The Philippine School of Interior Design graduating batch of 2023 presents “Phusion” Graduation Exhibit. See how the blending concepts of Filipino design with other global design influences come to life at the Greenfield Tower in Mandaluyong City, open from October 1 to 31, 2023. Explore 12 diverse cultures from across the globe with distinct identity fused together with Filipino influences to create a well expressed living space.
The first booth is the Filipino x Egyptian booth known as “Ikaw at Ako” truly captivates balance throughout the Philippines and Egypt’s rich history and culture. This is impressively evident in their customized wood panel with Hieroglyphics and Baybayin writings which translates to “Ikaw ang aking Tahanan” and “Mahal kita, magpakailanman” giving their space more than just a good design.
The booth named “Bahay Ubuntu” seamlessly weaves Filipino and South African design with a goal of bringing comfort and a sense of belonging to the space. The designers successfully highlighted South Africa’s enchanting safari lodges, Tswana and Sotho huts while bringing in tribal accessories and flawlessly blending Philippines’ iconic Bahay Kubo and capiz shells.
“The Fillenium” by FIlipino x American booth showcases how Hollywood Regency’s bold colors and gold accents can be exquisitely fused with Filipino traditional elements. This kitchen undeniably meets not just the proper functional requirements of a kitchen but also an effective way of intertwining two cultural concepts into one magnificently.
With the use of natural and organic materials, “Relajarse” booth advantageously establishes the ambiance of a Nicaraguan space evoking a tropical paradise. At the same time, using elements such as abaca and solihiya uplifts the Filipino spirit of the space. Truly this booth provides a relaxing, soothing atmosphere everyone should see and feel.
With Brazilian vibrancy and subtle curves mixed with Filipino natural and warm ambiance, this booth named “Diversao” surely fused these two cultures effectively yet still showcasing the beauty of both cultures. The space is very playful and entertaining but it still gives a relaxing ambiance perfect for unwinding.
Having a ceiling dome that took inspiration from the sky above and the earth below, the Filipino x French booth named “L’amour Du Monde Entier” was able to capture the french style along with their intricate french wall paneling. At the same time, they captivated Filipino style with prominent local elements such as capiz and solihiya. They were able to merge the two cultures interestingly with Juan Luna’s famous painting ‘The parisian life’ and their concept behind the Balconaje’s traditional courters.
Filipino x Scadinavian on the other hand contemporarily fused two design influences inside their booth called “Lagom”. They implemented an elliptical shape for their dining room inspired by Scandinavian’s iconic furniture with fine curves. They harmoniously blended this with FIlipino influences by using the Bahay na bato concept with their stacked wall and slatted louvers.
Giving us a peak on what it’s like inside a tavern famous in England, the Filipino x British booth presents a neoclassic and art deco take to this bachelor’s pad kitchen called “A Bachelor’s Tavern”. The group reimagined Lumban Embroidery on Barong tagalog and used it on their kitchen cabinets. They also added the element of capiz giving the space warmth and modern
flourish to traditional English kitchen.
The “Semantika” booth showcases a contemporary fusion of Filipino and Italian influences. The very well thought of use of rattan, banig, capiz and Inabel fabric pattern highlighted the Filipino spirit within the booth. By also using natural stone, wood and archs, they were able to justify their Tuscan approach and seamlessly blending the space into one open layout bathroom.
“Yakka”, the FIlipino x Australian office pays homage to outback Australia through the use of their backlit rockwall. They used delicate curves to represent Australia’s organic and picturesque shape. They then merged it with burlap and rattan to highlight the rich natural sources in the Philippines. Every corner of this booth was carefully thought of by fulfilling the function of an office and still having a space for relaxation with the Duyan installation to increase productivity.
Pearl of the Orient meets prosperity is the main theme of the FIlipino Japanese booth called the “Pitokaja”. Their layout is inspired by number 8 which symbolizes Japan’s prosperity. While their bed area is inspired with a clam shell to represent the concept of the Philippines as Pearl of the orient. They used a combination of Japanese elements such as wagasa umbrellas, zen pocket garden and bonsai and fused it with Filipino elements such as salakot, capiz, and solihiya.
The last booth called “Kanlungan” took inspiration from FIlipino and Persian design influences.They integrate the two cultures by putting FIlipino elements in intricate Persian details. The interior’s color palette showcases FIlipino neutral colors and the vibrant colors of Persia. The space evokes simplicity allowing comfort and relaxation but still bringing the aspect of elegance.
Overall, the exhibit was able to showcase how two distinct cultures with notable differences can still find a common ground and create new and effective concepts. In partnership with POP!, PHusion Exhibit proves how interior design is evolving through time in different cultures in terms of visual appeal and practical aspects of the space. It tells stories of different rich traditions and
turns these stories into designs that go beyond mere aesthetics.