MANILA, Philippines — It is a tough question to answer given the affinity many undoubtedly have for their couches or beds, but for actress Dimples Romana, the easy answer would be a couch.
"I would tell you it would be the couch. It's one of the things that I actually love," she said.
The "Iron Heart" actress said the couch is a piece of furniture that she willingly spends money on simply because she finds herself spending more time on it than her actual bed due to the nature of her work.
But apart from the practical reason, Dimples also shared an anecdote that many people can relate to.
"It lasts you a long time kasi nung bata kami, wala kaming couch. At nung nagka-couch kami, nilalagyan pa ng plastic sa ibabaw. 'Di ba 'pag may plastic, maingay at mainit?
"So naisip ko talaga 'pag nagkaroon ako ng ipon, bibili ako ng couch na hindi naka-plastic at saka hindi matigas, 'di ba? Magpakatotoo tayo dito. Kaya tuloy nagkaroon ako ng love for furniture kasi nga, it is what we didn't have much of before," she explained.
Dimples was recently unveiled as the ambassador of Genteel Home, a lifestyle boutique and furniture store along Friendship Highway in Brgy. Calobutbut, San Fernando, Pampanga.
How to pick furniture wisely
Genteel Home principal designer and owner Katrina Blanca de Leon, meanwhile, said for her, it is the bed.
"For me, it's the bed. Whenever I have a new project, I'm very personal when it comes to the bed because, at the end of the day, it's the bed that you would spend your time with. Mas maraming time mo pa nga siya makakasama kesa minsan sa pamilya mo, sa asawa mo, sa anak mo. You have to have this personal relationship with your bed," de Leon said.
As a designer, she advises on buying long-lasting furniture that the homeowner or the space needs. Dimples shares the same outlook.
As someone who grew up from humble beginnings, Dimples knows the value of buying wisely. Her father was a postmaster, while her mother bought and sold stuff from Divisoria. She started acting when she was only 12 years old.
She is also a mother of three: 19-year-old Callie, eight-year-old Alonzo, and eight-month-old Elio.
"I'm very visual dahil siguro artist ako or nanay ako. Gusto kong makita 'yung design, ano 'yung hitsura niya sa loob ng tahanan ko. Is it going to make sense? Is it functional? Is it safe for my kids to be around because we all know I have three generations of children because iba't ibang dekada silang ipinanganak," she said.
Practicality, comfort and value for money are at the top of her list, but Dimples also shared that it is also important to show one's character through furniture.
"Just because you don't like this color, you don't pick it up. Sometimes you need to push yourself, which applies to furniture as well.
"I have several pieces in different parts of my home that are not there to fit in. They are actually there to stand out to remind me that I cannot fit in all the time. I have to shock people... Especially after the pandemic, we need to stand out in order to be edgy enough, to be chosen for any kind of job or any kind of relationship," the actress shared.
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