THE Crème de la Crème of Cagayan De Oro gathered to celebrate the opening of Urban Lifestyle's newest showroom along Kauswagan Highway last Tuesday, July 11. The store's opening marks the next phase of growth for this business, which was formerly housed in a small section of Mackun Hardware Store.
When I stepped inside the fabulous home and living inspired showroom, these words popped into my head: Pottery Barn, William Sonoma, and Crate&Barrel. Urban Lifestyle exudes the vibe of these international retail giants. I’m thrilled to bits to finally have a somewhat mini-version of these stores in CDO!
This bi-level showroom has a wide collection of window coverings, an assortment of wallpaper designs, a variety of light-fixtures, and finely crafted pieces of furniture. A nook near the welcome desk takes center-stage, showcasing a specific designer’s style-executions (they update monthly). Whether someone is building a new house, looking to jazz-up a small room, renovating an old home, or creating a space for business; there is definitely something in Urban Lifestyle to address that design need.
Rich History
I had the pleasure of catching-up with my friend and owner, Dennis Mackun, who now stands at the helm of both the hardware and this latest expansion. He also credits his wife Jolivette for all her help.
Mackun Hardware is an iconic establishment that has been serving the city since 1978. That's almost 40 years! I congratulate him on sustaining and growing this business. Their family enterprise has supplied the construction of so many roads, buildings, and houses (ours included).
He shared: "My mom, Fausta, started this engagement with design when our family home was built in 1983. It was actually more of just a hobby. She was in charge of decorating, so she sourced the decors from Manila and sometimes further up North in Luzon. Back then her friends admired the decors, and our house became some sort of mini-showroom. She would then be in her business mode and sell the stuff. Ultimately, she set up a small space within our hardware store as a display area.”
The design choices of Fausta became a hit, developing a loyal client base. This small show place inside their hardware was and continues to be recognized for both luxury and quality. It’s inspiring how this small feisty woman was able to turn her hobby and passion into a lucrative enterprise. She did all these, while managing the household, along with supervising her three children.
Eventually, the eldest Dennis took over; and then he rebranded that small section into Urban Lifestyle. After so many years of catering to clients via shows and visits, they now give birth to this extension—the showroom or what they fondly call as a Premiere Lifestyle Choice outlet.
Mission and Vision
All the products of Urban Lifestyle are designed to fit both the modern and traditional home. They aspire to give a wide array of choices, often promoting various design themes and elements in order to give their many clients the opportunity to choose what would work best for their needs and preferences.
Dennis said, “From the day of inception, Urban Lifestyle has been about one thing: to give the most amazing and fulfilling experience of living in one’s own home. Let’s face it, the walls and windows of our houses, and now even our work spaces, are what we look at most of the time.
Sometimes, we see these walls more than the faces of our families and friends. But, it’s a pity that something that we look at so much remains so plain! Urban Lifestyle stylizes that so we can all have serene and pleasant living or working spaces.”
They offer a variety of wall coverings, window shades, and blinds that merge form and function. Some brands of window shades even possess various degrees of photosensitivity that filter out harmful UV rays.
Their quality products are sourced from both here and abroad, some of which are even custom-made. To ensure that quality is never compromised, all of the products come with a free installation package.
Dennis added: “If you choose to have our Lifestyle Specialist install the product, we guarantee that you will be absolutely delighted with your now new and redefined lifestyle space, be it for work, rest or play.”
Lifestyle with a Heart
One of the most compelling features that attracted me is their concern for the environment with their newest offerings: the Solar Ventilation System and Solar Tunnel. They worry about the increasing global temperature. However, rather than just contributing to the problem by adding more fossil fuel burning air-conditioning units, the store’s environment friendly solutions will help ordinary people be part of the movement that saves the planet.
They have several systems which come with a 10-year warranty. Dennis expounded: “This Solar Ventilation keeps the home cool and removes all excess humidity. Imagine, just a simple table fan will keep you cooler and help you cut back on that energy spending. Our environment friendly systems also cater for lighting in the day. With only the power of the sun, we light up your entire living space.”
Come drop by the Urban Lifestyle Showroom and see for yourself! While taking time to decide, guests are welcome to relax in their Urban Café, where they serve free coffee. Mr. Mackun concluded: “We really encourage everyone to take a look. You can drop by and browse around. Take your time; after all, it’s your lifestyle that we are helping redefine!”
The Urban Lifestyle is located along Kauswagan Highway, Cagayan De Oro City (beside Dole).
For inquiries, please call Ms. Paula Inserto, 0917-775-0592 or email: sales@urbanlifestyle.com.ph. Their collections can also be viewed on FB: urbanlifestyleblindsandshades or IG: @urbanlifestyle_blindsandshades. For more pictures or to get in touch with me for comments, check-out http://orochronicles.com/urban-lifestyle/