Welcome to your True Home

MANILA, Philippines - They say that home is where the heart is. And True Home is where you’re bound to find most everything your heart longs to have in your own home. True Home, of course, is the newest destination for housewares, furnishings, decor, and small kitchen appliances, which opened recently at the 3rd level of Greenbelt 5, Makati.

If you love to cook, you’ll love Jamie Oliver’s six-piece knife set, which includes a 7-1/2-inch chef’s knife, 8-inch carving knife, 8-1/2-inch bread knife, 6-inch utility knife, 4-inch paring knife, and a beech wood block. Imagine whipping up Jamie’s own piri piri chicken with sweet potato wedges or his chargrilled fish kebabs using his cutting-edge razor-sharp knives made of Japanese MoV stainless steel in your own kitchen! But of course, Jamie wouldn’t put his name on a product that does not spell quality — make that excellent quality.

Or picture yourself making tea with Rachael Ray’s curvy whistling teakettle or baking some cheesy lasagna, potato gratin, meat casserole or breads, cakes, and pies on Rachael Ray’s multi-purpose Bubble & Brown Oven Ovals Stoneware sets that come in vibrant colors. They’re both functional and decorative — sure to perk up a table setting and warm the hearts of your guests.

True Home carries a houseful of brands that include: Corelle (dinnerware); Mikasa (silverware, plates, serve ware); Pfaltzgraff (dinnerware, kitchen tools); Libbey (glassware, mason jars); Schott Zwiesel (fine glassware); Lipper (beautifully-crafted kitchen gadgets); KitchenAid (multi-tasking mixers); Scanpan (awardwinning Danish cookware); Epicurean and Architec (cutting boards); Cuisinart (small kitchen appliances like coffee makers and food processors); Kassatex (fine linens, luxurious pillows and sheets, which you can find at Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdales); Avanti (towels); Bombay (home accessories, wall decor).

There are assorted knick-knacks from Wallpops Wall Decal, Vidivi and La Mediterranea vases, Umbra frames, and Nextime clocks to brighten up every nondescript nook and cranny of your home.

For the obsessive compulsive neatness freaks, there are the the stainless steel pedal bins, the touch-free Simple Human and Brabantia waste bins that come in eye candy colors — think pink, you’d probably hate to soil or spoil it with your dirty trash.

Urbanites for whom space is a luxury will find a true friend in True Home as it carries smart storage solutions from Elfa, Nexxt, and Sterilite.

“The Elfa storage closet system is really designed for people living in condos — they’re truly space savers and you can change the parts, or the entire configuration, of your closet every now and then,” says True Value general manager Stanley Co. (Yes, True Home is a bigger houseware section of True Value.)

Note that Elfa’s practical closet shelves and Sterilite’s storage containers and drawers can be used in any room in your home, your garage, pantry, or even your office.

Since True Home opened in Makati last May 15 (its first store opened last April at Robinsons Magnolia), people have been buying up assorted products like the very popular Olde Thompson spice racks. (Olde Thompson, a trusted American brand since 1944, helps you organize your spices and keeps them within reach, literally at your fingertips. The spice rack bottles are filled with different spices and they have unique caps with flip lids that allow you to shake and pour the spices.) The day I visited, there was only one set left.

Among the bestsellers, too, are the assorted drinking bottles like Klean Kanteen that my officemates are raving about because it really insulates your cold drink for six hours and your hot drink (tea, coffee or even soup) for 24 hours (just as it promises). “These hydration bottles are very popular among runners as well as school kids who bring them to school and office people who bring them to work,” Stanley points out. “They’re BPA-free and can be used as well by those who are into juicing.”

There are assorted small and big jars where you can store candy, food, or just anything you wouldn’t want lying around the house. “I put screws, hooks, etc. in my jars,” Stanley tells us.

He adds with a smile, “We help you organize your home — and your life. There’s something for everyone here in True Home. For homemakers and homebakers, we have a lot of gadgets that will make their lives easier and more exciting. We have no hardware for guys, but we have something for guys who cook.”

For the shoppers’ convenience, True Home is divided into different product categories: bed & bath, kitchen & dining, storage, home decor, laundry. “It’s pretty much balanced,” Stanley describes. “We have something for condos and bigger homes. And we’re bringing in more products and opening more stores. We’re members of True Value in the US and by virtue of being a member, we get access to a lot of merchandise they offer and we get a special price.”

Surely, it feels good to be at True Home.