Hello Architecture+Design Community!
As I sat down to write a blog this weekend for the final part of my Dordogne River Valley Series, I stared at my screen for several minutes at a loss for words. My weekdays are spent in front of the computer for 12-15 hours working on interior architecture projects online.
Yet, you might ask, why write about furniture when I'm supposed to be enjoying my weekend thinking about a non-work-related topic?
Well, furniture is my happy pill.
When I feel sad or lost, I visit furniture shops. I don't need to buy anything. Just being surrounded by wooden furniture, breathing in scented candles, and feeling the texture of rugs and fabric, the child in me delights in these sensations as soon as I enter a furniture store.
Being lost in a maze of vignettes and marveling in the possibilities of combining furniture and decor will lead to spending hours lost in this vacuum of time and bliss.
During a recent trip to Manila, I returned to LRI Design Center that was once featured here on the Hive. One of the shops in this designers' furniture hub is Triboa Bay Living.
Triboa Bay Living
Triboa Bay Living is a high-end contemporary furniture and lighting brand from the Philippines that celebrates simple yet elegant design, understated luxury, and Filipino craftsmanship. The brand was created by owner and designer Randy Viray with the factory based in Pampanga.
The name Triboa Bay is derived from a place, a mangrove park in Zambales, Philippines. The furniture store was established by the current owner's grandfather in the late 50s in creating classical style furniture. When the business was passed on to the next generation, American, Spanish, and Filipino mid-century furniture were manufactured for the mass market. The company closed in the early 90s and reopened around 2008 with a new product line.
Inspired by Michael Thonet's Vienna chair, the brand embraced a simplified design philosophy to achieve laid-back sophistication, elegance, and timeless appeal.
In a span of several years, the company has grown into a global brand. They have exhibited in Maison et Objet in Paris, Maison et Objet in Singapore, International Furniture Fair, and Manila FAME.
They have stores throughout the country with their products reaching international clientele as far as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, United States, Europe, South America, and South Africa.
Hand Crafted Furniture and Wall Art
Their strength lies in carving wood by hand with razor-sharp tools and years of mastery and skills in woodwork. Some of their hand-crafted pieces combine wood and metal.
Green Conscious
They ensure that every stage of the design and production process, material source, use, and disposal comply with ethical practices as part of their environmental commitment. Mahogany, Ash, Gmelina, and Walnut wood are grown in plantations while some wood pieces used are reclaimed from old houses.
Product Design and Development
Another strength of theirs is their product design and development. I wanted to visit their factory at that time but decided to cancel it due to the challenges of travel during the quarantine.
I visited their showroom instead to see curated pieces. They have a comprehensive website but as a designer, it is important to see the actual product. This was one of the reasons, I decided to visit their showroom and also get a first-hand impression of how their staff handles and entertains customers.
How to Create Understated Elegant Spaces without Spending a Lot
Have you ever entered a space and thought, "Ooh this looks luxurious and expensive!"
In this day and age, we spend a lot of our time at home and it should make us feel special, relaxed, should cater to our needs, and reflect our personality.
Go for a timeless look.
I am not one to go for trends, mainly because they fade with time. I recommend choosing a neutral palette for big furniture pieces and match them with carefully selected fine-quality accents such as a hand-tufted rug, high-quality fabrics, and hand-crafted accessories that you can afford.
Balance is important. The whole space need not break the bank. You can pair high-end pieces with inexpensive ones and by doing so, it opens up to a warm and inviting space that is not too luxuriously stiff. Buying good quality and timeless furniture will last a long time and will eliminate unnecessary purchases.
Don't Be Afraid to Mix and Match
Beautiful and comfortable. It is important to choose furniture that looks great but also inviting to sink in.
Proper layering, choosing patterns, color, and where these are applied are important. This is where a furniture and material board helps a lot to visualize. Choosing the right kind of lighting and where they are placed will affect the mood of the room.
Mixing old and new will also create unexpected views in your space. For example, adding a vibrant painting in your minimalist room adds warmth and life to the coldness of a modern space.
Curate Thoughtfully
The secret to elegant spaces is how carefully they're curated. Each piece of furniture should not be too big nor too small and each item in the room should communicate well together, creating a cohesive look. Mix different textures, a leather bench, a wool rug, velvet, and silk fabrics, that lure you to touch them.
The Pieces You Choose Should Be Able to Tell a Story
Meaningful pieces that spark something in you. Selected patterns should all communicate a consistent theme.
Lastly, one should follow basic design principles of balance, scale and proportion, movement, contrast, repetition, emphasis and etc. to ensure a timeless composition.
"Furniture is My Happy Pill is a series dedicated to furniture shop visits from different parts of the world. While some would devour a bar of chocolate to feel happy, a trip inside a furniture shop immediately lifts my mood during a bad day." - @aplusd
Thank you for reading and wishing you all a blissful weekend!
References:
I also loooove beautiful furniture and my favourite is mixing old and new. I've found some real treasures in second hand stores or on auctions and even online. Like when I was looking for an old hall stand & hubby wanted an umbrella stand; lo and behold someone emigrating advertised a beautiful old hall stand online as an umbrella stand; I made hubby drive all the way across town to go and buy it before someone else discovered this.
I just love your choice of furniture as the natural look really appeals to me!
I am sure if I had loads of money, I'd forever be redecorating my home;)
Love this post!
Hi Lizelle, haha, same here I wish I have loads of money to be able to redecorate, purchase furniture and curtains and many other things 😀 To see spaces transformed especially with rare finds..
Haha, cheers to that! It's a great feeling to find treasured pieces like this!
Okay! So, the lesson of the day learnt- That one should not go with trend as they fade with time rather choose timeless style.
Thank you for sharing such insights and thoughts. It is always amazing to see people like you who love their field of expertise and find comfort in it.
Keep flourishing!
Hi Praditya, I remember my first job was as an in-house designer inside a furniture showroom and I enjoyed going to work every day. Thank you for your lovely comment :)
Aside from the therapeutic effects that we enjoy from showroom visits, furniture pieces do not necessarily have to be expensive to create our desired interior spaces. I fully agree with your practical advice of curating up furniture elements consciously with a timeless look, enjoying the freedom to creatively mix and match them, and the ability to compose a setup that shares a great story with its users and onlookers. A very insightful post indeed, thanks a lot Arni!
Thanks so much, Erne, I know that Cebu is abundant in great quality and innovative furniture. Which is your go-to favorite furniture shop?
That's right. Because of its world-class craftsmanship, Cebu is officially called the Furniture Capital of the Philippines. Some well-known brands are Murillo, Vito Selma, Coast Pacific, Arkwell, Mehitabel, Obra Cebuana, and the iconic Kenneth Cobonpue.
Thanks for sharing them. I visited some of the brands but haven't encountered Arkwell yet. I'd love to feature them one day.
I too love furnitures, whenever I go to a mall I always end up looking at some of the furnitures on sale especially the bed and dining tables and chairs.
Which furniture showroom do you like hanging out in? I also had fun browsing inside the Furniture Republic as well.
I usually hang out at the furniture department of malls that I visit, especially SM malls.
That furniture looks beautiful. I really like that sort of design and the use of wood, it looks so homey.
Hello @leaky20, they're known for creating resort-like contemporary but laid-back furniture. I agree they do look homey and I'd love to buy pieces from them one day.
Too much goes into designing a space and that furniture store has grown immensely. I could see why, Their designs are beautiful be it any kind of furniture. Your keen interest shows your passion for interiors. The pictures are wonderful, hope you are enjoying the Sunday:)
Hi Sahiba, indeed, there's so much that goes into designing a space. I'd love to purchase something from them one day. Wishing you a productive and blessed week!
Thank you for sharing this amazing post on HIVE!
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I'm so grateful @priyanarc and DIY Hub Community for the feature
Welcome dear...
ang ganda ate arni ! i love looking at furnitures din, it makes me imagine of what i should put on my dream house 😍
Hello Jude, enjoy mag window shopping di ba? Nakakatanggal ng pagod hehe, sarap magmasid-masid.
opo hehehe tsaka if may pera din pambili ahahaha
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I love looking at furnitures too. I was thinking of having a makeover for my bedroom but I am still saving for it. My room has lots of things. Now, I wanted to become a minimalist in some way and I want to paint my room white. I guess what I envisioned needs a lot of saving up but I am glad to have stumbled upon your post as it inspired me more. :)
Bedroom makeover projects are exciting! I, too have an appreciation for white walls. We went the minimalist route this year by purging the unnecessary stuff that we haven't used in 6 months because we had to cram our lives in a much smaller rental house but we're glad we decided to simplify. Looking forward to reading more about your bedroom makeover project once it starts.
This was such a great read for me. First, I am not much for going to the mall, but your post made me want to go to Pottery Barn which is a beautiful furniture store and showroom here in America. 2. I really liked your advice and designing space. I planning on designing and building a tiny house and while I really like architecture and have an artistic eye I am not sure how to start the design process! I am going to put this post into my notes. Thanks!
Thank you so much Sara for your lovely comment. I love Pottery Barn! I had the opportunity to visit during a vacation in the US more than 10 years ago. There were also Pottery Barn branches in the UAE that I frequently went to.
I agree, to start the design process is the most daunting part, but once you start, it will flow smoothly. Pinterest helps a lot in jumpstarting the project. Collecting images and designs that you like will be a great guide to which style speaks to you the most. We're excited to see how your project will unfold and develop!