Wonderful sources of decorating inspiration

INTERESTING art pieces of Korina Sanchez in her living room

Interior design magazines are wonderful sources of decorating inspiration. They feature commercial and residential properties in various design aspects, tempting readers to do their home decorating on their own.

CONTEMPORARY interiors of the living spaces of Korina Sanchez

Elle Decoration Philippines, which had just celebrated its first anniversary, is already one of the top choices of magazine consumers looking for design ideas and construction-materials suppliers. Various personalities also make its pages, and their unique and artistic living spaces are a great source of ideas to readers.

The latest issue of Elle Decoration is again a bustling compilation of design ideas. Here is where anyone can dream of all the possible pleasures and possibilities in decorating one’s home, all for just the cover price of the magazine.

The cover of the just-released November issue showcases the pied-à-terre of broadcast journalist Korina Sanchez. In the exclusive feature, Korina’s passion for interior decorating and for seeking perfect pieces is on fine display. Her collection of fine silverware is tastefully arranged, complementing the various artworks in her home.

MODERN dining area of Rita Nazareno

The issue also features other stunning homes, among them the modern and vibrant apartment of Rita Nazareno, creative director of S.C. Vizcarra, and the wondrous Pampanga family home of Prizmic & Brill’s Matthew Brill. Other must-see stories in the issue include great decorating ideas from favorite restaurants, exquisite cocktail recipes perfect for holiday revelry, and, for a taste of the international, a guide to Copenhagen’s design and architectural highlights.

Also out in the newsstands is the latest issue of Metro Home. Condo living is highlighted within its pages. Several stylish interiors give great ideas for small spaces.

Different cities in the Metro are covered including Makati City, Bonifacio Global City and Quezon City. One of the apartments featured in the BGC area is the living space of young bachelor Bryan Prieto, who also happens to be my eldest son. Bryan’s little nook overlooks the greens of the Manila Golf Club.

Another magazine that often features beautiful homes, especially of prominent Filipinos from all over the world, is Philippine Tatler. The latest issue includes an in-depth article on the elegant, nine-bedroom apartment of Loida Nicolas-Lewis on 5th Avenue in New York City.

The apartment is in a neo-Italian, Renaissance-style building facing Central Park. The handsome, prewar edifice, completed in 1928 and converted in 1953, is considered the most-sought-after property in the Big Apple. Adorning the Lewis living room are wondrous art pieces like “Boys in the Back Room” by Archibald Motley, “Guitare et Raisins” by Juan Gris, and “Nature Morte” by Georges Braque.

Conversation piece

A Picasso, bought by her late husband Reginald F. Lewis in 1990, is of course a conversation piece. It was purchased at a spirited auction at Sotheby’s with the assistance of an art expert, the late Larry Randall. The required art masterpiece is the focal point in the library.

ELLE Decor Philippines feature of Rita Nazareno’s dining area

In the same Tatler issue is the huge home of corporate maverick Tony Alvarez II in New Jersey. A grand foyer with a massive modern chandelier leads to several areas of the house. Its contemporary interiors are cozy and relaxed.

It’s amazing that a simple trip to the newsstands can cover so many properties from so many personalities from so many places. I’m sure there are many readers that can claim that their home décor only cost the cover price of a magazine or two.

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