interior design – Chasing Dreams

Happy is now a Couch, thanks to Heima

August 4, 2009December 29, 2019 Rhiza4 Comments

DAY THIRTEEN. I was really planning to blog earlier, but akdfaldsfj!! There are just too many distractions around here, and before I know it, I spent the past 2 hours blog-hopping and window-shopping (yes you can do that online) and eventually ended up buying stuff I don’t need. (Inthefishbowl is sooo addicting, and that’s not only because Sheila is my friend, no, I’m really just a sucker for pretty things, is all.)

Anyway. I’m thinking of coming up with a “Store of the Week” or “Wish List” kinda thing here. Since I’ve been spending a lot of money and time online shopping anyway, I thought perhaps I could point you guys to these awesome online shopping sites I frequent lately so you too can, uh, splurge with me. (What a lame. I’m sleepy.) No commissions involved, don’t worry.

Today, I shall point you to the direction of.. ta-da, the Heima Store.

Hi, I was at Heima last week, and I bought two rolls of film. And a pillow.
(Btw, that’s Heima featured at Real Living Magazine’s July Issue)

I first heard of them from a friend who happens to be college-friends with Heima’s store owner, Rossy Anne Yabut (graduate of UST, BA Interior Design, one year my junior — impressive indeed). I loved what I saw in the online store, hence, when I had the chance to drop by Cubao Expo, I made it a point to check out their showroom as well.

And oh-my-golly-wow, their showroom is awesome, I love everything I saw — from the furniture, to the home decors, to the lomographic cameras. Their collection ranges from vintage classic to modern glam, just about everything that makes me drool these days.

And the Happy House Collection is probably the most awesome thing there. Check. This. Out.

Now if only the heavens would pour out 35,000 PhP my way right this instant so I can buy this Happy Couch, then I’d start rain-dancing now. And then I’d rain-dance some more for another 12,000 PhP so I can get the Happy Bench. Or that Ms Cupcake Secretary Desk, which will really look pretty in my bedroom, the turquoise one please. *wipes drool*

Seriously though, I think this is the type of furniture I’d want in my home, when I have one. I can imagine the colors I can mix and match with this happy set already, the possibilities are endless, and I like what I see in my head! Someday, maybe.

Meanwhile, you can always just buy a roll of film from Heima, or a pillow, and leave the store happy just the same. ;)

Happy = awesome.

P.S. I know I sound like a sappy TV commercial, you don’t have to point that one out okay. It’s 5AM, cut me some slack here!! Zzzzzzz.. zzz.

30 Days of Awesome, 13/30.

Collecting Guitars and Displaying Them

July 25, 2009December 29, 2019 RhizaLeave a comment

DAY THREE. I think guitars are not only photogenic, they’re also awesome decorative elements wherever you place them. Truckloads of photos, coming up! :)

3/30 | Guitars are Awesome

3/30. Collecting Guitars and Displaying Them

[The guitars in this photo: Acoustic guitar — the only one that is actually making any sound; the red toy guitar made in Cebu, from Ivy; and the two guitar magnets — the bigger one I got from the Detroit Metro Airport during a stopover from last year’s US trip, and the smaller one from my brother who got it also from Cebu.]

I have not played my guitar in a long time (and have stopped being guitarchic, too, if you haven’t noticed, lol) but I’m still fond of anything guitar, mostly because I like taking photos of them and seeing them displayed. And okay, playing them once in a while.

Collect and display, there goes a rule to live by. If you have guitars in your house, whether you’re using them or not, take them out of your closets and display them.

Let’s try visual now, shall we? Here are two ways to use guitars as decorative elements.

Continue reading “Collecting Guitars and Displaying Them” →

Taking Vintage into my Living Room

July 10, 2009December 29, 2019 Rhiza6 Comments

Last Thursday, I went to the mall to look for an extra rack for my clothes because my stuff won’t fit in my closet anymore. The intention was pure, I needed to de-clutter before snakes start nesting on clothes that were scattered in every corner of my room. Clothes rack, check.

What I failed to do, however, was resist looking around and buying a few more things that I don’t really need.

And it all started with this wall clock. (Isn’t it the prettiest thing?)

I don’t know how it started, but this crazy obsession with typewriters and anything vintage (-looking) came to me with this sudden fondness for wall clocks. (Not too long, I also took home an old Coca Cola Wall Clock from Vintage Pop’s clearance sale.) So yep, this vintage-inspired clock found its way to my shopping cart in no time, as if I needed more reminders that time is ticking away.

This was shortly followed by these floral printed curtains, which were on sale. The huge floral pattern looks like something my grandmother will appreciate, which is exactly what I love about it. And I like how I didn’t have to take down my old red curtains because as it seems, the printed pattern looks perfect against the two-toned red curtains anyway.

Surely, red and olive green look lovely together, Christmas or no Christmas.

And then there were just a few more things: fake flowers on a porcelain pot, scented candle in a jadeite metal pail, and a cheapo table cloth with orange and red stitches. Voila, instant living room overhaul.

I got home from the mall yesterday feeling a bit guilty for splurging (again) on things that were not in my budget to begin with. Tonight, however, as I spend time in this little corner, I know that I could justify my impulse buying again and win in court.

I needed this change.

For freelancers like me, who spend most of our days confined in such a small space, little changes like this spell a lot of difference. Workplaces affect productivity, after all.

Old items: (1) Love seat/two-seater couch from SM Departmen Store; (2) Red throw pillows from Our Home; (3) Red two-toned curtains from some supermarket, I can’t remember which one; (4) Lamp from Ikea; (5) Red adjustable round table from Dimensione; (6) Vintage make-up kit and coffeeholics mug from Vintage Pop.

Recent additions, all from SM Department Store: (1) Floral printed curtains (P375 each x2); (2) Vintage-inspired wall clock (P299); (3) Red table cloth (P35); (4) Scented candle on a pail (P239); (5) Fake flowers in a porcelain pot (P149).

P.S. Daily doses of Decor8, plus the habitual bloghopping through her blogroll, did this to me. Thanks, Holly. :)

Inspired by Bella’s Room

June 21, 2009May 29, 2016 Rhiza12 Comments

It’s 5am, the sun is already up, and the week is about to begin, and I still haven’t slept. My body clock is so screwed up.

Anyway. Somewhere in the middle of whiling time away, and surfing, and letting the Twilight movie play in the other computer screen (I sometimes let a random movie play in the background in lieu of playing music), Bella’s room caught my attention and suddenly, a light switched on in my head.

At the risk of sounding like a Twilight fanatic, I started searching for photos and DIY overhauls and replicas inspired by Bella’s room. The best source I could find was this squidoo page. Not that I want to replicate her room, I just think that some of the details in her room are worth the second look.

Some interesting items inside Bella’s room:

(1) Blue & purple bed sheets. I think I’m going to start seeing purple in a different light. And I say this for the first time in my life — I think purple is beautiful. And it looks pretty with blue, too. Woot, I’m crossing over.

(2) Corkboard with lots and lots of pictures and posters and post-its and junk. Now this one is not so hard for me to replicate. In fact, a messy corkboard has been a standard item in my bed room since college. Here’s one of the few times one can say that messy is a cool decorative element.

(3) Vintage desk with lots of artsy stuff and junk. I don’t think I need more junk in my desk, though.

(4) Vintage dresser and a vintage lamp on top. And wait, are those boxes on top of the dresser jigsaw puzzles?

(5) Light blue sheer curtains that allow day light to come in.

(6) Japanese paper lantern, and a shelf full of CDs and other cutesy stuff. (Oh look, she’s still holding that cactus.)

(7) Purple pillow cases and comforter with intricate velvet floral details, which, apparently, are being sold in ebay.

Apparently, the walls in Bella’s room were green, not blue. It did look blue in the daylight because of the blue curtains and the blue bed sheet that were major elements in the color scheme. The green hues were more obvious in the night shots, though.

For the thousandth time since I moved to this condominium, I wish I could paint my walls. Or that I had my own house I could paint colors with. But right, for now, I have to make the most out of the (dirty) white walls that this condo unit came with. (I’m starting to get excited about the possibilities).

Like I said, I’m not about to replicate Bella’s room. Except for maybe three things:

(1) The purple and blue combination.

(2) The japanese paper lantern.

And (3) the dragonfly lights. (Or christmas lights, which I’ve ranting about for a while now.)

Okay, four things.

(4) The photo mural slash cork board. (Time to stock up on polaroid film!)

It’s time to make my bedroom look less dull, and then maybe I’d start spending more time in bed and getting some sleep! I’ll post an update on this one. c”,)