Modern Warmth: Inside Crate & Barrel’s Artful Debut at The Podium

A warm, gallery-style store concept at The Podium showcases Crate & Barrel’s refreshed global vision, offering effortlessly elevated everyday living.

Words Randolf Maala-Resueño
Photos courtesy of Crate & Barrel Philippines, Before Deadlines
December 11, 2025

Crate & Barrel’s newest home at The Podium arrives in season of its retail expansion bearing the undeniable: that everyday living, when designed with clarity and intention, becomes an art form. 

The brand’s first new Philippine store in over a decade is intimate in footprint yet sweeping in sensibility—an urban gallery of warm woods, softened geometries, and global refinement shaped for how Filipinos live now.

Stepping inside feels akin more to being welcomed into a meticulously considered residence rather than the typical shop-and-go. Light slips across curated vignettes—bedroom sanctuaries, dining spaces ready for spontaneous hosting, and a living room showcase in full view of the outside—each one whispering suggestions rather than dictating taste. 

This is Crate & Barrel’s refreshed global direction made tangible: pieces much sculpturally practical, serene yet lived-in, modern but never cold.

“We designed The Podium space to feel effortless,” shared Steven Ticzon, Vice President and Business Unit Head of Crate and Barrel Philippines. 

True to that vision, the experience? Unhurried. The brand’s hallmark Design Desk anchors the store, offering complimentary styling and space-planning guidance. Whether you need a mood board, a material pairing, or a simple nudge toward clarity, the in-house specialists translate inspiration into personal, intentional rooms.

Digital layers subtly heighten the journey with interactive boards for extended browsing, iPads for exploring colors, configurations, and direct-to-home delivery options. The result: a seamless bridge between tactile discovery and thoughtful technology, aligned with Crate & Barrel’s global pivot toward experiential retail.

While The Podium store focuses on living, dining, bedroom, and entertaining categories, the complete kitchen collection remains available in SM Makati, SM Megamall, and online. The opening also signals momentum ahead of next year’s SM Aura relocation, reinforcing the brand’s growing presence and its commitment to elevating design culture in Metro Manila.

Definitively, Crate & Barrel at The Podium is a quiet celebration of the art of living, global in perspective, deeply attuned to Filipino warmth, and crafted for homes that aspire to both beauty and ease.

For more information, visit the Crate & Barrel Philippines website at crateandbarrel.com.ph.