The little intimate shop of corners

SUBCONSCIOUSLY, fashion-turned-interior designer Chito

Vijandre and partner Ricky Toledo are setting a trend in Manila

that has been quite popular in Europe--home boutique

shopping.

A specialized business, it offers

exceptional ranges of furniture and

decorative objects, linens and

antiques that are controllable rather

than overwhelming.

Abroad, these boutiques started out

as spaces in the home. The

merchandise is exclusive and in

limited editions.

Being a smaller venture, it allows the

proprietor to sell the valuable

one-offs one would normally notice in

a person's residence. This is because

it gives the buyer more time to

appreciate it. Boutique shopping, the

way Westerners describe it, is about admiring homeware as art

objects and displaying them as if they were in a gallery. The

items are real finds, albeit esoteric.

The design boutique is a hit abroad because people are getting

weary of mass-produced items and are searching for objects

that project individuality. A more intimate shop can give them

the look they've been searching for. The items can mix with their

possessions.

In Manila, Juno exemplifies

this concept. The store is

in a small room in a Bel-Air

home. It's called Juno (tel.

no. 896-4960 and 890-5769),

named after its location.

The roman numerals

XXXVI on the gate make a

definitive style statement.

In the past years, every

time Ricky and Chito would

travel, they'd collect

anything that would catch their fancy. Sometimes they'd hold a

private exhibition-sale of Asian items in their home.

They decided to make a small business out of it. Before they

ventured, they looked at all the home stores to see the trends.

Ricky observes that most of the designs, particularly the

minimalists, looked as if they were dated in the '80s. ''We saw

that there was still a niche for us,'' says Ricky.

They perused the markets and antique stores of Turkey, Bali,

Myanmar, Europe and Thailand.

Hidden from view

The dcor of Juno evokes Chito's trademarks. The door flashes

two ornately carved cinnabars that look like sensors from afar.

At first, you'll see nothing but an enclave with walls covered

with interwoven faux leather strips. It is bordered with obi

sashes and adorned with gold-leafed baroque fragments from

Thai temples set beside a Donna Karan lacquered plate, made in

Vietnam. Qing Dynasty stools double as tables.

The items are hidden from view. The cabinets keep real

treasures and home-made products. Chito and Ricky explained

that the objets d'art are hidden from view to avoid a cluttered

look.

Ricky and Chito have sourced hard-to-find lacquerware which

date back from 19th century. Some of their lacquered homeware

are made in Shan, Myanmar which grows the best tress for

lacquer resin.

Many of the bamboo houseware are labor-intensive. In

Thailand, a supplier gave them fragments from temples built in

the 19th century. The African vases, shaped from one solid

piece of wood, have modern shapes.

Some of the objects are ceremonial items such as the hsun-ok

used in the altar and 19th century dewi sri, wooden faces of rice

goddesses placed in the fields.

Exotic items

The exotic items such as the gold-and-silver-leafed decorative

plates, Burmese scripture chest in lacquered teak and gilded

Buddhas that date back to the 16th century are mixed with

French ivory portraits, English glass candle holders, Regency

and tea cup playing cards, Victorian plant misters and modern

designs by Christian Liagre. The items range from P600 to

P30,000.

Chito has a weakness for throw

pillows. In New York, he'd get the

ornate $600-a-pop variety. He did his

version of these pillows made from rich

fabrics such as organza and bordered

with Afghanistan beads and tassels.

They cost P1,500, a fraction of the

elaborate pillows from boutiques

abroad.

Chito and Ricky also make their own

dog screens, made of taffeta and lined

with velvet. The top is embellished

with brass studs and details of what

looks like Don Quixote and his curly

beard. They are making screens for

dressing, done in silk, and rendered in shocking colors such as

chartreuse.

Chito explains that personalized service is part of this concept.

The client is assisted in a quiet and genteel atmosphere. One

won't be baffled by the cornucopia of objects since the items

have been edited for the buyer to give them assurance and to

make them feel at ease.