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diy: instant christmas decors

Suddenly it’s Christmas at home!

As usual, I have no plans of decorating the house for Christmas. After spending the first couple of weeks of December making Christmas decorations for clients, I have no energy left to decorate our home. But because of the red flowers that I brought from my brother’s wedding over the weekend, the house got an instant Christmas makeover!

Inspired by the decorations I made for a Petron station, I made three additional tabletop Christmas trees from old magazines, spray painted them in red and gold, and finished them off with a sprinkle of gold glitters. You can find a video tutorial from Martha Stewart here. The project is quite time consuming, but you can easily make them while watching tv.

Above is a variation of the magazine Christmas tree. By alternately gluing (or stapling) three points of the folds together, you can create an accordion pattern for your tree to make it look more fancy.

To  give my trees a bit of height, I simply placed them on top of my ceramic candle holders which functioned as a base.

Total cost: P0.00

I just hope the flowers will last until the 25th.

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fashion meets design: concept jewelry from hartog & henneman

Compared to interior and furniture design, trends and concepts in fashion change and evolve much faster. It is not surprising that fashion often becomes a muse for developing new designs in furniture and interior design, and even in architecture.

Aside from the quirky and innovative furniture pieces, our guest blogger Deepa was also able to take a peek at some of the most exciting fashion accessories featured during Dutch Design Week 2011 (DDW). Today, Deepa shares with us the out-of-the-box accessories from Dutch jewelry designer Hartog & Henneman.

Just took a quick look at their website and the ‘gold fever‘ necklaces (above) caught my attention. I love the petri dish-like styling! Something pretty for the science geeks. Enjoy our Monday eye candies! -ardel

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One of the best parts of Dutch Design Week (DDW) was choosing a little slice of yummy design goodness to take home with me. For an avowed accessory addict such as myself, that little slice was a piece of wearable design from conceptual jewelry duo Hartog & Henneman.

Made of industrial rubber, the collar I bought at DDW is part of Hartog & Henneman’s Out of Office collection. Each piece in the collection was designed using simple office supplies such as a felt-tip marker, compass or puncher, bringing new meaning to the words “office wear.”

That should clue you in to the perspective, creativity and wit embodied in the work of Jiska Hartog and Michiel Henneman. Trained silversmiths who studied art at the AKI Academy in Enschede, the Netherlands, this award-winning duo obtained their masters’ degrees in fine art from the Wimbledon College of Art in London.

If the trick to good design is asking good questions, the question Hartog & Hanneman explore is: “What is a jewel?”  In questioning how a jewel is defined, they say a jewel isn’t simply composed of minerals, but is also made up of the culture around it: what it means to people, what we desire, what we value, and why.

Would we adorn ourselves with everyday objects like paper clips and push pins over diamonds and pearls? Maybe, but something needs to shift to get us to do it. And Hartog & Henneman plays in the place where that shift occurs. Often, it’s simply about materials. I love the idea of a human bulletin board adorned with these silver pushpins, but probably wouldn’t feel the same way about sticking plastic pushpins into my jacket.

In their gorgeous Silverstone collection, gemstones are replaced with matte silver that is polished with wear, slowly getting shinier over time. Is it any less, well, precious than real precious stones?

Bomb Wreck Jewelry, their collaboration with artist Jonas Staal, takes scrap refuse from a bomb blast in Baghdad, Iraq, and turns them into objects of value and desire. Fused together by the heat of the blast, these “worthless” shards of melted glass, wire and motor parts took on a new beauty in the designers’ atelier.

A story behind each piece, and a question behind each story: that’s conceptual jewelry design for you. Hartog & Hanneman’s designs invite a closer look at what we choose to adorn ourselves with, and why. And they sure look pretty too.

(photos via hartog & henneman)

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andy & nina’s tagaytay wedding

Sharing with you our friends’ lovely Tagaytay wedding last weekend.

The whole ‘Geng’ including the four of us helped wedding planner par excellence Apple Consunji coordinate the whole event.  We met with the bride at Sonya’s Garden, proceeded to  Caleruega for the ceremony, and had a delicious feast at Antonio’s. Thanks to our group’s official photographer, Ian Santos, for the beautiful pictures!

One down, two more weddings to go. Hello December!

dutch design week 2011: reimagination

Two days after our Manila Fame 2011 show, the designers from the Netherlands celebrated creativity with their annual Dutch Design Week. Amsterdam-based writer Deepa Paul-Plato, Ana’s batchmate from college, is kind enough to share with us the highlights of one of the most awaited design exhibitions in Europe. {Thank you so much Deepa! )

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In the last week of October, all things Dutch and design converge in the town of Eindhoven for Dutch Design Week (DDW). With over 1,500 designers (from household names to individual shops to fresh graduates) exhibiting their work at more than 300 events spread out over 65 locations, DDW is a massive showcase of the simplicity, originality and quirk that Dutch design is renowned for.

A sense of playfulness and curiosity transforms the ordinary—the ephemera of our everyday lives, such as home furnishings and lighting—into the extraordinary. Dutch designers have a knack for questioning the usual to produce something unusual, and infusing whimsy while retaining function. Examples of this mindset abound at DDW.

While designs for the home are generally reserved in color and pattern, they are bold with shapes and materials. It’s all about asking questions. Does this always have to be a certain way? Can a spade also be a chair? Why shouldn’t a vase live and grow along with the flowers in it?

(Top photo) Organically shaped bookcase, Smool design by Robert Bronwasser, (above) Spade Seat by Nic Roex,  (below) Birchwood chest of drawers by Werner Neumann and Fungus vase.

Curiosity begins early. Graduate projects by students of the Design Academy Eindhoven already show the same sense of playfulness and curiosity. Can food be a work of art, or playtime an opportunity for learning?

Refrigerator 2.0, a small transparent refrigerator for individual pieces of food, by Eva Smeltekop

Material Teddy, a toy combining the different smells and textures of natural materials to trigger cognitive development, by Makiko Shinoda (www.makikoshinoda.com)

House Wine, a winemaking system for the home by Sabine Marcelis

Tap Water Carafe, design that points to the origins of drinking water, by Lotte de Raadt

Oturakast, shelving that can be taken apart into individual units (for storage or seating) by Rianne Koens

Reverie, a table that revives embroidery in a modern and stylish way, by Anne Vader

For lighting, the sense of playfulness takes on the harder edge (and visual impact) of the industrial.

“Magnetic” describes the Nail Cloud (below) by Ilian Ernst, in more ways than one. This visually arresting lamp uses a strong magnet to suspend a “cloud” of metal nails around a central bulb. You can add more nails and change the shape of your lamp simply by holding each nail to the central cloud for a few seconds. Don’t worry, it’s not strong enough to pick up metal cutlery on the dining table.

The Refinery lamp, also by Ilian Ernst, is inspired by the gas pipes of a refinery.

What is color?” is the question that student Dennis Parren of the Design Academy Eindhoven seems to be asking with his graduation project. The CMYK Lamp (below) plays with the relationship of color and light. Casting cyan, magenta, yellow shadows, the lamp enlarges and recreates its own lines, drawing one into a network of color.

When we look at everyday objects, do we still ask questions or take things at face value? What kinds of questions are we asking? Ask, and ye shall transform. Seek, and ye shall design. -Deepa

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a-list: valerie chua at heima

Valerie Chua’s solo exhibit happening tonight at Heima, Makati. Here’s a sneak peek of her works c/o Heima. Lovely pieces! They somehow remind of the illustrations in the ending theme of  70s anime Candy Candy.

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“Valerie Chua is a self-taught illustrator from Manila. She started painting halfway through college and has never let go of the brush since then. She specializes in traditional media such as watercolor, gouache, and acrylic. Her work is predominantly influenced by East Asian watercolor artists and magical realist literature and poetry. Backyard of the Universe is Valerie’s first major solo exhibit, marking her breakthrough as a painter who specializes in illustrative art and storytelling.”

manila fame 2011: handmade with love

Probably one of the highlights of the recent Manila Fame show is the addition of live vignettes featuring craftsmen (and women) in action—weaving fabrics, carving wood products, and weaving rattan and buri furnishings. Whoever thought of this is a genius! It gives a human face to the featured products. At the same time, seeing how the furnishings and decors are tediously made somehow adds to their value.

On top of the usual furniture and decors, there was also a section for Philippine textiles. Twinkle Ferraren’s collection made from paper fabric (fabric made from plant fiber pulp) caught our attention. They look very similar to linen but they are actually made from pineapple fiber pulp. Twinkle is a young fashion designer who designs paper-art clothing since 2005. See her collection here.

Another interesting collection is the recycled crafts from Bayan ni Juan. I think most of them are made from shredded magazine pages, rolled, and made into small beads and cones.

This just proves how much talent we have in this country. I’m not just talking about the designers behind the furnishings, but also the men and women who make it possible for the drawings to become actual objects. We’re definitely a handmade nation!

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manila fame 2011: stripped, bleached, natural

I was in Shangri-la Mall yesterday and saw for the first time the newly renovated 2^nd and 3^rd levels of Rustan’s Department Store. The clean and sophisticated design of the store made everything look even more expensive! It was a huge transformation from the store’s very dated appearance (circa 1991). I especially love the look of the home furnishings department—floor in bleached wood vinyl planks with accents of woven abaca matting, white walls with shiny stainless steel trims, and streams of bright light from metal halide directional lamps.

The design, especially the color palette and textures used, actually reminds me of the predominant look of the furnishings and accessories featured in last month’s Manila Fame 2011 exhibit. Many of the products look raw, bleached, lime-washed or unstained. Does this mean we’ll be saying goodbye to wengue, and hello to white and “bleached” finishes? Here are some of the pieces that we saw:

1) Coast Pacific (above & below):

2) Detalia Aurora & Accessoria:

3) Las Palmas:

4) Masaeco:

5) Tadeco:

6) Mood Indigo:

7) Naturalist Pavillion:

manila fame 2011: the chairs on parade

Before we take a break for another long weekend (yay!), we’ll leave you with a preview of the recent Manila FAME 2011 show last October 16-19. The show featured a lot of designerly goodness, from furniture and decor to new applications of natural materials and finishes.

Let’s start with the chairs.

Aside from the variety of shapes, sizes and textures, many of the chairs were noticeably inspired by something “borrowed” and something “old”–period style silhouettes, indigenous materials, and traditional weaving techniques. It’s a classic case of the-past-meets-the-present.

Watch out for more pictures from the show next week. Happy weekend!

call for donations

Tanglaw is a project of UP Interior Design batch 2012 for Ephpheta Foundation for the Blind, Inc. The project is part of the BS Interior Design special projects advocacy program (read about it here) which serves the marginalized sectors of the Filipino community since 2001. For more information, visit their website here: http://projecttanglaw.weebly.com

For those of you who wish to share your resources and help the students complete their project, there are two ways:

1) Donate in cash via bank deposit in their Metrobank account  (Account number: 093-3-09325548-9, Account name: Nadine Valerie Castaneda Dela Cruz and Ma. Caridad Capili Palma). Email your deposit slip to Nadine Dela Cruz at <upid2012@yahoo.com> to have your donations acknowledged.

2) Donate in kind by referring to the list of materials below. Email Nadine  if you want to sponsor any of these items.

CLASSROOM, HALLWAY & SUNROOM
1. 2-gang convenience outlets (23 sets)
2. 2-gang, 3-way switch (2 sets)
3. 2-gang single switch (1 set)
4. floor convenience outlet (2 sets)
5. ceiling fans (4)
6. 10 GI corrugated shts. ga. 28×12′
7. 1 liter of roof sealant
8. throw pillows with pillow cases
9. lever type door knobs and hinges for double door
10. pendant lights (4)

WOMEN’S DORM
1. Tile Adhesive – 25-kg bags x 19
2. Tile Grout – 2-kg bags x 23
3. Grout Sealer – 1-Liter bottles x 2
4. Grout Waterproofing Additive – 1.8-Liter bottles x 8
5. (1) 42” Ceiling Fan w/ Lamp
6. (2) 56″ Ceiling Fan w/ lamp
7. (4) lever-type door handles
8. lockset for main door
9. (2 sets) 2-gang 3-way switch plates
10. (1 set) 2 gang single switch
11.(4 sets) 2-gang COs
12. (14 pieces) matresses for beds 30″ with bed sheets
13. (3 sets) faucet for lavatories
14. (2 sets) ordinary faucets
15. (14 pieces) pillows with pillow cases

MESS HALL
1. Ceilng fans (4)
2. Four-seater tables, preferably yung pwedeng ma-stock sa storage room (6)
3. Wood and hardwares for kitchen cabinet doors and built-ins
4. Pretty wall sconce, simple contour (2)

MASSAGE AREA
1) Ceiling fans (4)
2) Massage beds (8) OR 8 single beds w/ matresses and beddings
3) Carpet (size to follow)
4) Accessories- floor lamps, throw pillows, vase, artificial plants (for table setup), natural plants, candles, wooden trays/bowls, etc. (theme: natural/ earthy materials and colors)
5) 2 identical mirrors for lavatory area (1,000mm x 800mm)

Help spread the word!

bed comes first

How was your 4-day weekend? Mine was spent mostly at home, in my bedroom. After three very busy weeks, I think spending it in my room doing nothing is a holiday well spent. Call me boring, but that’s my idea of a relaxing vacation.

This reminded me of one of the interview questions for a feature in MyHome magazine a couple of years ago. They asked me, “For newly-wed couples, what do you think is the very first piece of furniture that they need to purchase?” For me, the answer is simple—invest in a good bed.

There a three key pieces in a home that every young couple should invest in: the sofa, the dining furniture, and the bed. But if you have enough money for just one, buy the bed first. Among the three, the bed will be the most utilized furniture in the house, where you’ll spend approximately a third of your life for the next 10 years at least (because some experts suggest changing your mattress after 10 years).

The things to consider when selecting a bed tend to come under these categories: the size of your room, the size of the bed, the material of the bed frame (wood, metal, upholstered or leather beds), type of mattress, additional storage, and budget.

The size of your room is important when buying a bed because if you choose a massive bed and you only have a small room, you will be caught in a bit of a pickle. The best way is to measure your room. Make sure you take note of the necessary clearances around the bed for walking around it and for the addition of night table/s. From these measurements, you’ll be able to determine possible limitations with the size of your bed. As a reference, here are the dimensions of mattresses available in the market.

Because you are purchasing a bed for you and your partner, you have two needs to consider. If your partner is a lot taller than yourself  (especially if they’re more than 6’ tall) , you will need to be looking at larger/longer beds as you do not want their toes hanging out the end of the bed. Consider beds/mattresses that are longer than the standard 75”. You will also have to come to an agreement about whether you want a hard or soft mattress.

For those with limited storage space, you now have beds with pullout compartments. Many beds have built in storage underneath, which is ideal for smaller rooms.

Obviously all this is irrelevant if your budget will only allow you a few options. You must work out how much you are willing to spend for the bed frame, mattress and beddings. It can all mount up pretty quickly, so keep an eye on your sums.

One important tip: shop around with your partner. Also, try the mattresses. Lie on them to check if they’re comfortable according to your standards.

For beddings, I’ve written a previous post on it here. Mattresses require a different (and longer) discussion. We’ll have a different post on that next time.