The 3 R-vantages of Rearranging Your Furniture: Re-identification, Repurposing, and Redirection

The 3 R-vantages of Rearranging Your Furniture: Re-identification, Repurposing, and Redirection

BySophia Item

What if healing your past could begin with simply moving a chair? We often overlook how deeply our environment affects our emotions—but the spaces we live in carry memories, both joyful and painful. Rearranging your furniture isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s a subtle yet powerful act of emotional self-care.

From re-identifying your sense of safety to repurposing stuck energy and redirecting your focus, the practice of rearranging can transform your home into a space that supports your healing. As author Sophia Item reflects, small changes in your surroundings can help you regain control, find clarity, and move forward.

Meaningful Maximalism: A Defense for Filipino Design and Balance

Meaningful Maximalism: A Defense for Filipino Design and Balance

ByDesiree Bañares

A tin of Danish butter cookies hiding a sewing kit. Sando bags folded like origami triangles. A Santo Niño draped in sampaguita garlands beside a wooden barrel man from Baguio. These vignettes don’t just speak of clutter—they tell stories of resilience, sentiment, and culture. In a Filipino home, every item has a past, a purpose, or a potential use. This is Filipino maximalism: expressive, resourceful, and deeply personal.

Rather than follow minimalist ideals of form and function, Filipino maximalism thrives in joyful abundance—where history, memory, and practicality converge. But how do we honor this cultural instinct while still keeping our spaces livable? This blog reflects on the roots of our maximalist tendencies, and offers tips on how to embrace them meaningfully, without being overwhelmed.