Be "franc" with me, Franc!

Like others, I am a big fan of IKEA. Sometimes taking a stroll just to visit IKEA store relaxes me especially seeing those earth-colored furnitures, interesting lamps, and little home stuffs - all reasonably priced. The food is absolutely ( I must emphasize - absolutely)a good reason too to visit IKEA store once in a while. Among my favorites are meatballs and baked salmon.  I think IKEA designs are clear manifestation of Swedish design philosophy, that is practical and not intimidating. This philosophy applies to food as well.:-)

I was in the mall one weekend when people started to crowd outside Francfranc store. This new interior accessories store is like visiting IKEA but with more daring, fun and playful designs and this time, inspired by Japanese design philosophy. 

Franfranc store is set to be the newest and largest lifestyle and retail destination occupying almost 20,000 square feet. 

There are few pieces that clearly create a design statement.

I wonder what is the practical use of this piece but the small LED lights creates a very sensational backdrop. 

This animal piece really stands very tall (notice the height of the people vis-a-vis giraffe). I would need a loft just to accommodate such tall animal frame though.

Bird nest's lamp. Beautiful. 

I saw similar light inspiration in IKEA. The asymmetric size of bulbs make this light piece more interesting. 

The stems of these pre-made clear glass goblets are simply striking.

I did not have much time during my first visit at the new Francfranc store. Nonetheless, I was able to scan few items and generally got a good sense of design concepts here. I can say that most items are relatively and reasonably priced similar to IKEA. 

What made this store highly distinctive lies in diversity of designs  available appealing to wider market especially the modern taste attached to most pieces. 

All items and articles in Francfranc store vary from simple to extravagant, soft to loud, and uniform to unique designs. I cant wait to visit this store again!


Cheers!