To reach a younger market with individualistic tastes, furniture maker Philux has a new campaign for clients to customize their furniture.
“We have standard designs, but customers can tweak the styles to suit their tastes,” says Stephanie Kienle Gonzalez, Philux head of sales and business development.
Clients can take their pick of wood, from mahogany to sustainable ash wood and premium walnut; finishes, from natural to coffee, antique gray, and modern black.
Upholstery can be in neutrals or vibrant prints.
Then there are details such as brass handles and matting in cane weave, abaca or rattan.
Throw pillows can also be individualized with one’s choice of fabric combinations and piping.
Thus, a single design can produce various looks.
Gonzalez and her sister, Jessica Kienle Maxwell, Philux head designer and visual merchandiser, invited friends to customize their furniture of choice.
They will be exhibited Feb. 23 at the Mega Fashion Hall in SM Megamall.
Sea Princess’ tweak
Celebrity interior designer Tessa Prieto-Valdes adds an unpredictable touch to the traditional Mason wingback chair by infusing bold tropical leaf prints.
Although fiery colors such as red are auspicious for 2017, Valdes chooses leaf patterns for their exuberance.
Moreover, according to feng shui, nature prints bring harmony to the home.
Like Valdes’ personality, the look is anything but flat. To contrast the graphic exterior of the chair, its interior is upholstered in walnut mohair with some coppery tones. The legs are stained in a copper finish.
Every year, Valdes adds a new piece of furniture to spruce up her home. The tropical wingchair sits happily in her eclectic interiors.
“It’s comfy yet a functional work of art,” she says.
Celebrity chef and restaurateur Erwan Heussaff chooses the Embla chair. It is inspired by the light woods, soft curves and simplicity of Scandinavian designs.
Heussaff selects an antique beige finish in mahogany wood and an earthy color for the upholstery.
“I’m a big fan of simple things,” he says. “I find beauty in seemingly basic items that carry a lot of thought and understated elegance to them.”
Heussaff says he has ordered 12 pieces of his customized Embla to match the large dining table at home.
“I throw too many dinners,” he says. “I always end up buying too much produce and need to have people come eat at the house to get through it all before the food spoils. With this chair, I’m able to fit 12 of them around my table. They are shaped in a way that makes them comfortable for long eating sessions.”
Hotelier Justin Pitt favors a bar cabinet for the new condo with his wife Cristalle. He collaborates with Maxwell to include frosted shelves and lit interiors.
The door panels are covered in stingray leatherette and bone handles. The frame is done in duco black, an opaque finish. The LED-lit interior allows him to find his liquor and spirits easily.
Geometric look
Gonzalez and Maxwell make their own interpretation of the four-drawer commode. Inspired by Cubism, a movement that highlights flattened geometric angles, Maxwell adds gold-leaf appliqué accents on the warm walnut wood. The linear shapes add visual depth.
Gonzalez chooses a light ashwood. The edges are beveled to lend dimension. The drawers’ faces are covered with native cane weaving while the backside is done in brass finish. Bamboo knobs made of solid brass add a tropical feel.
Gonzalez explains that the look is about infusing sophistication into Filipino elements.
“The commode will be in one of our bedrooms,” she says. “It’s got storage capacity which is important. All the pieces must still be functional.”
The exhibit will not only show the special furniture but also photographs of 12 collaborators and their works, taken by photographer BJ Pascual. —CONTRIBUTED
