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diy crafts: easter eggs in five ways

The egg was a traditional symbol of spring to stand for the earth’s rebirth. It also represented new life and resurrection, and was therefore used by early Christians as the symbol of Jesus as the risen Christ. This is the basic story behind the tradition of Easter eggs.

As we take a break for the Holy Triduum, we’ll leave you with these charming Easter egg projects which you might want to try.

Fabric-covered eggs via retro-mama (above),

Ukranian eggs decorated using hot wax + dye via design*sponge,

Stuffed crocheted eggs via craftastica,

Dyed eggs using natural onion skin dyes via craftastica,

Eggs painted with Christian orthodox art via pelagija.

Green Guide and I will be off to Sagada, Mountain Province tonight to spend a quiet four-day spiritual trip with nature. Have a meaningful Holy week and a blessed Easter!

space matters: chapel for the children

So far, this is probably the second chapel/church that I have encountered which has a “youthful” design. This is the Chapel of Young Saints and Martyrs of Holy Trinity Academy in Sampaloc, Manila. It was intended to pay tribute to the idealism and selfless generosity of seven young Filipino saints and martyrs.

Instead of going “historical” or “formal”, the interior was designed in such a way that it would visually appeal to younger kids through its contemporary simplicity and warm appeal. The biblical passage “let the children come to me” was the springboard for the design. Dynamic curved lines and circular forms echo throughout the space to articulate the concept of God’s love that continuously embraces us.

[Photos above: From the ceiling design, floor pattern and the sanctuary wall, down to the details of the furniture pieces and accessories, each of them followed a curved form. Together, they set a young, upbeat tone for the space while maintaining a solemn atmosphere of a sacred place. The designs of the altar table and the ambo/lectern show a stylized form of a man (God) with outstreched arms ready for a warm embrace.]

[Photos above: The design of the presider's chair reflects the same linear movement of curves and diagonals prominent in the design of the chapel. Capiz line the back of both the crucifix and the tabernacle (made by sculptor Rey Paz Contreras) to add a soft sheen to the two most important elements of the interior.]

[Left photo: Stained glass panels were used for the doors and windows of the chapel to dot the interior with cheerful colors. However, instead of the typical intricate-looking stained glass, the designer opted for a simple doodle-like design to make them relevant to the children's aesthetic taste. The design of the chapel doors was inspired by the young Virgin Mary who bravely answered to God's call to be the mother of Christ. Right photo: The busts of the seven young Filipino martyrs and saints (also made by Rey Paz Conteras) above the existing bleacher seats at the rear.]

space matters: divine master chapel

To join the observance of the Holy Week, Design Folder will be featuring two chapel interiors to inspire you to be in the mood for quiet meditation and prayer this Lenten season. Today, we’ll share with you the Chapel of the Divine Master of the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master (PDDM) convent in Cebu City.

I saw pictures of this chapel late last year when I went to see my aunt, Sr. M. Graziella, in their convent in Quezon City. Apart from being a nun, Sr. M. Graziella is also an interior designer. In their congregation, I think there are three of them who are interior designers. They design chapels and churches, not just for PDDM, but for other communities and institutions as well.

The Divine Master Chapel was conceptualized by Sr. M. Ester Sawal, pddm and Sr. M. Celeste Parrilla, pddm mission. The interior design highlighted the Eucharist as a sign of Christ’s continuous presence among His people. They also consciously integrated local Filipino ideas and Cebuano materials to make the space become more relevant to its community.

The tabernacle (where the sacred host is kept) is made of mother of pearl and is placed inside a silhouette of a shell. This composition is associated with the Filipino concept of  mutya— a treasure. Literally, a mutya is a pearl of a rare kind. The Eucharist, which is the mystery of God’s love for his people, can be considered as the mutya of our Catholic Christian faith.

The wall of the sanctuary and the solid boulder base of the altar table are made of Mactan stone. Mactan stone is a type of shellstone or coralstone that can only be quarried in Mactan, a small island off the coast of Cebu. Embedded in the stone are crustacean impressions and shell fossils which give the stone its interesting character and texture.

The simplicity of the design is paired with a rich collection of symbolic elements to create an inspiring and solemn space for prayer.

objects of design: pup’s aarniovation

One of the most influential furniture designers of the 1960s is Finnish interior designer Eero Aarnio. His innovative and playful designs such as the ball chair (top left), bubble chair (top center) and pastil chair (top right) feature simple geometric forms in plastic and fiberglass which becam iconic pieces of the period’s pop culture.

The works of Eero Aarnio were the inspiration of PUP’s furniture exhibit designed by the second year interior design students. Entitled Aarniovation: Filipino Versions of Mind-Bubbling Eggball-ution, their designs were reinterpretation of Aarnio’s popular pieces, giving them a Filipino flavor through material choices and production techniques.

 [Photos above: Trumpuan Chair + Sahanlai Rib Chair]

[Photos above: Maya Bubble chair + Luna chair]

The exhibit is located at the newly opened Interior Center at SM North EDSA. According to their posters, the exhibit is only until today, March 27, bu I was told that it will extend until April 15. Most of the furniture pieces are so for sale. So, if you’re interested, just ask the students for further details. See the rest of the designs in the picture gallery below or in df’s Flickr photostream here. Congratulations guys!

[View with PicLens]

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diy tips: conquer your small space dilemmas

Like what hoa said in her comment here, condo spaces are becoming smaller and smaller. The average size of a studio unit is around 30-40 square meters, but can go as small as 20 square meters. As the space becomes more compact, it’s much more challenging to fit everything in and make your space look and feel comfortable. Here are some ideas to help you make the most out of a small space.

1) GET REAL!

Before you start doing or buying anything, you have to re-assess your lifestyle in the light of your small living space. A small space will require you to sort of have a lifestyle change. You can’t expect all of your belongings from a 100++ square meter home fit a 40 square meter studio without looking like a storage room. This means, take only those that are essential. When you want to buy something new, you have to give-up something to make room for it.

2) THINK MORE-IN-ONE

When buying furniture, incorporate pieces that have multifunctional features—an ottoman with storage which can be used as a coffee table, an occasional seat for the living area, an additional seat for the dining table and, for some models, a single foldaway bed (check Dimensione).

3) BE CREATIVE!

Storage doesn’t only come in the form of built-ins. You don’t want to fill your space with built-in cabinets because this will make your interiors look more like a walk-in closet or a pantry than a home. Be discreet with your storage. Consider fitting large drawers under your bed frame and using seats (stool, ottoman, and even upholstered sofa) with hidden storage. Maximize small corners. Instead of an end table, consider a slim chest of drawers which has more storage space. Above all, take only what is essential (see #1).

4) OPTICAL ILLUSIONS

How to make your small space look bigger? First, simplify interior elements to minimize visual clutter. Use less color contrasts (go monochromatic), less details, and less number of furniture. If you want color and details, limit them to just a couple of accent pieces.

Second, maintain an open plan layout. Avoid using dividers or screens because they just chop your small space into several minute spaces. Instead, define areas by arranging your furniture into groups and adding an element that will emphasize their centers such as an area rug or a pendant lamp.

Third, blur elements that signal boundaries/space limits such as walls, corners, and edges (photos above). Choose accent lighting over general overhead lighting. Accent lamps create a play of light and shadow that create depth, while general lighting make everything visible, and accentuating all four walls and corners of your little space. Add depth to walls by placing a large mirror, especially the tall kind (door height), that seem to create a door on the wall leading to a different room.

5) BE TRANSPARENT

Avoid bulky-looking furniture and add depth to a space by going for “transparent” pieces—a dining table with a clear glass top, chairs with a see-through backrest, and buffet cabinets with frosted glass doors.

6) ADD TEXTURE NOT CLUTTER

While it is encouraged to keep interior elements simple, you are not discouraged to give your space a theme and personality. Decorate with your belongings. If you love reading, use your books to decorate your shelves (top image).

Combine surface materials and introduce simple accent prints so your interiors won’t look dull and boring. Natural texture is not limited to wood. Indigenous materials (below) such as coco shell, crushed bamboo, buri, rattan, and abaca, blend well with wood. Use them for accent pieces if you want to maintain a clean modern look. Combine these with metallic accents to add a “kick” and to avoid monotony.

7) RENDER YOUR SPACE WITH LIFE

Use plants for decorating (above). Apart from adding color and texture to your interior, plants help clean your indoor air. For those who do not have a balcony where you can occasionally expose your plants to sunlight, choose plants that can tolerate low light levels. Examples of low maintenance indoor plants (based on my experience) are sanseviera, yellow water plant, some types of bromeliads, and dracaena.

conscious living: water-saving tips

[photo via tigris777: hardy bougainvillea remains pretty amidst the el nino dry spell]

Here in the Philippines, we are knee deep in el niño season. Water has not just become a precious commodity, but an expensive one too. While we are being advised to conserve water in our everyday use, we (designers, builders, and future homeowners) can take this further and reflect it in the designs of our homes and buildings.

1. HOLD OFF ON THOSE WATER FEATURES

Pools and ponds can definitely add charm to a place. Having a personal swimming pool in your home is certainly a luxury. However, these water-features are resource consuming. The volume may not be huge, but the water still needs to be changed regularly. Plus, they are not as easy to maintain. I’ve seen many a grotto with a dry, dusty and neglected pond. Also, if not designed properly, water-features can add humidity especially during high temperatures, making the air stuffier than normal.

2. PLANT A HARDY GARDEN

One of the biggest sources of water consumption is watering the plants and lawn. To reduce the amount of water spent while retaining that garden, plant hardy species that require minimal watering (ie. Carabao grass over Bermuda grass). Do not be restricted with cacti. Ornamental plants such as bromeliads, draecena, bougainvillea (above), hibiscus (gumamela), sanseviera, and yucca are equally drought-resistant.

3. INSTALL WATER-SAVING TOILET FIXTURES

There are toilet fixtures in the market today that promote water-conversation. Self-closing faucets at sinks are heavily favored in commercial spaces (like malls) today. Furthermore, waterless urinals are prevalent in male washrooms. There are shower heads that have adjustable settings for water-saving. Water closets have dual-flush systems that consume water depending on the person’s use.

4. HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE RESOURCE

Why not tap the rain as alternative source of water? Install a rainwater collection system. Not your usual water-barrel-under-the-downspout (though that would be a simple and affordable way), modern systems nowadays collect rainwater from roofs and run-offs from the grounds and collect the water into underground cisterns. The collected water then passes through a filtering system to make it drinkable (potable), or use as is (non-potable) for watering the plants, cleaning the car and flushing the toilets.

Why not recycle what you already used? Set up a wastewater recycling system. Waste water or greywater from bath, laundry and kitchen sinks (not from water closets please) are collected, filtered and re-used for non-potable sources. –green guide

i saw design: ust’s hrim-id exhibit

The other week, our df reader, Pam, invited us over at their exhibit in UST. The exhibit was a collaboration between the UST’s junior class in  Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM) department under the College of Tourism and Hospitality Managementand the junior class of Interior Design (ID) program under the College of Architecture Fine Arts and Design (CFAD).

The designed mock-ups were part of the HRIM students’ feasibility study for hospitality establishments. There were a total of 24 mock-ups showing different hospitality spaces for for food & dining, health & wellness, lodging, and entertainment.

The project also gave the students from both programs a chance to experience a simulation of an actual work setting wherein they have to deal with clients (in the case of ID students) and project consultants (in the case of HRIM students).

The students came up with interesting designs. I also love that the HRIM students dressed according to the theme of their project. Considering they only had a couple of days to finish their spaces, they were well put together. Recurring themes were Filipino-inspired and eco-friendly concepts. Is this a sign that our future designers and entrepreneurs will exert more effort in becoming sensitive and relevant to prevailing social issues? I’m hopeful…

See more of the booths in the picture gallery below. Congratulations guys!  [Thank you Pam, Gretchen and to your faculty advisers for the warm welcome!]

[View with PicLens]

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profile: kenneth cobonpue

Who doesn’t know Kenneth Cobonpue? He’s like the Manny Pacquiao of the Philippine furniture industry!

In college, I first came to know about Kenneth as part of Movement 8–a world-renowned group of eight Filipino furniture designers who elevated the image of indigenous materials and gave modern furniture a new face. But, I guess, for a lot of people, he would be the Filipino designer whose works are in the house of Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie (the most famous being his Voyage bed) , and in the casino set of the movie Ocean’s 13.

Kenneth is a Cebu-based designer who studied industrial design at the Pratt Institute in New York. After a series of further studies and apprenticeships abroad, he returned to Cebu in 1996 and started to manage the family’s furniture company, Interior Crafts of the Islands Inc.

Now, Kenneth is known for his organic and often biomorphic designs. By exploring the properties of indigenous materials such as buri, abaca, rattan, and bamboo, he’s able to come up with forms that are unexpected. Apart from exploring the natural materials themselves, Kenneth goes back to nature where he often finds his design inspirations.

[Photo above: Noodle Collection (top) and Retaso dining table (bottom)]

During our trip to Cebu, we were able to squeeze in a quick visit to Kenneth’s Hive. Paolo and Karmel of Kenneth Cobonpue (the brand) toured us around the showroom, explaining the concept behind the displayed pieces. With the sculptural appearance of Kenneth’s works, the showroom looks more like an art gallery.

Aside from looking pretty and interesting, his furniture pieces are amazingly comfortable. Karmel explained to us that a furniture could take upto a year in the making to perfect the form, details, workmanship and, most especially, their ergonomics. Come to think of it, what’s the use of an incredibly beautiful furniture if it’s not comfortable, right?

[Photo above: Pebble tables and the Tilt Chair, which was featured in the set of CSI Miami.]

[Photo above: Matilda outdoor chair]

Now, for some of his recent works, he also turns to people, places, and things as springboard for new ideas. For example, his Pigalle collection is inspired by Pigalle, the red district in Paris, while the Manolo collection is inspired by Manolo Blahnik shoes. For his latest collection displayed in the recent CebuNext Exhibit, the pieces are inspired by the graceful and interlinked details of knits, crochet, and macrame.

[Photo above: Kenneth Cobonpue's booth, CebuNext 2010.]

Check out the rest of the photos of the showroom below. The showroom is located at 3A Gen. Maxilom Ave., Cebu City. To know more about Kenneth Cobonpue and his furniture collection visit his website here and his Facebook fan page here.

[View with PicLens]

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space matters: beach time!

Good morning everyone! Before we take a break for the weekend, let me leave you with some tropical eye candies to help keep your cool amidst the burning heat of… El Nino. Haha!

We spent the morning of our second day in Cebu to visit BE Resorts (formerly known as Mircrotel Resort) in Mactan Island. The resort’s relatively different approach in resort design caught our attention.

Garry Garcia, BE Resorts’ general manager, toured us around during our visit. He explained to us that the resort’s design was primarily inspired by the new generation of local and international tourists that they usually cater to. “These are the young, dynamic individuals who love traveling,” Gary shares.

Noticeably, Be Resort’s interiors sport a hip and vibrant look through the design’s playful use of color and pattern. The white-washed interior spaces are dotted with bright colors of lime green, orange, fuchsia, and tangerine. Their furniture pieces are a mix of modern, organic designs and updated classical pieces, showing off Cebu’s distinctiveness as a furniture design capital.

A similar “refreshed hotel” theme continues to their 160 guest rooms. For this room (above), a fresh color palette of white, soft yellow, tangerine, blue, and green create a welcoming and relaxing setting. It also has a balcony that allows you to enjoy the view of the beach.

What we love the most about BE Resort is its ambiance. It is youthful, happy and vibrant and, at the same time, it maintains the casual and relaxing atmosphere that everyone wants from a resort hotel. We’ll definitely BE back in BE!

BE Resort has an ongoing promo until May! Visit their Facebook fan page for details. [Thank you again Garry!]

profile: vito selma

Age doesn’t matter, especially when you’re actively pursuing a dream. At 26 years old,  Vito Selma has already made a mark for himself. Vito is a young furniture designer from Cebu. The df team first met him October of last year during Manila FAME’s exhibit. His designs got us really curious about him, to say the least.

We were actually looking forward to see his booth during our visit to the CebuNext exhibit. And, as expected, his collection of furniture and accessories are equally impressive. In fact, he bagged two Mugna Awards: Citation for Material Innovation for the Wrinkle Floor Lamp (below top), and Citation for Contemporary Furniture for the Geo Coffee Table (below bottom).

As I have mentioned before, Vito capitalizes on his creative impulse and whimsical ideas to come up with interesting, fun and partially quirky designs. His award-winning Geo Coffee Table and his Un-Deux-Trois Collection (below) were the results of a three-dimensional play of string art (my favorite project in elementary math!). For his Wrinkle Floor Lamp (above top), Vito wanted to introduce the idea of a “collaborative design” with his clients. The lamp is purchased/delivered with the flat layers of fine wire mesh sheets. It’s then up to the client to crumple it up whichever way he/she wants.

[Image via mocoloco]

Vito has a rich design background from which he has developed his design identity. His family’s firm (Stonesets) is one of the noted furniture companies in Cebu speciallizing in classical/period style furniture, so the industry is nothing new to him. In spite of this, he’s still very eager to learn and to develop his talent through formal and informal education.

“I took Interior Architecture major in furniture design in the Academy of Arts University in San Francisco. Although I had a year and a half left to my degree, I decided to stop. I felt like the course was geared towards architecture and not furniture as they initially promoted. I came back home and decided to work for the company to gain hands on experience instead. From then until now (2007-2010) I worked as the design director in the company and focused on contemporary furniture as the company was a classical manufacturing firm. In the past four years as well, I have had three internships at different times in Johannesburg, South Africa with George de Haast (interior designer to Nelson Mandela, other prominent South African figures and Middle East royalties). It is in this internship where I learned most about aesthetics and the beauty of all things natural,” Vito shares.

”A few weeks ago, I got confirmation from my dream school, Scuola Politecnica Di Design in Milano. I am admitted to the Master Course in Industrial Design. Technically, I get to skip college and head to the masters! It is the same school that I was admitted to learn and intern under the Campana Brothers, but the Italian embassy declined my application,” he continues.

At a young age, Vito has made several achievements in his career. His furniture have made it to the homes of prominent personalities such as Nelson Mandela (most of Mandela’s furniture pieces are from his company), Penny Stein (publicist of Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, etc.), and royalties (read: prince and princesses) from the Middle East and Southeast Asia. He and his works have also graced several glossies locally and internationally like in India (Better Interiors, Living Etc Magazine, Enhance Magazine), South Africa (Habitat Magazine), Brazil (Docol Magazine), and China (Furniture & Interior Design). On top of that, Vito was nominated for Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines in 2009. Whew!

But all work and no play makes [Vito] a dull boy. And a dull boy he’s not! What keeps him busy apart from designing beautiful furniture? Here’s a rundown:

1) Photography. “I recently had a solo exhibit/fundraiser last March 3 where all proceeds of the photo exhibit went to the orphanage of children who are orphaned from parents with aids in South Africa, Johannesburg.”

2) “Extreme” sports. While in South Africa, Vito tried the “Big 3″ all in one afternoon: Skydiving, Quad biking and Sandboarding with Desert Explorers.

3) Traveling. He wouldn’t call himself a wanderlust if not for his love for traveling!

As for future goals, Vito says, “… just KEEP ON KEEPING ON. Finish my masters and see what comes next.”

To know more about Vito Selma, his designs, and his daily musings, visit his website here and his blogs here and here. His designs are available in Manila at Kish in LRI Plaza. [Thank you so much Vito!]

*Photos courtesy of Vito Selma