The Story of Design
One of Manila’s premier furniture stores, Design Story offers a curated selection of contemporary furniture, lighting, and decor.
Photographs Kim Albalate
June 2023
Design Story is one of Manila’s premier furniture shops, offering a curated selection of contemporary furniture, lighting, and home accessories. The showroom, located at the burgeoning art and lifestyle destination, The Alley at Karrivin Plaza in Makati, is a gallery-style enclave that combines the features of a furniture shop, exhibit, and even a café + bar—putting the spotlight on fresh picks that are set to impress and delight the most discerning home and interior enthusiasts.
The showroom offers the latest pieces from Design Story’s flagship brands: HAY, &Tradition, Stellar Works, and Verpan—global brands that Design Story exclusively distributes in the Philippines.
Building upon the idea of curating pieces to create an “experiential showroom,” Design Story aims to create a safe and relaxing space where home enthusiasts and professionals can admire and enjoy designer-led furniture and home furnishing that exude personality, mindfulness, and impeccable taste.
Since 2014, Design Story has been considered one of the country's best one-off resources that exclusively offers a vast array of designer furniture and exclusive home furnishing. With various collaborations from iconic designers and leading brands worldwide, Design Story is proud to be part of the global network of authorized dealers of world-renowned brands. These include:
HAY, a Danish brand dedicated to creating contemporary furniture that combines sophisticated manufacturing techniques with straightforward, functional, and aesthetic design.
Stellar Works was built to bring ideas together: East and West, heritage and modernity, craft and industry. Stellar Works aims to inspire a renaissance and to create timeless designs by taking fragments of Asian aesthetics, forms, and styles and filtering them through the lens of European tradition.
&Tradition is a company that reworks iconic designs from the mid-century and aims to create furniture, lighting, and accessories with timeless appeal. &Tradition bridges old and new by lifting inspiration from Denmark’s long-standing design heritage and combines it with careful craftsmanship, producing pieces with purpose and meaning.
Verpan is – much like Verner Panton – a product of the Danish design tradition, which has put Denmark on the world map for functional, modern and unique design. The story of Verpan began in 2003, when the first production of Verner Panton lighting was initiated. In 2010 a furniture range was added. Today, Verpan offers a carefully curated selection of Verner Panton’s timeless designs.
Haven for style
Design Story is a haven for anyone in need of dedicated home solutions to dress up a home office, re-design a living area, spruce up their outdoor space, or simply breathe new life into their homes.
Upon entering the ground floor hallway of the showroom, you are immediately greeted with iconic Flowerpot pendant lights by Verner Panton. Ideas abound as Design Story offers various options for decorating styles. The new furniture offers the plush and elegantly simple lines of Scandinavian design. One can also go bold with style choices—mix the Asian aesthetics of Stellar Works’ chairs with the midcentury-modern character of &Tradition and Verpan furnishings.
The top floor is a treat for those with an eye for designer pieces. Displayed on a platform are distinct design marvels such as &Tradition’s Little Petra, Stellar Works’ Kite, and HAY’s Palissade chair. Some are award-winning pieces from distinguished designers Viggo Boesen, Nendo, and French brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. HAY home accessories offer solutions for budding decorators and seasoned interior designers alike.
Need to set the mood at home? The possibilities are endless with the showroom’s dedicated lightroom—a beautiful space showcasing a wide variety of the most beautiful pendant lights, table lamps, and even portable lighting fixtures from different brands. Check out a wide array of collectible pieces designed by world-renowned designer Verner Panton.
Full Design Story Experience
The Design Story showroom invites you to experience lush interiors while enjoying comfort dishes and drinks from its brand-new cafe + bar concept called Three Squares. The design-inspired café + bar is located right in the middle of the showroom and offers their own take on signature dishes like beetroot hummus, smoked salmon toast, roast beef sandwich, and vongole pasta, to name a few. And if you enjoy a good drink, they also offer unique hand-crafted signature coffee and cocktail drinks.
The café + bar is also a mini showcase of sorts, featuring modern dining pieces, chairs, and tables by HAY and &Tradition. The restaurant was conceptualized to give visitors a feel of the Design Story experience as every detail of the café, from food pairing, concept, accessories, and dining ware were visualized with the best design encounter in mind.
“The concept of Design Story showroom was created with the intention to bring the design community together, sharing our design stories with them and vice versa. We hope for it to be a haven for people who love to appreciate good design, furniture, food, and drinks. We have prepared a space not only to give a safe and special shopping experience, but also a place to sit back and relax while enjoying a nice cup of coffee or a glass of sangria. Through this showroom, we hope to give inspiration to all people who are looking to transforming their space into a dream corner in their homes,” said Stephanie Coyiuto-Tay, Design Story Co-Founder and Managing Director.
Design Story is whipping up new and exciting things that clients will surely look forward to. If you’re looking for fresh insights for your next redecorating project, or simply want to feel inspired by beautiful architecture and design, Design Story’s showroom is the best place to start your own design journey.
Design Story is located at The Alley at Karrivin Plaza, Chino Roces Avenue Extension, Makati City. For more information, check out www.designstory.com.ph and follow their socials @designstoryph and @threesquarescafebar.