Furniture and home stores West Elm and Pottery Barn recently supported chemist Pinky Tobiano “Shopping for a Cause” for the families affected by Typhoon Egay in Bustos, Bulacan.

Among the celebrities who attended were Erik Santos, Markki Stroem, Bianca Manalo, beauty queen Roberta Tamondong, among others.

Plants, crops, and even animals were affected by the calamity. A lot of families also lost their homes. Pinky’s farm in Bustos, Bulacan, was severely damaged, and even her parrots drowned.

No wonder the recent “Shopping for a Cause,” initiated by the Queen of Tablescaping in partnership with West Elm and Pottery Barn in their flagship stores, had a special place in Pinky’s heart.

She was prompted to extend a helping hand in her little way by inviting her friends to check out West Elm and Pottery Barn products so they could make their purchases. Shoppers enjoyed a 20 percent discount on all their purchases.

A percentage of the sales went to the victims of Typhoon Egay in Bulacan, where Pinky and her team extended help to those devastated.

“I am so grateful to all my family and friends who braved the rain and traffic to support this cause. I am so thankful to all of them,” Pinky said.

She added, “I am so thankful to SSI (Store Specialists, Inc.) group, who was very instrumental for making this happen (SSI, West Elm, Pottery Barn, and Pottery Barn Kids).”

Making the event extra special was Pinky’s latest magazine-worthy tablescape, TableLove by Pinky, where she combined West Elm china and other tableware with such blooms as orchids, tulips, hydrangeas, and baby’s breath.

Known for her colorful, bright, and often dainty arrangements, Pinky resorted to black ribbons in her latest tablescaping presentation for the first time.

She masterfully highlighted black, which, she emphasized, is not often associated with mourning or sadness. Instead, black evoked quiet elegance, creating a more gender-neutral and classy tablescape.

Guests who checked out most West Elm products in “Shopping for a Cause” discovered handcrafted, in-house designs for original style and quality.