The calm before the storm (of change!)

Wow, we've been so quiet over here...

I'd like to think that we're in that "calm before the storm" part, and that soon, we will be getting into the phase we've been waiting for-- the big jump, the big change, the new start.

We've had a few leads, a few sparks of hope, but none have caught fire yet. Meanwhile, we're still hoping, visualizing, thanking the Universe that someone buys the unit we're selling in LBT.

I guess this waiting has made us a little less inspired to blog here, but really, I can't wait!

Anyone interested in buying a concrete box of air? It's a 12th-floor-corner unit in New Manila! lol. Come help us realize our dreams :)

I'm kinda serious though, lemme know if you're interested! XD


P.S. You can view our Sulit.ph ad here. -Marc :)

Small space living: Multi-purpose bed/alcove

I recently re-watched the first season of Girls with a couple of friends. It was fun watching all the painfully awkward/real scenes, and the second time around let me notice some details in the show.

One scene that I didn't need to watch again to remember though, was the scene at Charlie's apartment. When I first saw his tiny flat, I was amazed by how well put-together it looked, despite the limited space. And it didn't even feel like he had to sacrifice a lot of other comforts just to keep it habitable.

photo from here.

This scene made me consider using this bed/alcove as inspiration for our future nest. There's just something about how this particular design maximized the area for practical use, it made me want this exact space.

And yet, I realized that having a bed in an alcove isn't exactly the most comfortable thing in the world... Just watch the last scene in the apartment and you'll know why. HAHA just kidding. I mean, this is a good model to keep in mind if we do end up with a tiny space, but really, I'm not 100% keen on it yet because I like flopping onto the bed after a long day at work. Wouldn't wanna risk banging my head or something just to have my Nestea moment*. ;-)


*I was hoping to link to that old 90s Nestea commercial where a girl let herself fall down onto her picnic blanket and it turned into a swimming pool. Awesome. hahaha

Colorful vs White (Marc's take)

I swear, I meant to finish this way earlier, and it's already almost 1 week since I started writing my reponse to Edwina's post. Time to get crackin'!

Not that I know how to do interiors, but my mom (who designs interiors for a living) has had the walls of my room re-painted so many times that I kind of have an idea of what works for me. That being said, it's not like my mind is closed to new ideas either.

Aaaanyway, so colorful vs white walls. Which do I prefer?

I'd go with some kind of off-white. This sounds like a cop-out, I know. But let me explain:

Source

Here's a room with pristine white walls. It just looks so... sterile. A different color for the curtains and the couch may improve things and actually project some kind of mood.

Source

Isn't this a lot better? The off-white just makes the whole scene feel a little warmer and look easier on the eyes. While this photo could have been taken/edited through a vintage filter or something, off-white walls will still have the same effect, essentially absorbing some of the glare and bringing out those warmer tones.

So how about color?

Well, the reason why I'm not a fan of colored walls is that you have to build around that particular color scheme. In the end, I think it'd kinda dictate and limit my choices when it comes to other facets of the room.

I'd feel wrong playing on my cherry red Fender in this room. (Source)

Granted, the photo above is a great example of how to work with an apple green color scheme. I just don't want the hassle.

(Source)

I like how the walls are just neutral space and let everything else in view just pop out. From the books on the shelf, to the frames on the wall, to that pretty wooden chair. Every item in the room is free to just be itself.

Colorful vs White

This post is an attempt to get my thoughts straight and help me decide on something. (NB: this "dilemma" I will be talking about has not yet been discussed with Marc. heh)

A quick background about myself before I get into this colorful vs. white thing:

I come from a family of 6 siblings. We have always had shared rooms and privacy is a rare commodity in our house... And so is the minimalist aesthetic! Almost all of us tend to hoard, but luckily, our mom reminds us once in a while to destash our closets, clean out our shelves, etc, so we still have some breathing space. Right now, I still live with my mom and 3 of my siblings. Can you imagine the amount of stuff we have in our tiny rented house?

Because we don't own the house we're living in, we can't really make any major changes. We have learned to live with what we have. I think, though, that given the chance, my mom would definitely have changed the flooring, and the wall paint!

Moving out is one of my goals in the near future (in fact, I think Marc and I are sooo ready to take the plunge as soon as we can), but I still can't imagine actually having my own space. A space where I can decide what goes where. How daunting and thrilling at the same time!

Well, I think I've gone too far off track by now. Still here?
I wanted to post a couple of inspiration photos to help me compare the issue between having colorful walls and plain, white walls, and also listing a couple of pros and cons for each: