Project Condo: A Newbie Homeowner's Tips To DIY Decoration

Happy New Year everyone! First post for 2015, and it's long overdue!

2014 has been such a fantastic year and one of the biggest milestones I had in the past 12 months is finally buying and moving into my own place. As some of you may have read in my Project Condo series, it's a long and sometimes grueling process to select, edit and curate pieces for an apartment so small. The whole journey taught me that independence does not come cheap, buying furniture and keeping a well maintained home is a big big challenge. I have frequented a handful of interior decoration blogs to help me with my DIY journey, and even though my place is far from being fully finished, I can say that I've made some progress. 

Recently, I received an email from a blog reader asking for some tips on decorating (Hello Lanell!) and I'm happy that a.) someone other than my family actually reads my blog and b.) that I can use the blog as a platform to help fellow first time condo owners in DIY decorating. Now here's a disclaimer: I am not armed with a degree or even work experience in interior decoration and my home is a product of trial and error. I'm definitely not an expert, but here are some things that I've learned from the DIY home improvement journey.

Current apartment set up and a bit of an inevitable mess

1. Try living with what you have for the meantime.

This decision was really brought about by the fact that I have no budget for a major renovation, plus, I still don't have guts to take risks when it comes to buying colorful furniture and completely commit to it.  Considering my fickle mindedness, I took the safer route, kept the furniture and walls neutral so that there are more options for me when I decide to change the look of my place. So far, the color scheme that I ended up with is the following: 

60% white - since the condo came with white walls and white tiles, I kept it as it is to minimize costs

30% black and gray - I chose either grey or black for my big pieces namely the sofa and the bed. I chose dark wood for my other furniture to match the doors and cabinets.

10% pops of yellow, pink and blue. Apart from the fact that it can be changed easily and it's cheap, my pops of color came from throw pillow covers, flowers and curtains.

Also, before going on a buying spree, try to live in your newly turned over unit for a while and see the flow of your day to day activities. For me, I knew I didn't really watch TV that often so I didn't go on buying a TV console yet. I needed additional shelving in the bathroom so I bought a stainless steel towel rack (2,500 Php) and glass shelves (900 Php) where I can store my bathroom essentials. I bought a shoe rack that served as a drop off area of not only my shoes but also my bags. Getting a good idea of your daily routine allows you to prioritize the important things to buy for your home. 

What my place looked like around November. I did not make any renovations but only added furniture an decorations.

2. Flowers and plants make a huge difference

Since my place was mostly in monochrome, I needed a few living things to deviate from the coldness of black, gray and white. I made sure each area (living, dining, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom) had at least one plant in it. Apart from the fact that plants make cheap and beautiful decorations, they also clean the air and get rid of toxic elements brought about by using cleaning agents and disinfectants. 

A couple of baskets and a water plant in a vase can be found in my bathroom as well. Baskets were brought from Make Room & More for around 375 Php each. The glass shelving and the towel rack were installed by Ring Rob, Robinson's in house concierge

The live plants that I have in my condo were taken from my mom's garden. She gave me snake plants, a cactus and some plant that can survive just by putting it in a vase with water. 

From L-R:

The Snake plant which is the tallest one is holding up well. I water it every other day and according to some blogs that I've read, it's low maintenance and impossible to kill. 

The second one (I don't know what it's called) is almost dead! I really don't know the cause but I think it's from lack of direct sunlight.

The third one is also doing good because it's just a smaller version of the snake plant.

The fourth one is a pineapple plant and is still surprisingly alive

In the morning, I put them under direct sunlight. My unit faces the morning sun so  between 8-10, a bit of sunshine peeks through my window. Hence the long board so that I can just roll them to where the sunlight is! 

3. Pay attention to lighting

Upon turnover of your unit, only the basics are provided including overhead lighting and it's up to you to veer away from it and create an additional ambiance to your place. In the morning, I leave my curtains open so that the living and dining areas are more exposed to natural light. In my bedroom, I installed yellow lighting to invoke a bit of warmth which makes rest more inviting, then kept the white light in the living and dining areas because those are the areas where I work and eat.

An IKEA floor lamp in my living room! Gifted by my good friend Rina!

My apartment currently only has overhead lighting and the bulbs are totally exposed. Aaaah I'm really ashamed of that and I know I should install some fixture at some point but I haven't been able to decide on something that I really really loved. I compensate for putting candles and lamps so that the attention is brought to eye level instead of the ceiling. In my bedroom, I even used LED Christmas lights in lieu of a normal lamp. I loved the effect and it also does a good job of providing enough light when I read at night. 

Created a vignette using my dried flowers in a vase, candles, a kalesa decor I brought from Vigan (150 bucks!) and a small cactus given by my mom. She bought a small container at Daiso  for 88 Php. Candles are from Alice Blue (495 Php).

4. Make it personal

Because travel is such a big part of what inspires me, I framed a few photos that I took from my local travels as well visits to Melbourne, New York, Paris and Mechelen. These remind me to keep my wanderlust alive and find myself another adventure.

Bought photo paper and  had these printed at home. Frames were bought from Robinson's Mall for 199.75 Php each.

Travel-inspired typographic decorations can also be found in my place. This one is from Robinson's Mall and it spoke to me the moment I saw it. Each of these go for about 400 Php each from Robinson's mall. I also framed a geometric watercolor artwork that I did myself. 

Drapes, geometric shapes and a bit of color

My bed where I put some books that I read before bedtime. Check out my Bed time Story post here.

I don't follow any rules in decorating. The important thing that you should remember is that your place should be a reflection of who you are and the things you love. While some people are aiming for picture perfect homes, I like me a bit of quirk and irregularity. Keep in mind to discern when buying decor and make a mental reminder of what look you're trying to achieve. Be mindful of your routine in your space and how the furniture in your home is arranged to support it. Finally, just have fun with experimenting!

Read more

Project Condo: A Bedtime Story

Remember my first post on the Project Condo series? I shared my top 5 things to buy for my apartment before the year ends and 6 months into living on my own, I'm still not done with the list. Moving into my own apartment has taught me a couple of things. One: nothing ever goes as planned. Two: It's very expensive. It took me forever to buy all the furniture that I have so far and really prioritized the things that I needed the most so that I can live like a decent and independent 20-something I.T. Consultant in her own space instead of a college kid in a dorm.

My futon style bed

The first thing that I mentioned in my list of furniture to buy was a bed. I had the following requirements:

1. Full or semi double size

2. Dark solid wood (not laminated)

3. Shelves as a head board

4. Drawers underneath

After looking around for some time for a ready-made bed with my specifications, I realized finding one really wasn't that easy. Most of the bed frames that I saw at the mall were made with laminated wood, didn't utilize extra storage and didn't have the shelving that I wanted. I came so close to buying the Gunther bed from SM Our Home which is made with Malaysian rubberwood. That piece had six drawers but had a normal flat headboard and goes for about 24k. I thought it was a pretty good deal, but my mom advised to check all my options. Mandaue foam also had good options, and while they also had solid wood beds that go for 18k each, none of them had both shelves as the headboard or drawers underneath. I wasn't one to settle for something that I didn't love, so I decided to have a bed customized. For the meantime, I slept on my mattress, futon style.

My mom, sister and I took a trip to Tagaytay one weekend and checked out the furniture makers in the area. It was really a random selection for us, since we didn't have a specific contact person. We ended up going to Jasren Furniture shop because it was right next to a place that sold different plants and herbs. We bought taragon, basil and mint plants before heading into the shop. 

Talking to the shop owner, Adela, we were given options for the kind of wood that we wanted for our bed. She gave us suggestions on the design and the type of wood varnish. She asked for dimensions which we were prepared to provide. I made sure the dimensions fit my room no matter the orientation. I didn't want a headboard protruding by my window if I decide to arrange the bed differently. 

We chose mahogany for our wood since it is very durable and is known to resist rotting.  I was deciding between having the bed frame covered in wenge varnish or painting it white but the shop owner advised us that white isn't the best option for mahogany as it tends to bleed through the paint and what you'll end up getting is a white bed with reddish brown splotches. My sister chose the timber's natural color since it suited her apartment better. We finalized our transactions, gave our down payment and exchanged cellphone numbers so that they could notify us when the bed frames are ready for pick up. 

It took a while to return to Tagaytay because the shop operations were affected and slowed down by typhoon Glenda. The store owner asked us for more time to work on the beds, which was understandable. So we waited a couple more weeks and arranged to borrow a pick up truck from my uncle. When we finally got the notification that the bed is ready, my mom, sister, brother and I drove to Tagaytay to see the final product. The headboard alone took 2 grown men to carry as it was really made of solid wood! The surfaces were smooth and are of good quality and I was pretty satisfied with the end result. For a bed that was only 15k and made of quality and durable timber, I say it's a pretty good deal.

Delivery charges are expensive as you might expect. From Tagaytay to Mandaluyong, they said they charge around 3k for each bed delivered! Good thing my uncle's driver, my brother and my boyfriend helped us move the bed into the apartment.

Because of this new addition to the condo, I get more and more excited to come home and rest on my bed. Because of the overhead shelves, I no longer had the need for side tables. I styled my bed with monochromed sheets and a pop of yellow using throw pillows. I also got some led Christmas lights and used it in lieu of a lamp and I loved how it turned out. My bedroom feels more grown up but still dreamy. It took me several months to get the exact bed that I wanted, and seeing how it fit my apartment so well, I can definitely say it's worth the wait. :)

Contact Jasren furniture shop in Tagaytay: 0916-7245331

Read more

My Very First Crafternoon Session!

This is part 2 of my "going-out-of-the-comfort-zone weekend". After last Saturday's solo gig at Boho Sarapsody Bistro,  I finally attended Mansy and Alessa's Rubber Stamping Crafternoon Session at Fully Booked yesterday!

I've been stalking a fan of Alessa and Mansy's work for quite a while now and I was really looking forward to learn from them in this session. The venue was almost packed when I arrived, and the participants seemed like they knew each other already. It was like going to school for the first time. You enter a room not knowing crap about anyone and then you start going with your intuition in identifying who seems to be the least intimidating set of people in the room and sit next to them. I ended up sitting with Melay, Tatin and Espie. The three girls at my table know each other (Melay and Espie are sisters and Melay and Tatin are friends), but I didn't feel left out coz they were so nice.

When I registered at the venue, they gave me a kit which included carving tools, rubber blocks, a sponge that could substitute as a stamp pad, sheets of paper and a cutter. These are the basic things that you need to start your rubber homicide.

Clockwise from Top Left: (1) Stamped Cards we shared to our new crafting mates! (2) The Rubber Stamp Carving Kit that was included in the workshop (3) Support The Hand Makers by Mansy (4) My new crafting mates Espie, Mela and Tatin

Mansy gave a bit of trivia about rubber sole carving during the second World War. Apparently, prisoners at the concentration camps carved the soles of their shoes to make art. It's amazing to think that even at a time of hopelessness and fear, people still managed to stay creative. 

In the middle of the carving festivities, we were asked to introduce ourselves one by one--what we do for a living and our art background. Ladies from different occupations and industries were there to attend the workshop and it was awesome to find out that there are I.T. Consultants like me who were also eager to pursue a more creative life. I told the class I'm a Systems Analyst, and my art background is that I draw/doodle and that I play music. To be honest, I get sucked into all sorts of  things--running, frisbee, lomography, writing--and my mom describes me as "ang batang maraming gustong gawin". But if you ask me what are my true passions, I can really say with conviction that it's visual arts and singing. 

When Alessa shared her thoughts about stamping, I could tell she's so passionate about it. She's a graphic designer and a restaurateur by profession.  She's been teaching and organizing crafting workshops since she was seventeen (GOOD LORD, ANONG GINAGAWA KO WHEN I WAS SEVENTEEN?!) and I admire her passion and courage to really pursue what she wanted to do. I'm amazed how she can balance creativity with business. Ang galing!

Mansy and Alessa sharing their carving process and techniques

Intricate print made by Mansy. I want to make a large scale print like that! (Ambitious ako, bakit ba? Haha)

More cards prepared by the crafting class

For my pattern, I made a flower stamp inspired by the previous watercolor painting that I did last month. I wanted to make a stamp out of it, but apparently it's more difficult than I had expected so I made it more simple. I think it turned out well. 

My pattern inspiration

My actual stamp!

The next stamp that I carved was less inspired and more spontaneous. Since I realized mahirap pala mag carve with curves, I opted for a pattern with straight lines. I love this one coz I can make it look more seamless than the flower stamp. 

Christmas theme ang peg! 

I'm planning to make tons of these to give to my cousin from NY coz she loves handmade stuff too!

Next in my creativity bucket list is to attend Fozzy's Calligraphy Class. She attended the same stamping crafternoon session last Sunday but I didn't get a chance to say hi and have a chat with her. We were talking about it on instagram the other day, and we both wished we had time to exchange a few hellos. But then again, even if the crafting community is already growing, I'm sure we're bound to attend similar workshops in the future! It's still a small world, after all.

You can check out and sign up for more crafternoon sessions with Alessa and Mansy! Check out their blogs here and here!

Read more

Call This Rubber Stamping Advanced Studies

Next week, I'll be joining the Rubber Stamping Crafternoon Session at Fully Booked with Alessa Lanot. I signed up last month and got a slot and I've been looking forward to February 10 ever since. It says in Alessa's blog that materials will be provided, but I just couldn't help myself with my excitement and bought my own materials at National Bookstore anyway. I bought a cutting mat, wood carving tools, erasers and stamp pad last week just to get a feel of what it's like to carve erasers for my custom stamps. Call me an eager beaver student, pero excited talaga ako eh! I'm just doing my advanced studies for my rubber stamping class!

Noobie tools for a noobie crafter, but I am giddy with happiness after making these stamps!

My very first DIY stamp was that yellow one. I tried to make a branch with leaves, but I didn't apply a  cutting technique that I learned later on, so the edges were very coarse and less refined. For smoother edges,  it's good to use an exacto knife/cutter and trace the edges of the stamp template for easier carving later on. 

My "kinayod ng manok" first attempt

Second try, a tulip and a chevron pattern

I have yet to learn the stamping technique to make it look seamless and continuous. It takes practice to carve a stamp, but it requires an equal amount of practice for using it too.

Even if I have one foot inside the door of the DIY rubberstamping world, I'm still excited to learn from the experts and my fellow classmates at the workshop. Maybe I can make a star stamp like the one that students get in pre-school for a job well done. I've been doing my homework, after all. :)

Read more