Calling quarantine home (re)decorists: We have a new homeware collection to recommend for your next decor shopping spree! Meet the Baste at Home collection from San Sebastian Basilica Conservation & Development Foundation, Inc.
“We celebrate the all-metal San Sebastian’s 130th year with a home collection that brings stories of our past and present to your daily spaces,” states the shop’s website.
Not only are its featured pieces inspired by the heritage church itself, but it also helps raise funds for a great cause. According to the foundation, a percentage of all sales made from the collection goes to #SaveSanSebastian—specifically, to support the ongoing restoration of the basilica.
From this collection, you can get acacia trays, risers, and coasters within a price range of P100 to P785. Painted wooden trays and wood-framed coasters are also available for P250 to P1,210. All are courtesy of Machuca Tile and Disenyo Lorenzo Interiors.
“These beautifully bold pieces, each featuring a Machuca Tile design from their 1903 Catalogue exactly like the floors of the Basilica, are hand-poured by their artisans. Each cement tile is protected by a sealant to protect it from wear and tear, and encased in a natural acacia wooden frame,” wrote the Save San Sebastian team on its website’s product descriptions.
With that said, purchasing from the Baste At Home collection also lets you help support local craftspeople who made these items by hand.
If homeware isn’t your thing, you can also get a mug, tote bag, or Heritage + Culture postcard set from the collection. These items’ designs, courtesy of Heritage Prints by Gio Abcede, honor San Sebastian Basilica and other local cultural sites like the Rizal monument and Mactan shrine. You can pre-order these items at San Sebastian’s website.
Last year, Manila’s apostolic administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo said that the lack of Mass collections has left a “tremendous” financial impact on parishes. As the country continues to be under variations of community quarantines, parishes struggle with no incoming funds to cover operational expenses and support their personnel. So while we’re at it, let’s also support the churches in our cities and localities during the pandemic if we can.