat really is vintage—he discovered it in a pile of discontinued discards in a laminate store and bought what remained of it. Pretty cute, I may say. Vintage Pop is located at Cubao X (Marikina Shoe Expo), Cubao, Quezon City.

By now, we hope you’ve been able to set your space right or at least have tucked away all the clutter behind your bodega doors.

Now, time for step number two.

2. Get your props ready.

By now, you should know what your M.O. is going to be. What did you have in mind?

Movie night?

(image by clix)

Karaoke?

(image by booleanuni)

Sexy cooking for two?

(image by rrss)

Whatever the case maybe, make a list of everything you need. It would really suck if you’ll go through all the trouble then forget one tiny detail.