The way we purchase items for our home has drastically changed; we no longer go to one store for a specific item nowadays, thus the rise of lifestyle concept stores.
On last Saturday’s episode of Modern Living TV Season 5 (MLTV), host Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi visited one lifestyle hub, which brought back sweet memories of her college years in Paris. This store is Habitat Manila, and she sat down with Walter Lim to know more about the brand.
In 1964, then-entrepreneurial 32-year-old furniture-maker Terence Conran, who established Habitat in London, made sure that all their designs are practical aside from being beautiful and affordable.
“Two years ago, Habitat celebrated its 50th anniversary and we are very happy that with this milestone, they have expanded the store’s network internationally. Now we have our own Habitat store,” Walter said.
This feat means we’re becoming more cosmopolitan. When we think about European furniture, it’s always super high-end so it’s hard to find such designs here that are affordable.
Habitat carries a wide range of lighting fixtures.
“Habitat thinks differently, they want to make sure that they make every design accessible to everyone without sacrificing quality,” he added.
A lot of the products are still being made in Europe, that’s why buyers can expect a certain level of quality and they can see and feel the difference. Stephanie also added that Habitat’s furniture pieces are really suited for apartment and condo living because they are stylish but compact.
The look of Habitat is very urban, very contemporary, but still has that hint of elegance so the lines are very clean. There’s also quirkiness in them, a slight touch of whimsy and fun. Also, Habitat produces designs that can always go well with past collections.
“We have items that are re-additions from the ‘70s that mix well with apartments that are being designed today,” he added.
Stephanie went on to check out some well-loved pieces that made Habitat an iconic lifestyle brand. There was this ‘70s-inspired leathered walnut wooden chair, which is a nice statement piece in any house and a set of tropical lounge chairs, because summer is big in Paris.
“In Paris, the sofa bed is their main bed at home, so they want it to look nice aside from it being comfortable. Our new collection is much more modern compared to the traditional sofa bed; the features are quite strong andeasy to set up as a bed,” Walter revealed.
The choice of lighting fixtures can make or break the total look of one’s space. Habitat also carries a great lighting section.
“We have lot of tripod lamps whose shades you can mix and match. We also have touch lamps made of steel and textured glass that are easy to adjust depending on your lighting mood of choice,” he noted.
French designers are very good with creating well-lit atmospheres, so Habitat has a nice selection of lamps that could give your home a relaxing ambiance or dramatic feel.
Habitat’s designs are both contemporary and comfortable.
Habitat also houses a lovely range of tableware and kitchen accessories. Walter revealed that the brand has worked with Michelin-starred French chef Thierry Marx to fashion specific products like chefs’ knives and vinaigrette holders. Habitat’s splendid tableware medley includes collections designed by renowned European designers including Terence Conran himself.
“We also make sure that we have a good range of dining chairs and expandable tables that are perfect for condo-living. Filipinos’ living preferences have indeed become very cosmopolitan, so we welcome new tastes and trends,” Walter told Stephanie.
Habitat vows to continuously create majestic furniture pieces with a vintage feel but would still look contemporary, and above all compact and practical.
