By JT Nisay
Natural materials and 1950s to 1960s silhouettes are the new material and design stars today in a global trend shift that appears to play along to the strengths of the Philippine furniture industry.
Speaking in the sidelines of the first day of the Philippine International Furniture Show (PIFS), which ran from March 11 to 13 at the SMX Convention Center, furniture expert Robert Booth said, “There is a big change in direction in furniture” and that “it’s going toward more natural materials, which the Philippines is known for.”
“With the trend going more toward natural materials—abaca, woven raffia and the like—you’ll see more of solid wood, lots of natural materials being used in a variety of mediums. And a lot of times, these are used it in conjunction with man-made items as the mixture of materials here are very well done,” added Booth, who is the president of the Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation Inc. He is also the president of Mehitabel Inc., a 65-year-old manufacturing company of fine wood and rattan furniture.
In terms of design, what’s in right now, according to Booth, is a combination of the mid-century and modern look with dry finishes and an emphasis on 1950s and 1960s silhouettes. “Not the classic silhouette. It’s more modern with straighter lines. These are very big in the US.”
STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS HOT
Booth said that, while the cards are in the favor of the local furniture scene, there should be a collective effort from the players to the government to capitalize on the favorable trend change.
“There’s so much artificial materials in the market, like plastic weaving, stuff like that, and now consumers are saying, ‘I want more natural products and a mixture of natural materials.’ And that’s what the Philippines excels at.”
He said that more than a decade ago, the Philippine furniture industry hit its mark, particularly in the US, with the “Cebu look” becoming a buzz phrase. “Everyone knew what that was: a mixture of material and capabilities and finish. But as fashion has changed—because furniture is sort of a fashion industry—we lost the attractiveness to the export customer. Now, that’s beginning to come back and we have to capitalize on it now.”
The products, he said, are ready to again take center stage under the global spotlight, but still the key is promotion—an aspect in which the local industry is defeated by neighboring competitors, such as Vietnam and Indonesia.
“There’s got to be a promotion for the export of furniture to attract the buyers to come. It’s a marketing effort. We know that we have the best products, in terms of creativity, by far. Maybe we’re a little more expensive. In terms of price, we’re known as a higher price resource because we don’t have the inputs, the cost-competitive inputs that particularly Vietnam and Indonesia have. But when you start looking at value-for-money, there’s a lot of value here. That’s where we can become competitive.”
A ‘LOGICAL’ ADDITION
New to this year’s edition of PIFS was the simultaneous—and complimentary—staging of the Interior & Design Manila (IDM) 2016, which brought together top brands in fixtures, fittings and furnishings at Interior Design Plus, and showcased the newest concepts and ideas by 10 select professional interior designers in the Interior Design Excellence Award Pavilion. The event also hosted a two-day seminar, titled “Continuing Professional Development Conference,” for members of the Philippine Institute of Interior and Designers.
“[The inclusion of the IDM with the PFIF] is a logical decision because the interior designers work hand-in-hand with the furniture company,” Booth said.
One of the speakers on the conference’s first day was renowned interior designer Peter Tay, who is behind some of Singapore’s upscale interiors. Also known as the celebrity designer, thanks to his high-profile clients, Tay said that his exposure to the real world has taught him things he never learned in school, even as a graduate of the prestigious Architectural Association in London in 2000.
Tay also talked about his techniques of framing landscape so that it becomes artwork, and the usage of a mirror to carry out duality between the interior and exterior space.
More important, he underscored the marriage between interior design and architecture, saying the two disciplines “have to be together. I don’t see interior as interior and architecture as architecture. I need to see architecture as interior and vice versa. A good designer is one who is selfless. If you are a good designer, you do not need people to come in and see your interior design. Your design must allow people to come in and still appreciate architecture.”