At Home in the City (BusinessMirror -12/04/2010)

(The story was written by me for the BusinessMirror Sunday Issue (12/04/2010) 

Please do check the link :http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/properties/4508-at-home-in-the-city

Photo by Nonie Reyes

To mark its 19th year in the business, Focus Global Inc. recently opened its second design center at Greenbelt, Makati City. Showcasing the latest modern contemporary pieces from Ethan Allen, as well as cutting-edge kitchen designs from SieMatic and state-of-the-art appliances from Sub-Zero and Wolf, in 12 distinct setups, the 330-sq-m display area is manned by professional design consultants who provide complimentary design assistance to fit the style and budget of its customers.

“We are confident that, just like our flagship design center on Pioneer Street [in Mandaluyong], this show room will be nothing but a success,” Focus Global president Stephen Sy said as he welcomed guests at the opening.

Established in Manila in October 1991, Focus Global Inc. is the exclusive distributor of 12 of the most trusted consumer, home furnishings and needlecraft brands.

Its latest show room, located on the ground floor of The Residences at Greenbelt, features nine themed rooms showcasing Ethan Allen furniture and accessories, as well as three working kitchens highlighting products from SieMatic, Sub-Zero and Wolf.

“Ethan Allen has this campaign where we can help you as much or as little as you want because we carry the major pieces—from the bed to the night tables up to the little accessories, for example, the lamp or mirror. We’re all interior designers here so we have complimentary design services for our client. We could make design proposals that would fit your taste, budget and lifestyle,” explained Paula Grace Monzon, interior designer of Ethan Allen.

One such interesting piece is the American Artisan video lift cabinet, which was featured in a living-room showcase. Constructed from the same cherry or maple Appalachian hardwoods used in the rest of the line, it is just the right piece to place the latest flat-screen TV. Watch as the TV—the cabinet can hold most 42-inch flat-panel TVs)—lifts out from the top of the cabinet at the touch of a remote. The three cabinet doors in front reveal six-inch-deep storage—the perfect size for DVDs, games, controllers and remote controls, while the left and right lower drawer fronts flip down for component storage.

Known for creating pieces that are not only beautiful and functional but lasting as well has become a trademark of Ethan Allen. The Monterey sofa is yet another piece that proves the brand’s commitment to style and comfort. This clean silhouette and brilliant Fiji White cotton upholstery is pure, unadulterated glamour. Its back cushion is plush and cozy and anything but casual, and the smaller-scaled track arm is a modern update to an otherwise classic form.

Want to add dimension and statement to your living room without compromising comfort? Then Ethan Allen’s Baldwin chair is just what you need. Whether you choose to dress it up or down—skirted or unskirted, with a knife-edge cushion or a box cushion—the transitional Baldwin is smartly scaled to accommodate all heights.

Chic, comfortable, clean, the Hudson sofa has the three Cs of modern living. With a deep frame and a stylish, contemporary track arm, the Hudson sofa is the solution for seating problems as it offers numerous possibilities to fit various living spaces. One can choose from a variety of custom fabrics and or the in-stock Saddle artisan leather. Select styles available in standard soft foam/fiber support or optional feather blend cushions.

The Avanti collection, meanwhile, which includes The Avanti sofa, combines glamour with modern and tailored design. Like a European sports car, it has strategically placed curves and all the seats have T-cushions for angular definition plus clean-lined feet and rails.

As important as your main pieces are the right accessories to complement it. That’s why Ethan Allen has a variety of choices. On top of the list is the Adventure artwork by Spanish artist Pere Salinas. Described as a bold and modern art for the connoisseur, this canvas transfer is mounted to a kiln-dried wood stretcher and is placed into a float-style wood frame. A dark recess between the image and silver-finished lead edge of the frame creates the floating effect.

Bedroom

Customize your bedroom in style with the Jensen headboard. This fully upholstered, cushioned headboard frame is offered with button tufts, diamond tufts, or smooth front styling for the ultimate in bedroom luxury. It is available in leather or fabric upholstery with optional nail head trim.

Meanwhile, the Hayward bed is a dramatic masterpiece that transforms a bedroom into a suite. The Ethan Allen exclusive bed features exposed silver-plated hardware interplaying with the floating latticework headboard in a contemporary-meets-Chinese Chippendale fashion, thus bringing into reality sensual and dreamy bedroom comfort.

An addition to Ethan Allen’s bedroom breakthroughs is the Morgan bed with panels and night tables that help create a calming place for rest and rejuvenation.

“The Morgan bed is one of the best-selling pieces that we have in Ethan Allen because of its style. Ethan Allen started with the traditional style for furniture, now we’re diversifying and is more on the contemporary look. This bed also includes the night tables,” Monzon says.

The modular, low-profile bed has side panels and two night tables that bolt to the panels. Made of vertical grained quartered ash veneers, it’s definitely a modern statement, ideal for urban living.

Dining room and kitchen

The unique X-Table, a pine trestle piece with a distressed surface finish and hand-planed look, is classic Ethan Allen, which is known for being a design authority with a modern attitude.

“This is actually a new introduction for Ethan Allen. All the finishes that we used are water-based that’s why it’s eco-friendly. It fits more on the countryside look,” explains Monzon.

Then there is the Modern Glamour Round Dining Table. Subtly traditional yet strikingly modern, this dining piece features matte-finished silver-plated ferrules on the ends of six graceful spider legs.

Integrating kitchens into living areas is one of the issues faced by many urban dwellers and which SieMatic SC10 hopes to address. Its clean and compact design offers lots of storage even for small spaces, as well as essential appliances such as a Wolf microwave, single oven, five-burner gas cooktop, modular steamer and fryer plus a built-in refrigerator and wine storage.