Summer. What is cool? While there are things that can keep us cool, like air conditioning, a cold fresh fruit drink, loose clothing, there are other things that can help us achieve it.
Interior design can be cool as it can be cooling. It’s the individual components: color, lighting, choice of furniture, scale, proportions, when coming together has direct effect on our senses. The ensemble incites a range of impressions. How can it be described? Cool can be one. The feeling? Cooling, and that goes beyond summer.
We spend much of our lives indoors, longer with the pandemic. It has challenged us. The extended time indoors made us question if our living space is comfortable enough, efficient enough and performing to improve our wellbeing. We’ve learned the art of decluttering, keeping only what is useful. This is where the importance of smart storage system come into the picture.
“Now more than ever, people appreciate the importance of good storage spaces,” said Honeylet Lim, manager of Merlgen Euro Designs, a home-grown brand for customized cabinetry, “Merlgen can integrate smart storage solutions to the different room designs to maximize space efficiency. We will work with what the client needs.”
Space efficiency is essential for Chari Gavino. Running a school and a household, she says storage is very important. It makes both work and living spaces look cool and emit a very cooling vibe. How does she make it work?
“Color plays an integral part in my line of work. I deal with very young kids in their formative years. To keep them cool and calm we use the psychology of color. The classrooms are painted with a cooler shade of a primary color and a bright shade on the accent wall to stimulate the children’s senses,” she shared.
At home, she leans on the basic tones of white and cream and matches it with natural wood colored storage system. For the bedrooms, it has to be conducive for rest and sleep, and leans on the shades of gray and blue.
To emit a cooling vibe, Chari ties the look with nature by bringing the outdoors in— lots of natural light and plants; and a generous storage space.
How does storage spaces come to play? Chari says it keeps her work and home spaces clutter-free. Even her choices of furniture should be multi-functional. Of course, the cabinets should match with the interior color scheme.
“Organizing for me is systematic. I make sure everything is organized. I sort things according to use and label them so that when I look for something I know where to find it. It helps the kids in school, too. They know where to find and return the toys and study materials on their own.”
“At home, I have taught my children how to be neat and clean. When I say neat, it is organized, when I say clean, it’s uncluttered. A clutter-free space is ‘maaliwalas’, cooling to the eye and calming, thus beneficial to everyone’s well-being.”
Merlgen can help you achieve the look and feel of cool, says Honeylet Lim, “Merlgen’s clientele is growing because we share the benefits of customized modular cabinetry. First, it’s a space saver, maximizing the appointed space for storage. Second, customization allows the cabinet interior to be designed according to user’s choice. Third, they can choose a color combination they want. Fourth, the cabinets are low maintenance. Fifth and most importantly, clients can acquire their design solutions according to their budget.”
Production is done off-site unlike traditional carpentry. There is no home invasion, so to speak, no daily encounter with workers, no dust and debris to deal with. One client who decided to add storage in their current home says traditional carpentry work is “nakakainit ng ulo” because of the length of time the on-site job entails.
Merlgen can save you from all that. Once the designs are approved, the area inspected and measured, then the final product can be installed in a matter of hours. Bigger projects may take longer installation time, but it’s still a faster alternative to traditional cabinet making.
