I love Japanese culture and design and the sense of simplicity & nature and I am anxious to see…read morewhat this furniture store has in stock that might compliment items (such as wood block prints furniture or hi made from bamboo-that I currently own. I like to be surrounded by items that invoke memories of travel and friends who are proud of their culture & heritage snd sense of modern as well as o 5 Io

This place offers a wide variety of Filipino handcrafted items. There's a large selection of…read moretraditional and artisan products from wooden decor, parols (star lanterns), fans, capiz frames, pearls, cookware, furniture, to clothing and local food items. This is a great place for unique souvenirs or gifts. This is a great place to shop for gifts & souvenirs. Great options if you're taking gifts home. Can be pricey but very unique gifts.

As soon as we walked in, a lady was called to assist us and hold a basket for us and also answer…read moreany questions. They have a large selection of balikbayan items. Prices are fair.

I always knew that Starmall EDSA-Shaw is a good place to hunt for bargain items. But it's only…read morerecently that I discovered Japan Selection on the second floor. At first glance, the store looked like just any ordinary thrift shop selling Japan-made goods. Look closer, or better yet get inside, and you will see that they are more than just the usual stocks of cookware, kitchen gadgets, chopsticks, Lucky (or Pocky) biscuit sticks, and whatnots from the land of the rising sun. They sell second-hand appliances on an 'as is, where is' basis. This means they will test the appliance you want to buy in the store. But if it doesn't work later when you bring it home, you can't claim a refund. They also have pre-owned baby strollers and other baby furniture. Heck, they even have used surfboards. What really lured me to the place was the stacks of original Japanese manga comics, many of them are Naruto. I was giddy because my cousin who's learning how to read and write Japanese can now spice up his studies by reading one of his favorite manga/anime series in its original language. Without hesitation, I grabbed three books to buy. Right across the manga section was the used toy shelves. Here, I found countless Ultraman figures, diecast cars, robots, and baby toys. Clumsy me grazed one of the items on a shelf and it fell with a beautiful percussive sound. When I picked it up, I realized that it was a bamboo baby rattle. I bought it for twenty bucks to use as decoration at home. The only downside to Japan Selections is their dusty, topsy-turvy store. If you suffer from asthma, better stay out.

Hit up Dapitan Arcade on a random Saturday morning last month looking for some cute plates to…read morespruce up my dinner parties, and holy crap, I walked out like a kid in a candy store. The place is this chaotic maze of stalls bursting with everything--gorgeous ceramic plates in patterns you won't find in malls, stacks of mason jars for peanuts (grabbed a bunch at like ₱40 each), quirky little gnomes, funky lighting, and even those trendy gold-rimmed teacups that make instant coffee feel fancy. Prices are stupidly low, so my ₱800 budget turned into three full bags of treasures I didn't even know I needed. Haggling was half the fun--smiled, asked nicely, and knocked off a good chunk every time. Yeah, it's hot, a bit crowded, and smells like the wet market next door, but that's part of the charm. Left feeling like I scored big and already planning my next trip for Christmas lights. Absolute treasure hunt heaven. 5 stars, no contest.

If you're a person who loves cheap finds, gets kilig when you see unusual stuff, and doesn't mind…read moresweating when you're bargain-hunting, the Dapitan Arcade is a place that you should visit. Situated along Dapitan St. and Kanlaon St., the arcade is a collection of small stalls and kiosks that sells glassware, murals, ceramic plates, lighting fixtures, decorations, and a multitude of home furnishings at very affordable prices. There are some stuff here that will make you say, "hmm.. I don't really need this thing but it's cute and inexpensive, might as well get it." By the time you leave, you'll have two hands worth of shopping bags. I frequent Dapitan Arcade whenever I need ceramic and wood plates, mason jars and other glasses, and other things that I might need for my cooking and plating. They have a lot of plate designs that are not available elsewhere. When I use them for plating my dishes, it makesmy food feel more sosyal, meaning I can charge more haha. The very trendy mason jars are available here. The normal size ones go for around P50.00. They sell per piece and by bulk. The latter will always get you an ever better price. As early as September, the arcade takes on a more festive look because they start selling Christmas decorations and lights. You want to have a miniature Santa Clause swinging from a light post? Or a robotic St. Nick jiggling his merry booty to some Christmas tunes? Well, they got 'em. And a whole lot of other fun stuff too! When you visit, make sure to bring your "kapal" face so you can ask for discounts. Take away: unusual finds and good deals. Your P1000 pesos will go a long way here!

Can i grow organic herbs and vegetables for my every day cooking in my living room, without soil…read moreand not worry about watering them? Yes, i can!! I am not dreaming, nor kidding. The store Grass roots is offering a product called "Urban Farm" which can do everything that i mentioned above. Urban Farmer is a hydroponic system that is built inside a cabinet which you can place anywhere in your house. Hydroponics is a system of growing plants without having to use soil. The conditions in a hydroponics system are same throughout the year allowing year round growth of plants. The system also uses only 10% of water as against the traditional methods. I was informed that using this system you can produce 4 times more and the plants grow at a much faster pace. However it all comes with a price. The big cabinet costs 90,000 peso and a smaller one with two trays comes for 30,000 peso. This is something i would really want to buy once i save up enough money.

I'm a big fan of stores that are nationalistic, quality-oriented and eco-friendly. Grassroots is…read morejust that. Their products - (furniture and home accessories) are all made out of indigenous materials and have high standard craftsmanship made by skilled weavers from provinces. Another thing I love about the store is the distinct and modern Filipino-island themed motif they have for all of their products. They even have collections to choose from so if you want to pair certain items with the same materials or color scheme or mix and match, you can definitely do so. What's more is that they also do custom work so if you want something specially made, go for it! I haven't bought any furniture from them since I don't have a place of my own yet but I do love their picture frames and storage boxes. I love jewelry so I have gotten some jewelry boxes for myself and my mum (she has a jewelry collection that can match Rachel Zoe's!) and I also gave her some watch boxes which she adored.

Aside from having a stand-alone furniture shop, Bungalow 300 also comes up with a fun series of…read morepop-ups all throughout the year. Filled with unique finds and one-of-a-kind items, their pop-ups are always must-visits. Each pop-up usually has a theme and each theme depends on the vendors or brands that they partner up with. The vendors they tap are usually home decor brands, skin-care lines, independent clothing and accessories brands, fashion designers, jewelry designers, and even fine-art galleries. What's most interesting about Bungalow 300's pop-ups are the venue choices they have for them. Sometimes, they are housed in their own store in Alabang, other times they hold it in a mall. If they're feeling really creative, they take over a home and dress it up in their signature-Bungalow 300 look. To make sure that you don't miss their pop-up schedules, it would be best to follow Bungalow 300's Instagram account (@bungalow300) or to sign up for their newsletters on their website at www.bungalow300.com.

Best place to find those one-of-a-kind accessories and furniture. Even if you're not shopping, a…read moretrip down here is just so inspirational!

From the owner: Furniture & Home decor/Interior Designread more

When I was younger, I thought "when I start living on my own, I will buy all my furniture here"…read more Reality check: It's 2015, and I've been living on my own for almost three years, and honestly, I don't even have proper furniture! I have a table from Ace hardware, a shelf from SM Hypermarket, and hand-me down stuff that my family gave me out of pity. I do know I've made it in life when I actually have something 10 times bigger than the picture frames and cool knick-knacks I've purchased here through the years. Back when these chain of Dimensione stores were new to malls, everyone ooh'd and ahh'd over contemporary and minimalist furniture, as if the whole Philippines never new it existed. Pieces in Dimensione are classy, tasteful, and well-curated. It has consistently made its vision apparent in all the pieces they sell in their stores, and I do think that this chain of stores were actually the purveyor of modern interior design locally...well at least in the mainstream society. Personally, I love everything here, and even if you're not buying furniture, there are still reasons to check this place out as they have a lot of interesting and modern home decor and gift items (check out their Umbro stuff!).

This was among my top picks for the gift registry for our wedding a few years ago. They have such…read moreamazing items from ceramics to throw pillows to unique lamps -- I could spend hours just shopping for decorative and functional items from Regalong Pambahay. They are very proud of the fact that a lot of their items are locally made, which is another good reason for me to shop here. The designs for their home decor are edgy, fun and youthful. I love the bold patterns of their lamps -- from geometrical shapes in black and white to fuschia damask patterns. While they offer amazing gift ideas for newlyweds and about-to-be-weds, I really go here for selfish reasons. I just feel like buying items from Regalong Pambahay transforms my home. The pieces they have look like expensive designer items but in reality they are within a very affordable price range.