Your home, Hollywood style
Dreaming of a dwelling inspired by Hollywood movies and TV series? Pottery Barn brings glamour and a slice of Americana to Filipino houses.
Hollywood movies give Filipino fans a plethora of things to love and be inspired about—themes, plots, OSTs, and even house interior décors.
If you’ve seen romcom movies You’ve Got Mail by Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks and Life as We Know It starring Josh Duhamel and Katherine Heigl, perhaps you’ve been inspired by Meg Ryan’s New York apartment or Josh and Katherine’s colonial house.
They look like something straight from a Pottery Barn catalogue, all thanks to their classic, iconic American interior design: lampshade in the corner, huge paintings, chunky upholstered couch and loveseats, center table with candles and magazine piles, and family frames on a wooden table.
“People who are not from North America usually know our aesthetic, because they see us on movies or on a TV series like Friends,” says Pottery Barn vice president for public relations and marketing communications Leigh Oshirak, who was in Manila early this week to launch the iconic American brand. Pottery Barn, an American home (indoor and outdoor) furnishing retailer originally founded in 1949 in New York City, finds its first store in Southeast Asia, thanks to its partnership with Stores Specialists Inc. The first local flagship store is at Central Square mall in Bonifacio Global City.
Unfortunately, Leigh says the iconic apothecary table featured on Friends, which is one of the more well-known designs, has long been discontinued. “We update collections every season—that episode was like 14 or 15 years ago,” laughs Leigh. “The apothecary table is not something we call our core item, but perhaps there will be a demand here. We’ll see!” (Or perhaps some beddings and pillows as seen on ABC’s Modern Family?)
Pottery Barn also carries leather goods, like a chunky Manhattan chair upholstered in fine leather or a treasure box that transforms into a mini cabinet or a tabletop.
“Our design is universal. There’s something here for everyone,” adds Pottery Barn vice president for global merchandising Michelle Hummel. “That’s house pride, you know, when people walk in your house and you have a good interior design.”
Their artisans based in San Francisco travel and curate designs and materials. Pottery Barn’s cotton is from Turkey, rugs from India, ceramics from Portugal, Vietnam, and China. But not everything is imported. Among racks of handmade rugs and sofas and faux coral reef and flowers are some familiar items on display, like handmade rattan baskets.
“When you talk about baskets, I think the Philippines is the best in the trade. We know that the Philippine culture loves to entertain, loves a good, homey ambiance. And it’s quite ironic that it’s only now that we open a store here when we’ve been doing business together for a long time,” says Leigh. Pottery Barn general manager Neil Gazmen adds that the rattan baskets and some sea bass ottomans are handwoven by 40 vendors locally sourced from Pampanga, Cebu, and Metro Manila. “They are well-loved in the US,” he says.
Pottery Barn also takes pride in its free consultation services. They have two in-house design studio specialists. (One is for the kids section. Pottery Barn Kids offer baby beds, bags, and light fixtures, among others.) “It’s one of our signature services. We always get phone calls like, ‘Hey, I’m having a dinner party, can you come to my home?’ We don’t just drop the items on your front door and wish you good luck,” says Leigh. She adds that they’ve done bachelor pads, college dorm makeovers, and “getting married and unmarried” services.
“We have everything, from small to all. We have different blueprints for multiple lifestyles and home solutions for all kinds of spaces,” adds Leigh.
The collections change every six weeks. Currently on display are the summer sets. Next month, the fall collection is set to be launched. Expect a color palette of indigo blue, yellow, and deep red. And as soon as the “ber” months roll in, the holiday collection will take the spotlight. We can’t wait!
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