MANILA, Philippines -- Because of budget constraints, a lot of Filipino homeowners are left to their own devices when they are decorating their homes. But given the opportunity, a lot of them say they would love to consult with a pro, from the latest design concepts and trends, down to the nitty-gritty such as what color curtains to hang up. Well, these perturbed decorating newbies are in luck, because SM Hypermart gives shoppers an opportunity to consult with the interior designers that they tapped to do the Kitchen Makeover portion for the SM Master Chefs promo!
This exciting project actually came into being as MB Home and Garden was conducting its exclusive interview with 3D designer Joselito Soriano Jr. of Soriano-Lim Interior Design, wherein the interview about his life as a Fine Arts Painting grad-turned call center agent-- turned -- interior designer ended with an impromptu consultation session on how to give an ancestral home a facelift. Soriano, who created the Contemporary Kitchen display module for the Hypermart promo, turned out to be a gold mine of practical advice.
Today's trends: industrial, contemporary, condo
Soriano is very enthusiastic about the consultation project, and started off by sharing some design tips for MB readers. First, he says that design trends come back after five years or so, but they come out a bit differently. "For example, five years ago, it was all about shabby chic, now, it is back but modified to become industrial chic."
When asked to explain what his idea of a contemporary kitchen is, he says, "It conforms to the present day trend, but is not considered overly trendy or futuristic. It conforms to the basic shape, structure, and function of the furniture and other elements that are in it. It is modern and simple, and it never goes out of fashion."
For condo living, contemporary gets a whole new meaning, because space saving is the number one concern. Soriano says, "It has become a rule of thumb to get smaller and sleeker furniture that is easy to maintain. For instance, instead of buying items made of natural fiber, it would be wise to go for synthetic, especially if the homeowner does not have a lot of time to spend on cleaning up. In a kitchen, everything has to be within reach, easy to clean, and space saving."
Theme home help
You've probably been in one before - those houses that seem trapped in a time zone, such as those that have the '90s country home feel with the wooden ducks, white fences, and false brick walls, or the French provincial manor types with the heavy armoires, cabriolet chairs, and chandeliers. While impressive and charming, they seem to be less flexible when it comes to getting a facelift from owners who would like to give their homesteads a little tweaking now and then.
To give a home a more updated look, Soriano suggests a new color palette on the walls, upholstery, or window hangings. "With French Provincial, for example, one dominant color is pale yellow. This can help brighten up the room, without having to put your heavy furniture into storage."
What you can store, though, are items that can clutter up your collection (if you have too many ivory saints in your family altar), or valuables that should be kept out of reach of children. "These can be brought out for special occasions," Soriano suggests.
The designer also speaks out about being a stickler to the rules. "While light colors are commonly used to make a small space look bigger, there are other ways to have the same roomy effect without having to go all light. A lot of designers have come up with creative ways to make a small space beautiful without having to paint your walls white." But if there is one thing that Soriano does emphasize is the need to go green. "I always advise my clients to put a plant in their home. I believe that a house is not a home without a plant in it."
Those in need of design help can simply bring a photo of their kitchen and show it to Soriano and the other members of the SM Hypermart interior design team: Mark Perez, JC Arcega, and Vianca Anonuevo, who will be having their free consult sessions at select Hypermart branches until September. Check your favorite branch for schedules and details. Lucky shoppers with a P500 purchase of participating products can win one of the five free Kitchen makeovers.
There are no comments yet