Amid the saturation of mood boards, these designers are pushing the boundaries of how we see ordinary furniture
Your house isn’t only a roof over your head; it’s also your greatest storyteller. Each piece of furniture reveals who you are. A couch full of pet scratches. The rocking chair your grandmother passed down. No one understands this power more than today’s furniture designers and makers.
“It’s easy to buy something because it looks good, but there’s joy in having pieces that speak to you,” advises Kay Concengco of manufacturer Lamana.
Amid the saturation of mood boards, five young Filipino designers stand out: Brian Ver, Chini Lichangco, Edward Sibunga, Selena Placino, and Jasser Aguila. They mold form with function and push the boundaries of how we see ordinary furniture.
“Everybody started using narratives to design their works,” notes Gabby Lichauco, industrial designer and founder of Openstudio. “We’re also applying a lot of different approaches today.”
With their works set for a weeklong run from April 5 to 12 called “No Boundaries” by Newfolk at Space63 in Comuna, these different approaches come into sharper focus as the designers bring out their own stories in their pieces.
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Brian Ver
An architect by profession, Brian Ver worked alongside large teams designing houses and hospitality interiors right before the pandemic. Due to stay-at-home mandates, Ver pivoted to smaller-scale projects. “I initially wanted to just join a woodworking workshop in 2020 but ended up consulting in-house for Lamana.”
Aside from Lamana, Ver also designs furniture that balances beauty and utility, such as his Rolling Cart and Pivot Bench. “Sometimes, the simplest ideas are the best to execute.”
A friend showed Ver her wooden chair damaged by flooding, and how the color of the wood changed after it was soaked. “We told her that was a beautiful thing to witness—a chair properly aging and embracing patina.” For “No Boundaries,” Ver painted the legs of the Score Chair blue to reflect this moment.
Chini Lichangco
After four years of working for Kenneth Cobonpue in Cebu, Chini Lichangco moved back home to Manila in 2020. It was the pandemic that prompted this move, but Lichangco saw it as an opportunity to start her practice. “I took time to experiment and reflect deeply on my voice,” she says. “How can I craft pieces that are both functional and soulful?”
Lichangco counts nature as her muse. She cites fish as the inspiration for her Kai-a lamp, which was recognized across craft competitions in South Korea and the UK. “Creating it made me feel hopeful. I wanted to design a piece that could light up in a dark corner—just like how the pandemic felt.”
Lichangco also collaborates with various studios. She produced the Puddle Coffee Table with Krete Manila and the Maya Tea Set with Fine Bone China. Though she embraces exploration, all her pieces reflect a one-of-a-kind sensitivity. “I’m not the most expressive person, but I try to best tell my story through my pieces.”
Edward Sibunga
How does one keep heritage alive? Ask Edward Sibunga of E/lou. Upon graduating from the University of Santo Tomas, Sibunga toured manufacturers on a DTI-organized immersion trip. It was then that he fell in love with wood joinery—and the rest is history.
“I focus on basic, traditional joinery to preserve the craft because I think it’s dying,” explains Sibunga. Joinery involves connecting separate pieces of wood through interlocking joints, usually without adhesives or nails. “In the Philippines, there aren’t many millennial or Gen Z woodworkers.”
Though Sibunga upholds traditions, his take on design is unmistakably modern. His single-seater Stoolito and double-seater Stoolitwo feature clean lines and crisp finishing. Simplicity also lends itself to timelessness. “Wood can take up to five years to grow. It’s only right to invest in something well-made that lasts a long time to respect the material.”
Selena Placino
Inspiration often strikes in unexpected places. For Selena Placino, it was at Kamuning Market. While Placino was developing designs for “No Boundaries,” she found a pile of batirols in the market. Filipino households use batirols to whisk hot chocolate, but Placino had a different idea.
“I noticed its grooves could work as a grip for something else,” she explains. “I repurposed the head of a batirol by attaching it to a walnut board.”
This trademark ingenuity permeates Placino’s practice. Her Taho Bench features taho buckets made out of capiz shells. “You can’t put this under direct sunlight because of discoloration. For ‘No Boundaries,’ I wanted to challenge myself by creating a version that could withstand outdoor conditions.”
The designer welcomes material experimentation by collaborating with specialized manufacturers across the Philippines. “Logistics were a challenge because some manufacturers are in the south and others in the north. It’s worth it when the final results turn out great.”
Jasser Aguila
Jasser Aguila first followed in his family’s footsteps in dentistry. “After a year in dental school, I realized I was on the wrong path,” reflects Aguila. Although he wanted to try architecture, he ended up at De La Salle-College of St. Benilde’s industrial design program. “When I saw the brochure with all the robots and cool things, I thought I should try this.”
Aguila honed his craft at university and during a stint with his design hero Kenneth Cobonpue. He developed his signature style by experimenting with fabric’s fluidity, especially in his Lucy chair. “I felt there weren’t many young designers exploring the possibilities of organic shapes in upholstery.”
Yet reinvention is no stranger to Aguila. For “No Boundaries,” the designer delved into woodworking and more structured designs. His 141 Coffee Table, a twist on the phrase Juan for Juan, uses wooden legs in the shape of people carrying a glass top. Of this exploration, Aguila says, “There’s no single right direction, but we find people who will go with us.”