A trip to Palm Springs, California—the artistic mecca in the United States whose midcentury design phenomenon continues to sow influence today—inspired two dynamic sisters, interior designers both, to create a 10-piece furniture collection.
In the collection, their third, Cyndi Fernandez-Beltran and Happy Fernandez-Victorino fuse design elements they had seen in Palm Springs.
The collection, dubbed “Manila Living, California Dreaming,” follows Moss Manila Home’s signature aesthetics of glamour, eclecticism and finesse.
The designers found Palm Springs’ geographical characteristic as a desert resort and a mountainous landscape and its modernist architecture too fascinating to resist.
“We were inspired by the unique, stylish vibe,” said Happy. “You’re just captivated by this scene, so we took some elements from that and translated it into our furniture.”
While most of what they have seen were eclectic (“highly trendy,” Cyndi said), they had to tone it down for the Filipino market, choosing to bring in instead elements from midcentury modern pieces such as pleating, channel tufting and curves, and infusing them with their signature glam look such as chevron-inspired linear patterns and using luxe materials like marble.
Channel tufting, said Happy, is very trendy—it adds texture and dimension to any upholstered piece, as well as extra padding and comfort.
The result are classic forms with a modern twist. The curvy Palm Springs Sofa, for instance, has a pleated front, while the Marilyn Chair has a pleated backrest. Lines are midcentury modern for the Casa marble stool, Avalon fur chair, Parker etagere, Riviera coffee table and Canyon bar cart.
Collaboration
The collection—which comes in two contrasting colors, soft pink and rich green—is a collaboration between the sisters and Tessa Prieto-Valdes, Camille Co and Rissa Mananquil Trillo.
Interior designer and columnist Prieto-Valdes, known for her flamboyant, eclectic style, designed a buffet cabinet that reflects her love of the bold and unexpected.
With a pink marble top complementing the gold-and-white chevron pattern on the cabinet doors, the buffet cabinet shows her personal style and her love of entertaining guests.
“I’m such a fan of Moss Manila Home,” said Valdes. “Whenever I see their finished product, I know right away it’s them because there’s that signature Moss Manila Home touch.”
For blogger Co, who needed a furniture piece inside her walk-in closet, a pink channeled tuft bench with a mini marble table was in order. She described the piece as “millennial and functional.”
A functional, modern and sculptural piece of work in rich green piano finish can be seen in the bar cabinet designed by model, columnist and entrepreneur Mananquil Trillo.
The bar cabinet, with wine rack, shelves and minibar counter, is made of individually stacked rectangular boxes held together by champagne gold legs. Unopened, it looks like an artwork in a museum.
“I didn’t want a furniture piece that looked like a cabinet,” she said. I wanted something that looked like a sculpture.”
“I think,” she added, “that’s how we should all feel about our own home—a stylish escape we all want to come home to. For me, that’s the modern way of living and entertaining.”
Moss Manila Home Boutique, 1 Granada St., Valencia, Quezon City. Its online shop debuts on Oct. 15 at www.mossmanilahome.com.
