FROM BARGAINS TO AUCTIONS, MLTV BRINGS VIEWERS TO HOME-SHOPPING HEAVEN
On the third episode of
Modern Living TV Season 9, hosts Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi and Bianca Gonzalez-Intal enlivened the weekend with alluring places where you could find items to fill up your space — from the bargain paradise of Dapitan Arcade and Telas De Mercato; to the home improvement wonderland of Wilcon Depot; then off to Salcedo Auctions.
WEIGHING IN PRAGMATISM AND QUALITY HOME INTERIORS
California native and blogger Amber Folkman proves that you can decorate your house with quality home items that are inexpensive. Relocated to Manila in 2009, Amber has been a seasoned shopper who shares her “pro tips” to foreigners planning to visit or relocate to Manila — a place that, for Amber, “has everything.” She is known for her blogs that demonstrate her immersion to Filipino culture and give home decoration prompts.
Amber flaunted her pragmatic approach in home designing as she accompanied Steph to Dapitan Arcade, a wholesaler in Quezon City known for affordable exportquality home interiors and local handcrafted items. With a budget of P2,000 and assuming that they were settling into a new home, Amber and Steph shopped for fabulous bargain items that could fill up home spaces. Among the items they canvassed were a pamaypay or fan, a basket and a big wooden bowl.
To add an element of life, Amber suggested having plants and flowers to practically dress up a home.
“Find something that can be utilized in multiple places,” Amber shared. “…buy a really nice wooden bowl that can also be used as a décor item in another room. Find one that can be moved or transitioned from room to room. You could repurpose it in different areas of your home.”
After shopping in Dapitan Arcade, Amber and Steph toured around Telas De Mercato in Mandaluyong. Considered as a haven for anyone planning to brighten up their homes, the store supplies quality fabrics at affordable prices. “Fabric is a really excellent medium when you’re decorating your own space. I don’t own my home yet; it’s a transient place. Fabrics are a way to make it look my own,” Amber explained. Some of the fabrics handpicked by Amber and Steph were for throw pillows, armchairs and curtains.
SHOPPING WITH A DESIGN EXPERT TO WILCON DEPOT
For design expert Jie Pambid, it’s no surprise that Wilcon Depot in Libis, Quezon City is considered a one-stop destination for home improvement. With its furniture items and home interiors, the store can bring a contemporary feel to a vintage space. To prove this, Bianca and Jie went shopping, with a little effort and spending.
“A lot of people think that the solution will be like a radical makeover. But there are certain tips that will help you update the character of your house; not necessarily resulting to breaking down walls,” Jim said, as he bared his designing skills with Wilcon Depot products — a carpet, giant jars, pillows, a couch and wall artworks. “Everything is available here. It’s just a matter of putting the right pieces in the right place, in the right amount.”
TREASURED ITEMS FROM SALCEDO AUCTIONS
Aside from buying from furniture stores, bidding for home accessories and fine arts from an auction house may also be a brilliant method when designing your house. Salcedo Auctions in Makati is one of the wellknown diversified auction services in the country. It aggrandizes its specialization in “fine art and design, furniture, decor, jewelry, timepieces, valuable books, maps, numismatics, ephemera and rare automobiles.”
A venue for individuals who want to sell or buy prized collectibles, Salcedo Auctions has been an expert in properly assessing and giving a reserved price for an item. To cater design enthusiasts and decorators, Salcedo Auctions launched its subsidiary brand, Gavel and Block, which features a diverse collection of art, furniture, décor and designs. Last May 5, it organized a fund-raising event titled “Benefit” that would fund scholarship programs.
Richie Lerma, director of Salcedo Auctions, showed some valuable items exhibited in the auction, including pieces of contemporary artist Ronald Ventura, late abstractionist Romulo Olazo, Paris-based artist Nena Saguil, and National Artist for Visual Arts Arturo Luz. “It’s a privilege to have these pieces and offer them on behalf of the Filipinos,” Richie said.