Home Sweet Heima

Replace any famous saying using the word “home” with Heima and it rings true: “Heima is where the heart is,” “Home sweet Heima.” These are some of the quotes owners Bong Rojales, Rossy Yabut and their followers use to describe the boutique and their work.

Decorating is one of the grandest, most enjoyable creative undertakings in life.

Grand, however, does not have to pertain to the amount of money spent or sticking to “classic” designs that permeate the market.

The best approach in transforming a house into a home is by going at it slowly but surely, adopting a high-low approach that truly celebrates the homeowner’s individuality.

Angular shaped furniture are tempered by floral patterns and quirky color combinations.

Entitled “Life is a Party,” Heima’s third collection is a celebration of their fun and witty design aesthetic. While they use a sleeker color palette, the shapes and overall feel still have that modern vintage vibe the brand has come to be identified with.

There’s a lot to lust for, and even those who don’t have their own place to furnish can get a kick out of the collection.

On The Radar spoke to the creative owners of Heima about the current collection.

The new collection has more masculine colors, why the shift from bright to somber?

Being a young design company, we are still intent on building a portfolio of designs. This is a fresh take on muted colors, monochrome tones, and masculine appeal. There is still some consistency across the line though. We still came out with pieces you don’t really see around.

Which piece do you consider as the star of the collection?

We love the Ms. Librarian Card Drawer and Mr. Pull’s Bureau — his and hers storage furniture, if you will. We also love the simple appeal of the Uncle George and Aunt Georgia armchairs. We hope people admire it as a collection, not only as individual pieces. We liken it to a music album — we want the market to love the whole album and not just one song.

Was introducing stationery and creating the Paper Club planned from the beginning?

We experimented with Heima whatnots when we launched the first collection, though maybe it wasn’t highlighted as much. Our love for paper and crafts has grown and we just couldn’t resist making it part of the overall collection. You can see elements of kraft paper, calligraphy, rubber stamps, and collage work across the line.

Heima has perfected the art of modern vintage, as evidenced by the updated drawers and bureaus.

Why add to the bevy of canvas totes in the market? What makes yours unique?

The print is our own design and the calligraphy is part of our collaboration. The process is traditional silkscreen made locally. We wanted to keep carbon footprint to a minimum. Apart from that, we used a different strap to up the style ante. We just had to give it a try and allow the designs for Paper Club to be executed in another medium.

There are a lot of notebooks to choose from nowadays ranging from expensive Moleskines to eco-friendly Fiberstone paper. What makes Heima’s covetable?

The notebooks we carry are mostly items we gathered from our travels. It ranges from pieces by Orla Kiely and Amy Butler to affordable paper products from Bangkok. We would like to make our own notebooks again as we develop designs that we think could be long-term classics.

Travel is a big inspiration for Heima. What place, person, era continues to inspire you both?

Their boutiques in Cubao X and LRI transport you to the playful yet sophisticated lifestyle that Heima offers.

Right now, the world is still too big to be attached to a specific place. We definitely have a lot of European influence in our head and hearts — from 17th to 19th century French designs to current trends from the UK and Netherlands. It’s not only in shelter trends though; our inspiration comes from all places. We love music, photography, blogs, and events just like the kids next door.

Our products reflect our personal styles as individuals and as a couple. While some may think the direction is decidedly foreign, we want people to know that Heima’s designs are a product of Filipino talent and proudly Philippine-made. Our designs may not be “traditional” Filipino but we hope to inject local design with our own take and influences.

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Go to http://www.heimastore.com for more information.

Or better yet, visit their boutiques in Cubao (Shop 33 Cubao Expo, Gen. Romulo Avenue, Cubao, Quezon City) and Makati (Suite 229 LRI Design Plaza, 210 N. Garcia St., Bel-Air 2, Makati City).