Vintage Furniture

From The Archives

The best things in life are old, loved and preserved. - Anonymous

Second Brother now occupies the front of four units in the Emilia Compound. He fondly calls it ancestral home because that was where Mum and Dadee moved into after bequeathing the actual 'ancestral' unit behind it to Fourth Brother. 

(Aside: Second Brother used to occupy the fourth unit at the end of the compound but that's a whole 'musical chairs' deal that you can read about, if you're interested, as posted in this year's July 17 Abodes series.)  

Anyway, there are four pieces of furniture that have remained in the house. I am deeply moved and grateful that Second Brother has proudly retained and preserved them.

Here they are.

A narra wardrobe purchased same day as today, 73 years ago

Dated on its inside door in Dadee's handwriting, it was Mum's clothing aparador. 

It was where she also kept her Brilliantine hair oil, Camara cuban-heeled shoes, and Maja perfume (Myrurgia’s iconic fragrance since 1918, as I've just recently learned) - the last two items used only for especial occasions. 

Now modernized on its exterior with fashionable dirty-white paint and used by Second Brother's daughter. 

Mum's Singer sewing machine, circa 1950 

Mum sewed many of my dresses using this foot-pedaled machine. 

Now painted black, repurposed as a mini-bar. 

Sungkaan, circa 1920, from Lolo Gorio's old house

We used it for playing the Filipino mancala game. 

The small cups are called bahays (houses) and each of the larger cups is referred to as the ulo (head). We used sampaloc tamarind seeds for the playing pieces. 

Lolo Gorio's narra desk, circa 1890

 A prized heirloom piece passed on to Dadee, it survived tropical storm Ondoy, the second most devastating tropical cyclone of the 2009 Pacific typhoon season. 

It's still standing as a desk for Second Brother's use.

Our home should tell the story of who we are, and be a collection of what we love brought together under one roof. 

I believe and am proud to say that Second Brother has done just that.