Presumptively, just a probability, in my past-life, I could have been an interior designer, that's if the term even existed 100 years ago, or something in that sense. However, back in the days, when the only art I know is finishing a hard cross-stitch pattern (after having amass almost all the colors of DMC threads), design was a term that never existed in my "mom-thoughts."
Like a headless chicken running around the house, all I needed to make sure is that our house is clean, the floors up the the walls should not have a speck of dust in it, as I was an OC mom with our two first kids. It was at that time when we have only a few furniture, a simple life (which I'm now yearning for), which my husband and I started to build on, with a weekly habit of visiting the grocery stores as a pass time.
That was 20 years ago, when Pinterest and Instagram haven't been invented yet. Magazine photos are but photos only, as buying such pieces that appeared on the glossies could mean two-months worth of my husband's salary.
As our family grew bigger and life got easier (knowing we have a graceful God who always bless us with all our needs), we were able to buy more items for the home, we get to have this feeling of comfort and homy-ness, as my part was to make sure the home is a nesting place for my husband when he gets home from work and a good foundational ground for my kids as they get to learn more about life.
I know I've been blabbering a lot about my mom-life already, I hope you could spare me more of your reading time as it is after all Mother's Day.
A college son and daughter, two high-school girls, three dogs inside the house, no nanny, two houses to manage, owns two businesses, blogs and tries to climb the ladder of "social-media influencers," (parang social climber lang ang peg). That practically sums up my life now!
Same house, where my husband and I started, only we have our business at the ground floor, but entirely a different home.
Since the time we had our first visit to a big hardware, and with our first major renovation where we took down walls and rebuilt new ones, as we kept on adding new floors to our home-building, we could not stop building anymore, remodeling and tackling on home improvisation projects (last one we finished was solar panel system). You know, the kids have grown, each needing their own space already, each busy with their own chosen hobbies, and us, we also needed our own room to rest fully after working 6 to 7 days a week and with a lifetime worth of household chores.
Now, the term design have been a major awakening for my creative genes. Add to that - style. These two words became so alive in me (thanks to the advent of Pinterest and being able to visit different places in the world) it actually gave me a different perspective in making our home - A HOME as it should be for all the members of my family. I don't have to go deeper with the whole aspect of the two words, whether to debate about their difference, or which term to go by, it may require a different blog in itself. But I believe that designing your home means being aware of your family's needs, making this crazy life a bit easier, and it serves as a reflection of your work-life balance, that is, if you have one.
Let me now get to what I was intending to write about.
Last Wednesday, I attended Rica Peralejo's talk at the newest branch of AllHome in Libis, Quezon City, which was made possible by AllHome.
I came really late, super sorry about it, as I missed a lot on Rica's talk. I'm sure she have shared a lot of fun experiences as she was designing her home.
It was one of those events that Game Changer have organized where I met new inspiring and like-minded women, moms who have been going out of their way to show they aren't just home-makers, they're community-builders and inspiration-seekers.
After Rica have shared her principles of style, she gave us time to talk to each other, we shared our own principles or hacks, and then transferred the limelight to the moms on each table. I actually learned quite a few gem of ideas from my fellow moms on our table like how Feliz have made their own wall art - by purchasing an image online and had it printed on sticker paper and had it stamped on the their wall. Liz on the other hand have learned how to differentiate a prized vintage items from old useless stuff.
After the short chit-chat, each table shared the group's best ideas to the entire group.
Though I'm not in the position to give you all the details of each of the principles. So I kind off used it instead in designing our table vignettes. The last part of the event was a group game and we were asked to do a tablescape using all the stuff in AllHome.
Before I share you Rica's principles, allow me to share this caption about designing or applying your own style at home. To fire up your creativity mantra and get you in the game.
Hey, designing your home isn't scary at all, it's so much fun, so liberating and should always reflect who you are and your family.
When you start designing your home, make sure there's a lot of breathing spaces, where your kids aren't limited to move, create and express themselves but without compromising on practicality and functionality.
At the event, we were tasked to design a table of our choosing, it was a group game and the objective is to do a vignette. Rica did a beautiful tablescape which may have reflected the 10 Styling Principles she shared.
Let me see, if our group - composed of Feliz Lucas of todaywiththelucas.com, Liz Esteban of the Millennial Moms, and Karla of Momsterric Misadventures blog, were able to pattern after her 10 Styling Principles.
Copieed this from @Wondermomma.ig
1. Identify your style
To be honest it was hard to picture a design with different minds, different interests and different styles.
Our group was the last to have a table and what was left was a modern glass one with black-trimmed edge.
I would have loved a rustic style, but we have to stick to the kind of table we had and make it work.
I took lead (kapal ko haha) and told them we should go modern with a flair on texture.
Check on that!
2. Begin with a base
Our base was black and glass and a touch of silver.
Check!
3. Choose a color palette
Color palette was definitely black and silver, but we wanted to add a splash of color.
4. Use textures
We played around with different patterns but still sticking to coherence, and to lessen the effect of the huge glass effect of the table itself.
Hmmm, do you agree with this? So is this a CHECK...I can't tell really.
5. Cast some character
We played with different heights as well and broke the glass effect by adding a black framed mirror which served as a tray for more glasses.
A plate charger, a unique set of table napkin rings and the huge black vain leaf trophy gave it more pizzazz which complemented so well with the plain blue-green table napkins and plain glass plates.
All these are affordable pieces you can buy at AllHome.
Our chair undoubtedly gave us the character we wanted and hence Feliz gave it's name as Oriental Crane. Though I don't really see the whole look as oriental, hahah, but sounds really fancy.
Definite CHECK!
6. Invest in practical
In all honesty as a work at home mom, I work in every corner of our house, including our dining table, even though I do also have an office tucked in somewhere in our living room.
The table we made, can either be an office table or a dining table, just remove the lamp and it's now a dining table and the silver picture frame can double as a menu card holder.
The table can be a practical piece together with tall glass vases (choose unique molds and shapes), some mirror frames (which is very important in what I do , as mine at home doubles as reflector when I shoot my food at home (coz, I don't want to buy expensive reflectors and mirrors work perfectly, in many imaginable ways).
Our design may fall in this, so CHECK.
Let me add the last project for my parent's condo unit, me and my husband did- the black cabinet with mirror doors. All the materials we just bought from AllHome and my husband just assembled them. Now the condo has more spaces to keep all the clutter away from sight, do you think it adds character to the space?
7. Spark Stories
Many would veer away from black as other would look at it as if it evokes something dreadful or dark, but used with warm colors it can be sophisticated and provide a sense of drama.
You can actually tell a lot of stories from a table like this. Like why black? Why the vintage chair on a modern glass table?
8. Choose light, laughter and love
After finishing your project or design, ask yourself, are you happy with it? Does it give you a sense of fulfillment, satisfaction and does it add value to your space, to your family's life experience, to YOU?
As you can see, this one is a CHECK for our group!
9. Start small
Well, we actually started with one accessory to too many that it made the top layer just a slew of a clutter.
It was hard letting go of some of the items as your team mates might feel bad about removing the piece they've chosen.
When we designed the table we just focused on the things that would matter in the design and from there removing those that we think didn't work was easy.
10. Evoke something
Often perceived as morbid, melancholic, bare, black, which is not actually a color per se, creates a sense of drama, it looks elegant, it is high contrast and is still a timeless choice. It evokes sophistication, reflecting something to look expensive. It gives out a good contrast to other colors, either pastel or certain primary colors. As you can see, the blue-green hues from the linen, the vase from the back and the design on the chair pops out like magic, which makes everything about the design a conversational piece.
I really love how our team worked together to come up with something as beautiful as this. The whole process was
Will you believe me if I tell you that we won the challenge?
The two photos above are the other vignettes created by the other groups. All the tables unique and artful you'll think it would be hard for the judges to pick the winners.
All thanks to AllHome as it was so easy to look for items, in fact, it had been our go-to place for all our DIY projects at home and on the extensions of our home.
With more branches, it's easier to find the stuff you need at home, our next project is in Silang, Cavite and my husband and I can't wait to build another home, this time for my parents' retirement.
Thanks again to Em Sulit and the whole GamechangerPH team for organizing this well-thought of Mother's Day special, and of course for having me at the event.
Copieed this from @Wondermomma.ig
To be honest it was hard to picture a design with different minds, different interests and different styles.
Our group was the last to have a table and what was left was a modern glass one with black-trimmed edge.
I would have loved a rustic style, but we have to stick to the kind of table we had and make it work.
I took lead (kapal ko haha) and told them we should go modern with a flair on texture.
Check on that!
2. Begin with a base
Our base was black and glass and a touch of silver.
Check!
3. Choose a color palette
Color palette was definitely black and silver, but we wanted to add a splash of color.
However, after coming back from going around AllHome to find more accessories, I found this lovely ornate backrest vintage-inspired chair. One of our team mate might have put it there. So, suggested to draw out some color inspirations from the embroidery. As you can see the fern green and blue green or cyan hints adds flair to the black background.
(Feelingerang wanna-be designer na ang classification ko haha)
So, again another CHECK on that.
4. Use textures
We played around with different patterns but still sticking to coherence, and to lessen the effect of the huge glass effect of the table itself.
Hmmm, do you agree with this? So is this a CHECK...I can't tell really.
5. Cast some character
We played with different heights as well and broke the glass effect by adding a black framed mirror which served as a tray for more glasses.
A plate charger, a unique set of table napkin rings and the huge black vain leaf trophy gave it more pizzazz which complemented so well with the plain blue-green table napkins and plain glass plates.
All these are affordable pieces you can buy at AllHome.
Our chair undoubtedly gave us the character we wanted and hence Feliz gave it's name as Oriental Crane. Though I don't really see the whole look as oriental, hahah, but sounds really fancy.
Definite CHECK!
6. Invest in practical
In all honesty as a work at home mom, I work in every corner of our house, including our dining table, even though I do also have an office tucked in somewhere in our living room.
The table we made, can either be an office table or a dining table, just remove the lamp and it's now a dining table and the silver picture frame can double as a menu card holder.
The table can be a practical piece together with tall glass vases (choose unique molds and shapes), some mirror frames (which is very important in what I do , as mine at home doubles as reflector when I shoot my food at home (coz, I don't want to buy expensive reflectors and mirrors work perfectly, in many imaginable ways).
Our design may fall in this, so CHECK.
Let me add the last project for my parent's condo unit, me and my husband did- the black cabinet with mirror doors. All the materials we just bought from AllHome and my husband just assembled them. Now the condo has more spaces to keep all the clutter away from sight, do you think it adds character to the space?
7. Spark Stories
Many would veer away from black as other would look at it as if it evokes something dreadful or dark, but used with warm colors it can be sophisticated and provide a sense of drama.
You can actually tell a lot of stories from a table like this. Like why black? Why the vintage chair on a modern glass table?
8. Choose light, laughter and love
As you can see, this one is a CHECK for our group!
9. Start small
Well, we actually started with one accessory to too many that it made the top layer just a slew of a clutter.
It was hard letting go of some of the items as your team mates might feel bad about removing the piece they've chosen.
When we designed the table we just focused on the things that would matter in the design and from there removing those that we think didn't work was easy.
10. Evoke something
Often perceived as morbid, melancholic, bare, black, which is not actually a color per se, creates a sense of drama, it looks elegant, it is high contrast and is still a timeless choice. It evokes sophistication, reflecting something to look expensive. It gives out a good contrast to other colors, either pastel or certain primary colors. As you can see, the blue-green hues from the linen, the vase from the back and the design on the chair pops out like magic, which makes everything about the design a conversational piece.
I really love how our team worked together to come up with something as beautiful as this. The whole process was
Will you believe me if I tell you that we won the challenge?
The two photos above are the other vignettes created by the other groups. All the tables unique and artful you'll think it would be hard for the judges to pick the winners.
All thanks to AllHome as it was so easy to look for items, in fact, it had been our go-to place for all our DIY projects at home and on the extensions of our home.
With more branches, it's easier to find the stuff you need at home, our next project is in Silang, Cavite and my husband and I can't wait to build another home, this time for my parents' retirement.
Thanks again to Em Sulit and the whole GamechangerPH team for organizing this well-thought of Mother's Day special, and of course for having me at the event.
ang hirap magdesign . dapat magiging busisi
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