Sometimes you just gotta get heck out of Manila and I mean that in the kindest way possible. I get a little thrill when my feet hit the ground and I look up and see a skyline of the urban jungle and I love it, Manila is our city. And other times, I need my feet to hit the dirt, overlook a mountain and breath fresh air. Antipolo is my gateway from the city to the country. Last month I had a day to spend in the Antipolo area so I found some new places to explore and Grains Custom Furniture popped up. It was slightly out of Antipolo, towards Angono, an area I haven’t explored much and my insides were ready to get out and be exposed to something new.

Grains Show Room Antipolo|

I headed to Grains showroom first, thinking that would offer a nice peak at local craftsmanship, and by happenstance I was able to visit the Grains warehouse where the makers are located. The open air warehouse was a view of the start-to-finish process of Grains custom solid wood pieces. It was incredibly kind of Grains to let me just wander in and then see the production of their exquisite furniture. I don’t know anything about furniture making, so I will let my photos tell the story.

Grains Warhouse|

A craftsman takes his time to sand the solid wood edges of a table top perched on hair pin legs (my favorite kind of table legs!)

No aircon was required as the warehouse is nestled close to a mountainside which overlooks a valley full of green. The breeze blows in and the sunshines fills the space. Also, if you look closely you will see giant slabs of solid wood, it was remarkable!

The view overlooking the side of the warehouse

This little puppy was so cute and pittered and pattered all around the warehouse. I think the welder must be his buddy.

The equipment and machinery were all very professional and modern. The sandals in a workshop still get me though, It’s more fun in the Philippines! Don’t fret, Grains guarantees it is a brand that cares not only for the environment, but also for their own people by making sure their craftsmen and workers receive dignified wages to help improve their quality of life outside of work.

I loved having a peak in the process. From solid wood, to cutting, gluing, fastening, drying, stacking, sanding and finishing. The Grains warehouse was a really cool look into the process. I was also very impressed by the family owned business and their integrity to reforestation in Bataan and only source our wood from trees in our family-owned lands. Grains guarantees that customers receive furniture that's made of wood purposed for harvesting and are not just resellers of wood.

Who ever is getting this cute pink drafting table is one lucky human.

Grains Showroom Antipolo|

Grains Showroom in Antipolo is decent size and has a number of their stock and custom pieces on display. You can see many of them listed on their Facebook page, and hallelujah, they are a company who actually list their prices of the products. Feel free to have a look, admire the furniture or even design something. Their skills are really impressive.

Antipolo really is my gateway from Manila to the nature I crave. If you’re feeling weighed down by the hustle and bustle of city life, give yourself a break by finding something of interest and get out and explore. Salamat po to Grains Ph for allowing me the whole experience, this adventure day was a major #perksofpinas.