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Common Room PH Houses Every Gift You Need This Christmas
This concept store lets you find the best trinket or arts and crafts gift.
By: Patricia Marie Prado | October 02, 2020
Due to quarantine rules in place, Common Room PH implements health protocols that guests have to comply with. Please visit the store’s social media page to learn more.
Common Room PH welcomes every aspiring creative artist.
Images: Common Room PH Facebook Page
Holidays are upon us! And while huge gatherings might not be happening anytime soon, there is still a classic dilemma that you need to face: gift-giving! As much as you want to give unique Christmas gifts, it’s not an easy thing due to the limited selections in malls.To lighten your burden, here's a perfect store to solve all of your gift-related woes: Common Room PH. See how Common Room PH can help you become a master gift-giver this year!
Not Too Common of a Store
The store sells a variety of goods for different types of art lovers!
Image: Common Room PH Facebook Page
Owned by sisters Roma and Maan Agsalud, Common Room PH started out as a small project among the two sisters until it blossomed into a full-blown store that now houses thousands of creations from various artists and crafters. The two sisters also aim to help more artists by giving tips and advice to aspiring artists and entrepreneurs and by mentoring their partners at Common Room PH. Yoorekka had a sit-down interview with Ms. Roma, and discovered the story and the beauty of this--despite its name--not too common a store.
Boundless Options
Young and old will surely spend hours browsing through Common Room PH’s racks.
Image: Common Room PH Facebook Page
From succulents to soaps, and of course the arts and crafts favorites like washi tapes, to calligraphy sets and even jewelry, you’ll find plenty of knickknacks inside the store. It is common to find customers stopping for at least a couple of minutes in each section of the store just to discover and appreciate each item. Walking in the aisles of the stores will make you feel like a kid in a candy shop with their vast number of collections. But how are they able to source these many items?
When asked about the inspiration about Common Room PH, Ms. Roma shared that through their years in the arts and crafts community participating in fairs and bazaars, there is this one question that they keep on hearing from customers: where can we find you?
Common Room PH houses over a hundred artists and crafters who at bear their own unique brand and style.
Image: Common Room PH Facebook Page
Customers were looking for a physical store that they can visit long after the fair is over; a store that houses the unique items that can only be found in bazaars and fairs. And so Common Room PH was born. Although the sisters had a hard time convincing other artists to join their passion project at first, eventually they found friends from the arts and crafts community who were willing to take the risk and jump on board.
From having 33 contributing artists when they just started, they now collaborate with over a hundred unique individuals with their own kind of arts and crafts, together with the sisters’ very own PopJunkLove products. You’ll surely find at least a couple of items there that you won’t usually find inside a mall.
Rare Gems
Common Room also has home items like the Terrabulb (PhP379) on the left and the bottled mossarium on the right (PhP389).
Images: Common Room Website
Despite having a large number of contributing artists and crafters, Ms. Roma still makes sure that no two items are alike. Common Room PH maintains a healthy mix of items inside the store to make sure that each artist and crafter is showcased properly. Ms. Roma is careful not to create an indirect competition among their collaborators.
Most items inside the store are handcrafted by its makers, thus you are sure that no two items are alike, even if it’s coming from the same brand. Here are some of the rare gems inside the store that will make for perfect gifts this holiday season.
Perfect gifts for the titas in your life.
Images: Common Room Website
For your tita friends, take a peek at Common Room’s Home & Lifestyle section. Some items that would be great gift ideas are home decor like the 6x6 Moss Square (PhP689) and pretty but functional things like the scented candle by Punchdrunk Panda (PhP999).
You have a lot of pin options!
Images: Common Room Website
If you want something that would reflect the personality of your loved one better, opt for pins. Common Room houses a variety of brands and local makers who offer creative and beautiful enamel and button pins, so you’re sure to find one that matches your friend’s personality. Some options pictured above are the duo pins on the left (PhP129) and the Danger in Design enamel pins (PhP369).
Dear Dreamer Zen rings (PhP179) and Hand-painted Earrings by Plural and Co (PhP1,250)
Images: Common Room Website
Common Room PH also houses accessories that can be worn on various occasions. They have an assortment of jewelry and ornaments made from classic materials like beads and fancy stones, but they also have non-traditional designs made from wires, wood, and paper.
On the left is a postcard by Hopencourage and on the right is one by Louise Ramos
Images: Common Room Website
Common Room wouldn’t be complete without postcards! The store features cards from various artists who have diverse styles, so you can pick a card for each friend. Some of the options you have include postcards from Hopencourage (PhP89) that feature collage designs and inspirational quotes and postcards that bear art by artists like Cynthia Arre (PhP99) and Louise Ramos (PhP59).
If you’re thinking of giving personalized gifts, custom art is what you’re looking for! Common Room offers custom art from various local artists connected with it. All in all, most of the items inside the store are handmade, so you can expect new items to come in from time to time. This only means that one visit to the store is not enough!
Collaboration, Not Competition
Common Room is a space for brands to coexist without competing.
Images: Common Room Facebook Page
Common Room PH in a way is like a permanent bazaar of your favorite items and artists. It is a realization of the sisters’ dream of having a store that houses the thriving community of artists in our country. So when a space in Katipunan opened up, it was a no-brainer for them to invite other artists that have become their friends through fairs and bazaars. The Katipunan branch has since closed in July 2020 due to the pandemic, but their other branches remain and they also offer online shopping on their website (https://commonroomph.com/).
Aside from giving artists and their creations a permanent home, Common Room PH also doubles as an events place for workshops. If the artists and crafters have extra time on their hands or just want to share the joy of creating to their fans, all they need to do is set up a schedule and Common Room PH is more than willing to open their doors to house their workshops and events. Aside from enabling artists to share knowledge and inspire more people to do arts and crafts, these workshops also help artists gain more income.
Arts and Crafts Aside...
Common Room PH is not all about arts and crafts, they have everyday items too.
Images: Common Room Website
The words ‘arts and crafts’ might have been used to describe what Common Room PH offers, but that doesn’t mean that the store is for the creative bunch alone. Whoever you are, there is always something for you to discover in this cozy store.
Are you more on the techy side? Common Room PH has a bunch of items for your gadgets, like the burrito gadget wrap by Quarkus (PhP809) and classic camera straps from Comrade Leather Goods (PhP1,899). Are you a budding interior designer or a mom who loves to dress up her house? They have the best display items to brighten up your home, from small knick knacks to centerpiece items. And for the new normal, they also offer essentials like face masks like chic bedazzled embellished pearl face masks (PhP229) and fabric alcohol and sanitizer holders (PhP169).
With Common Room PH, finding the perfect trinket or arts and crafts item is easier. What’s more, buying items from this store means you’re helping local crafters and artists, which is always a good thing! Even if your goal is just to brighten someone else’s day, you’ll find something inside the store that will do just that.
Visit Yoorekka for more Christmas gift ideas!
Common Room is located at the following branches: Common Room PH ATC, Alabang Town Center, 1F Cinema Area; Common Room PH Powerplant Mall, Level R2; Common Room PH Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 4F. Their products are also available online at https://commonroomph.com/.
Prices may change without prior notice.
This article was originally published in Yoorekka on November 23, 2016.
About Patricia Marie Prado
Patricia came from the field of business and accounting but is now pursuing her dreams of being a writer. She is a self-confessed introvert and is passionate about reading, travelling, writing, movies, coffee and God. When she's not writing, she loves discovering new coffee shops/cafe and doing TV-series marathons.
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