MANILA, Philippines - ?A work in progress.? That?s how Joey Samson describes his shop in Makati.

It?s been almost a year since the fashion designer, a native of Kawit, Cavite, moved to the two-story house from his cramped condo unit beside Greenbelt, but his new address remains, in his words, ?blank and empty.?

Except for such utilitarian pieces as a worktable, chest, mirror and several accent chairs, the place is bare?no huge sofas, coffee tables, lampshades and various conversation pieces typically found in couture shops.

There were no mannequins or dress forms either. The only telltale sign that a designer works here is in Samson?s reading materials. Tucked in a quiet corner of the room is a series of narrow shelves of fashion books on some of Samson?s favorite American and European designers.

Instead of a designer?s studio, the place has become a gallery of paintings, either on loan or part of his burgeoning collection, of Filipino artists such as Kiko Escora, Gino Tioseco, Allan Balisi, Christina Valdezco, Ian Quirante and Paolo Vinluan.

Rather than hang the pieces, Samson propped them against the white walls, sometimes in groups of four. Others are laid on the floor and the stairs? landing, still others are atop a chest and an old leather suitcase he bought years back in Cubao.

?I?d rather spend on artworks than on furniture,? he says. ?Furniture pieces, no matter how expensive, tend to make a space look a bit dated and cluttered after a certain number of years.?

Aesthetic

In contrast, paintings not only speak of their patron?s sense of aesthetic. They also reveal to outsiders his priorities and current state of mind.

They?re not immune from suffering the fate of expensive furniture pieces, Samson said about paintings, but at least they aren?t as bulky as sofas, armchairs and armoires. You can always keep them away until the time you feel like displaying them again.

Unlike some collectors, however, Samson?s primary motivation for collecting has nothing to do with an artwork?s potential to appreciate in value, but with finding a connection to an artwork.

?My limited budget has also made me more judicious,? he says.

His minimalism extends to the few pieces of furniture that form part of his shop. In fact, he has yet to find a way to have an AC unit installed without adding to the clutter.

?A front window used to have a provision for an air-conditioner, but I had it removed because I find it ugly,? he says.

The place is also nearly devoid of sitting areas except for a pair of nearly threadbare Victorian-inspired pieces and a squat, off-white accent chair near the stairs. His worktable also comes with a pair of chairs.

After having an old dining table he bought from a second-hand store repainted from brown to wenge, he turned it into worktable.

?It?s now a work table that doubles as dining table, and not the other way around,? he says. ?On nights when I host dinners for small groups, I simply throw in a nice table cloth and ask my good friend JP Avendano to do the table setting.?

Speaking of good friends, as much as Samson loves them dearly, there was one thing he had to remove to keep pals from hanging around the living room during business hours: a huge couch.

?If they want to while the time away, they can stay all day and watch DVDs in my air-conditioned room upstairs,? he says. ?I don?t like the feeling of permanence, especially if it concerns my work area.?