Deovir is an artist's heaven…read more This could actually be my only statement and it would pretty much sum up Deovir. They have so many items available for use of artists which cannot be found in bookstores. Being the premiere art supply store, they have a wide range of products, from brushes, paints, paper, pencils, etcetera. This goes for even supporting materials such as thinners, binding mediums, and other art-related needs. Being not so familiar with and not comfortable in exploring painting mediums, I recently called them to ask for advice as to what I can use for an upcoming project. I needed to use a paint that would adhere well to textile, will be permanent despite washing, but needs to likewise have the correct consistency for brush calligraphy. With a short discussion of my options, I knew what I needed and even had my orders prepared already for payment and pick-up. Indeed, it pays to go to a specialized shop for, well, special art needs.

For me, a trip to Deovir is always entertaining. I've been known to stay for more than an hour…read moreinside the small space, just browsing through different art and craft materials without a specific agenda in mind and thinking about the creative possibilities. There are canvasses of all sizes ready to be spread with acrylics, oils, watercolors, pastels, etc. There are reasonably-priced, artist grade brushes. There are craft foams, polymer clays, charcoals, and a lot more. If there is something that I need for a craft or a project, I immediately look for it in Deovir. And I get a sinking feeling if I cannot find it in their shelves, because that means that I am unlikely to find it anywhere else locally. The staff are very helpful, and they know what they are talking about. There was this time when I was assembling a painting kit as a gift, and a friendly salesperson gladly discussed the comparative pros and cons of acrylic and oil, and why the former might be better suited for a novice than the latter. Seriously, I look for excuses to visit this store even though I know that it's not good for my wallet. They also have an online shop but sadly, the online inventory is very limited.

I took me quite a while to place the correct categories for this place, as there seems to be no…read morecategory called "CUTE THINGS YOU DON'T NEED BUT WILL BUY ANYWAY". Yelp, get on it! I'm a sucker for anything that has animals on it (NOT their skin! Ditch fur and leather, please!). Or polkadots. Or vegetables. Or fruits...Or all! This place is for every girl who likes "kawaii" things --BUT of course, that wouldn't be appropriate to say because this store hails from Korea, so instead, say "gwi-yeo-wo-yo"! Are you celebrating someone's birthday soon? If so, this place has the cutest little party hats (of course, with animals!) to top your dear celebrant's head with, greeting cards, party "gear", and other colorful festive things! If you're a sock collector, then this is the place to get cute silly socks! Pretty notebooks that are too cute to write on? Check! Mushroom lamp? Check! And if you have not outgrown your sticker addiction, they have soft, "pillow-y" ones that are just ~squeeee~! Koreans really know how to make things murderously cute! Take my money!

Finally, Korea's uber cute fashion is finally within reach! Artbox is full of adorable clothing,…read morestationery, mugs, and what-have-yous! I wanted to get so many things that I don't even need anyway. Like a blanket with a hood. Or an unnecessary number of socks. Or storage boxes. (Well, I may need those storage boxes.) If you're a complete sucker for things with cute animal faces, this place is a must-see for you!

I can't begin to describe how cute The Paper Stone is. And no, I don't mean it's in any way ugly…read moreyet appealing. Appealing yes, but by no means is it ugly! I loved browsing the shop and asking about every single product they had. They offer a wide range of stationery, from magazine holders, to pens, to gift wrappers, to journals! They may be a bit pricey though, which breaks my heart because they all have such adorable designs! The stickers are my favorite. I remember spending around 15 minutes (or more) just looking at every sticker design they had, trying to choose which to purchase. (I settled with cute bunnies). For those, like me, who can't resist cute things, you'll probably spend the same amount of time I did browsing their collection. The Paper Stone is a good place to buy gift items for your girlfriends, or your nieces. Trust me, boys.

Cute items and this is the store I never fail to visit whenever I'm at UP Town Center but the sales…read moreassistants are too clingy! I wish they'd give shoppers more personal space.

For artsy people who like to make things with their hands and like to support artsy people who make…read morethings with their hands, The Common Room is a very welcome addition to Katipunan. On the heels of the growing craft scene in the Philippines, The Common Room describes itself as "a place where makers gather." I love it because it's true! You'll find everything here from wallets made from old comic books, hand-sewn patches, pins, perfume, plushies and succulents! When you step inside, you'll wish you had money to buy everything in the store (or maybe I'm speaking only for myself). My favorite brand they carry is called Tweed and Twine, which makes pouches out of really beautiful fabric. It's also located right next to Go! Salads, so when I'm there for my daily green smoothie, I can't resist the call of all things handmade, pretty and shiny, and have to exercise great restraint not to come out with pretty new stationery, magnetic pins, and other lovingly handmade things I didn't think I needed. I love it!

This place has been here for as long as I can rremember. If this is the exact same enterprise, then…read morethis little old hand drawing studio has been around since forever. I mean sincerely, I can't even remember when this hand drawing place came to Alabang Town Center. What I do know is that it started out as just another stall at the corner or middle of the hall. I was actually taken aback by the fact that it was now a full fledged tenant with it's own store and all. Basically, this place is known for having custom portraits made. More often than not, its couples who have their portraits drawn together. So far as I recall, the price depends largely on the size of the portrait. It takes a bit of time to draw the portrait, this is hand drawn art after all and as the saying goes, you cannot rush art. The beauty of this kind of gift is that it's tailor made for a person, something really special. The fact that it's still standing for almost more than a decade or so, shows just how much this place draws the right kind of customers.

% for Pro artist, quality items & legit physical store. Friendly staff & great serviceread more

From the owner: Art Supplies, Art Materialsread more

I know how frustrating it is to go to an NBS branch only to find out that the art material you're…read morelooking for can only be found in a different branch.The giant chain is, of course, traditionally reliable, but it doesn't mean it can give us art enthusiasts everything we need. Once you get past the beginner stage, you will start looking for more high-quality materials. And that's where Deovir comes in. There aren't that many art stores here in our country, so you might as well bookmark the ones you might visit in the near future. Ones that are well-stocked and reasonably priced, and this is one of them. They have nearly everything an artist might need. Deovir is my go-to place when I find myself needing a new tube of artist-grade watercolors. They offer various brands for every type of paint you can think of. The only downside is that they don't carry Winsor & Newton, and as it happens, it's one of the cheapest artist-grade materials that one can find. That, and Holbein, which they thankfully have in their shelves. A small tube (which can last a long time, still depends on how you use it though) of Holbein watercolor starts from Php 100. Mine's usually Php 105 but I noticed that some of them are more expensive. It depends on the pigment type I guess. It's better to ask, too.

some of their staff are rude, unhelpful, will only attend to the male customer. i also saw one…read morestaff fighting with the customer a long time ago at sm north. the customer was still calm nevertheless. the staff seems like who would work in the palengke. they should properly hired someone who are good with the customer if they want to keep up their business, cause i also read from the other forum, customer service is not their best forte. i also did encounter her after that, but i did not want to stir up some drama so i let her be. i would never buy from there again. i'm glad though, that they are not the only art store in metro manila.

Oh Typo, Typo... I want to love you so badly, I really do. Your designs are clever and cute. Your…read moreitems are practical and definitely look like something I might want-slash-need-in-the-definite-future. I love stores like you. Sketchpads, notebooks, pencils, ballpens... everything I could ever need for something light is in your shelves and then some. Heck, you'd definitely be the kind of store I'd want to go to since I can't get anything from Etsy. But we have a problem, you and I. A HUGE problem. A glaring dealbreaker of a problem. Your quality. I'm gonna be frank here. It sucks. Now now, I can't say everything's bad. Your mannequins are fine and I love the fact you actually have a jointed hand model. Your stickers and stamps are adorable and clever. Everything's so... Instagrammy. (No wonder why the kids love it, I guess?) But there are some MAJOR dealbreakers for me. Your notebooks for one. The covers are floppy. You'd think a notebook as big as the ones you offer would have covers that give a bit more support. I'd have better support from the cardboard backing of a pad of yellow paper. And the paper. It's... okay. Only okay. One notebook I felt had this really thin, really rough paper which (in my experience) doesn't hold heavier inks very well and one other notebook I felt has smoother, slippery paper that doesn't (again, in my experience with papers of that GSM) catch anything less than a felt pen. And your pens. My mom's friend bought her a Peanuts pen when they were at the store and no less than ten minutes after leaving the mall, Lucy's head came off. Yeah. You heard me. Thick plastic topper. Head came right off. It was just in her bag. And it wasn't even nicely painted either. I understand attempting to make it look like it was hand painted but this was just sloppy. For what that pen cost, I would have expected it to last longer than ten minutes. Your newly released colored pencil/watercolor pencil line rubs me the wrong way too. Maybe I was spoiled by Sakura and Faber Castel but that rough wood grain near the lead just reeks of flimsy lead. You know the kind: sharpen using any method and the lead ends up breaking when you think it's finally sharp? And the PRICE. I could get cheaper things with better quality at National Bookstore... heck, Diovir and Enriquez if I really wanted the good stuff. That ballpen was over 200php. And 250php for a birthday card? No thanks. Would I recommend Typo to anyone? Maybe if they were looking for cute things, yes, though I'd definitely steer them away from the stationery section. Maybe I'm just showing my age but if you want something you can really work with, something that will age with you and wear with you and work the way you want, you're better off picking your next journal from Fully Booked. Grab a ballpen from National while you're at it. If you want something with more style and less substance, go right ahead.

Ahh the smell of fresh and unsullied notebooks!…read more Okay, I have a confession to make. I love stationery. Papers, cards, letter sets, notepads - everything, as long as I could write on them. I would hoard so many notebooks and to this date, I have plenty of cute little journals that are gathering dust on my shelf but I can't stomach writing on them. Because OCD. They somehow lose their appeal when they have writing on them... But anyway, if you are like me and you grow weak in the knees by the thought of cute stationery, you will go crazy once you set foot in Typo. It is pretty easy to find, as it is near the entrance of the mall. Every square inch of space is crammed with stuff that you don't need but you want to buy anyway. Everything is so kitschy and cool, and their designs appeal to the young and hip (fine..Hipster) crowd. I was looking for cute stickers and I found plenty to paper every surface of my laptop with. They had an entire table of novelties related to pugs, from aprons to pillows. I also love their collection of really cute tumblers and water bottles that look like science laboratory equipment - flasks and beakers that you can use at home to spruce up your boring old kitchen. I ended up buying cute letter decals that I stuck to my wall. I also bought a set of twinkling fairy lights that are battery operated. The tiny lights look great on my vanity, and I use it now as a night light. I am really scared of electric Christmas lights, especially since substandard ones are known to burn entire houses down, so I'm glad that they have batter operated ones that are safe to use.

Small, school and office supplies stores such as Little Town are lifesavers. For when you have no…read moretime to head to a mall to go to those popular office supplies stores and bookstores, these stores will most likely have what you need to alleviate your Oh-noes-I-ran-out-of-bond-paper-while-printing type of emergencies. You might even get sidetracked by all the OMG CUTE THINGS they also have such as erasers disguised as food, sparkly stickers, hair accessories of all colors, and their marker sets in all these fancy types of ink. If you suffer from an addiction with cute stationery items/office supplies (and I'm sure they're part of a collection that's never to be touched, ever!), consider yourself warned.

Little Town is full of stuff that you're likely to need for your paperwork, be it for school,…read moreoffice or hobby purposes. While the selection is nowhere near that of large chain stores, it is surprisingly sufficient for most needs. Ribbons, cards and various writing implements abound in Little Town's shelves, among others. The "others" category is actually pretty well populated, and can keep fans of cute stationery accessories and other little knick-knacks happily poking around for many minutes. Serious fans of writing implements (in other words, pen collectors whose collections carry a daunting value) should be looking elsewhere. People who just want attractive little additions to their pencil cases, on the other hand, are more than likely to find worthy additions to their stuff in Little Town. The price of items here is pretty reasonable.

Office Warehouse is a very useful place and a comparable alternative to National Book Store and…read moreother office supply stores. I became familiar with it as there is a branch in the SM Hypermart that's right by my place. Initially I thought that it wouldn't be useful to me as a student (back then), but after walking through the aisles, I realized that so many of the stuff I needed was right here. Yellow pad, 1/4 pad, 1/2 pad, lengthwise pad, Mead notebooks, Schneider pens, chalk, eraser, greeting cards, and many other essential items for work and play. Once, I even purchased a gift for Kris Kringle here (it was a piggy bank). Two thumbs up!

Office Warehouse sells office and school supplies from the simple pen and paper to printers and…read moredesks. This place is a great option for students to go before school shopping if they don't want the huge crowd and aren't really interested in the design of things. The branches may be limited and this place may not be as famous as the others but it serves its purpose. They have all your basic pad paper sizes, notebooks, pens, pencils, folders, containers for you supplies, the works! Office Warehouse doesn't cater to the biggest crowd but they definitely have the supplies you need just not with as varied a selection. This place is focused solely on supplies unlike more stores that sells books...and supplies to follow. They also have good quality office items like desks and chairs so you can really go in here and purchase everything you need for your office or study area.