OPULENCE Design Concept redefines experiential luxury
“Opulence means luxury. The main intention of OPULENCE Design Concept is to bring in luxury furniture, accessories, and appliances in the Philippines,” says OPULENCE Design Concept CEO Gerry Sy. Last November 25 (Tuesday), Gerry and Jinky Sy unveiled their very first showroom to friends, prospective clients, and the media. Inside the showroom are evenly distributed brands: art pieces from Fornasetti, furniture from MisuraEmme, kitchen installations from Stosa, and switches and outlets from Vimar.
Narrating their journey of translating their love for interiors, the couple went back to the times they attended European design conventions or trade fairs. “People would often look at Gerry’s business card and say: ‘but you’re from information technology, what made you decide to get into design?’, that’s the time when we will explain that we always had a passion for interiors and thought that since we’re already providing solutions for residential and commercial spaces, why not provide them with interior and design essentials as well?,” shares Jinky Sy. Being in the business of providing system solutions for enterprises, the couple decided to expand into interiors and design. The couple shares that they were also inspired by the idea of offering interior pieces with reasonable prices, making luxury more accessible to modern homeowners.
The showroom is located in Connecticut Street in Greenhills, along with many other furniture stores. “It was challenging, the concept is to build something that will fit everything. It had to be timeless, something that will have an impact when one drives through Connecticut,” says Architect Peter Ong. He shares that the building was once an old house and that they didn’t change anything about the structure, except the added rectangular space they allotted for the kitchen and the garden extension at the back.
Painted with neutral colors, the showroom’s walls compliment the entire set-up, emphasizing the luxury pieces. Gerry shares that what sets them apart from other luxury experiential showrooms in the Philippines is that they also provide Samsung appliances that assist in providing actual spatial feel in residential and commercial areas. The couple also partnered with Harman for the store’s sound system. “We have a complete line-up: from home living up to the appliances and the accessories. I don’t think any showroom here in the Philippines has this concept. Everything is integrated and customized.”
OPULENCE houses a tech area that gives clients a demo of how their particular software enables owners to control the lights, sound, and other automation inside residential and commercial spaces. The tech booth is located inside Vimar’s own space, complimenting the home automation showcased.
Gerry and Jinky Sy share that the launch is only a prelude to the innovative way of providing accessible luxury and changing design engagement. The couple revealed their plans of hosting cooking demos inside the showroom, as well as holding styling events and other activities that would not only highlight the brands but also provide guests and clients the overall experience that a showroom can offer. “Buying a piece of furniture is more like a lifetime commitment, you’ll use one for a long period of time. We want people to feel that their purchase is worth the price that they paid for,” Jinky states. “To me, the showroom is not a retail store. We really designed it to be an experience center,” ends Gerry.
OPULENCE Design Concept located at 267 Connecticut Street, Greenhills East is open from Sundays- Saturdays from 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM.
Images courtesy of OPULENCE Design Concept
