Elle and I share an appreciation for vintage stuff. She enjoys upcycling and crafting pieces, as I do too, and I'm a collector and a picker. I've been collecting since I was 21 and back then I wasn't even aware that what I did was called "picking". Nowadays there are many pickers who make it a full time job. I was privileged to have met great people from my hobby, and I still pick once in a while because I enjoy meeting them, and I enjoy the search for odd, historic, or rare items. And it makes my collection funds itself when I get to sell some of what I hunt for. Although sometimes Elle keeps them for herself (Next time I'll try to post about all the pieces na hiningi nya at naipit na ang fund ko! haha!) Lalo na pag "pachicks" yung piece. She has a weakness for "cute" pieces.


Recently, we decided to have an area in the cafe where we can display the pieces we have for sale. We don't even care if people buy them. We just want others to enjoy viewing them. Pero if guests buys them, edi mas ok, cause we get to hunt for more! We feel like treasure hunters when we're in full picking mode.

We are slowly but surely developing Third Space into being a place where we can share what we enjoy, while maintaining the business. One of my goals is to have a pickers event in the future where fellow pickers can set up their mini stalls and spend fun time with each other, while our guests gets to appreciate and buy from them. When you visit our studio cafe, feel free to look around. You don't have to feel pressured to buy. Almost everything displayed in our dinning area are for sale too, including the chairs and tables that guests use. We hope you enjoy your visits!

We would like to invite all musicians, bloggers, song writers, fashion designers, painters, sculptors, crafters, video makers, cooks/chiefs, decorators, designers, photographers, theatre actors, makeup artists, digital artists, poets, and others who want to awaken their artistic side. We are creating an artist community at Third Space studio cafe.

I'm not comfortable back then when others would use the word "artist" or "artistic" to describe me based on what I do. Don't get me wrong; I feel flattered, just not that convinced that I can label myself as anything specific. When people ask me what it is I really I do, it always makes me sigh, like it's a dreaded question dahil sa totoo lang, sa dami ng ginagawa ko hindi ko alam kung ano talaga ako. I write songs but I'm not comfortable calling myself a composer. I paint but I don't consider myself a painter. We own a restaurant, and yet hindi ako kumportable tawaging restaurateur, and the list goes on. I have much respect for those who are really deep into those fields, and I can't put myself on the same category as they are. I don't consider anything I do as a career. I just do what I do because it's fun for me. I am not properly trained in any form of art. I didn't study any style, or proper technique in anything I do, but it's a personal choice, because I like producing original creations based on what I can do, and what I imagine. What others think of my technique is not my concern. Making people think or relate to my concepts is what I enjoy.
Getting involved with producing random things for fun, and collaborating with others helped me feel comfortable being addressed as an artist. Music is an art. Sculpting is an art. Furniture making is an art. Writing is an art. Painting, video making, crafting, decorating, acting, directing, cooking, all involves artistry. Digital artists, bloggers, poets, makeup artists, dancers, singers, photographers, fashion designers need to use their imagination and creativity for their art as well. It made me realize that everyone has an artistic side, therefor everyone can be an artist. Creativity being one of the things I try to advocate, made me want to bring together others who want to indulge their artistic side. Elle and I talked about this and here are our reasons why we want to have a creative community at Third Space studio cafe.

Yuseff's reason(s):
-Help others launch their creativity.
-Help promote other peoples talents, crafts, and skills.
-Gather and connect like-minded individuals to make it easier to collaborate with each other.
-Help them profit from their art.
-Have more people advocate creativity to less fortunate kids, through charity projects.
-Provide a place for different kinds of artists, where they can hold exhibits and shows, for their  creations and talents.
-Have an artist community where concept is placed above skill.

Elle's reason(s):
-Para masaya

In 2013 DuoDeco was put on hold indefinitely to make time for the construction of our "Tiny House". It was an impulsive move, but to be closely involved with designing our future home was a priority for us, and we thought we can just relaunch the showroom after the build. Little did we know that it was the beginning of DuoDeco's evolution.

When the construction of our home was done we planned to turn the first floor into the new showroom, and the third floor loft was supposed to be the office-workshop. Again, that plan was put on hold because an impromptu Boracay trip with friends and family during labor day turned into a surprise proposal (She said yes by the way.), and wedding preps consumed us both for the next 4 months. After "The Simple Wedding" we decided to take a much needed time off from everything as the construction and the wedding preps left us happy but mentally and physically drained. Another 2 months was spent to refuel. During that time we would casually talk about DuoDeco's relaunch and a new idea of making coffee available to visiting clients. We had already curated and created pieces for the new showroom but we realized that a bigger showroom and workshop was needed. Being a risk taker, I secretly searched for a location without any solid plans. As luck would have it, I came to find an available space just a couple of minutes away from Elle's ancestral home. A 420 square meter space, in Banawe.
I was as nervous about my location proposal to Elle, as much as my wedding proposal to her. She didn't like taking big gambles and this was as big as they come. But confidence in me and my "Ako ang bahala sayo." reassured her, and I pulled off another "yes" from Elle.

From a showroom in a duplex situated in a residential area, to a plan of relocating it in our new home and serve coffee, DuoDeco's concept was evolving yet again. Banawe has been known to be a foodie's destination even long before the term "foodie" got so loosely overused. It would have been an opportunity wasted if we just served coffee. Both coming from families of restaurateurs we decided to incorporate the idea of a restaurant and serve food. Another 6 months would be needed to design the space, finalize the menu, and define the concept. With intertwining ideas that was still growing, one thing was certain; It had to be a happy place.

It has been more than 3 years since DuoDeco was announced to be in hiatus, and on July 22, 2016 the new showroom was opened. It serves both Chinese and Filipino comfort food, and has a milktea and coffee bar. It was big enough to have different play areas with a variety of games that guests can rent out. It had a vintage and eclectic design where almost all the pieces, including the tables and chairs that guests use were for sale. Plans of having painting sessions and creative events are being worked out. And the overall feel of the place was well represented by the new name. It was the result of a 3 year concept evolution, and the Third Space revolution began.

Share