I knew my tastes and priorities were changing when I found myself spending more and more time in furniture shops than in fashion and beauty stores whenever I hit the mall every Sunday. I am now more interested in looking at shelves and cabinets that will possibly help me organize the clutter in my room and chairs that double as storage than in browsing racks of clothes and shelves of makeup and skincare products, to be perfectly honest.

Given how budget conscious I am, I usually buy from home stores that offer presentable and practical furniture that are primarily for storage rather than from fancy, expensive shops. But my willpower was put to the ultimate test when Stores Specialists Inc. (SSI) brought in US home furnishing brand Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids, first in Central Square of Bonifacio High Street, and just recently, in Estancia Mall in Capitol Commons, Pasig, along with my new favorite, PBteen (just look at their Chelsea Collection in the photo above), as well as their sister brand West Elm, all of which are members of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. Waah, Estancia is so close to my home, the temptation!

Cushy Lounge Collection from PBteen

Besides actual furniture, there are lots of smaller items for various purposes that you can shop from West Elm and the Pottery Barn franchises as gifts or for yourself—stuff we can afford FOR NOW. We can all start small, can’t we? Now, I’m thinking of all the possible excuses and occasions for me to shop there—not necessarily for myself, but for friends about to have kids, about to get married, celebrating birthdays, or moving into their new home. And since it’s now July, soon I’ll be going there frequently to start shopping Christmas presents (yes, I’m one of those who do their holiday gift shopping in advance).

Abbott Coffee Table from Pottery Barn

My current limited budget doesn’t stop me from daydreaming that one day, ONE DAY, I’ll be able to afford to get ALL the furniture for my new home and for my future kids’ bedroom from these four home furnishing shops. I must admit the pricing is currently steep for my budget, but I can work toward being able to afford it, right? And isn’t that also what bridal and children’s registries are for? Hehe. (Shout out to the Pottery Barn group, please offer a registry for weddings, baby showers, and even house warming parties!)

Chatham Extending Dining Table and Side Chairs from Pottery Barn

I quote this every so often on my blog, “Visualize to materialise,” so I shall help us all do that by posting the items I’m currently lusting after from PBteen, West Elm, Pottery Barn, and Pottery Barn Kids—in order of my current preference (feeling bagets ako kaya my favorite in terms of aesthetics is PBteen, haha). I’m sure that when I have kids one day, Pottery Barn Kids will move up the ranks, haha! In the meantime, I shall just be the cool ninang who will gift her friends’ kids items from this store.

Chatham 4-piece Sectional, Ottoman, and Occasional Chair from Pottery Barn

Here’s another personal tidbit: When I was a kid, I used to love browsing my dad’s home decor magazines, and staring in awe at the pretty bedrooms and living areas there. And I guess that fascination for beautifully decorated spaces never left me, as I admire these lovely catalog photos of the four brands’ latest collections, all laid out to make us not only wish we have these pieces in our homes, but also to make us aspire for our homes to look like this. Enjoy browsing each brand’s photo gallery below (click a thumbnail to enlarge the photo and launch the gallery).

PBteen

The range of products, including furniture, bedding, window treatments, rugs, lighting, gear, decorative accessories, and storage solutions, are available in fresh, fashionable options that appeal to the tastes of tweens and teens (and even teens-at-heart, like ME!). Many of the items can be personalized with a name or initials in a variety of fonts.

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West Elm

West Elm is a Brooklyn, New York based home furnishings retailer known for helping people express their personal style at home with authentic, affordable, and approachable products. So yes, West Elm had me at “Brooklyn, New York,” one of my favorite places in the US, and at “affordable.” The brand collaborates with independent artists and craft communities around the world to create statement pieces and seasonal collections that make a positive impact on people, communities, and the environment.

The 7,000 sq. ft. store opens with West Elm’s summer collection that includes furniture, bedding, bathroom accessories, rugs, window textiles and hardware, lighting, decorative accessories, dining, kitchen products, and gifts. West Elm also offers a suite of helpful services at the Design Lab, a center of creativity and inspiration where customers can partner with design specialists on complimentary consultations and space planning sessions.

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Pottery Barn

Their latest collection includes outdoor furniture, like in all-weather wicker; colorful outdoor pillows featuring everything from ikats and suzanis to animal prints and embroidered designs offered in two coordinating color palettes, warm and cool; shatterproof melamine dinnerware for outdoor entertaining; turquoise pieces; and metallic accent pieces like those from Shimmering Mirror Hurricanes.

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Pottery Barn Kids

The latest collection for your little ones include colorful and soft beach towels, sea-inspired and sun-washed bedding furniture and decor, shared spaces in the form of cute bunk beds, and nautical-themed nursery furnishing.

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