SMALLER FURNITURE, eclectic looks, more affordable furniture, and “dead red.” These were some of the trends noted at the Philippines International Furniture Show which opened on Friday at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, which will run until March 16.

“From restoration hardware to minimalist designs, it’s now toward a more eclectic look, wherein everything will mix and match,” said Duke Zuluaga, Chairman of the Manila leg of the PIFS who talked about the trends seen in the show. He noted that since the clientele now include even millenials, they are now not as finicky. “You’re not as, ‘I’m going to buy this because it’s going to be an heirloom,’” he said. He also noted that since price points have gone down, “you can’t use too much expensive fabric.”

He credits this change not to a change in taste, but a change in the market. This trend could be noticed in many new restaurants that employ a bohemian feel with mismatched chairs and restored furniture. 

He added as well that colors may have a comeback, after about three years of neutral palettes gaining the upper hand. These colors, however, will be more muted, he said, citing copper and a “dead red.”

Then there is the ever-decreasing sizes of condominium units, and how this relates to sizing trends. “The proportions of the furniture are getting smaller, so that they can fit in whatever units…that you can get,” said Mr. Zuluaga. In the show one could see this with furniture that can be stored and folded up, or have multiple uses, such as a chair from Vito Selma that unfolds into a lamp-and-end table combo. 

A highlight of the show is the presence of interior design stars Mary McDonald and Nathan Turner. Both were part of a team of four on the American reality series Million Dollar Decorators, which last aired in 2013, which featured the team’s work on the homes of the rich and famous. Guests on the show included Sharon Osbourne and Lindsay Lohan.

“My plan is using some of these products in my own store,” said Mr. Turner of the furniture on exhibit. Ms. McDonald added, “We’re definitely planning to use the companies as some of our sources to do things.” 

The pair went around the exhibit and put seals with their names and photos on items to show that they had already chosen these. These include dramatic mirrors from Obra Cebuana (Mr. Turner chose one with a grass frame, while Ms. McDonald chose one with a wooden frame carved to look like tusks), a leather bench from Prizmic & Brill, an armchair suspended from a network of ropes from Vito Selma, and a modular coffee table with a hexagonal shape from Designs Ligna.

From Ann Pamintuan, Mary McDonald chose a metal cocoon shaped like an orb, stuffed with cushions. 

Another notable trend in the show is the use of more plastic, especially woven plastic that have the look of wicker in an effort to tap into the resort market through indoor-outdoor furniture. Also noticeable are playful shapes rendered classically, such as ornately carved birdcages that serve as chairs and lamps, winged armchairs with real wings, and chairs shaped like eggs — though unlike the “super-villain” egg chairs of the late 1960s, these are delicate neoclassical pieces that happened to be curved and hooded. 

LOCAL STRENGTH
Mr. Zuluaga noted the renewed strength of the local market, in comparison to world markets. “The export market has become very weak, because the Americans, the Europeans… practically nobody has money. But the local economy is very strong. See, in the Philippines, if 10% of the population controls 90% of the wealth, that’s ten million stinking rich Filipinos. So we’re twice the size of the Singapore market.”

Although Filipino designers are able to influence trends, the country has problems in manufacturing on a large scale. He gave an example of a Filipino brand that pioneered plastic and PVC furniture. “Now that’s a medium that was introduced but had never been used before,” he pointed out. “It became a trend, so now, everybody has plastic. 

When it got to China, it’s already mainstream.

“So after a while, it’s better not to play, because you can’t compete… if it’s only a question of price there’s always somebody cheaper than you.”

The trick then is continuous innovation.

“What you do is, you move in another direction. {now] what that direction is, the Philippines is still looking,” he said.

“Our advantage is that we have a sense of place,” he pointed out. This “sense of place” enables Filipino designers to choose from a myriad of influences around the world, and giving it a distinct Filipino touch. 

“It’s just, we tweak it, and it looks Filipino… and it has a sense of place… and that’s how we actually get into markets.” — Joseph L.