Since 2020, the pandemic has forcibly grounded us to our homes—an enforced house arrest that has sparked a gravitational pull on taking better steps toward home life and gentle living. From Dalgona coffee to being a Plantita, the COVID-19 pandemic has definitely made us appreciate the seemingly trivial things in life, and that includes making our homes as delightful to live in as possible, in case we can never leave it again (God forbid).
I have been curating a collection of items from local small businesses that create bespoke furniture, eclectic home decor, unique little trinkets, and creative interior designs to elevate my sacred space. As someone who’s definitely turned into a homebody who now has a limited social battery, my room has been sanctified as the solitude I can trust. Investing in your room (or your house) can be one of the most important things that can give respite and reprieve from the busy hustle and the stresses of daily life.
Here are my best picks in your local guide to home decor hunting!
For the Bauhaus-inspired everything: BAUHAUS MANILA
This furniture store boasts custom-made sofas and tables, repro furniture, lighting and objects, prints, and sourcing services. You can check out their custom works on public displays as the seating of Pizzulu’s Forbes Town and SM Mall of Asia branches and ZOO’s SM Megamall store. They specifically create Bauhaus-inspired designs in their catalog, from the infamous Togo sofa to the Wassily chair.
You may DM to request a quote and/or purchase, book an appointment for their studio in Imus, Cavite or visit bauhausmanila.com.
For the statement piece one-stop-shop: Beauty Berries Home
Inspired by the beautyberry shrub’s transformation process, the home store’s brand is grounded in beauty, quality, and functionality. They have collaborated with several home decor partners, such as Lab to produce iconic original pieces and source original vintage furniture, and Rinoart in Beverly Hills to create unique home decor. They offer a wide array of coveted pieces, such as the ultrafragola-inspired full-length mirror to bed frames and sculpture vases.
You may DM them on Instagram or email beautyberrieshome@gmail.com for inquiries, or check out your cart directly at their website for PayPal payments.
For the post-modern loyalists: Dusty Cloud
From the retro mushroom lamps to the Isamu Noguchi paper lamps, this furniture store is fulfilling all your post-modernist interior dreams. They are known to reproduce iconic pieces from the aforementioned era of interior trends, complete with the Marcel Breuer writing desk and the Eames Hang It All so you can time travel to the past with vintage-era pieces to spice up your home (with free same-day express shipping within Metro Manila too!).
You may DM them on Instagram for inquiries and purchases.
For the plants with style: Betty Blooms
This quirky and hippie-esque plant store is owned by Nadine Lustre’s mom (social media creative direction by Nadine Lustre herself too) which started off as an online business and is now a full-blown one-stop shop for everything that involves botany, art, and herbal alchemy. It has since bloomed into a beautiful landscape that offers gardening tools, plant accessories, gardening supplies, lifestyle items, and even merchandise. And of course, they have the most luscious range of both indoor and outdoor plants of varying sizes and types.
You may shop online at betty-blooms.com.
For the Hygge aficionados: hoom
A curator of high-quality home pieces from global tastemakers has made it easy for Filipinos to get their hands on international goods. Hoom offers a variety not just of decor, but functionally stylistic everyday pieces, such as Zone Denmark’s soap dispensers to Falcon Enamelware’s serving trays. They’re also an authorized stockist of coveted coffee table book publications from Gestalten and the iconic brand magazines, Magazine B and Magazine F.
You may shop or pre-order items online at hoom.store.
For the space-race and funky junkies: Funk House
The Funk House fuels your love for retro designs and doesn’t disappoint in adding pops of color to your space. With what’s probably the best collection of unique lighting fixtures and vintage reproduced prints, you can definitely find some pieces to fill your home with. Your space would probably feel like the perfect Berlin apartment by the time you’re done shopping here. Compliments are, of course, guaranteed.
You may DM them for inquiries, shop their on-hand items on Instagram with #funkhouseonhand or shop their entire catalog for pre-order here.
For the restored vintage lovers: Studio Yakal
If you’re looking for a place that offers a well-curated collection of restored vintage pieces from various global brands of different eras, then you’re in the right place. Make sure to gear up when they drop new pieces in their Instagram account because it’s sure to sell out fast. They offer original vintage furniture from Japanese to European labels, such as Akitamokko, Kartell, and Kotobuki.
You may shop their items through Instagram DM or comment on their posts on a “mine” basis on available items with #availablestudioyakal. They also just recently opened their studio, located at 3F, YL Holdings Bldg., Legazpi Village, Makati City.
For keeping your walls exciting: Subtle Homes
Nothing’s sadder than staring at a blank wall. Spice up your four corners with prints galore, one for every personality out there. From Keith Haring-inspired prints to vintage automobiles, to alternative movie posters, this print shop is loaded with original designs and framed prints of lifestyle pieces. Bonus: they also offer prints in various formats, such as mugs, clocks, and desk mats. Even bigger bonus: they’re branching out into creating unique pieces such as camera lamps and a vinyl bar stool, hopefully, available soon.
You may shop their original designs here and DM them on Instagram for custom orders and more inquiries.
For the not-so-subtle home stuff: Happiness Research Facility
I can’t help but gatekeep this account but now, I’m setting it free. A wild card of iconically Filipino sayings on everyday objects, such as wine glasses, tumblers, teacups and saucers, vases, shirts, and more. These pieces will definitely catch the eye and the smiles of whoever comes across these lowkey showstoppers in your space. They offer a collection of porcelain wares and glassware that are just too cute to use. But watch out! Their stuff sells out quicker than you can say “mine”.
You may shop their items through DM on Instagram when they drop.
For the wood projects and elevated music corners: Flat Projects
For all your quality wooden needs, Flat Projects offers custom hardwood birch ply projects from benches, and work desks, to their specialty, turntable stands. Their respect for perfecting your home’s listening corner is unparalleled. Designed in-house, they create wooden stands for your record player, sound systems, and vinyl records to be kept all in one place to properly store them while keeping everything clean and classy. It’s the perfect cherry on top for turning your space into a sanctuary.
You may shop their pieces at their Instagram shop or at flat-projects.com. You may also DM them for inquiries and custom designs.
Header image courtesy of: Happiness Research Facility