18 Pinoy Home Stores You Should Know About
Support local industries by shopping at these homegrown Filipino furniture, decor, and accessory shops and online stores. There is one for every budget!
Pinoy culture is not only present in what we eat or wear, but also in the things we use. Filipino culture and design is having a renaissance of sorts, with many artisanal, homegrown trade fairs, bazaars sprouting left and right. Check out Real Living’s ultimate listing of proudly Pinoy stores selling Filipino-made (and designed) furniture, décor, and lifestyle products.
OLD FAVORITES
Balikbayan Handicrafts
This is the place to go for those impressive, larger-than-life wooden hunter statues and hefty kamagong beds. Serving balikbayans, tourists, and locals alike for 45 years and counting, Balikbayan Handicrafts has been a favorite pasalubong and souvenir stop for decades. Apart from the big substantial pieces, they also offer practical kitchen and tableware, home décor, lighting, fashion and accessories, and of course, our famous pearls. They now offer free shuttle service from your hotel—in Metro Manila—to their store.
1010 Antonio Arnaiz Avenue, Makati City,
Ils-de-tuls [Ilalim ng Tulay]
This is not some fancy French store—it is, in fact, a conglomeration of little stores tucked underneath the Quezon Bridge in Quiapo. These little stores are packed to the rafters with handicrafts such as simple baskets, banig, capiz lamps, as well as beloved souvenirs like the kitschy man-in-a-barrel, all at very affordable (and negotiable) prices. But the best part of shopping at ils-de-tuls is that you get a quintessential Manila experience, with the Quiapo Church, historical Plaza Miranda, and the new Quinta Market just a hop and a skip away.
Under the Quezon Bridge, Palanca Street, Quiapo, Manila (next to Quinta Market)
Kultura Filipino
Conveniently located inside a SM Department Store or as stand-alone shops SM Malls, Kultura Filipino has become a stylish but pocket-friendly one-stop shop for mall-going balikbayans and tourists. Apart from the Philippine made products in the home, fashion, and souvenir departments, they pride themselves in carrying “Crafts with a Cause,” a special product line which supports various foundations that support marginalized communities. They feature items from GKonomics, Green Earth Heritage Foundation, and Mga Likha ni Inay, together with their home, fashion, and souvenir items.
At major SM malls, or go to their Facebook page
Tesoro’s Philippine Handicrafts
This store may have a bit of name recall because of iconic fashion designer Patis Tesoro, but this store has been around since 1945! It has been offering high quality Filipino products—embroidery, local apparel (they have the best children’s Filipiniana costumes), tableware, shell craft, and antiques for decades, and they continue to elevate indigenous materials to world-class standards. The must-buys in the entire shop are the exquisitely embroidered shawls in piña fabric. One of their latest additions is a stall for Anthill Fabric Gallery’s fashion-forward, modern clothing using indigenous weaves.
1325, Ermita, Manila; 1223, A. Arnaiz Ave., Makati City
EXPORTERS
Azcor Lighting Systems
Let there be lights! From traditional, contemporary, to bespoke lighting, Azcor could deliver in all shapes and sizes. They may be exporting their world-class products to different corners of the globe like the European Union, Middle East, and Asia (check out their stunning exhibit booth at Manila FAME every season) but you could get your hands on them locally—just visit one of their stores in the malls, or go online.
4/L Building B, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong
Casa Ligna
Designs Ligna is known for their well-designed, award-winning furniture pieces located in a beautiful showroom. This is no surprise, as they have the finest designers (from Dem Bitantes and Patrick de Lange, to Natalie Buijs to even Karim Rashid!) and craftsmen in the industry. Their sleek, contemporary pieces are being used and enjoy in over 17 countries.
235 Nicanor Garcia Street, Bel Air II, Makati City
Grassroots
If a well-organized desk, shelf, or room sparks joy in you, then Grassroots should be on your must-visit list. Their popular and affordable boxes, bins, and desk sets are loved for its elegance and superb finish. Made from paper, leather, fabric, and other indigenous materials to the country, their pieces are eco-friendly without sacrificing style. Check out their line of furniture and home décor, too, at their Greenbelt showroom.
3/L Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati City
Hacienda Crafts
Sustainability and fair trade are part of the mission vision of Negros-based Hacienda Crafts, and this could be seen in most of their pieces, such as the metal stools made from the sides of old sugarcane trucks, and the lovely beach-glass lamps from their Biodiversity collection. They also have upcycled wood pieces from the aptly named store Sustainably Yours.
Some pieces are available at Holicow, Crossroads Mall, Gov. M. Cuenco Ave., Cebu City, and they exhibit at trade fairs in Metro Manila like Negros Trade Fair; or visit their website
Philux
If you want well-made, timeless pieces in luxurious wood complemented by glass, stainless steel, leather, and woven fibers, but with competitive prices, then Philux is for you. Crafted from prized wood like mahogany, acacia, walnut, their designs range from traditional to contemporary-urban, with added international flair since most of their hardware is imported from Germany.
Shops at Shangri-la At The Fort, Bonifacio Global City; Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City
Locsin International
Those organically-shaped, woven resort furniture pieces that you see in all the luxury hotels and designer homes? Chances are, Locsin International designs them. The company’s been around since 1979 and has been garnering awards for elevating Filipino furniture craftsmanship and design. For their new designs visit their showrooms or their website.
2/L, Unit 209 LRI Design Plaza; 210 N. Garcia Street, Makati City
Prizmic & Brill
This American-operated but Philippines-based furniture company takes you back to the world of the adventurous British-colonial explorer. Though re-imagined to fit contemporary times, their pieces—such as their traditional campaign desks, Ballard chairs, and folding stools still feature the elegant lines of the era as well as the materials like hardwood, leather hides, and brass buckles and hardware. Their pieces are so exquisite that they landed a coveted spot in the cover story of US Vogue in June 2007, where cover girl Keira Knightley was seen typing away at a Prizmic & Brill desk.
3/F Greenbelt 5; Legaspi Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City
Triboa Bay Living
Live your coastal living fantasy with the sculptural, modern-tropical pieces from Pampanga-based Triboa Bay Living. Their classic pieces are taken to the side of casual elegance with their beautiful wood finishes. Suited perfectly for the tropics, Triboa Bay Living pieces help create an elegant house where you can put your feet up and imagine listening to the waves roll outside the windows.
4/F Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City; G/F LRI Design Plaza, 210 N. Garcia St., Makati City
ONLINE PICKS
Good Luck Humans
Don’t be fooled by the cryptic name because this is one store that is happy, happy, happy! The craftswomen of Good Luck Humans fashion handmade pieces that are unique, charming, and comfy. Their Lucky Buttons stool and Lucky Buttons floor pillows (each button is made out of designer fabric scraps or indigenous fabric) are so much fun, but it was their faux taxidermy heads—Sophie and Benito—that caught our hearts.
Follow them on their Facebook page or on Instagram
Gourmandise By Sunshine
Sunshine Puey may be known for her cheese and charcuterie boards, but Gourmandise also offers kitchen essentials like water bottles and grocery bags. Though the must-buy (above) is the “unpaper towel,” an eco-friendly alternative to regular paper towels, which you can use and then chuck in to the washing machine afterwards. They come in a roll of ten.
Follow them on their Facebook page
Habilcrafts
Show off your tillandsia collection with handcrafted aeriums from Habilcrafts. Run by Marvz Conti, a whiz at urban gardening, Habil continues to bring the green in with their moss walls and mossariums. They also have more natural-looking handcrafted pieces that are beloved for its textured, aged, and grainy finish.
Follow them on their Facebook page and on Instagram
Loudbasstard
A triumph of design, this dock speaker has won over the local and international community alike with its smart but simple concept. Made out of a single piece of humble bamboo, it uses the basic concepts of physics to amplify sound without the use of electricity. This “non-speaker” comes in different colors such as charcoal, crimson, emerald, teal, and natural bamboo.
Available at Kultura stores; or follow them on their Facebook page
The Old Wood PH
Looking for pieces to furnish your hipster home? Look no further than Old Wood PH. With their handcrafted beds, dining sets, sideboards, benches, and shelves crafted from reclaimed wood, their designs are contemporary while being ecologically friendly.
Check them out here or on Instagram
Vitrum Bottles
Have your drink and light up your room with the help of the Vitrum guys. They take a wine or beer bottle and convert it to a lamp, chandelier, or any type of lighting fixture. Using a bottle-cutter, they cut the glass and put together each piece by hand. So if you do ever get one of their pieces—most of them industrial style with a steampunk vibe—rest assured that it’s definitely one of a kind.
Follow them on their Facebook page
