Design Folder: Your Online Design and Decorating Resource

ikat pillows from bungalow 300

Saw these charming ikat pillows in an email from Bungalow 300.

Last year, Bungalow 300 had the chevron collection, using the popular zigzag pattern for pillows, placemats, and coasters. If I’m not mistaken, the pattern is screen printed on cotton canvas. I bought a pair of their pillows early last year when I styled the bedroom of a client.

Their new ikat pillows are already available in Bungalow 300′s store in Alabang. But if you do not want to go all the way to the south, you can buy them from Dimensione and Zalora online store by May. For contact info, vist Bungalow 300′s Facebook page here.

tailored & chic: camerich furniture

While interior design has been flooded by all things ornate, kitschy, detailed and patterned in the past couple of years, it seems that I always fall for the simple, no-nonsense designs. In almost everything—from fashion, jewelry, and graphics, to art, architecture, and interior design—I naturally gravitate towards clean lines, tailored silhouettes, and well-made products that do not need to scream for attention. I know I can live with them for a long time without eventually becoming dated.

These are the kind of designs that I personally recommend to my clients when buying the main furnishings for the house. Think Tim Gunn’s 10 Essential Pieces, home edition. A streamlined, well-made sofa, bed frame or armchair can go well with almost any style and any accessory, just like your basic black dress, classic white shirt, and well-fitted jeans. They are like your investment pieces.

However, like your basic black dress, classic white shirt, and well-fitted pair of jeans, furniture pieces in perfect “basic” designs are quite difficult to find (unless you have enough budget to buy from those European furniture stores). Camerich, a high-end Asian furniture brand took advantage of this demand and created a line of quality contemporary furnishings that are more affordable than its European counterparts. Combining sleek, well-proportioned form with comfort and design flexibility, Camerich is increasingly becoming a designer’s go-to brand and a homeowner’s must-have furniture piece in over 40 countries worldwide including Australia, France, Spain, Japan, the UK, the US, and the Philippines.

While Camerich’s pieces seem very simple at first glance, the details of the furniture reveal a well-thought design. I love how each furniture show some form of contrast that makes it interesting, like pairing the massive yet plush body of a sofa with slim legs, and combining the traditional elegance of marble with the more modern industrial appeal of blackened steel frame.

Their sofa’s are also designed with removable fitted covers. Apart from making care and maintenance easier, this feature allows you to change the look of your sofa by opting to have additional sets of covers in another color or fabric. Camerich has a wide variety of fabric and leather options so you can choose a color, pattern, texture, or material that will suit your personality or your space’s changing style.

Here in the Philippines, Camerich is carried by PLC107 in Makati. To provide designers and homeowners with more display pieces and design settings, PLC107 recently moved to a new and bigger showroom. Visit them at Warehouse 1C (Gate 2), La Fuerza Compound, 2241 Chino Roces Ave., Makati City to view Camerich’s latest 2012 collection. You can also view their website www.plc107.com or call them at 840-2678.

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!

humble katsa to sophisticated lamp

Who knew katsa or muslin cloth,  could look this sophisticated?! The Fandango lamp (above), designed by Danny Fong for Kenneth Cobonpue’s affiliate brand for lighting and accessories Hive, has several layers of “petals” that were made from muslin cotton cloth.

We saw the lamp in Kenneth Cobonpue’s booth in CebuNext last March (below) but we thought it was made from some sophisticated organic fabric.

Fong also recently debuted a set of pendant lamps inspired by chess pieces. The Checkmate lamps (below) are finished in hand-laid salago fibers for the exterior, and gold-leafed surface for the lamps’ interior.

Visit Kenneth Cobonpue’s Hive brand for other equally interesting items.

cobonpue’s rapunzel chair

These chairs look plush and comfy! I wonder if he was inspired by Disney’s Tangled…

The chairs are made of braided fabric–braided wool for indoor chairs and braided acrylic fabric (Sunbrella) for outdoor chairs. You can download the full specifications here.

cheap thrills: sm floor pillows

Do not underestimate the power of SM!

Yesterday, I found these 24×24” tufted floor pillows while sourcing for bed linens in the department store of SM Megamall. They’re pretty AND really affordable.

1. Palm Pillow (P399.75); 2. Rory Pillow (P449.75); 3. Aruba Pillow (P479.75); 4. Medieval Pillow (P399.75)

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objects of design + sale alert!: gus* furniture

Simplicity doesn’t always spell b-o-r-i-n-g. In fact, the concept of modernism, the design philosophy behind the mid-century furniture pieces that are making a comeback, is based on the idea that the simpler, the plainer, the better, and that beautiful designs are straightforward, efficient and honest (with reference to the material).

Simplicity of form and practical function are the main inspiration of Gus* Design Group, a modern furniture company based in Canada.

“We are inspired by simple forms and honest materials. We use them as the springboard for everything we create. From the simple two-by-four and construction I-Beam, to the useful miter box, we delight in the simplicity of everyday objects. The result is furniture, accent pieces, and accessories that mix the elegant with the industrial. Mirroring the great modernist of yesterday, we strive to combine great design and practical purpose.”

Gus* also supports sustainable practices, being a member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council and a certified company of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) which ensures that all wood products come from well-managed forest.

I’m a fan of simple and no-nonsense designs. They’re easy to dress up, to dress down, and to pair with a wide variety of styles, much like the little black dress or crisp white button-down shirt in your wardrobe.

Some of my favorites from Gus* are the Atwood Sectional (top photo) with its clean, tailored look,

the Annex Storage with its basic shape and a nice pairing of warm walnut wood with cool stainless steel legs,

the Upcycle Ottoman which uses repurposed fair trade coffee bags,

and the nostalgic School Chair and School Stool which are modern versions of the elementary school chair using bent-ply seat and back.

Gus* Furniture is now available in Manila! And the great news is that they’re having a SALE starting today, July 14, until August 16 (see details in their ad at the righ side bar)!!! This is a good deal for those of you who might be in the process of renovating your home or furnishing a condo.

Visit them at the G/F The Residences at Greenbelt Retail, Esperanza St., Ayala Center, Makati City. They will also have an exhibit on July 16 – 29, 2011 at Greenbelt 5 Exhibit Area (near Superga). For inquiries see contact details below:

Phone: 621-8171, 566-9293

Email: gus@livingspace.com.ph

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gusphilippines

i saw design: “mid-century” posters from etsy

Happy to stumble upon the etsy store of Czech graphic designer Jan Skácelík! Inspired by Scandinavian mid-century design, these posters feature furniture, accessories, decorative motifs, and colors from that era.

Top poster features a Danish cabinet, Arne Jacobsen lamp, vintage flip clock, mid-century vases, and an Ericofon.

with the Eames La Chaise chair.

with Cathrineholm (mid-century Norwegian ironworks and enamelware) canisters.

with a Rorstrand Tango cup with leaf patter by Marianne Westman.

Who knew these posters could be so informative! These are great for those taking up History of Modern Furniture this semester. For more of his posters, visit Jan Skácelík’s etsy shop here and his blog here.