I recently wrote a post about Maximalism and how this fits the Filipino personality really well. I mentioned abubot and burloloy, words that describe decorative items or a collection thereof, that we use to beautify our homes. There are so many words that describe these ornaments, like anik-anik, ano-ano, trinket, knicknack, doodad, gewgaw, bric-a-brac, tschotske, memento, etc.
Burloloy on the Surfaces of a Room
Some may get offended at my use of the term burloloy to associate with the exploding trend of using molding, trim, baseboard, board and batten, cornice—those things that are added to the surfaces like a wall, ceiling, and around a door or a window. If you are, my apologies. My only excuse is it’s just an easier way for me to visualize all this ornamentation as something extra (hence, burloloy) as compared to having a bare, flat wall.
It would be wrong to say though that these embellishments are trendy because they’ve been around since ancient times, and used in Egyptian, Roman, and Greek architecture.


Moldings can look classical and traditional. Those images above, however, are the more modern takes on wall moldings. The wall and trim can be painted in one color, or the wood grain can be highlighted by just staining the wood. Both of these styles give your home a fresh look.
DIY moldings on a budget usually use wood and MDF because they are lightweight and affordable. The internet offers so many DIY tutorials for your learning pleasure. The easiest way to put moldings is to clean your walls, prepare by using tape to mark the areas where your wooden strips should be installed. Your measurements are key to great-looking walls.
If you will use paint, read Bea’s Wood Painting 101.
If you want to bring out the beauty of the wood, read The Differences Between the Boysen Wood Staining Products.
The Need for Self-Expression
Adornment fulfills the need for self-expression. Adding decorations is carefully calibrated by a personal standard of beauty. Perhaps the more-is-more aesthetic is a way to create a life of abundance and enchantment.
After the Fashion Week for the Spring and Summer 2025 Collections, we saw the creations of top designers in different runways. In the post below, we presented five different color palettes.
It wasn’t only color that figured in the cornucopia of visual delights. Designs, textures of the materials, prints, accessories, and silhouettes provided the exciting individualism of the collections.
It’s a sign of the times that people want to express their individuality. For Gen Z, authenticity carries more weight than conformity. This is the reason cited for this generation’s preference for Maximalism in their homes.
The Gen Z Aesthetic: How Young People are Styling Their Homes
Abubot, Burloloy, and Charms
Another interesting practice that piqued my interest is the use of bag charms.
Bag charms are clinking and clanking their way to stardom as seen in many social media channels. The aim seems to be to accessorize the accessories.
Nothing new here. In the 70s, Jane Birkin styled her Hermes bag with silk scarves, jewelry, beads, tassels, and charms. Today that is considered a vintage look, which is aspired for by many, It Girls or not.
Fashion houses are offering their own charms, all for eye-watering prices. There are the tamagotchis and labubus, which range from P500 to P50K. There are the squishmallows, sylvanian families, Sanrio, and so much more.
Are you also ‘birkinifying’ your own bag? If you are, why not just make your own bag charms and be truly unique!
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All these show the preference to accessorize, decorate, and fill our homes with ornaments, and to do the same with the way we dress. There’s more to it than just cosmetic reasons. These are longings for personalization and customization made tangible. Not only is it done with extravagant and hyper-colored aesthetics, but also through a cross-pollination of ideas from virtual worlds and offline experiences of different cultures, places, and timelines, sometimes coming at warp speed because of technological advancements.
If it’s a bespoke home you want, we’ve got thousands of paint colors to feed that need. You can even create your own color using Boysen Latex Colors. If you want textured wall finishes, we got those too.
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