Dreaming of stylish, cozier and more comfortable home? Do you want tips from the country’s top interior designers and architects? All the creative ideas you need to create the perfect home is found within the pages of the all-new Metro Home and Entertaining magazine. The spirit the new Metro Home & Entertaining aims to embody. “Our new look is impelled by a fundamental drive towards improvement,” says Carlo Tadiar, “moved by an elemental force seeking betterment, freshness and change.”

Now on its sixth year of showcasing the country’s most beautiful residences, the design and architecture quarterly from ABS-CBN Publishing has transformed itself and is introducing its new look on newsstands this July.
Metro Home & Entertaining gives you a peek into what it’s like to be in a cozy and stylish living room and pose for a magazine cover at the Metro Home & Entertaining 3D Interactive Exhibit on July 11 and 12, from 2:00 to 8:00 pm at the Gallery 2nd Level, Greenbelt 5, Makati City.
The cover of the latest issue of the magazine – a living room set-up that is both masculine and feminine, adult but playful – features a collaboration with furniture designer Milo Naval and interior designer Pinky Peralta. Furniture accents are by The Room Upstairs, Milo Naval, Domani, Firma and King Louis Flowers and Plants. The image is recreated in 3D at The Gallery of Greenbelt 5, to give readers an idea of how a cover for a home magazine is designed. Passersby can also have a souvenir photo taken in the exhibit and claim it instantly. Just present a copy of the latest issue of Metro Home & Entertaining at the photo booth.

One special feature of the event is the “My Favorite Spaces” Exhibit. Photographer Jovel Lorenzo joined the editorial team in visiting the homes of top designers and architects to photograph them in their favorite spots. Among those showcased in the exhibit are architect Gil Coscolluela, interior designers Tony Gonzales, Ivy Almario and Anton Barretto, jewelry designer Ana Rocha and paper artist Tes Pasola. The photos will be on display at The Gallery until July 12.
The Metro Home & Entertaining 3D Interactive Exhibit is supported by Samsung LED TV, Ayala Land Premier, Greenbelt 5 Ayala Malls, Via Mare, Digiprint, Frostings, CAV Wine Shop and Blow Up Babies. Media partners include Jam 88.3, 106.7 DreamFM and The Lifestyle Network.

MANILA, Philippines—You can call The Room Upstairs a dream come true.

“I wanted to create a showroom for my designs and to have a design studio,” says Pinky Peralta, who has been an interior designer since 1995.

She found a beautiful space in LRI Building on Nicanor Garcia Street, Makati, but realized that it was a little too big. She then decided to ask her husband Ari to help her turn the place into something more.

“I asked Ari if he was interested in putting up a coffee shop.”

That’s how The Room Upstairs was born. Now, the place, which opened late last year, has become so much more than just a design showroom and a coffee shop—it is also a retail store and an events venue.

The pieces of furniture and artworks you see inside The Room Upstairs are all for sale. During the day, clients come in to meet with Pinky (she has an office at the back) while other people go there to hang out, drink coffee, eat and read books.

Sometimes, the lines blur. Clients end up hanging out and coffee shop patrons become clients. “One lady who walked in just to have coffee ended up buying furniture and later on asking me to design her house,” says Pinky.

Companies have started paying attention as well, with some of them booking the place for corporate meetings, exclusive parties and product launches.

“We think they like the intimate setting,” adds Pinky.

Art exhibits and photography sessions have also been held at The Room Upstairs. The group exhibit of Jucar Raquepo, Jose Guillermo Naval and Vinita Karim called “Shifting Landscapes of Forms” is running at The Room Upstairs until July 21. And because Ari and Pinky want to turn it into a total arts venue, they’ve introduced live music as well. On Friday nights, the place transforms into a hot nightspot, with musical acts like Nyko Maca and Drip entertaining the crowd.

For Pinky and Ari, The Room Upstairs isn’t just a business venture. “It’s a way for us to work together, to have our passions combined in one place.”

Pinky uses The Room Upstairs to show her design skills, while Ari, a businessman who also dabbles in web design, uses it to share his passion for food with other people. Ari believes the time he spent studying in France exposed him to good food. He then applied what he learned while he was studying in Canada and had to cook for himself.

All the items on The Room Upstairs’ menu are his own recipes.

Some of the bestsellers are the Open-Face Roast Beef Sandwich (roast beef, mushrooms, sautéed onions, cream sauce and mozzarella cheese, P170); Smoked Milkfish Sandwich (smoked bangus pate topped with cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce, P100); Spicy Asian Spaghetti with Chicken (chicken, tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, chilies, olive oil, peanuts and parmesan cheese, P190); Spaghetti with Italian Sausage (Italian sausage stewed in tomato and cream sauce garnished with mozzarella cheese, P190).

Ari also recommends that first-timers try the meatballs, either as a sandwich or with pasta.

Ari’s favorites from the menu include the Roasted Eggplant Panini (roasted eggplant, olives, marinara sauce with mozzarella and parmesan) while Pinky likes the Spicy Asian Spaghetti and Spaghetti Putanesca (tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies, garlic, basil and parmesan cheese). Ari is also proud of the resto’s fine selection of wines and the freshly brewed passion fruit iced tea.

Things never get boring in The Room Upstairs, even food-wise. “Our lunch and dinner menu constantly changes,” says Ari.

Whether you visit The Room Upstairs for design advice, some shopping, a dose of art, coffee, food or music, there’s no doubt about it, this place is worth a visit—or 10.

The Room Upstairs at 2/F, LRI Building, Nicanor Garcia St. Makati, is open from 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Mondays to Thursdays, and Saturdays; and 10 a.m.-12 midnight on Fridays. Visit www.theroomupstairs.com.ph.

Step into The Room Upstairs and you might as well be stepping into a posh interior designer’s mecca. But don’t let the extensive collection of classic and contemporary furniture fool you. The Room Upstairs is not only a furniture hub, it’s a coffee shop as well.

Located at the second level of LRI Business Plaza along N. Garcia St. in Bel-Air, The Room Upstairs is a newly opened design slash retail slash coffee shop rolled into one. It is a cozy cocoon for coffee lovers who want good food and swanky environment to go with their cup.

Owned and operated by the equally stylish husband and wife tandem of Ari and Pinky Peralta, The Room Upstairs is fast becoming an intimate watering hole for the arts and coffee aficionados. It is a good excuse to unwind and be idle, sipping your cup of coffee while personally experiencing each piece of furniture — softly serenaded by a string musician, to boot!

The concept of design-retail-coffee shop is to provide a tableaux for both Pinky’s collection and Ari’s recipes. Being the newlyweds that they are, Ari and Pinky fondly call The Room Upstairs their first baby.

Pinky is a sought-after interior and furniture designer who has a decade of building and designing experience under her belt. Ari, on the other hand, is a gourmet chef who’s love for good food is evident in their ever evolving menu.

“The name ‘The Room Upstairs’ came after we found the place. We wanted a name that sounded neutral, but would have an easy recall and encompass what we offer, like food and furniture. More importantly, the name has that ring of exclusivity to it, creating a sort of hub for people who appreciate the finer things in life and who get comfortable in this kind of environment,” enthused the Peraltas.

Aside from an array of classic and eclectic designs by Pinky herself and some of her designer friends, The Room Upstairs boasts of that aesthetic feel of an art mecca and a cozy coffee place that people would go back to. Since it has an intimate setting that seats a maximum of only 25 people, the customers will definitely experience a personalized service in a homey and casual environment.

When asked about the range of designs extensively diplayed, Pinky explained that her collection is vintage chic. “It is an eclectic fusion of the old and new,” she said.

“Vintage chic is a very flexible theme as it runs the gamut from those who love the classics, as well as the contemporary. Aside from my designs, we invite co-designers to contribute their work as long as they are rare. In short, what we offer here are exquisite finds than furnishings that people could easily procure from the malls. These are my collections of one-of-a-kind pieces; things I love and endorse, including the ones I’ve amassed from expositions during my travels,” Pinky explained.

Unique and stylish, her vast collection on display includes a beautifully framed standing mirror, divans and daybeds, tables and high-backed chairs, framed photographs and paintings, lamps and vases, an array of hand-crafted clocks, dresser stools, wall sconces and a scene-stealer lace work drop light. And since it is a retail store, don’t come back expecting to see the same set of displays. Their displays change and evolve every month, depending on the turnover of sales or Pinky’s designing mood.

Pinky’s designs and furnitures are one thing, and Ari’s ever-growing menu is another.

Aside from their unlimited choice of coffee, hot and iced, they also offer all-day breakfast, hot sandwiches, appetizers, soups and salads, pasta, dessert and lunch and dinner specials. They offer red and white wine, too.

“It’s a lifestyle of fine taste that’s why we cater to guests who love to be pampered,” shared Ari, who manages the coffee counter himself.

And pamper they do. With Pinky’s interior artistry and Ari’s gustatory skills, The Room Upstairs is a gourmet and aesthetic haven of the first degree.

The Room Upstairs is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., weekdays, and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., weekends. For inquiries, call 899-9318.

Furniture shops have always reflected the personal taste of the owner. A certain dining set, for example, that is prominently highlighted in the showroom makes a statement to let visitors (and potential customers) know the kind of furniture available. Oftentimes, just a peek into the glass wall or the door already gives the visitor a preview of the exciting furniture options inside. Or just one peek can also tell a visitor not to enter and waste his time on furniture pieces that are clearly not in his taste.

On the other hand, there are furniture shops that have evolved in a certain way to attract not only homeowners but a variety of people who may not even have thoughts of selecting furniture on their minds. The Room Upstairs, which opened last week, is a place like that. It is a furniture store-cum-coffeeshop located at N. Garcia St. in Makati City. The place is a perfect example of how a furniture store can feel “homey” with the presence of a coffeeshop. Thus, passersby are invited not only to have a cup of coffee but to sit down, relax and appreciate the fine furniture around.

Owned and operated by husband-and-wife tandem Ari and Pinky Peralta, The Room Upstairs merges the interests of the couple. “The concept of the shop provides both of us a way of expressing our passion,” said Ari, a certified gourmet, who is involved in the coffeeshop aspect of the store. He is responsible for coming up with fresh ideas for the menu.

Pinky, on the other hand, is a noted interior and furniture designer. Among her extensive collection on display are divans and daybeds, tables and high backed chairs, head boards, lamps and vases, leather and reptilian upholstered seats, and framed standing mirrors.

She uses the term “vintage chic” to describe the furniture displayed, which can also characterize the interiors of the shop.

“Vintage chic is a very flexible theme since it covers the classics as well as the contemporary,” said Pinky, who has been an interior designer for more than a decade, building and designing homes, boutiques, public spaces, showrooms, and offices for the country’s leading developers.

With this kind of product line, The Room Upstairs features furniture items that are “timeless and have details that make a statement.”

Among the products featured prominently in the showroom includes the “Buttoned Bed.”

“This bed is graceful and understated at the same time, while the velveteen headboard is made classic by the Victorian curves and antiqued bronze buttons. But this piece is updated with the simple wengue-finished frame and is available in brown, black and deep pink,” described Pinky.

The “Turkish Armoire” meanwhile is ideal to hide bedding stuff, said Pinky. Made from 100 percent mahogany in matte ebony finish, its carved square patterns create a dramatic statement and pays homage to Turkish detailing.

Also highlighting the vintage chic statement is the “Round Center Table” which is made of dark oakwood. The clean lines of this center table is ideal for a modern setting. While a three-piece table in solid mahogany, finished in distressed metallic patina, is perfect for any corner of the house. Its tapered legs make this set a stand out.

Pinky is also proud to have one-of-a-kind mirrors that adorn the walls of The Room Upstairs.

“The scale and interplaying shapes give the mirror an appeal that is both rich and glitzy. Our pieces are hand-carved and brushed in gold lacquer to give the wall a certain style,” said Pinky, who also owns and manages Creative Post Inc., a company she founded in 1993.

Pinky now heads a growing team of designers, project managers, architects, and has completed more than a hundred projects.

“Aside from my designs, we invite co-designers to contribute their works to The Room Upstairs as long as they are rare like a colleague’s collection of hand-made wall clocks and commissioned art works like abstract paintings and installation art,” said Pinky. “What we offer here are exquisite finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. Some are things that I love and endorse, including items that I got during my travels abroad,” added Pinky.

As for the moment, The Room Upstairs has been getting a crowd of people who are seeking a balance of good food and good sense of style.

“Our vision for The Room Upstairs is to become a home boutique where you can literally feel each furniture piece while sipping your favorite coffee. It’s like being in the comfort of your own home,” said Ari.

The intimate setting of the showroom can only seat a maximum of only 25 people. Just recently, the store hosted a group of string musicians and the guests’ response were very favorable.

“We are still in the process of creating our staple menu but we will definitely have specials. We also offer red and white wine,” shared Ari. Among the available items include panini (hot sandwiches), appetizers, soup & salad, pasta, dessert, hot & cold coffee and tea.

The Room Upstairs is located at the 2nd floor of LRI Building, Nicanor Garcia Street (formerly Reposo), Makati City. More information is at www.theroomupstairs.com.ph.