Something new at Old Asia

Make that some things new at Old Asia. For those who think that antiques (or at least very old original pieces) have no place in a modern home, think again. The last few years have seen an urban style that combines old and new, rustic and streamlined, country and modern. Anything goes and every new design trend is just better than the last (well, maybe not for the chair-and-half which didn’t take off – no surprise there).

Old Asia is reaching out to a broader market – younger, with less disposable cash, in fact a market that may not even like antiques to begin with – by bringing in accessories that make for terrific Christmas gifts. These accessories, such as the "jarlettes," are still very Oriental in detail but also contemporary in their design and finish.

What we like best are the lacquer bowls in black and green which, even with their traditional shapes (but not in traditional red lacquer), would look wonderful on a glass-topped or steel table. What should you put in the bowls: Can you put floating white kalachuchis, will the bowls be able to stand water? Yes. Or you can put fruits or cut flowers. Or for the season, glass bubbles. Or you can simply leave them as they are.

Jojo Mapa, who handles all the interior design requirements of the family-owned Old Asia, says, "We’ve been maintaining the quality we started with, which is the very high-end arts and decor items of Asia. We’re up-to-date with the trends when it comes to furniture design and the classic furniture styles that are in demand now by designers and architects."

People looking for unique gifts this Christmas would be glad to know that there are gift items here that go as low as P500, "without sacrificing the quality." Then there are those that go for below P5,000. And those accessories that can go above P10,000 – for those really special people in our lives.

A computer and interior design degrees holder (the first he got from St. John’s University in the US, the second from PSID), Jojo Mapa fixes the branch at Shangri-La Plaza in such an informative way. He groups together accessories on large coffee tables or consoles, sometimes he lets them stand alone for a dramatic effect, and makes livable settings so customers get an idea of how to arrange them in their own homes.

For instance, one table holds brass candleholders that look very contemporary when grouped together. So do the bookends and small containers in celadon blue from Northern Thailand. For the more high-end stuff, there are terra-cotta jars from Chiang Mai which deceivingly look like hand-hammered wood. There are the mounted cow bells (if only the cows knew how very stylish they were!). End tables that were originally used as rain drums from Thailand (the Thai version of a Laotian rain drum), ceremonial piece in praying for rain. "They would look good as outdoor pieces, in a lanai," says Jojo. Others use them as decor, mounted on stands.

Of course, Old Asia still carries the Buddha pieces – heads, complete statues, in wood, alabaster, metal, brass, bronze, etc. – antique chairs, tables, modern sofas and pillows. It carries not only antiques, but also old and original pieces by Asian artists. As such, the pieces are one-of-a-kind, "pieces you won’t find in the tiangge," Jojo says. We certainly hope not – at least not the pieces that go as far back as the 16th century from Burma.

"The Burmese, Cambodian, Laotian areas would have very similar pieces because of topology, geography, religion and lifestyles," Jojo says to explain certain similarities of pieces that have different progeny.

Old Asia’s bestsellers are still the furniture that the store gets from around Asia. "If you have a small space, it doesn’t always mean that your furnishings should be small. I am a firm believer in minimalism. Get only a few but quality pieces. If you have an antique cabinet, you can use it as an entertainment cabinet or a mini bar. I’m a function-first person so even in my condominium unit, there are only a few pieces, such as an antique cabinet that holds my computer."

Also popular are the old doors, which are now used as a folding screen in the living room, headboard for the bedroom, and sometimes, as fake doors.

According to Jojo, they get a lot of home accents from Thailand, where new and unique pieces are coming out. "New designs and very original. So many Thai artists are going into furniture design. Northern Thailand especially is almost like Cebu, home to many furniture makers."

He adds, "We try not to get too much from Indonesia because a lot of people are now bringing in from Indonesia. Plus, we felt that the Northern Thailand pieces are more streamlined, not as rustic compared with the Indonesian items. The drawback is that the Thai pieces are more expensive."

Because of the economic situation, the store is becoming more selective of the items it brings in. "They’re still as elegant as they were before, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are as expensive. We have developed a good relationship with our suppliers and they are able to give us more affordable pieces."

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Old Asia has branches at the 4th level of Shangri-La Plaza Mall and Rockwell Power Plant Mall.