Shopping for the home now has more choices

SEAVIEW Suite at Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa

As an interior designer, I have seen the rapid and expansive growth of furniture shops and specialty lighting and accessories stores throughout Manila. Shopping for the home has never been more convenient or more confusing, as the amount of choice increases.

These days it seems anything is possible—designs are available from anywhere in the world, and if not immediately available and in stock, can be ordered. Additionally, any accent piece can be personalized as manufacturers push the design bar to ever-higher planes.

Design pavilion

B&B Italian Job Exhibit friends Filiane Tan, Vivienne Tan, Frank Hoefsmit, Kaye Tinga, Jeanne Wee, Anton San Diego and Andy Vasquez-Prada

For truly luxurious contemporary furnishings, B&B Italia is still one of the top showrooms. Their main showroom at Crown Tower, 107 H.V. dela Costa Street in Salcedo Village in Makati is a cutting-edge and innovative design pavilion in itself. Inside, B&B Italia’s furniture is both timeless and reflective of the era in which it was crafted.

B&B Italia’s trademark of using the latest and finest technology and materials has won them four Golden Compasses—the highest honor in design. The Golden Compass for “constant work towards integration with the aim of combining the values of scientific and technological research with those of functional and expressive product” is their most significant distinction. Such is the outstanding level of craftsmanship B&B Italia delivers.

Photo exhibit

Abitare Internazionale has been the sole distributor of B&B Italia for a decade and a half. In celebration of their 15th anniversary, they created a photo exhibit featuring 15 iconic pieces paired with several personalities. This artistic project was a creative collaboration between renowned photographer Frank Hoefmit and Philippine Tatler editor Anton San Diego.

Each photograph showcases the iconic pieces of B&B Italia in a way that makes their artistic and technological genius unmistakable. Italian Ambassador Luca Fornari and Madame Silvana Fornari were elegantly taken lounging on a RAY Sofa. The classic Diesis sofa, by Antonio Citterio and Paolo Nava, provided the backdrop to lawyer Andy and Felice Sta. Maria. And I was happy to have a place in the exhibit, seated on an Up 5 & 6 chair by Gaetano Pesce.

Among the other personalities in the exhibit were W/17 Shop partners Kaye Tinga and Andy Vazquez-Prada, entrepreneur Vivienne Tan, creative architect J. Anton Mendoza, food queen Margarita Fores and award-winning ballet dancers Candice Adea and JM Cordero.

Both Citterio and Pesce are architects by training and have made great impacts on interior design. Their works have been among the hallmarks of B&B Italia through the decades.

ARCHITECT J. Anton Mendoza and Elizabeth Sy

The exhibit launch was an international affair, with guests flying in from all over the world on the invitation of lawyer Agerico Paras, VP of Abitare. Among the foreign guests were Paolo Raveli, B&B manager for Asia; Massimiliano Messina, Flou managing director; Carlo Colombo, world-renowned architect and designer; and Giusseppe Peditto and Nils Crusius of Walter Knoll.

Promos, seasonal sales

But there are really so many new shops that come up that it is difficult to name them all. The competition is great for consumers. Keep a look out for promos and seasonal sales, like the big, Red Tag Sale at IDO Design Center (www.iqdc.net). Interesting pieces for the entire home and garden are on display at their showroom, 79 Doña Hemady St., New Manila, Quezon City.

Speaking of sales of beautiful furniture, check out the preholiday sale of Shangri-La Resorts at Greenbelt 3, Ayala Mall, and at Shangri-La Plaza Mall on the weekend of November 16-18. The stunning room interiors and amenities of Shangri-La’s properties are for sale—so you can have your homes accessorized with pieces from Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa and Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa in Cebu.

Additionally, there are deals available for vacation stays at the different resorts, or at the world-class Chi spas in the resorts. Offers are limited to patrons who come to the mall sales.

For inquiries, call the Shangri-La Sales at 814-2587.

Follow @tessavaldes on Twitter or e-mail her at [email protected].