Story and photos by Marianne Grace Sarmiento
TWENTY-FOUR was the number of the day in September when the Philippine School of Interior Design (PSID) unveiled to the media its latest exhibit showcasing the designs of this year’s graduating batch.
Located at the Ronac Lifestyle Center in Paseo de Magallanes, Makati City, which will run from October 3 to 31, is the Studio24 exhibit. It presents 24 booths illustrating studio units with 24 square meters of space each, featuring 24 design styles of 24 different archetypes.
With the growing trend among developers of building high-rise condominiums offering units with little space for lesser cost, PSID challenges its students to demonstrate how a regular studio unit can be turned into a very exciting and more “personalized” space with practical applications.
“We want to show that our budding designers can not only adapt to the new norm of micro-condos, they can use ingenious, imaginative and innovative design solutions that not only showcase their talent but also show dwellers how to transform their space,” said Pojie Pambid, dean of PSID.
The exhibit features three categories. First, the “Ladies’ Lairs” that target independent women with eight designs including the Pastry Chef with French Provincial as its theme; Socialite, Neo Baroque; Romantic Writer, Modern Victorian; Female Artist, Filipino Indigenous; Classy Dame, Deco Roman; Bachelorette, Art Nouveau; Shy Violet, French Rococo; and the Comic Geek, with Pop Art as its theme.
Second, the “Man Caves” for men with active lifestyle which include the Refined Gentleman, with Art Deco as its theme; Mechanic, Industrial High-Tech; Young Urban Professional, 40s & 50s Vintage; Sports Buff, Bowl House; Backpackers, Modern Egyptian; Anime Aficionado, Modern Japanese; Goth, Neo Gothic; and the Old Collector, with Filipino Colonial.
And last, the “Perfect Pairings” for duos with varied interests including the Retirees with Island Tropical as its theme; Power Couple, Modern Chinese; Newlyweds, Asian Contemporary; Travel Team, Mediterranean; Brothers in Arms, Modern Contemporary; Spinster Sisters, English Country; Gay Bestfriends, Italian Renaissance; and the College Buddies, with Deconstructivism.
Celebrating its 48th this year, PSID continues to promote interior design in the country with its advocacy of tapping Filipino talent and creativity and, at the same time, providing excellent education.
For her part, Julie Gil, the batch 2015 president, expressed her optimism with the future of interior design in the country, saying, “For us who have taken this as a profession, we are excited because interior design component is a competitive edge, if not compelling factor, for buyers to consider aside from the price. Now we only don’t buy a condo unit because of the price, we also see the potential to fix it.” Founded in 1967 and with its first exhibit held at the basement of the Makati Cinema Square in 1969 with only nine graduates, Pambid shared that PSID has gone a long way now with its 111 graduating students composed of diverse age bracket and personalities.
Image credits: Marianne Grace Sarmiento