Asian living in style

Believe it or not, the Philippine archipelago not only consist of 7,107 islands, but also boasts of copious resources, exotic landmarks and an ingenious people.

Filipinos are always pushing it to the limit when it comes to creativity, artistry and efficiency. Be it in the field of arts, music, sports, fashion, among others. ‘Yan ang Pinoy! (that’s how Filipinos are!).

On Oct. 3 to 6, Filipinos from the interior designing industry, will showcase their extraordinary talents at “The Asia Pacific Space Designers Association (APSDA) 2002 Congress.” It shall be the first to be held in the country.

APSDA, which is composed of 12 members in the Asia Pacific Region, was founded in 1991 in Korea purportedly to work for better understanding of different cultures through exchange of knowledge and information over a network of trade and technology.

The congress with the theme “Design Dynamism in a Technical Decade” will bring in international speakers in the interior design profession:

John Saladino, a graduate of Notre Dame and the Yale School of Art and Architecture;

Philip Cutler who graduated with a BS degree in economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BS in fine arts from the Tyler School of Fine Arts of Temple University;

Yukio Hashimoto, a graduate of Aichi Prefectural University of Arts in Japan; and the Philippines’ very own — Augusto Villalon who graduated with BA in sociology and history of art from the University of Notre Dame and with a master’s degree in architecture from Yale University.

These guest speakers will be joined by some 500 international and local delegates.

Topics to be tackled by the guest speakers are ... “Conservation of Historical Legacy and Monument” by Arch. Augusto Villalon; “Home Furnishing in the 21st Century: An Exciting Challege to the Desiger” by Philip Cutler; “Interior Design with Asea Trust in its Modern Trend” by Yukio Hashimoto and “The Inner World of Design” by John Saladino.

“I think this event will be a lot of help to our designers because until now we don’t know where we are and where we are going… we’re still trying to please ourselves… “ observes Belen S. Morey president, Philippine Institute of Interior Designers who is also one of the pioneers who introduced the interior design course in the Philippines at the University of Sto. Tomas.

Student workshops, fun activities, educational trips (factory trips) and exhibits featuring well known Filipino artists like Lorie Calma, Impy Pilapil, Gabby Barredo, Claude Tayag and John Pettyjohn among others will be showcased during the congress.

The event has been made possible with the assistance of the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID).

PIID, which is the official organization of Filipino designers, was established in 1964 in the desire to upgrade the profession and bring practitioners together to interact and exchange ideas.

“We would like to preserve our philosophy and cultural tradition… a philosophy that focuses on ‘minimalism’ and will always bring close-family ties and Philippine preservation. As designers we’d like to create an environment where you’ll always feel comfortable and at home…” explains Belen.

“…locally made furniture and Filipino designers have been constantly featured in major international magazines and it shows what kind of talents and resources we have. We want to expose the Philippines… we want to invite foreigners to work with us because we have good materials, low labor and of course excellent talents,” invites Belen.

According to Belen, interior designers are important to the society because they teach us how to make our environment comfortable.

Style, design, color, material, size, availability, durability, quantity and quality are the things one always considers in choosing and buying just about anything and it requires a meticulous decision-making.

“That’s what we — ‘interior designers’ are here for… to assist you in your home needs. As designers, we can give you a lot of ideas and advice on everything you need to make your home beautiful,” Belen asserts.

Most people hesitate to consult an interior designer due to the mistaken belief that these “home experts” are expensive and only for the elite.

“That’s the wrong assumption people have, in fact, interior designers even help you save time and money because we only tell you what’s appropriate for your home and taste,” Morey says.

“… with the lack of knowledge and experience in home styling, sometimes you end up not liking your own ‘work’, then you keep changing the style which even doubles your costs, unlike if you consult to a designer before hand, you are confident that you’ll have an excellent outcome and the designer doesn’t have to be someone with a name — any designer can assist you,” she elaborates.