Another thing that I dearly love – old houses/heritage/ancestral houses. I did part of my design thesis  on one, how to conserve the existing structure itself and how to renovate a more recent addition structure to make it part of the existing.  It was actually more complicated than that of course, with the space undergoing various transitions over the years. But I loved every minute of it actually, even crawling under old and dusty framing to take measurements. Haha.

So it certainly was a treat for me to be able to visit another awesome ancestral house, the Balay Negrense. At present, it is now a museum of sorts that represents the lifestyle of Negrense Sugar Baron during the late 19th century. Ancestral houses here in the Philippines are classified according to certain periods and foreign influences (ex. American Colonial Era, Japanese Era, etc.).

Though I can go on and on with this the whole day (I really find it interesting!), I’ll leave you with a brief account of it Architecture-wise and then class dismissed for now. Haha. So, here we go.

This house is an example of a bahay na bato (which literally means “House of Stone”, I can explain further on the history of the bahay na bato another time if anyone is curious about it). It’s lower storey which is typically the stone part of the bahay na bato is actually made of concrete. As typical of old houses, it’s floors and foundation posts are made of a sturdy local hardwood. It has a good high ceiling for the second storey and wide open windows.

Pictures below. Class dismissed.

 
 
 
P.S. A couple of moi pictures too. I had a lot of fun, had to control looking giddy being in the house. Haha.
 

 
 
 

I was quite worn out for the last couple of days, with all the design stuff  (plus a couple of appointments) that needed to be done, attended to and crossed out in my to-do list. An example from yesterday’s to-do list was giving out specifications for stools and a table I had someone customize for me among other things. I had a lot of fun though! (and a bit of a headache. Haha.) 

Anyhow, here are a couple of hasty shots from the Green Design Talk I mentioned a few days ago. It was quite an awesome talk by  Archt. Joy Onozawa (an awesome lady and a Certified Green Building Designer), packed with so much useful information about our environment, the situation of our planet at present, how we can incorporate Green Design in architecture and interior design.

For those who aren’t familiar with Green Design, its basically environmentally conscious design. When applied in interior design, It’s about us designing responsibly by thinking of the environment as well, of us helping our clients use spaces that respect the environment. It was certainly quite interesting to learn things like how we can use our country’s humidity to our advantage when we are designing or how by simple reconfigurations in our  design we can already make interiors a lot cooler without using too much energy (i.e. air conditioners or electric fans).

We were also given a tour of Greenovate Corporation’s Green Model Unit, an earth-friendly home which incorporates an environment-friendly design concept and built using affordable pre-fabricated materials which acknowledge the concept of minimizing the negative impact on our environment (ex. It allows its occupants to save on water and electricity). Yup, I enjoyed listening to the talk beside a nifty solar-powered air conditioning system.

I can go on and on about this (I think I’ll do a separate post all together about Green Design) because its beyond awesome but I think I’ll stop up to here for now. A couple of pictures below.

I know, I was away for quite some time. *doesn’t make eye contact*  – Haha. I was actually nursing a tummy pain problem and when I eventually got better, it was this design journal’s turn to experience problems of its own. Anyhow, I’m very very happy to be back. (Insert megawatt smile here).

What better way to start this month than by sharing an experimental concoction I came up with? Cool beans!

During the beginning of the weekend, I was told that they got some fresh scallops for me and I can do whatever I wish with said scallops.  The thing is,  I get really excited when I experiment with cooking. It reminds me so much of designing, you can play around with different ideas and apply creativity. I also like taking advantage of fresh ingredients because the flavor they possess is simply awesome.

I definitely had a lot of fun doing this and I knew what I wanted to come up with – a savory scallop dish. Though I wanted to use some cooking wine that was especially good for seafood, I decided to just go with an alternative so that in case my mom will eat it, it’ll  be completely safe and non-alcoholic.  Also, I won’t do a step by step thing but will instead discuss how I sort of did it (i.e. a paragraph or two). On to the cooking!

 I do love ratios and stuff but with this, I made my own proportions in a sense. I decided to steam the first half of my scallops (I want to try something different with the remaining half. Perhaps do a play on oriental flavors for the next batch). Steaming is actually a good and healthy cooking option. To start things off, I seasoned the scallops with some salt, pepper and garlic beforehand. I then infused the steaming with some fresh lemon grass and a lemon for some subtle zest. Quick note, cooking time for the scallops is about 8-10 minutes when you steam them.

Do take advantage of the natural “fresh-from-the-sea” flavor of the scallops (I wanted that particular flavor to be the focal/base flavor) and keep things simple. Use the remaining scallop juice/drippings from steaming and make a thick, rich gravy of sorts. On low heat, add some evoo and mix in a couple of cloves of garlic (chopped finely), stir for at least a minute. Add in the drippings and simmer for a couple of minutes to thicken. You may add some cooking wine at this point to deglaze the sauce  but since I wanted this alcohol free (even if its just wine), there are wine alternatives that work as well (examples include white grape juice, water, etc.). Add some fresh herbs (think of herbs that would complement the taste that you are going for) and some fresh chives towards the end. Don’t forget to season with some salt and pepper. Plate your dish and acquaint with your tastebuds.

This is quite a rich and savory dish that is really good (I loved how it turned out) and would also be perfect for Lent. Have fun in your kitchen and make some art of your own!

I really really love this ad from Mercedes-Benz (it’s really artsy!) and no, it’s not an ad with cars in it. It’s something entirely cool and different (both in concept and design), a really good ad in my opinion. I won’t say too much, just check it for yourself below.

So, which portion of your brain is the dominant one?

P.S. If you aren’t that acquainted with this, here is a quick brief. When a person develops a dominance towards one side of their brain, they tend to have certain areas of interest and even characteristics in common. The left side (left cerebral hemisphere) of the brain is often thought of as the logical, thinking side while right brain dominant people are thought of as the artists and dreamers of the world.  I just want to make it clear though that this doesn’t necessarily mean that if one is dominant in one field, he is quite poor in the other – he simply has strengths in different areas.

Personally, I can’t entirely make up my mind if I am left or right brained. Haha. Yup, I know that I am in the design/arts industry and I tend to gravitate towards it more but I did come from a Science High School (and proud of it!) a few years back . Boggling right? A Science Scholar who pursued  Fine Arts. Haha.  I also find that I manifest things that are done in the left brain (this includes the part wherein they mentioned that Left Brained People tend to be dog lovers as opposed to Right Brained People who are cat lovers. It even made me laugh. Love you Georgia! ).  Anyhow, I’m settling on being a mixture of both but gravitating more towards the right brain.

P.P.S. Want to find out which portion is more dominant for you? Try out this cool test (it’s more of a creativity test really but it does the job), click here. It said that I am more right brained than left-brained. I guess I’m right with my initial assumption above. Haha.

I will try to make this brief.

Feng Shui (pronounced Fung Suy) is a traditional Chinese technique which ensures that all things are in harmony with their surroundings. It is a complex blend of fine aesthetics, sound common sense and mystical philosophy. When literally translated, it means “Wind and Water” and these are regarded as akin to certain force, called ch’i (meaning breath, current or air). They say that having Feng Shui in the home, for instance, enhances happiness and prosperity.

My take on Feng Shui is geared towards simply being open-minded. As an interior designer and a user of spaces myself, I find it as a principle to be quite interesting and rich in context. I’m not entirely sure if I would observe it in my future space (I do love wind chimes and goldfish though! Haha.) but I do acknowledge that it works for some people and I am happy for them. Just focus on how certain aspects of it can help inspire you to grow/what works for you (and your spaces too!) but do not let it control your life and way of living entirely – I mean you can’t entirely go wrong with this  since it applies to a lot of other things actually. That being said, unto the forecast!

The year of the Dragon symbolizes Feng Shui’s water element while the Chinese zodiac year of the Dragon exudes power and force. They say that the use of the following colors will attract good fortune for this year – dark blue tones, blue green tones and black. The yellow/cream color from the previous Dragon year (which was 2000) will work especially well with this year’s color palette. It will balance out the depth of the dark colors (i.e. black) with it’s own lightness and softness. Gold as an accent color will add a touch of sophistication (may it be through your wallpaper, dinnerware or stripes in fabrics).

They say that the use of this dynamic color scheme for this year will bring about an increase flow of positive energy and attract good health and success. Also, ceramics and wood are considered as good interior materials along with natural fabrics and leather textures.  Avoid metals except those in golden colors.

Check out the simple design board I made below to give you ideas. I wish us all an awesome 2012!

I’m inviting everyone who are in Cebu for Sinulog to drop by if you can and if you want us interior designers to paint stuff (works of art really. haha.) on you. I for one am not comfortable painting stuff on people’s faces but overall I’m sure its gonna be fun. Haha. We have been doing this for a couple of years now and proceeds will go to a beneficiary we choose. Pit Senyor Everyone! I wish you all an amazing Sinulog

P.S. January was just all over the place for me so far and thus the lack of entries. But you are all in my thoughts and I wish you all an awesome weekend.

P.P.S. Curious about Sinulog? or about our face painting event? For an overview (sort of), do click here.

Happy New Year Everyone!

I’d like to consider this year as a fresh start and would love to share this with all of you as well. It’s the lyrics of another personal favorite/best-loved song (it wasn’t  a song to begin with, it started out originally as an article from an awesome lady’s column) for many years now actually (I used to listen to it in the car after school) and I would love to use it as a guide for this year and the years to come hopefully. I wish all of us an awesome 2012! Enjoy!

Ladies and gentlemen of the class of ’97

Wear sunscreen.

The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now.

Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they’ve faded.

But trust me, in 20 years, you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are not as fat as you imagine.

Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum.

The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.

Sing.

Don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind.

The race is long and, in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults.

If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives.

Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t.

Maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t.

Maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.

Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either.

Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else’s.

Use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it or of what other people think of it.

Dance – even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions., even if you don’t follow them.

Be nice to your siblings. They’re your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.

Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old.

And when you do, you’ll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you’ll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair or by the time you’re 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.

Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

P.P.S. I’d like to ask a favor from all of you. Please do pray for my mom, we continue on with our battle. She has a challenging procedure and we will be at the hospital on the third. Thank you.

Haha. Indulge me with my post’s title. Well, it is an awesome gift guide.

We all love to shop for presents during Christmas for our families and friends. Though this gift guide is posted just a few days into Christmas day, I highly encourage doing Christmas shopping early (slowly buying gifts throughout the year and getting them ready for December is a good idea as well) to avoid the hustle and bustle, as well as the stress and long lines at the counter and having more options available.

These are just ideas for presents you can get for the people you love. I love personal gifts and those out of the ordinary. I also love presents with an artisan feel to them, they have a lot of character in my opinion.

Details:

1. Handmade Fleur de Sel Caramels (1/2 lbs. in a Mason Jar)

- I’ve been eyeing these for some time now and unfortunately they are sold out already (*sniff*). They would make an awesome gift, melt in your mouth caramels hand wrapped in natural unbleached parchment paper. I tend to associate Christmas with getting scrumptious baked goods in festive packaging (cupcakes and apple pies!).

2. Colorful Vintage Seltzer Glass Bottles

- Something perfect to add to your collection plus they are really pretty.  I love vintage bottles! These babies were found in a flea market in Paris, France. Check them out here.

3. Decorative Pear Pillow

- For something cutesy/plush and definitely whimsical. They are adorable gifts for both adults and kids. They are also handmade (Coolio!). You can find them here.

4. Mug by Hangyu Kim

-Jazz up the mug present option with this. It is incredibly clever and cool. Borosilicate glass and porcelain handles. The handles are detachable and thus drinking coffee wouldn’t be a boring event anymore. Awesome sauce!

5. Primitive Bunnies

- I always have this affinity for old school stuffed animals. They have more character and will be an awesome keepsake for your child. They can also be used as decor for a nursery or a child’s room. They are made from natural fabrics and you can find them here.

6. Botanicals

-This is a cool gift for friends or people who love plants (Trivia: I love terrariums! ♥). You can even make these on your own as well and they wouldn’t require a great deal of care at all.

7. Versailles Fluò by Selab

- I love these pieces, truly eclectic pieces that you can add to your China cabinet. They are made out of fine porcelain and they remind me indeed of Versailles. I love the pop of color!

8. Gourmet Chocolate Bars

- I love these! They come in chic designs and awesome flavors. A truly classy present, I’d love a couple of these babies. Premium Belgian couverture white chocolate infused with ceremony grade matcha green tea. An awesome balance of bitter and sweet.

Your options are quite endless actually, that’s what I wanted to point out with this post. I wanted to inspire you in some way to go and look for more original presents. The recipients will really appreciate the thought.

More importantly though, let us not forget though that presents are simply secondary to what Christmas is really about. A really awesome gift is to help out others by offering your time (join a feeding activity or spending time in an orphanage or a nursing home), that is simply priceless. )

Merry Christmas Everyone!

P.S. It would be awesome if we can help out the victims of Typhoon Sendong in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City. If you have extra time, money, food, clothing, do share them and drop them off at designated drop off areas all around the metro. Thank you!

P.P.S. I read this posted around the web, “Convert your fireworks and parties to food, clothing, etc. for the Typhoon Sendong victims in CDO and Iligan”. It is a good thought.

Hi Everyone! This was the article I made for Vécu Magazine (A big thank you to Delina!). This was supposed to be posted earlier, but hopefully it can still help you guys out in some way (for those who are doing some last minute preparations). Enjoy!

A favorite event of the year, Christmas is truly a festive celebration spent with family and friends. Christmas dinners, decorating your tree, tinsels and lights, and basically turning your home into a sparkly yuletide confection – although secondary, are certainly just as significant and have become memorable traditions for most households when December comes knocking at our doors.

Achieving the holiday atmosphere you have always wanted can be quite a challenge. To ensure that your home is “Christmas Ready”, preparation is key and a couple of tips should help you be on your way. Happy Holidays!

Your Basics

Try Out A Theme For Your Tree

It can be somewhat overwhelming when you are just getting started, especially when you don’t know where to begin. As a suggestion, you can pick out a theme for your tree and from there you can work your way around everything else. Some people want to go for something whimsical and thus might even get a pink tree. You can go with a Wild West theme or even an Under the Sea one if you wish to go with something unconventional. You can also stick to something simpler, such as picking a color spectrum (think blue in various shades for example) or two of your favorite colors and build around that.

Decorating Trends For The Holidays

Just like in fashion, you can also acquaint yourself with this season’s hottest holiday trends if that is your preference. You can certainly use that as a guide for ideas. According to the Trend Curve, light shades of green and silver have been paired up together. Masculine influences are also present. Think hunting lodge and deer motifs. For a more urban feel, colors like pewter and metallic gray together with black and beige are used. New applications for glitter and metallics are also added in the mix.

Traditional Christmas décor is trendy still and I believe will always be timeless. The return of classic reds and greens are quite evident. According to Sphere Trending, gold and silver are staples. Bronzes with a rosy tint and silvers with a touch of golden sheen are options as well.

The Technicalities and Observing Practices

Warm Lights and Candles

Incorporating lighting will help provide an exceptional atmosphere at night. For indoors, try looking into LED types of Christmas lights. They are very good investments in the long run, though they may appear small but they actually provide very good illumination and are energy efficient. If you are new to installing lights (these apply for both indoors and outdoors), do start out small. Make sure that you are using lights designed specifically for that certain area and if you are using lights from the year before, test them out first. Add dimension by using different sizes, use electrical tape instead of staples to stick lights in place and make sure to not overload your circuits.

Get some candles and consider tea lights, these are affordable for the most part. They add a homey touch and come in a variety of designs, colors and even scents. You can arrange them in groups with varying heights or get large pillar ones and place them near your window.

Décor Longevity

Consider getting décor that are timeless and thus can be used for many years. Products with longevity are important because the economy today is becoming an integral factor in re-evaluating how we spend for seasonal décor. As an example, consider the use of ribbons and bows because of their versatility. They can be used for plants, your chandelier, stair railings and even chair backs. Choose ribbons in patterns and colors that go with your overall design scheme, they will definitely add to the festive feel. You can even utilize plaids or metallics. To save money, choose ribbons that you can untie and re-tie each year. In terms of storing, this will ensure that your bows won’t get crushed and will be ready for the following year.

For Small Spaces

Small spaces can be quite challenging. That being said, a good imagination and a bit of innovation will help. Move your furniture closer together to come up with a cozy corner for your tree. If incorporating one in your space is not an option, alternatives include getting faux tabletop tree or even a wall decal one. Use clear and reflective décor. Clear pieces such as glass lamps or those made of Lucite lend visual weightlessness and reflective ones with mirror panels help make your space appear bigger.

Bring out the Creativity

Dining and the Christmas Table

Christmas dinners with loved ones are priceless and a beautiful Christmas table helps set the mood for a wonderful evening. Opt for classic and good quality holiday pieces that will stand the test of time. This enables you to try out something fun such as using holiday tableware for every meal in December. You can definitely add new pieces to your collection each year and soon you’ll be able to have one or two settings to use. Start out with classic white dishes and a neutral setting and layer color through patterned textiles and textures in your ornaments. Incorporate pieces passed down in your family such as your Grandparents’ china or pieces from your flea market trip. Add candles, greenery, pinecones and a bedazzled touch by using gem ornaments and some gold and silver.

Indulge in Nifty Crafts

You can always incorporate little DIY projects during the holidays and they can range from doing Christmas tree toppers or doing something interactive with your children such as making pasta garlands. Do try out two of these nifty crafts, they don’t take much time plus they look great. If you have fresh fruit on hand and would like to create a centerpiece, simply use some egg white and sugar to coat the fruits and end up with gorgeous frosted fruit. For a more bedazzled effect and this isn’t limited to just fruits, try spraying food with Food Finish. This is a type of food coloring that comes in various metallic finishes and will definitely add luster to your cuisine.

P.S. I am one of Vécu Magazine’s Contributors for December (Awesome sauce! ♥). Do support Independent Artists!

(Photography by Paula Cañete)

Pantone’s color forecast declares Tangerine Tango as the color for 2012. It is a reddish orange shade and it exudes a certain vivaciousness feel. As quoted from Pantone’s article, “Sophisticated, dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenalin rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibilty, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy”. To add, “This luscious reddish orange adds sensuality to fashion, flair to accessories, verve to cosmetics, and lively luxury to interior surfaces and appointments”.

Tangerine Tango hopes to provide the “energy boost we need to recharge and move forward”. According to Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone Color Institute’s Executive Director, “Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it. Reminiscent of the shadings of sunset”.

Do not be intimidated by orange, Tangerine Tango is a good shade to try out if you wish to apply a certain design trend in your space.  Add some zest in your interiors by incorporating this color in some way, start off  with accessories such as  pillows, tabletop knick knacks or incoporate it by getting patterned textiles in this shade. Add some spice and interest by making a bolder move such as using this shade as a wall color, it will work as an accent wall in your kitchen to stimulate appetite. Good neutrals to pair with this shade include a graphite color, cream and even black. Check out the quick mood board I put together below as well as a couple of interiors I picked out from the internet for some ideas.

P.S. I guess this is my first post with a mention about the new year to come. Wow, I can’t believe this year is almost over. Time is beyond fast lately.

I have received some good feedback with regards to a previous post about Interior Design, more specifically the post on why one should hire an interior designer. I decided to post another excerpt from our Directory and Sourcebook simply for educational/informative purposes and to address this particular concern in a sense. The text is by Archt. Ma. Daisy Mah, an Interior Design Lecturer from the University of San Carlos and a very supportive mentor.

Many misconceptions surround Interior Design, the most common of which is that Interior Design is only for the wealthy. Interior Design actually attempts to make man work efficiently in his space but more importantly, feel good about himself in it. For this reason,  the designer makes an attempt to know his client very well, understanding his needs and wants. Providing his needs results in a functional space while providing his wants end up in enriching his living. Such is not only for the wealthy. The nature of the job of an Interior Designer is often misunderstood too. Many make the mistake of calling themselves Interior Designers when they simply spruce up the place with new paint, rearrange the furniture, change the light fixture, and accessories here and there. Though tastefully done, this is simply Interior Decorating.

An Interior Designer’s job is more technical, more detailed and more comprehensive. This is the reason why an aspiring Interior Designer is required to finish a four-year course, Bachelor of Science in Interior Design and pass the Professional Regulation Commission’s Board Examination. Another involves the time it requires for the designer to arrive at an accurate design solution. Clients don’t realize that the creative process takes longer than usual, simply because it involves intangible  immeasurable qualities such as beauty and originality, yet tempered or compromised by practicality, function and convenience.

Do not forget the economic feasibility of the budget. Such strong considerations challenge the designer to reach his best solution. Perhaps the blame falls on the designer himself. His approach or manner by which he presents his seemingly simple design has inadvertently made the client think of the ease by which his design was conceived.

(Image Credit – Working Drawing by Paula Cañete)

1. I received an awesome email from Tari of Shopaholic and I really appreciated her sweet thoughts about The Sea Green Journal. By the way, they included The Sea Green Journal in their blogroll. Yey, awesome sauce!

You can check them out here. They post articles and tips on a variety of things, so far I’ve checked out their “Pampered Pets” section. *blush* I’m Georgia’s mummy after all. Haha.

Yes, I’m checking out “Design and Decor “next.

2. Got invited as a participant for the first Industry-Academic Forum tomorrow. It’s at the College of Architecture and Fine Arts theater at the University of San Carlos. The awesome professors/coordinators want to initiate a dialog between Cebu’s Building and Design Industry and the City’s Educational Sector. Do check it out!

(Referring to the first photo below) – Where is this cool place? Better yet, what is it?

We had an awesome time at the Island Paints Showroom yesterday when they invited us to come by for a visit. I got acquainted with their paint basics (and the colors they offer) and their line of paint products with more focus on architectural and interior paints and finishes.

I have always loved paints (I mean I love color to begin with) and I do get so enamored with ranges of paint and product lines. I especially want to try out their Concreto Bond (Ok Pau, showing your nerdishness again. Haha.). Basically, it’s a plaster and waterproofing compound.

They also gave us tips on how and when best to apply their paints, as well as how best to prep and do surface preparation. They were quite informative with ratios (ex. amount of their cement polymer mix to how many kilos of concrete to mix together for optimum strength and durability) as well as how to apply some of their other products (ex. their stone coating system by means of a mortar gun). They also talked a bit about appliance paints.

They were quite awesome as well for doing a great deal of demo for us, I am quite into stain finishes and beautiful wood (Yup, that explains just a little bit why I have quite a number of pictures of their demo).

P.S. Yup, paints come in various “stages” (I can’t seem to find a better word at the moment.). You can get them in gloss, semi-gloss, satin (or an egg shell finish) and flat (or matte). Do know when to use solvent based and water based paints and what best to use for a certain surface (ex. wood, concrete, metal).

P.P.S. Bernie (I love you and your armpits. Haha.) and I were able to get a picture taken together. Awesome sauce! I’ll add it to this post once I get a copy. Oh, Happy Bonifacio day as well if you are in the Philippines

This is an excerpt from our Directory and Sourcebook, basically a Publication from PIID-Cebu (Philippine Institute of Interior Designers – Cebu Chapter). Do get your copy!

Who needs an interior designer, one might say, when you know what you want and think you have the eye for it. A sofa you’ve been eyeing comes on sale so you rush to purchase it only to find it is way too big for your room and is now blocking your doorway.

Or, seeing tiles that are on sale, you rush to purchase them and have them installed only to find you are missing a few more pieces but the tiles have been sold out and discontinued.

Hiring a professional interior designer may cost a bit, but it’s more costly to make one mistake after another. PIID-Cebu would like to share some reasons for hiring an Interior Designer:

1. An Interior Designer is client-oriented and designs spaces based on the client’s budget, needs and lifestyle.

2. An Interior Designer is a problem solver and he does it systematically.

3. An Interior Designer pays attention to the littlest details.

4. An Interior Designer can plan, schedule, manage and see formidable costly mistakes that may incur in the long run.

5. An Interior Designer can anticipate a long-term view of the situation, not merely a current snapshot.

6. An Interior Designer can present unique and custom furnishings that cannot be found everywhere else, he can also give you access to furniture showrooms that are not open to the general public.

7. An Interior Designer can pull together spaces that are aesthetically pleasing and functional – he can maximize space and make it more efficient.

8. An Interior Designer can translate your vision into paper, making it easy for contractors to execute the design.

9. An Interior Designer has a wide database of vendors, contractors, and other service providers; thus simplifying the client’s life, as designers can have samples brought to the client instead of having the client go out of his way to check out materials.

10. An Interior Designer is acquainted with a wide array of surfaces, materials, finishes and products, and can recommend the most appropriate one for the client’s needs.

(Image Credit – Paula Cañete, A Quick Perspective Sketch for a Café)

Hi Everyone!

One of the coolest things about doing this journal is meeting really incredible people and having the pleasure of developing treasured friendships even though we are far away. Getting to know Kelly has been awesome and she is an amazing person. She’s really nice too!

It was fantabulous of her to do a feature on what I do (in a sense) and I am very honored that she allowed me to impart some of my own thoughts to her readers. Do check out her blog!

If you are interested to know how I came about being an interior designer (to a certain extent and in paragraph form. Haha.) and see some of my work, you can read my feature here.

Thanks! ♥

Super cool right?

Yes, it’s made of paper. These exquisite and highly detailed designs and paper sculptures (i.e. works of art) are by Calvin Nicholls. It is quite evident that he has a great deal of passion for his art and he says that he finds great satisfaction from exploring various techniques in paper sculpture.

More of his pieces, below. I for one enjoyed going over them immensely. Enjoy!

P.S. I (for the life of me) didn’t know these (referring to the paper sculptures) were even possible. I am simply in awe by his talent and if ever he welcomes apprentices, I will definitely fall in line. Haha.

P.P.S. My personal favorites are the zebras and the owl ones simply because I am partial to them. (Haha.) But in totality, I love all of them, amazing detailing! ♥

I love color a great deal but I also love using neutrals for spaces. Some people find beige to be boring or the use of a neutral palette to be bland but this only happens when you aren’t maximizing the potential of browns, creams, and neutrals in general. We had to render an interior in watercolor using only white once and believe me, there is a very thin line between the interior turning into blah and it becoming quite tasteful and interesting. You can create depth with neutrals and by striking a good balance, you can end up with an entirely elegant and timeless space. This I can assure you.

A couple of really quick tips I put together to help you out -

1. Play around with darker and lighter neutral colors

When utilizing neutrals, you can go ahead and utilize your beiges and your tans but remember not to use said colors for everything. By doing so, it makes the space boring quickly. This translates to you avoiding going crazy with  white and utilizing it for your walls, your ceiling, your floor, your furniture. Play with darker and lighter neutral colors for contrast. The lighter ones add a calming effect while the darker colors add depth to the space.

2. Incorporate patterns and some texture

Mixing textures will definitely add interest in a heartbeat (but remember to not overdo this). Utilize a variety of surface materials such as slate against a smooth tile or flat veneer with organic wood branches. Patterns work too. Think stripes or utilize a damask fabric.

3. Lighting is key

Lighting plays an important part as well in terms of adding a certain effect to the space and it is very important. No harsh white light here. Keep soft and warm lighting in mind (i.e. table lamps for some task lighting, accent lighting to highlight a wall installation perhaps and some soft overhead ambient lighting).

I went over beautiful interior photography by Moris Moreno and picked out a couple  of his interior shots which I really liked. They are good examples (color-wise) of achieving a good balance when using neutrals. Do check them out (as visuals) and I hope you can pick out a few key pieces when you can incorporate in your own interiors.

P.S. Many people think that neutral options are quite limited and only comprise the standard whites and browns. But there are choices available actually, we even have warm neutrals and cool neutrals. If you are lost and can’t decide on which choices to go for, here are a couple of popular selections that can get you going. Quick tip for the selection below – Remember to not think of the color in solitary  terms but rather a mesh of two or more colors to give the space definition and some character. For example, Wheat is a trendy color at present. To make this beautiful hue work for you, complement it with a dark tan shade. Think wheat for walls and placing an armchair upholstered in rich tan leather next to it.

P.P.S. On a lighter and less academic note, Hi Everyone! Haha. I was attending to a couple of things over the last few days and I am slowly working on stuff to get them done. I do hope you like this post and find it informative. A big thank you to Mr. Wonderful for his help with redirecting sites. Also, pictures about my trip from last weekend – I’ll be posting them over this weekend. Yup, my sentence construction and thought formation is weird (but I do make sense!) Haha. Stay tuned!

This particular work of art will leave you in awe. (At least I hope it will. It left me in awe and scared me just a bit. Haha.)

Jacques Louis-David was a very influential French painter (i.e. considered to be the most distinguished painter of the era) and his paintings were of the Neoclassical style. His name is forever embedded in my brain not only because he was a revolutionary artist but also because of my Art History class – we had to identify all his paintings! But I am certainly not complaining (re: identifying all his paintings) because they are such magnificent paintings and I believe any knowledge gained is priceless (Yey for school!).

Back to the main agenda of this post, one of his iconic paintings, “The Death of Marat” was chosen as the inspiration for the staging of André Cheniér for Bregenz Festival 2011. A spectacular production which consisted of a famous floating stage on the shore of Lake Constance, the image of Jean Paul Marat (as he was stabbed in his bath tub) became the  stage set. It stood over twenty-four meters above Lake Constance.

The amazing people responsible for this monumental production are Keith Warner (Director) and David Fielding (Stage Designer). The amazing music for the opera was provided by Umberto Giordano. Their opera “André Cheniér” was set against the background of the French Revolution.

P.S. If you wish to see a clip on the construction of the stage set, you may do so here – Bregenz Festival 2011 – Andre Chenier . It’s awesome!

P.P.S. ♥ -  I love the Opera (I’d love to be part of one too!) and my favorite one is The Phantom of the Opera (I listen to the songs while I’m on the treadmill. Yup, I am an unusual girl. Haha.)

Amazing photography and concepts by Jeff Orgina Photography. A partnership in collaboration between David Tortora and Jaime Travezan, a Peruvian and an Italian. I have been fascinated with fashion and though it precedes interior design and design for me, it still inspires me a great deal.

Jaime and David describe their outputs as “anti-minimal” and “realistic but categorically non-real”. I love their pictures because it pushes the envelope in the creative process and they know how to utilize image manipulation in a tasteful manner.

P.S. It doesn’t hurt either that there are cute doggies in some of them. (I’m such a girl. Haha.)

P.P.S. It was still a rainy day today but things are alright.  I miss drinking coffee, I miss drinking tea too!

A color scheme you can try out (I actually love it, love color ♥). It adds warmth to your space and will let you transcend from one style to another in a very manageable manner. In a way, it reminds me of the tropics and hot warm days while sipping lemonade.

Remember, do not be afraid to use orange and blue together. When done properly, they can produce dramatic results and don’t forget your neutrals. The interior above is still a very good example even if the use of said colors is done quite sparingly.

Before I go, I just realized that this is my 100th post! Wow, cool beans

P.S. Good news made me very thankful today and we go on. On a different note, Georgia needs a bath and I just made a really good soup concoction. Would you like a recipe?

P.P.S. A guest post tomorrow by Susi (a writer from Arcadian Lighting). Stay tuned!

First off, what are Pohutukawa trees? They are basically evergreen trees native to New Zealand, a favorite, thus inspiring the name  “New Zealand Christmas Tree”. A Pohutukawa tree can spread to as much as 40 feet in width and it can grow up to 70 feet in height. 

How did said trees fit into the design problem? Well to start with, Architects and Interior Designers are constantly presented with challenging circumstances in terms of design and our example for this post is one of those said challenges – working with the existing environment. Herbst Architects was quite successful in dealing with such a factor and coming up with an amazing collaboration of – 1. The celebration of nature and working with what nature provided them with, 2. The good meshing of a sleek modern structure with firsthand connection with trees and the beach (the site can be found near the beach, not far from Auckland).

How did they do it? Well, they basically looked to the trees themselves to clue them in. The site which was covered with about 90 percent of mature Pohutukawa trees didn’t make it easy at all. They divided the house into areas which they can work around with the trees and they utilized materials that stick to the feel of nature – freshly cut wood, timber.

P.S. I wouldn’t mind living here. Not at all

P.P.S. Happy Birthday, Karl (a.k.a. Darth Vader)!

Nope, this is not a clothing/fashion wishlist (at the moment). I was browsing through Urban Outfitters and I fell in love with a couple of stuff (Ok, a lot. Haha). I then decided to sort of list them down for future reference of course (haha).

I basically love (love, love, love) color and certain prints thus anything that fall in said categories tend to catch my eye.

Such pretty, pretty colors! All this color is cheering me up Yup, I’d love to get all of them and make a house where I can place all of them in. Uhm, I’ll live there too. Haha.

Which ones do you like?

P.S. Back in college, I thoroughly enjoyed the design subjects that focus on color. Err, I loved all of my subjects then. I guess I’m a design nerd *insert nerd smiley here*

P.P.S. Leo the Owl Bank ♥ ♥

How’s the weekend so far for everyone?

It’s quite warm here and we went for a road trip (I simply love going on said trips). I had a fabulous time visiting some of our properties (I’m not trying to be a snob but I can’t seem to come up with a better term at the moment.)

Yep, I brought my camera along and a sun hat – you know the rest (haha). Here are a couple of pictures. Enjoy!

There you go (for now). I especially love this particular set – the colors are quite lovely and I am quite grateful to be able to capture them in some form. Nature never ceases to amaze me with it’s profoundness and settle beauty.

I’ll continue on taking pictures – I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I did while taking them

P.S. I went for a more laid back/casual look. This drive was a last minute one. (Haha. I love jump shots. )

P.P.S. I also love good company, salsa music and taking more pictures. (I love the colors in this post! ♥)

Do you by any chance have a “chair question” ?

I wanted to do something fun with this post and thus will present a couple of stuff to inspire you (design-wise) and give you some ideas. Any element can change an interior’s atmosphere – for this particular post, the element at hand would be furniture, more specifically chairs.

What sort of flashed in my head was the word “Stereotypes”. We basically define stereotypes as fixed and most of the time oversimplified images of a particular thing or even person. Chairs have their own stereotypes too (i.e. Classical Chairs are to be utilized for formal dining settings, Outdoor chairs are strictly for outdoors, etc). I can go on and on but basically people have this preconceived notion of furniture and their (very very limited) limitations in terms of usage. Most people would base it on the look (ex. They would think that minimal/streamlined furniture are solely for contemporary or modern concepts), or material (ex. They would think that metal furniture would work best solely for a dentist’s office or a factory) – you get the idea.

From my personal design preference and how I do spaces, I don’t like to limit myself nor do I like to limit the possibilities – I like to play around more with design, which is probably why I love art and making art as well.

I got thinking and decided to give you a couple of ideas for the question below.

The answer to said question is a very big YES and since I love you all and I love what I do, I decided to not only answer this question in writing but decided to do so as well by showing you. (Wow, clever. Haha.)

I randomly picked out five, very different (in material, shape, style) chairs – so they sort of represent random stereotypes and will show you how you can incorporate them in five corresponding spaces as well. I created a couple of design concepts that will hopefully inspire you and give you ideas and options for your own chairs and spaces. Enjoy!

1. Random Chair No. 1

First up is a Classic Dining Chair with Windsor Arched Seatback and Turned legs (in Whitewood finish). How can you possibly utilize this particular piece besides buying a couple and using them for your dining table you ask?

Well, as a possible option for you , I decided to utilize this chair for either a home office or even a design office. This piece would greatly add a dash of creativity in your work space and it’s not your conventional office chair either. Don’t worry, it has a good back support system and the wood seat would be just as comfy for those long hours (if not, a neutral seat cover can be added).

I usually go for interesting pieces, some good color (this will bring some zest in spite of the work load)  and some good storage of course. Check out how I designed the envisioned space below.

2. Random Chair No. 2

How about a vivid-colored chair in red? Would you love to get a couple of Verner Panton S Chairs? To answer the latter – If they are too expensive for you, a couple of not as expensive alternatives would be the Reno Chair Set by Target. To answer the former – don’t be afraid of strong colored chairs. You can definitely utilize them in any space, trust me.

Verner Panton is one of my favorite designers (I remember sketching his chairs for my furniture design class a couple of years back). His S chairs are classic pieces and are stackable and made out of plastic (a new material then). For the design concept below, I decided to use two of the pieces for a unique breakfast space.

Light and easily moveable, these pieces are not solely limited as accent pieces and are definitely not  just limited for more modern concepts. I decided to do a fun mix and I must say, I’d love to eat breakfast in the interior below.

Those are my first two looks/concepts and I hope I was able to inspire you in some way and was able to provide you with information you can utilize for your own design needs. Interested to see the rest of the spaces I designed utilizing the other three chairs?

If yes, then definitely stay tuned. I’ll post “Part Two” soon. Have a good weekend!

I just heard a talk from a brilliant individual (and designer) who I wish to adopt (Please don’t ask me why I wish to do that, I don’t know the answer either). By the way, his name is Thomas Heatherwick. His talk was about projects that he and his team have come up with, the design process and their final outputs. Let me just say that I am simply fascinated by people who come up with structures that go beyond one’s imagination, it’s simply amazing! *boggled look*

He has done amazing projects (which I will do posts on in this journal) that exhibit this  but one particular project which I am in awe with is his entry for the Shanghai 2010 Expo – The Seed Cathedral.

Sample pictures below (which I found from Time Magazine) so that you’ll get what I mean.

The Specifics

The Seed Cathedral is Heatherwick’s entry for the Shanghai World Expo. It is formed from 60, 000 transparent rods, each rod 7.5 metres in length. (With seeds embedded in them! In Heatherwick’s talk, he mentioned that they got their inspiration for this from the film, Jurassic Park . Remember the mosquito trapped inside a piece of amber and how beautiful it looked?)

The structure is 20 metres in height. The rods (each and every one of them) are simply fascinating for they were designed to draw daylight inwards during the day to provide illumination for the interior. At night time, the said rods serve as optic lighting which makes the whole structure “glow”.

This amazing work of art creates an utterly dynamic effect because when a gust of wind is present, the building itself and its “optic hairs” gently move with it.

Curious about the seeds? Heatherwick teamed up with Millenium Seedbank project (another amazing group whose mission is to collect the seeds of 25% of the world’s plant species by 2020).

Construction-wise (and as quoted),  “The holes in the 1 metre thick wood diaphram structure forming the visitor space inside the Seed Cathedral were drilled with great geometric accuracy to ensure precise placement of the aluminium sleeves through which the optic fibre filaments are inserted. This was achieved using 3D computer modelling data, fed into a computer controlled milling machine.”

Do you wish to adopt him yourself now? Haha

P.S. I’d love to visit this amazing structure myself someday!

As quoted from the CFIF (Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation, Inc.), “Responsible for over 60% of the Philippine exports, Cebu is recognized as the furniture capital of the Philippines.  To date, the Philippine furniture export industry, with Cebu as its biggest contributor, ranks among the top ten import source countries of the USA. A big 70%  of the total furniture products of the country are exported to the US, and the remaining 30% distributed to the European, Middle Eastern and Asian markets.”

I have always taken great pride in the amazing designers we have here in Cebu – I get inspired by how they have gravitated towards pushing the envelope in design limitations and the innovations they constantly come up with. Being in the interior design field, I had always been exposed to this even when I was still a student in university and my fascination hasn’t wavered even up to now.

Cebu designers and manufacturers make use of indigenous materials such as arorog and butay (coconut twig), rattan, bamboo, sea grass, abaca (manila hemp), tree bark and even termite mounds – I’m telling you, it’s amazing!

A good example of a furniture company – I was able to drop by for a visit to Murillo’s showroom (they have a really cool one) not too long ago. I have always found a liking to their pieces and I love (the opportunity of ) being able to drop by different Cebuano furniture showrooms – I could spend the entire day just ogling their pieces. (True story. Haha.)

Looks cool doesn’t it?

Quick Details about Murillo’s Export International -

1. They define their brand as – “Innovative ways of interpreting tradition”. This company is engaged in design and manufacture of high quality furniture and accessories.

2. Murillo furniture, accessories and art works are hand made inside their factory in Cebu, Philippines.

3. They utilize rattan, wicker, leather, iron, aluminum, wood, abaca, sea grass and other natural materials mixed with man-made ones. They like to play around with subtle contrasts on colors and textures and they lean on clean fluid lines and excellent details.

They were nice enough (and super cool!) to lend us some of their pieces and they have really good service. (Big thanks to Sir Allan Murillo and Lorelyn!)

I will definitely post more about other furniture designers here in Cebu in the future and a big kudos to the Cebu and Philippine Furniture Industry! Let us all show our support

I love going over the results of interior design awards. The winning designs/interiors and the designers themselves are very inspiring. I enjoy going over the creative outputs that they come up with and I learn a great deal from them too!

Big congratulations to this year’s IIDA Interior Design Competition winners. (IIDA stands for International Interior Design Association and this year’s competition is their 38th.)

To quote Sara Robertson (in her More Than Meets the Eye article), “Interior design competitions are far more than mere beauty pageants – they involve a complex system of entry and judgement and lead to much more than an award in name for all those involved.”

I agree with her statement that there’s no refuting that interior design is a visual profession BUT that it is not just limited to that. Aesthetics are considered (surely) but what they focus more is the idea being presented and the quality of it’s execution. It is a learning opportunity for everyone involved.

Here are a couple of pictures of some of the winning entries. Enjoy!

Project Title: One Shelley Street
Project Location: Sydney, Australia
Firm: Clive Wilkinson Architects, West Hollywood, CA

Project Title: Nokia
Project Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Firm: Gensler, San Francisco, CA

Project Title: Bar Agricole
Project Location: San Francisco, CA
Firm: Aidlin Darling Design, San Francisco, CA

Those are just three of the six award winners. The Best of Competition winner will be announced in June. Mehrdad Yazdani, the Principal Interior Designer of  Los Angeles-based Yazdani Studio of Cannon Design and a winner of the IIDA’s 36th Annual Competition, says that  one has to be “simple,  powerful and concise for a judge who only has a few minutes to grasp your project.” Submissions have to be as effective as possible and it should be conveyed a strong manner.

To inspire you, I end this post by quoting D.B. Kim (an independent designer in New York and has judged several competitions) – “It’s not just about mimicries of the trends. The competition is all about the details – I’m looking at the future.”

P.S. I am also including a picture of a dish I have great affection for particularly (I mean I love food a great deal ♥ Haha.). I am most certainly a risotto girl and the one below is a really good one – it was creamy and had just the right consistency (the mushrooms were juicy and flavorful as well). A very good meal for a busy day

Sprinkle a bit of pepper and introduce to your tastebuds. Yum ♥

P.P.S. Before March officially comes to an end, I just wanted to say that The Sea Green Journal is already seven months old. Yey! To the upcoming months and more posts – cheers!

I love tea ♥

This is the last part of my “Launch and Gallery” post/series (Reader – Thank God!, Pau – *sad face* Haha). This post will feature more pictures design-wise and just show bits and pieces of the exhibit. We officially ended today in terms of egress and it was a good one(both the egress and the exhibit). Feel free to go over the pictures below. Enjoy!

Have a good week, everybody!

P.S. Yup, that about sums it up (haha) – they left me alone with my camera. If you wish to check out part 1 of the Launch and Gallery, you may do so here. Curious about how this came together and would like to view some behind the scenes snippets, do a clicky here.

P.P.S. I had to get a souvenir shot. (Come on, dude. Haha.)

A new twist – we have heard about this before or have seen in a movie or perhaps have experienced it or are experiencing it at the moment. I basically associate “new twists” as something fresh to bring to the table, something different to fuel up your creativity or something that makes things simply interesting.

It could be something as simple as a new ingredient in your usual ice cream order (Chocolate chili ice cream?) for example or even a little umbrella or some watermelon flavored ice cubes in your lemonade (What am I saying exactly? Haha). As always, this is not just limited to drinks or movie plots but it does materialize (a lot of times) in the design world – may it be the use of new material for a lighting fixture or a different interpretation of design styles.

Here are a couple of kids (to preteens) rooms (and kids furniture) that I love at the moment and are good examples.

Look A

Look B

A play on kids rooms and furniture has happening for some time now (awhile now actually) and I have taken a liking for the ones above because of their baroque feel – I love all things baroque! (Haha)

This particular line was a collaboration of Di Liddo & Perego with Naj-Oleari for the latter’s 2009 Spring-Summer Collection. They wanted something young, fresh and extremely colorful. I love the romanticism feel that the line exudes and wouldn’t mind having a few of these pieces in my own room (they are quite pretty!).

P.S. I have been experiencing “new twists” of my own at present and it can be scary when you have no control over the outcome/s but it’s alright. I try to take things in stride and do what is best for the situation. Wish me luck!

P.P.S. Georgia’s new twist at the moment – sipping/licking fresh fruit juice (we put fresh fruit in the juicer) from her green bowl and I have to say she likes it and she looks really cute! (Haha).

I’ve been up for a few hours now (Good Morning!) and let me tell you that it’s still quite early (and I’m not even a grandparent yet! I kid. Haha.)

The little one (Georgia) is awake now as well – I just hand fed her, gave her some vitamins and some water.  She just needs to do her morning poop and weewee before we are good to go (I apologize for even discussing this. I guess it’s still too early for my brain to work. Haha). Basically she’s settled and good which is great since I have an appointment in a few hours and this will be a crazy (good crazy and busy) day for me so I want her to be comfortable while I’m gone for the day.

Back to business/ serious mode on

This post will include snippets about how the design concept for the gallery exhibit took shape. Let’s get into everything. I sort of did an outline so that it’ll be more comprehensive. Enjoy!

Design Concept Options

Here are a couple of options that we initially came up with. You will get a clear picture of how the design played out and evolved.

We provided two color options for our own consideration – You can see the effect of color and how it projects a certain feel/atmosphere (For this particular example, it’s settle but it’s there.)

These are more recent revisions made by taking certain aspects into consideration (ex. availability of resources, budget, art center management requirements, what would really work for the space and it’s intended use, etc.)

Prior to Ingress

While securing everything and making sure all the necessary  parts comes together (amazingly of course – we had our fingers crossed). This involved lots of long hours, meetings, sun/the elements/heat exposure, meal deprivation, coordination, etc. We also had to work with the management and the hours the mall keeps – this translates to paint works being done after mall hours (think 9 pm to beyond 2 am and a few more hours for drying) and installations done before mall hours (think 6 am to before 10 am).

When working on things like these (or being in this profession in general), you (have to) expect that a lot of things will definitely go wrong (it might even be frustrating to a certain extent) before it’ll be alright.  Things will definitely go wrong – only cream benches are available at the last minute instead of the black ones you requested and one of those is at a  really far away branch, wines weren’t coordinated properly with catering, lighting fixtures aren’t available,  no delivery truck for the freestanding lamp, lettering in the wrong color, you have to pick up platforms and be back in time to see to another delivery (this time for the console table, the plants, etc.) – I can go on (haha) but we’ll end there for now. You just have to take things in stride, squeeze in a meal  at some point and focus on what can be done – on how problems can be solved.

Exhibit Floor Plan

Painting customized wall panel installations in the shop with brushes on hand (Original Artwork by Paula and Bernie – haha.) This was definitely messy – paint in your hair, everywhere (but a fun stress reliever). I am very proud of how the wall paneling turned out, they are definitely awwesssooommee *surfer dude accent* (Haha)

After sixteen hours – you can definitely do some smiling already because things are starting to come together quite nicely. Haha.

Above all, this is an entirely amazing profession and the exhibit was great. I felt a sense of fulfillment watching the gallery (and your design concepts in general)  take shape and seeing the potential of the space being brought out and executed – interior design and all it entails amazes me still and I think it always will. It is possibly the nearest thing to giving birth we suppose (for Bernie and myself that is. Haha). I am also very grateful to everyone who helped out one way or another. Thank you!

If you wish to see pictures of the launching and exhibit (part one), you can find it here. If you have time, do drop by for a visit. The exhibit runs until today. Cheers!

It has been a few days now since a massive earthquake (said to be the fifth largest earthquake ever recorded in its history, according to Experts) shook Japan. The tsunami that followed thereafter and the recent situation with Fukushima’s nuclear power plant caused further devastation. It greatly saddens me when disasters such as these happen because it leaves great grief in its wake – Japan casualties’ death toll is expected to exceed ten thousand, thousands are still missing, and a lot of people are left without access to food, shelter, water and clothes.

I don’t want this post to be a sad one but I just want people to be aware that we should try to help out and show these people that we care and we are willing to offer our assistance. It makes me happy to know that Japan remains strong and being the advanced country that they are, they’ll be able to get up and stand once again. An update I read yesterday shows just that and its great. We should all learn from it – may we be victims of the calamities or not.

There are a lot of organizations out there who are simply amazing and are doing something to help out – they are asking for donations and help. I know that some of you may already be aware of such organizations and some may have even donated already (kudos to you!) but to give you an idea still of some of these organizations, you may refer to this article and this one as well for other simple ways to show your support. Feel free to constantly update on other organizations that are accepting donations at present.

Let us help Japan out and may this  also remind us to not take anything for granted – may it be our own lives, our loved ones or even the simplest things such as being able to enjoy some hot soup. or being able to sleep in our own beds at night.  Please offer your prayers as well – this will go a very long way.

Looking at pretty prints cheers me up and I love them a great deal. I love incorporating them in interiors and even in my wardrobe. When I work on interior spaces or concepts, it doesn’t feel complete at all (in my opinion) when I don’t incorporate prints and I can’t seem to resist including prints in the dynamics of things (haha). I also love incorporating prints in my wardrobe – I can’t resist prints on my bags or in dresses or tops.

A couple of prints I am loving at the moment (or perhaps for some time now) are by print designer and illustrator, Brie Harrison. I find her prints to be quite pretty and I have a couple of them below.

Oui, j’aime les fraises (Yes, I like strawberries)! Its a new phrase I learned in french. Cool!

On a side note, I will definitely be posting all sorts of prints in this journal in future entries – I love them immensely.

P.S. Last night’s meeting was great and quite productive. I am very excited for the projects we have for this year. Yey for interior design!

P.P.S. Part 2 of Launch and Gallery will be posted tomorrow (hopefully). For those who weren’t able to check out part 1, you can do so here. You can also simply scroll down to the previous entry. Haha. (Its just that I love putting links and such. Humor me.)

I love doing gallery/exhibit design.

In my previous post, I mentioned an exhibit that we are having at the moment (it’s still ongoing) and I’m providing details (and pictures) in this post and the upcoming posts as well. Bernie (another interior designer and a good friend) and I are the gallery design and launching coordinators. We were basically swamped (we did the interior design for the gallery, sourcing, customized paneling which we painted ourselves, etc. – basically everything down to the execution) and this does take a good amount of preparation, people. It was a lot of fun though. (haha. it’s true!)

Cocktails Night

To formally launch the gallery, we had cocktails night which included the ribbon cutting ceremony and blessing and a formal program. Have fun viewing the pictures below.

If you have time, do drop by for a visit. The exhibit/gallery is at SM Cebu’s Art Center from the 6th of March until the 19th (don’t forget to sign the guestbook).

Please stay tuned for part two! I’ll discuss design details and feature some behind the scenes insight. Rock mode (translation: stay put please).

P.S. A couple of pictures with me in them (i.e. work mode and cocktail night pretty mode. haha.). Balancing – there is a certain art to it.

Note: Bernie and I have been working on ingress for 16 hours already when this picture was taken. We don’t look too shabby if I may say so myself. (haha)

P.P.S. Our launch advertisement in the local paper.

Before I begin talking more about certain things for this post, I want to share something really important. My dad hasn’t been feeling well (he doesn’t show it) and this greatly concerns me (it makes me teary actually ) – I hope that it’s nothing serious. I would really appreciate it if you can include him in your prayers. Thank you very much! *Hug*

Faith is indeed an amazing thing – it makes us go beyond what is mundane, it makes us go on believing. I have faith that my dad will be alright. I am juggling things at the moment and I am working on something for my future (it’s something big actually), I have no control over how it will turn out but I do have faith that it will be alright.

This thing called faith presents itself to anyone and everyone (whatever age, size, race), at any given time (tomorrow or even today) and in different forms (may it be while your on your way to lunch or while you are munching on your cereal). It is (also) indeed overwhelming (in a very good way) when I see it in other people or when I experience it with other people.

A few weeks ago, we celebrated Sinulog here in Cebu. For those who aren’t familiar with this event, it is a yearly mardi gras (usually the second sunday of January) in Cebu (it is one of the grandest festivals in the Philippines) greatly celebrated to honor Señor Sto. Niño, the child Jesus. People from all over the Philippines and a great deal of tourists make it a point to come here for this celebration (flights and accommodations are fully booked by december more or less). The streets are usually packed and people forego using their cars and basically just walk on the streets – dancing to the beat, watching the floats and various participants in brightly colored costumes dancing in the parade or simply enjoying some munchies being sold by vendors lined up on the street. I’ll stop explaining for now and show you some pictures instead.

If you think this is amazing (because it really is!), I just want you to know that this isn’t even the main Sinulog event yet. People go to mass as early as 4;30 in the morning for nine days leading up to the Sinulog proper.

Face Painting

We at PIID Cebu (the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers – Cebu) are starting to make it a yearly thing to hold a face painting booth during Sinulog as a fundraiser. I am still getting used to painting stuff on people (especially on their faces! haha) but it is indeed fun and it doesn’t hurt to get a hug from cute little kiddies who get their faces painted with pandas.

Here I am! (By the way, the butterfly Polaris’ painted above was super pretty.)

Sinulog Participants

More than 20 contingents (and their participants) from all over the Philippines (Lanao del Sur, Cagayan de Oro, etc.)  join in this yearly celebration of devotion – rain or shine (it was raining a great deal this year and everyone got soaked), they continue on dancing and we continue on cheering for them and joining in. (Little trivia – I’ve been going to this since I was a kid.)

With regards to the third and fourth picture in this set, the Cebu Contingent (being the host) was paying tribute to how the Chinese have greatly influenced our culture (when they came to live here many years ago, prior to the colonization of countries such as Spain and the United States). The fireworks was amazing this year!

In general, I took a gazillion (gazillion pictures) during the Sinulog but limited the pictures to be displayed in this post. I look forward to many more Sinulog celebrations to come (this celebration never fails to overwhelm me)! Pit Señor!

Have faith everyone – may it be in the smallest things and more importantly in yourself (and all your endeavours – I have faith in mine, more specifically the academic one at present. Please pray for me on this as well. Thanks!).

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” – Gail Devers

P.S. On a side note (since I was craving the night before and it was really late already), I made some mashed potatoes earlier today – I mashed away because I usually like this done smooth and a bit creamy. I added a couple of herbs, a hint of garlic and some beef broth in mine. Yummmm! I love black pepper too! I sprinkle in on most of the stuff I eat. Haha.

P.P.S. Here are a couple of links. If I have, by some way, made you more curious about Sinulog, you may get more information about it here. If you wish to experience Sinulog with us, do drop by! The website above contains details on how to go about it. If you wish to check out my very first post for this year, click here. If you wish to know about the color of the year for 2011, click here.

I had planned on doing a trends post for this year (in terms of interior design), I have yet to finalize that. Speaking of trends, Pantone had released their Color of the Year (for 2011) late last year (December) and I think most of you know what it is. For those who don’t know yet, it’s Honeysuckle.

Pantone describes it as a courageous, confident and vital color – “a brave new color, for a brave new world.” Last year’s   color, Turquoise (Pantone 15-5519) represented a comforting escape and serenity. This year’s color inspires us to face everyday head on.

As described, it  (Pantone 18-2120) is a dynamic reddish pink hue which is both encouraging and uplifting. Leatrice Eiseman (the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute) explains that Honeysuckle allures and engages. It “may also bring a wave of nostalgia for its associated delicious scent reminiscent of the carefree days of spring and summer.”

If you wish to incorporate this hue in your homes (or in other interiors) this year, don’t fret. The dynamic aspect of Honeysuckle (it is such a pretty color!) doesn’t make it a difficult color to work with. It can be incorporated gradually by starting off with certain pieces. It can be integrated in your  dining room and even in your kitchen (Little Trivia – Honeysuckle is an appetite and conversation stimulant, perfect for your dining area). You can carry out the hue through certain key pieces – examples include linens, candles and even glassware. By the way, you can refer to the mood board I made below (featuring honeysuckle-hued pieces to give you some ideas). I love making mood boards!

For those who aren’t afraid to utilize this hue on a much bigger scale, you may do so by using this on your walls (as an accent color wall or even for your entry way) or by incorporating it on bigger pieces of furniture (such as armchairs or even couches). It can also be incorporated in areas which need an upbeat touch (this can be used in a small powder room or a little girl’s room). For visual examples, check out a couple of interiors below.

You may go all out with this hue (please refer to first picture) or if you wish to go with a more gradual approach, you may use it as an accent color for that certain punch of color in your spaces (please refer to the second and third picture, beautifully executed by Betty Murdock Interiors).

I encourage all of you to play around with this color and consider incorporating it in your spaces this year. I hope it will “instill confidence, courage and spirit (within you) to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life”.

P.S. You can incorporate it in your wardrobe too!

P.P.S. Do check out my very first post for this year. Click here. Thanks!

I am now a proper Godmother (english accent). Yup, its officially (for a few days now actually). You might all wonder why it’s such a big deal for me. I mean, why wouldn’t it be?

Before delving more into that, I want to wish everyone a happy new year (let’s pretend that it’s still the first week of january with regards to the prior statement). What better way to do that than to post a couple of pictures from new year’s eve, I say. (We have fireworks every year and it’s amazing. I advocate safety when dealing with fireworks and being responsible.)

I just took a couple of shots since I was busy watching the fireworks, making sure that Georgia was ok and basically just having fun. I love how these shots turned out.

Back to being a Godmother – I just thought that my first ever post for this year should commemorate something meaningful and I believe that welcoming and celebrating new life is the perfect way to go about it. I unfortunately do not have pictures during the baptism ceremony since I wanted to focus more on godmother duties and just take pictures during the after part (they had a photographer on hand which is a plus – I’ll get pictures from him).

I had to take pictures of little Andi’s cakes – they were really pretty!

With the little one (Yup, this is her. Meet the little darling.)

Can I keep her? Please? (Welcome to the world, little Andi! You are Mommy Pau’s little darling. Aside from Georgia of course. Teehee.) Congrats Mommy Shaki and Daddy Nico!

“A child is the greatest gift that our lives can bestow, it brings the most exquisite joy that we will ever know.”

P.S. On an interior design-related note, here are a couple of pictures from the Hafele Presentation and the Green Architecture forum with Archt. Miguel Guerrero as one of the speakers.

Häfele Presentation

This featured the debut of their state-of-the-art kitchen systems as well as a background on the company. For those who aren’t familiar with Häfele, it was established in Germany and evolved from a local hardware business into a global company. Häfele Philippines was formally founded in 1995 and Cebu got its own sales office with a smaller warehouse in Mandaue City.

Not only do they provide architectural hardware and furniture fittings but they also have home appliances (with constant innovations).  I developed an affinity for their sophisticated coffee center – it produces creamy milk foam and can make coffee, espresso, latte and even cappuccino! (Unfortunately I wasn’t able to take a picture of the coffee center but I do have a couple of shots of the fittings – below.)

Green Architecture Forum

The forum started out with a talk from Dr. Glen Martin Green (he has a degree in petroleum engineering and a Ph. D. in Earth and Planetary Science from the United States). I especially found his talk to be one of the most comprehensive ones I have been to (to date) and it was certainly insightful. One aspect of his talk was about the Peak Oil Crisis which is still widely unknown to most of us. He basically defined it as “the point in time when a region’s oil production is at it’s maximum, when production reaches its all time high and then begins a relentless and irreversible decline as depletion progresses”.

Archt. Miguel C. Guerrero III, fuap, APEC architect, assocAIA, Green AP was also one of the guest speakers for the said forum. He is a member of  Green Architecture Advocacy Philippines, Inc. – they promote the practice of green architecture in the built environment. He discussed his ten steps to sustainability. A quick rundown – 1. Keep the sun out, 2. Let light in, 3. Catch some breeze, 4. Insulate roofing, 5. Harvest rain, 6. Recycle wastewater, 7. Efficient lighting, 8. Thermal comfort, 9. Renewable materials, 10. Alternative energy.

P.P.S. Upcoming Post Teaser

Here is to a promising 2011, Everyone! Cheers!

Hello. I miss writing in this journal and I miss all of you.

Yes, I have been back in Cebu for awhile now and the year has already come to an end. I am grateful because the last few months have been good for me and I had learned a lot. December was awesome and though it sort of just came in passing through this entry, a lot has been going on and I have been working on some stuff as well (perhaps I’ll expound on this someday but for now, I don’t want to jinx it). This entry will just be sort of an update but its more of a snippet update – if there is such a thing. Haha.

By the way, I hope your december was amazing – mine was simply awesssooommmeee. Haha. The Sea Green Journal is already four months old and it has been amazing so far. On to the next month and beyond. Woohoo!

Some of the stuff that I had done so far included – participating in the crossing bridges event. We had the chance to take pictures and spend time with photographers and photography enthusiasts from other neighboring countries (such as Singapore and Malaysia, even Africa!). We walked and went to the seedy (I seem to like that word – seedy) downtown area, took pictures and learned from each other. Check out a few of my pictures from the event below.

I was able to attend a seminar on green architecture and sustainable construction (the speakers were very insightful – they discussed the potential of the Philippines to come up with sustainable resources, the present state of our environment and the economy and even how to practice green architecture in the simplest ways). I was able to drop by the Hafele presentation as well (I’ll try to look for the pictures). Their products are certainly “technology forward” and the designs are streamlined.

I’ll delve on those serious topics next time. For now, I leave you with some pictures from my special december. (big smiles, heart bursting with love)

I spent the holidays with the people that I love dearly. I am thankful to have them – Mr. Wonderful, Georgia and my lovely family. I certainly couldn’t ask for anything more. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you all the best for the new year. Happy New Year Everyone!

Before I go, the bestest present that Santa and God could ever give me (aside from family and friends) – Mr. Wonderful and the time we were given (though how limited it was). No complaints, it was magical.

“True love stories never have endings.”

- Richard Bach

I am currently working on something. By the way, this post  is about something really cool that I wanted to share (on the side).

Innovation (dasparkhotel)

Dubbed as the Pipe Hotel, standard sewer pipes/concrete cylinders (2 meters in diameter and 2.5 meters long) fitted with the basic essentials (fitted with a bed, storage space and electricity) serve as the “suites” of the said hotel. It is situated in Ottensheim, Austria.

The tubes have “almost perfect pre-settings” actually. Being 20 cm thick, they provide a lot of safety to occupants against the elements, they are surprisingly bright and have good thermal properties.

Utilities-wise, the units do not feature toilets but they are situated in a precise location which makes showers, toilets, restaurants and even a swimming pool within reach. A really cool thing about the hotel (aside from the concept and all that goodness), is their system of operation – 1. Guests book their stay exclusively over the internet and they are then emailed a code number (for the number-code locks) which helps them access their “suite” upon their arrival, 2. Their “pay as you wish” system (which I hope no one will abuse) mainly covers any repairs and the servicing.

This provides an easy option for travelers and adventurers with smaller budgets – without having to sacrifice a lot (safety, comfort, etc.) or style. They are also said to be available from spring to summer.  By the way, the man behind the mobile and self-sufficient concept is Andreas Strauss. This is definitely something I want to see for myself.  :)

The weekend is almost over and we have a new week ahead of us. The last few days were great and I was quite busy so I was not able to post this sooner. Here is part two of The Island Travelogue.

Snippets on some of the pictures. Enjoy!

The weather was incredibly hot but the water was simply gorgeous.

This trip made me crave for mango pancakes. I even had some for dinner a few hours ago. (Haha)

I couldn’t resist putting more museum pictures in this post. I love museums!

This was a long walk (but super fun) and the sun was definitely shining away – we had cold mango shakes at a cafe nearby after this.

A beautiful holy water font.

I love old church floor tiles and their designs.

I remembered attending mass at this church during my first trip to Bantayan (I was still ten). We fell asleep during mass because we were worn out from swimming the whole day (haha). Great memories and a beautiful church, I had to take a picture. By the way, this is the San Pedro y San Pablo Church – it considered to be the oldest church in Bantayan.

I love lighting candles (We bought a handful from each vendor at the church).

Definitely Gorgeous (Dreamy Sigh)

Yup, a couple of shots featuring the author – the sea breeze was amazing.

This rounds up The Island Travelogue (I hope I didn’t overwhelm you with the gazillion pictures in this post and the one before this). I also hope that you had fun looking over this post and going over the trip with me. Bantayan is definitely gorgeous and I highly encourage you to check it out.

On a side note, my Mum’s birthday was great – she is a year older (I don’t like it when my parents get older every year – I love you Mum and Dad!)

Have a great week ahead everyone!

P.S. Pau Updates – 1. Our Exhibit for Philconstruct is next week (I’m very excited)! I love exhibits and doing mock-ups. I’ll post details about it soon (do drop by the exhibit if you can). To those who can’t (sad face) – don’t worry, I’ll write about it next week.

2. I woke up feeling sick this morning and it wasn’t pleasant. I hope I’ll better soon because it’s another busy week ahead.

P.P.S. Georgia Updates – 1. I was supposed to bring Georgia to the vet place yesterday for her monthly shot/s but I had to go a meeting and I didn’t want to wear her out by making the trip longer. I’ll do the vet visit in a few days and get her checked as well.

2. During Mum’s birthday, I placed Georgia near Shaki’s tummy so that she can get acquainted with the little one inside – Georgia placed her paw on Shaki’s tummy (as though touching/stroking it) and she gave it a lick/kiss (as though she was saying hello/showing affection to the little one inside). Awwww! Georgia, you are one sweet little girl and Mummy loves you very much.

It’s already Thursday. How was your day?

Like what I mentioned yesterday, I will show some of my pictures from the long weekend trip in today’s post (I decided to divide them into two parts since I have a lot of pictures to share – taking note that I even narrowed them down already).

Off to Bantayan I went. (Abrupt sentence construction, Pau.)

A few specifics in case someone needs the information (and for those who aren’t from the Philippines). Bantayan is one of the municipalities in the province of Cebu, Philippines. Located in the Northern Tip of Cebu, it is well-known for its crystal clear waters and its fine white sandy beaches.

There are several methods of getting there (People mostly go by land and take a ferry or a roro once they reach Hagnaya). Transportation options include buses, rented vans and your very own private vehicle. We basically rode our own car and hopped on the ferry going to the island (you can bring your car with you on the ferry, with additional fees of course).

Planning things such as accommodations and other arrangements way ahead of time (may it be your food options, itinerary, etc) – highly recommended especially during the busy months and events (i.e. April and May, Holy Week). A mixture of cuisines are available on the island – there are quaint restaurants (both in the resort you are staying at and a couple scattered around) and the market (small stores, the essentials, small bakeries, etc). Seafood lovers are in for a treat (the seafood on the plate before you, in most cases, were caught just minutes before you ordered – definitely fresh).

Simply Gorgeous!

The weather is definitely hot there (I am quite sensitive to hot weather). Lots of sunscreen and water – these are your best friends. In spite of the scorching heat, Bantayan is absolutely divine. It is one of my favorite places in the Cebu Province.

Gazillion pictures starts here (haha). I will post snippets on some of them as well. Have fun!

A gazillion sea urchins – freshly caught (A delicacy – I have no plans of trying it though. They did say it tastes great.)

Mango Pancakes with Honey for Breakfast

Tapasilog (We had breakfast brought to our room.)

Yup, I wear sweaterish tops to the beach – I’m cool like that. (Haha)

The Old Kota Fort – I was fascinated with this and its composition (Trivia – I love museums and historic sites). It was constructed in the 1790′s in order to protect young women and children from being abducted by the Moro Pirates and sold for slavery. In terms of architecture, the structure was made from coral stone, red sugar, egg white (common for old structures), lime and sand. It is almost a perfect square.

Little eerie tidbit – There were thirty-four Japanese soldiers executed inside the old structure. It was also used as a cemetery from the 1890′s to the 1950′s.

Huge Bags containing chips for sale at the market (definitely brings back childhood memories).

I always take pictures of cupcakes (it’s basically a given for me).

I will post the rest of the pictures tomorrow hopefully. Please stay tuned to part two of The Island Travelogue.

P.S. It’s Mum’s birthday tomorrow. Yey!

P.P.S. Please follow The Sea Green Journal by clicking on the button below. Thanks!

(Photo Credits – Paula Cañete)

Earlier today, I was able to go (squeeze in some time) and check out the One Cebu Expo 2010.  It is one of the featured activities for the 441st Founding Anniversary of the Cebu Province. Local products from the different towns of Cebu (examples include Dumanjug, Carcar, etc.) are on display as well as furniture and various world-class products.

Pretty Flowers

The said Expo is also expected to strengthen relations (in trade) with participating countries and Cebu’s local business (helping out our local business is a plus). Delegates from other countries such as China, Malaysia and Vietnam are expected to attend.

The Expo aims to – 1. Highlight Cebu as a tourist destination, 2. More importantly, as a place of creativity (as expressed through the various products of our manufacturing industries).

The first level features stalls with local delicacies, locally made soaps and even fresh produce. There is an events display as well – with table setting and couture cakes. There is an art gallery featuring paintings for local well-known artists – my art professor from our fine arts department in college had his amazing paintings there as well.

The second level features furniture (their usual protocol is that picture taking is not allowed – especially for furniture companies displaying their designs), home accessories, jewelry and mixed knick knacks – like a bazaar. Participants to the One Cebu Business and Sustainability Summit for 2010 were there  - their convention was taking place at the second level.

Once again, a gazillion pictures (haha. I love taking pictures.) to show you what the Expo is like. Have fun!

At the Exhibit

Snack Time

Congratulations to all the participants and the people behind the One Cebu Expo. I for one appreciated all the hard work you guys had contributed for the event. The Expo is at the CICC (Cebu International Convention Center) from the 7th of August to the 16th.

My friend, Pongee, (and their furniture company) is one of the exhibitors as well. Please drop by Clear Export’s Display if you can.

P.S. Too much stuff for such a petite person. The mirror was quite dusty (very random).

There I am. Hello!

P.P.S. I just wanted to let you know that I had dessert as well (finished all of it). It is the most important part of any meal (in my opinion).

Yum. I love you.