MANILA, Philippines - Have you ever heard of the colors cerise, heliotrope, and sang de boeuf? We’ve seen them a few times before, but we just couldn’t get their names right.
A visit to Philippine School of Interior Design (PSID) Advanced Class of 2010 Graduation Exhibit at the Athena Building in Eastwood City, Libis introduced me to 18 fun, refreshing, and interesting colors that can definitely make any room pop!
Called “Caleidoscope,” the exhibit is the students’ thesis and may very well be the showcase of how local interior design will look like in the future. It features 18 masterfully designed interiors that center on color as a unifying factor. Each group was asked to pick out colors from a lottery and create a room based on that hue. From the subdued to the striking, the hues subtly and dramatically change as the viewer is taken through a virtual tour of the color spectrum.
Cerise is a deep and saturated pinkish red, so most people consider this as a feminine hue. It was a big challenge for Mirriam Cattleya, John de Guzman, Reuel Patrick Rubin, Ma. Kristina Peña, and Epee Etienne Elyse Ramirez to design a bachelor’s pad with cerise as the inspiration.
“We combined cerise with neutral colors to create a relaxing ambience in the living room. We also used scrapped wood for the divider and TV stand, which looks like building blocks — similar to those wooden toys sold in malls — for that masculine look,” explains Kristina.
Heliotrope is a soothing color. It’s easy on the eyes and blends well with earth tones. Bursley Co, Marj Francisco, Ronaldo Espedido, and Karen Mendoza created a luxurious bedroom for the sophisticated and confident woman. The focal point is the glass shower room situated right behind the bed, which adds a flirty touch to the uber feminine room..
“It’s inspired by Sex and the City. Heliotrope is a fairly new color trend in interior design and is the color of choice of those with strong personalities and eccentric characters,” notes Karen.
Sang de boeuf is a bold color that commands attention. Eileen Gonzales and Sid Salazar executed a cozy sitting area that can also work in one’s veranda.
The booth that stands out from the rest is the Indigo dining area-cum-bar. Created and designed by Naighelyn Francisco and Rei Monique Yu, everything in this futuristic bar is custom-made. The shell of the main dining area is made of fiberglass, while black sand was used as flooring. The LED lights make Indigo glow in the dark. This spaceship-inspired nook rocks!
“It appeals to the eccentric and artistic set. Kids will surely love to dine here, too. You’ll find the bar and the buffet counter when you step out of the ‘globe.’ We designed it as an outdoor bar, but if you want it indoors you just have to replace the black sand with granite tiles,” explains Naighelyn.
Inspired by the hit TV series Gossip Girl, the Sunflower dining room is designed for the bachelorette in her late 20s who loves to balance work and play.
Sunflower is a popular choice for nurseries and children’s rooms as it stimulates the mind, but others avoid it on their walls because excessive use of this hue tends to make one cranky.
“Sunflower can be combined with white, gray, and black to create an elegant dining area. Instead of wallpaper, we put up a padded wall for texture. We also incorporated the classic brocade print on the Ghost Chair’s cushion, the glass panel, and on the ceiling to make the colors stand out,” notes Joanne Garcia.
The “crawling diamonds” are the star in Mel Andrew Chan, Kylie Cuizon and Franz Lasco’s Chartreuse kitchen.
“We incorporated these diamond wooden cutouts into our design to depict the shape found in a kaleidoscope. Chartreuse is a tricky color. It is one of those hues that deliver a big punch, but can get a bit overwhelming; as such, it’s better to use it in small doses,” explains Kylie.
The glass, granite, and stainless steel counters, built-in cabinets, and top-of-the-line appliances make up this contemporary kitchen.
There’s also a retro-modern Tomato kitchen designed by the group of Marjorie Jalos, Karen Lopez, Vanessa Joy Sta. Maria, Coco Martinez, and Sung June Park. Karen says that when designing or renovating a kitchen, one should keep in mind the classic kitchen triangle.
“The classic kitchen triangle regulates work flow. The three ‘points’ of the triangle are the sink, stove/oven, and refrigerator. The cook should be able to move unimpeded between the three points, and the distances between those points should not be far,” she explains.
The counter looks like a huge tomato cut in half. There’s a built-in wooden chopping board and a dish drainer found on both sides of the sink so everything is within reach. The kitchen’s red-orange paint is said to induce one’s appetite.
We love the Sage bedroom by Julie Ann Fernandez, Bernard de Guzman, Emma Karseboom, Jane Ong, and Cheri Roberto.
Inspired by nature, the color soothes and relaxes. The latticework looks like vines crawling on the wall. A Bubble Chair right beside the bed invites visitors to sit, relax, and watch a movie on an LCD TV with a console that can turn 360 degrees. There’s also a clever makeup table for a small space like a condo or hotel room.
“A tricky part of design is bringing together different elements to bring about something uniquely beautiful that is also cohesive and well-thought of. This is something that the class has been able to do with ‘Caleidoscope.’ Color, character, cause, and cost are melded to create a vivid sense of passion, personality, purpose, and practicality,” notes Rosario C. Yujuico, PSID president/administrator.
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PSID’s graduation show “Caleidoscope” is on view until Oct. 31, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Athena Building, Eastwood City, Libis, QC.