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in good taste: abaca restaurant

When we went on our CebuNext / Design Folder company outing a few months ago, the team could only admire Abaca Boutique Resort and Restaurant from afar. Luckily, when I went back to Mactan island this July, I had the chance to have a great lunch at the world class restaurant. The look of Abaca Restaurant, like their food, is simple but pleasing to the senses. I’ve always liked minimalist aesthetics so the no-frills classic style of the restaurant appealed to me. Unfortunately, since it was a very exclusive resort, we weren’t able to tour the whole place, but we were shown one of the rooms. The room’s style is consistent with the theme of the resort — very clean and ultra classy. It would be perfect for a honeymoon or a romantic getaway. My friend told me that the place looked even more romantic at night with all the lights. I will definitely go back to Abaca, hopefully with the whole DF team in tow.

*Photos courtesy of Jason Raval. Thanks Jason!

cebunext 2011: going local and global

For many years, Cebu has proven itself as a global leader in setting trends in furniture design. Through the use of indigenous materials and biomorphic forms to create sleek contemporary pieces, Cebuano designers have successfully combined local craftsmanship, cultural heritage, and modern design sensibilities to come up with the next big thing.

What’s the next big thing in furniture design? Going local and global!

For the past couple of years, revisiting ancestral roots and taking inspiration from other cultures have been part of forecasts for both fashion and interior design. However, I think it was only last year when this has been more evident in mainstream furniture and textile design.

CebuNext 2011 featured designs that were developed by returning to the “roots”, with culture, history and nature being the main sources of design inspiration. Here are some of the possible trends to watch out for:

1) SUPERSIZING NATURE

Detalia Aurora’s Shellf and Gaia table

Kenneth Cobonpue’s hedge-like Harry rocking stool

2) HANDMADE & HOMEGROWN

Atelier’s high-back barrel chair with solihiya weaving & hanging candle holder in wood and abaca rope

Kenneth Cobonpue’s Little People Screen (top image) : handmade using salago fiber on hand-bowed metal

3) GREEN FURNITURE, LITERALLY.

Kenneth Cobonpue’s planters

Nature’s legacy’s planters and planter-stool

4) NOSTALGIA MANIA

Vito Selma, in spite of being in Italy, LOOKed back to his Philippine roots and came up with these interesting pieces: Jasmine table (a play on Philippine’s national flower, Sampaguita) and Pinas nesting table, a collaboration with Spanish designer Maijo Moll with the Philippine map etched onto the table top.

Vito also won Best Booth!

Some of the featured designers of the Kagikan project (a separate post on them tomorrow) re-interpreted traditional/period style furniture forms and indigenous motifs to come up with new yet very familiar designs.

5) ALL BRANCHED OUT

For some reason, the tree form/branch pattern has been a recurring element in many of the booths. We’ll probably be seeing more of this in different applications this year.

sneak peek: cebunext 2011

Next week, we’re going back to Cebu to visit this year’s CebuNext furniture show! Like Manila Now, CebuNext will also center on the theme of sustainable design. Because their last year’s exhibit already showcased the materials and processes that make Cebu a leader in creating sustainable designs, they are shifting their focus on another side of green design–cultural roots and influences as motivations for creating designs that have a strong regard for the environment, the people, and the society.

With the theme  ’crossing cultures’, CebuNext will include a feature on five Filipino designers who are based abroad. The exhibit is an examination of how the influence of global ethnicities has developed the Cebuano’s design identity, conveying how an exploration of one’s roots from within the Philippines and throughout the world would bring fresh perspectives and an uncommon design point of view. (Source)

Here’s a preview of the pieces from featured designers Danielle Latorre Cruz, Martha Cech, Wataru Sakuma, Stanley Ruiz, and Jinggoy Buensuceso:

Aside from the exhibit, we’re also excited for our first vacation of the year! We finally decided to free up our last day and enjoy the beach in Mactan! df

*images via cebunext

promising designers under 30: paula rodriguez

Paula Rodriguez is the younger half of the two Rodriguez sisters. While Vikki likes cuts and corners in her ‘edgy’ designs, Paula is more into curves and curls, rendering her pieces with a more romantic character. Can’t wait to see what they’ll be presenting in the upcoming Cebu Next 2011 exhibit! {thanks paula} -ardel

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Name: Paula Rodriguez
Age: 23
Website: www.accessoriainc.com
Location: Cebu City, Philippines
Occupation: Furniture Designer, Home Accessory Designer
Design School: Academy of Art University, San Francisco

Design style: Although most of my pieces have been named feminine more than anything else, one constant aspect that I do like keeping in each design is HIGHLIGHTING— either a material, a craft or a concept.

When it comes to my design process, I prefer not to categorize my designs in a certain style. I make it a point to be open-minded about different ways to approach and improve a design.

Shellf

Amadeus

Design highs (achievements/recognitions/milestones): SFIC for Singapore Furniture Design Award 2010 Top 15 in the Young Designer’s category. This was my first and most difficult competition where I represented the Philippines.

What is your favorite among all the designs you’ve done so far?: My favorite and most memorable piece is SHELLF- it is my first design when I professionally started in Furniture back in 2009. It always takes me back to pitching this bold idea of “super-sizing” a nautilus shell and being called the “crazy-designer” for it.

Looking back at this particular design will always keep me feeling young (whether I’m under 30 or 40 or 50 ☺).

Do you believe in designer’s block? What do you do to counter that?: In my case, I encounter designer’s overspill. Sometimes I find myself seeing too many designs and eventually become lost in all the ideas. What I do is simply just take a break, have some coffee and then those concepts that stick are the ones I work on.

Gaia console table

What is your go-to design reference for inspiration (book, website, magazine, place)?: Indie sites like Lushlee, decor8blog , Daydreamlily are only a few of my favorites. They are filled with the kind of art that speaks to me.

If you were not a designer, what would you rather be?: Right now, I would love to have my own indie site similar to the sites I mentioned. The stories and the different kinds of creativity they cover are all so interesting.

What are your non-design hobbies and interests?: My hobbies change from time to time. One of them is “copy-cooking” dishes I can’t get my hands on here in Cebu. So right now, I have been cooking L&L Hawaiian Bbq or Panda Express type meals. On a day-off, I like to relax at home, play the piano or head to the beach or play some badminton.

Ringo collection

Cebu Next 2010

What do you love most about being in the creative field?: I love that this job NEEDS me to do things some people don’t normally do for work like traveling or sketching and painting. Best thing about it is that it can never be a desk job.

What is your dream project?: A project where I can show and work with designers like Patricia Urquiola or Paola Lenti

(Photos courtesy of Paula Rodriguez)

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Previous: Vikki Rodriguez

Next: Rossy Yabut

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promising designers under 30: vikki rodriguez

vikki with ent tables + amoeba

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During our visit to Cebu Next last year, we had the pleasure of meeting some of the best furniture designers in Cebu. Two of which were the Rodriguez sisters, Vikki and Paula, of Accessoria Inc., who were introduced to us by Vito. In spite of being sisters and having similar exposure to the design industry, Vikki and Paula have different design expressions that set them apart from each other.

Being a graduate of Interior Architecture and Design at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Vikki doesn’t design a furniture or accessory “for design’s sake” alone. She designs with an awareness of the possible interior settings in which her pieces would eventually go. Her designs reflect her youthful age of 24, through their unexpected silhouettes and playful details. {thanks vikki!} -ardel

Name: Vikki Rodriguez
Age: 24
Website: www.accessoriainc.com
Location: Cebu
Occupation: Design and Marketing
Design School: Academy of Art University San Francisco CA

Design style: Nothing traditional. I like things that are edgy…figuratively and literally speaking. By literally I mean I like edges. I likes cuts and corners.

serra tables

chip bowls

Design highs: None yet! Working on that.

What is your favorite among all the designs you’ve done so far?: “Ent” table

Do you believe in designer’s block? What do you do to counter that?: I get designer’s block! There are just some days that my brain is on hibernation. Haha I counter it by doing other things not work related. Go on Youtube or Tumblr, talk to people, or if I could I would grab a drink and just relax.

What is your go-to design reference for inspiration?: I like looking at Wallpaper and Interior Design magazine to check out the trends, but for inspiration I look at a lot of random books and websites. Most of them are not even furniture related. You’ll never know where you can get inspiration.

If you were not a designer, what would you rather be?: Toy designer or a Patissier.
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What are your non-design hobbies and interests?: Baking and playing tennis.
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What do you love most about being in the creative field?: I love how I could be playful in our jobs. We’re encouraged to get hands on. I also love that a routine isn’t a must.
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What is your dream project?: Work and design something with the Walt Disney Imagineers.

(Photos courtesy of Vikki Rodriguez)

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Previous: Eric Manansala

Next: Paula Rodriguez

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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.

*profile picture (top right) via Kenneth Cobonpue

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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

space matters: art + home

I don’t think our Cebu trip is complete if we weren’t able to visit at least one home in the city. My college friend, Zina, suggested her uncle’s home, but didn’t give any details about the design of the house. She just told me, “My uncle has a really nice house,” and I simply took her word for it. I just didn’t know what she exactly meant by “nice”, hehe.

We were pleasantly surprised to find out that the house is more than just “nice”. The design goes beyond style and aesthetics. It integrated features for sustainability (green design) and accessibility (universal design). Plus, the house is also home to an interesting collection of artworks.

This is the home of Dr. Ted Gonzales, an ophthalmologist, who also happens to be an art collector and a design enthusiast. The site was previously occupied by his parents’ house which, unfortunately, got burned several years ago. His interest in design and architecture grew during the time when he and his partners were building clinics. He learned so much about design and construction from those projects, which he later on applied into building his own home. In fact, Ted was the one who technically conceptualized and designed the house with the help of Google Sketchup. He still closely coordinated with his architect to check whether the design complies with building standards, and to draw up working drawings for construction.

A big part of his design was inspired by the book Off The Grid: Modern Homes + Alternative Energy by Lori Ryker. Therefore, a lot of green features were integrated into the design. One, which is also the first thing that I noticed upon entering the house, is the use of louver glass windows (jalousie) all throughout the house to maximize the openings for ventilation. I personally like louver windows because I think they’re the best and most appropriate for tropical climates. While louver windows are often perceived as baduy in the Philippines, they are widely used in Australia especially in the design of many modern homes (see homes with louver windows here). Apart from providing 100% ventilation, their louvers could be adjusted/angled, instead of totally closing them (like in the case of casement and sliding windows), to protect the interiors from rains and strong winds while still allowing some amount of air to flow through. The clerestory windows above the living area are also in louver type. They allow hot air to rise and exit from the interiors and provide generous natural light during the day. Another green feature is the rainwater cistern built under the garage. Water collected here is used for watering the plants and for flushing the water closets.

Because Ted lives with his parents, the interiors, particularly the ground floor, have provisions for accessibility. The parents’ room is located near the entrance-living-dining areas, convenient enough for the older couple who have limited mobility. A ramp replaced typical steps leading to the adjacent bathroom under the stairs.

The rail-free staircase, an interesting focal point of the interiors featuring mangkono (Phil. iron wood) planks, leads to Ted’s space at the second floor. Starting from the staircase up to the hallways, he displays his collection of artworks, from paintings, sketches, and sculptures, mostly from artist Raymund Fernandez.

[Image above: This is a replica of Picasso's Guernica which was used for a stage play in Cebu. Part of the play was a reenactment of what happened to the painting--the words "KILL LIES ALL" were spray painted onto the artwork during a protest againts Richard Nixon's pardon of William Calleyin 1974. Read about it here.]

His den at the second floor is like a mini-apartment which includes a living area with a sleeper (sofa bed), a dining area, a small kitchen and a bathroom. Apart from being Ted’s workspace, it also functions as a small entertainment room where he hosts small gatherings, and as a spare room for guests. Opposite the den is Ted’s bedroom which is also fitted with a working desk and a bathroom.

[Images above: (left) Raymund Fernandez's "Ninoy", which is part of his Alpiler Series. Read about it here. (right) Nude drawings displayed in the masters bedroom.]

Apart from the design of the house and his collection of artworks, Ted is also proud to share that the house was built within a limited budget. He did this by making the design simple and functional. Also, a lot of his furniture pieces were flea market finds, like the leather chaise lounge and coffee table at the den (photo above).

Ted’s love for art and design coupled with a realistic and practical mindset allowed him to create a beautiful, functional and equally comfortable home. [Thank you again Sir Ted for welcoming us to your home. And for introducing us to dried langka and pineapple!]

in good taste: z bar, cebu

Z Bar was one of my friend’s highly recommended places to visit in Cebu because of its unique and impressive design. Because bars are always dimly lit, their interiors seldom have very detailed designs. But Z Bar is different.

After our first dinner in Cebu, Ana and I went to check the bar together with Ian (our impromptu photographer for the night, with his ever dependable Lumix camera) and our new-found friend Chito (our unofficial sponsor for the night, hehe).

I have seen photos of Z Bar before, but it looks way more amazing in person. Its design is a collaboration between modernist architect Ed Calma and designer Kenneth Cobonpue. Kenneth is internationally known for his organic furniture designs. Z Bar is, if I’m not mistaken, his first design applied on a full-scale interior. From what I gather, the primary motivation for the design was the small size of the space. So, to make the space look bigger, instead of highlighting the walls and ceiling, they were made to sort of disappear!

Those little wishbone-shaped stuff that seem to be floating in mid-air are bamboo twigs tied by hand onto a randomly welded metal frame. It is a blown-up, warped version of Kenneth’s Kris Kros screen which uses the same concept. Down on the floor are lighted onyx (translucent natural stone) tiles whose natural grains complement the overall organic look. This is the same material used for the lighted staircase (first photo). Apart from the lighted floor, there were also hanging accent lamps made from salago fibers, such as the round Moon lamp.

The bar felt and looked like there’s an abyss above you. Actually, I don’t know which is a more fitting association—a galaxy/outer space, an interior of a glowing beehive, or some scene in Avatar. You just have to see it for yourself.

Z Bar is located at the second floor of The Tinder Box, Archbishop Reyes Ave., Banilad, Cebu City.

*Photos courtesy of Ian Santos