Ever since the move to my tiny one bedroom apartment, all I ever really think about these days is how I can improve my small space. Veering away from Pinterest pegs and online searches, I have started purchasing local magazines as a source for inspiration and practical information.
I've been going crazy over buying home decoration and interior design magazines these past couple of months. With my current aesthetic, budget and lack of knowledge, I've discovered that the magazines I've hoarded can be divided into 3 categories:
1. Optional - The content is more on company background and brand profiles and topics revolve around luxury and opulence. Think 300+ sqm houses and 100+ sqm condos, big chandeliers, marble floors and expensive antiques. Most brands that are being featured cannot be found in the Philippines or are sourced internationally and therefore, very pricey. While I love me a bit of class and a lot of quality, I feel that these magazines really cater to a different market. I appreciate the furniture designer articles and interviews with the home owners, but it's really more of a nice to know instead of essential info. These magazines go for 200 Php, have little advertisements, but are still of little use to me, my budget and my plans for my home.
2. Inspiring - The featured homes range from classic, rustic/industrial to modern minimalist and are visually delicious.These magazines have a wide range of articles and interviews, from architects to interior designers, business people, socialites and artistas. Of course, their homes provide a standard of which we can look up to, and it is indeed very inspiring. I want to live in those 3 bedroom units and claim them for myself! Oh but I am a mere twenty something with a tight budget but still aims to live better and learn how to improve my own space. What I am missing from these types of magazines is the how-to aspect of achieving the look of these model homes in the most practical and budget friendly way. It's as if what I am buying is simply a source of inspiration, but not a helpful guide to allow me to really take action without the help of an interior designer. The inspirational mags go for around 150-195 Php and I got me a couple of these for constant inspiration.
3. Very Useful - I've discovered the perfect home design magazine that combines inspiration and practicality. In each page, I learn something new--an interior design term, a furniture designer or a new place for sourcing local furniture. Tips and tricks and DIYs abound in each issue (which I absolutely love, because I am doing this on my own) and their featured homes show real people with real struggles with their space. The magazine details the journey of the renovations and the story behind the decoration and layout. The homes being featured don't look like model units but actually lived in, with photos of pets and people, showing furniture, layout and aesthetic that really say a lot about the owner. The mag provides information about products and indicate the price, or suggest stores where you can find something similar.
Looking at my stack of home improvement and decoration magazines, I found out that Real Living Magazine has the highest pile. I have back issues and recent issues of the magazine and even got myself their of home idea books that go for around 245 Php. I wish I could get my hands on the Real Home Ideas 5 which is their small space issue. This is why I'm super delighted that Real Living now has a website! Similar to what you can see in the magazine, the site has more than 100+ of photos for each room that has a range of different styles from minimalist to industrial to eclectic to asian/tropical to shabby chic or modern. Of course there are featured houses that will never match my style (or budget) but the site packs a ton of useful ideas for storage, maximizing space and simply creating a lovely home.
Check out their site (still in Beta mode): http://www.realliving.com.ph/
Like them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realliving.ph
Disclaimer: This is not a paid post (haha as if)! Content and opinion about Real Living are mine alone. :)
 |
| The "in progress" living room interiors at my own small space (32sqm) |
1. Optional - The content is more on company background and brand profiles and topics revolve around luxury and opulence. Think 300+ sqm houses and 100+ sqm condos, big chandeliers, marble floors and expensive antiques. Most brands that are being featured cannot be found in the Philippines or are sourced internationally and therefore, very pricey. While I love me a bit of class and a lot of quality, I feel that these magazines really cater to a different market. I appreciate the furniture designer articles and interviews with the home owners, but it's really more of a nice to know instead of essential info. These magazines go for 200 Php, have little advertisements, but are still of little use to me, my budget and my plans for my home.
 |
| Still sleeping futon style. No furniture in here yet! |
 |
| Obviously, I'm a fan. |
3. Very Useful - I've discovered the perfect home design magazine that combines inspiration and practicality. In each page, I learn something new--an interior design term, a furniture designer or a new place for sourcing local furniture. Tips and tricks and DIYs abound in each issue (which I absolutely love, because I am doing this on my own) and their featured homes show real people with real struggles with their space. The magazine details the journey of the renovations and the story behind the decoration and layout. The homes being featured don't look like model units but actually lived in, with photos of pets and people, showing furniture, layout and aesthetic that really say a lot about the owner. The mag provides information about products and indicate the price, or suggest stores where you can find something similar.
Looking at my stack of home improvement and decoration magazines, I found out that Real Living Magazine has the highest pile. I have back issues and recent issues of the magazine and even got myself their of home idea books that go for around 245 Php. I wish I could get my hands on the Real Home Ideas 5 which is their small space issue. This is why I'm super delighted that Real Living now has a website! Similar to what you can see in the magazine, the site has more than 100+ of photos for each room that has a range of different styles from minimalist to industrial to eclectic to asian/tropical to shabby chic or modern. Of course there are featured houses that will never match my style (or budget) but the site packs a ton of useful ideas for storage, maximizing space and simply creating a lovely home.
Check out their site (still in Beta mode): http://www.realliving.com.ph/
Like them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realliving.ph
Disclaimer: This is not a paid post (haha as if)! Content and opinion about Real Living are mine alone. :)
0 comments:
Post a Comment