The Manila’Bang Show 2024 happened between November 14 to 17 at SPACE at OneAyala. The new venue gives artists and galleries an opportunity to showcase their art at the heart of the Makati Central Business District. With that in mind, BluPrint takes you on the ground of its opening day. Many galleries came out in […]
Moda Interni Presents The Master’s Touch: Design & Detail
Moda Interni, in collaboration with BluPrint, presented the Master’s Touch: Design & Detail at the Bonavida Center, Quezon City. It was an intimate event that marked a significant milestone for luxury interiors in the Philippines.
Hosted by architect Manolet Garcia and held at the brand’s stunning showroom, the event showcased Italian craftsmanship and design excellence. It featured three prestigious furniture brands: Turri, Pedini, and Opera Contemporary.
Among those in attendance were the who’s who from the world of architecture and interior design. Alongside were the distinguished brand representatives, Luca Meduri from Turri, Francesco Guiffrida from Pedini, and Pietro Alliata from Opera Contemporary.
The program kicked off with a warm welcome from BluPrint Editor-in-Chief, Geewel Fuster. She thanked everyone in attendance for their being part of the special event, and proudly announced the return of BluPrint Circles: a series of roundtable discussions featuring the country’s top architects and designers.
Curated Spaces
One of the key highlights of the program was the curation of four different rooms showcasing Moda Interni’s furniture collections. Renowned architects and interior designers Jorge Yulo, Cecil Ravelas, Ivy and Cynthia Almario, and Rebecca Plaza-Ti, each staged and curated a room using the featured brands. Together, they transformed the showroom into a truly luxurious home with a meticulous attention to detail befitting their stature.
Guest curators elevated these spaces with their own personal touches. They added home accessories, floral arrangements, and artwork to give their room a more lived-in feel. This allowed attendees to fully experience the functionality and aesthetic appeal of the products in a realistic setting. They were treated to a guided tour of each space, with the respective curators and brand representatives talking about their design choices and the featured furniture pieces.
The Living Room
For the showroom’s living room, Jorge Yulo’s interpretation of a sophisticated and modern living space featured Turri’s plush sectional sofa adorned with dark gray and vibrant throw pillows. Subtle biophilic touches served to amplify the room. A bonsai tree graced the modern glass coffee table, punctuated by a stunning deep blue acrylic sculpture by up and coming artist, Chino Yulo. The celebrated architect praised the quality and materiality of every piece, with his design complementing the furnitures’ geometry.
The Turri Touch
Since 1925, Turri has epitomized Italian craftsmanship, creating unique, high-quality furniture. Committed to environmental sustainability, Turri crafts timeless interiors that bring the art of living amidst beauty into every room. “We always try to understand what the client is looking for, but at the same time, we don’t want to lose our identity,” explains Luca Meduri, Turri’s brand representative.
Turri offers custom projects and furniture collections for various settings. “Customization is a key strength of Turri. We offer customized sizes, finishes, and shapes, making each client feel special,” says Meduri, emphasizing Turri’s role as a bespoke tailor in the furniture industry.
“The Turri touch is about combining different materials, ensuring everything is 100% made in Italy, and maintaining meticulous craftsmanship,” notes Meduri.
Collaborating with international designers such as Daniel Libeskind and Monica Armani, Turri pushes design and production boundaries. Meduri highlights the Melting Light collection as a showcase of Turri’s essence: “It was the first collection where we used different materials together, moving away from the traditional glossy polyester finish. This collection included wood, metal decorations, and LED lighting all in one piece.”
Investing in Turri means investing in uniqueness. Each piece reflects Italian expertise, skilled craftsmanship, high-quality materials, and refined design.
Kitchen & Dining
The kitchen and dining room, curated by interior designer Cecil Ravelas, featured Pedini’s signature curved kitchen joinery. The beautiful island, with clean lines and neutral colors, included high-backed bar stools. These overlooked the glass-fronted upper cabinets and beautiful, wide countertops made with aesthetic and innovative laminates.
A round white marble dining table set for six included sleek, minimalist leather chairs. Ravelas’ tablescaping added vibrant pops of color, with a glass sculpture by Ramon Orlina serving as its centerpiece.
Proudly Pedini
Pedini, founded in 1957, offers collections for kitchens, living rooms, bathrooms, and wardrobes. “Our Atmosphere catalog is a key example,” Francesco Guiffrida states. “It represents a total look starting from the kitchen and extending to other areas like cabinetry, demonstrating our comprehensive design approach.”
Its pioneering work with curved kitchens introduced distinct operational zones, and Pedini’s lacquered finishes are among its most iconic and luxurious offerings. Each undergoes a meticulous, handmade process with rigorous quality control.
“There is a lot of engineering and design work involved. Even a very simple design has a lot of thought and study behind it that you don’t really see. This ensures the aesthetic part remains functional without compromising performance,” Guiffrida goes on to say, “One of the most important values is flexibility. Flexibility means being capable of offering a wide range of options to address all the needs of designers and architects.”
Investing in a Pedini kitchen means embracing over 60 years of history and expertise, handmade in Italy with a focus on design and creativity. Pedini is committed to unmatched quality, exceptional customer service, and eco-friendly practices, making its kitchens a perfect choice for creating warm, inviting spaces. Pedini also announced its new Walk-in Closets 2024 line, showcasing its dedication to innovation.
Bedroom & Closet
The bedroom and closet, styled by Ivy and Cynthia Almario, showcased pieces from Opera Contemporary and Pedini’s closet systems.
Just off the dining room, they created a stylish casual living area with upholstered sofas and armchairs arranged around a central coffee table. Decorative elements, such as pillows, sculptures, and books, enhanced the modern aesthetic.
Behind a glass partition was the bedroom. True to form, the Almario sisters infused a touch of playfulness to their design, taking their cues from the bed’s orange headboard. Zebra animal prints and dog sculptures, as well as beautiful decorative pieces from their own collection completed the look.
Beside the bedroom is the Pedini walk-in closet with dark wooden shelves and drawers, providing ample storage for clothing and accessories. The closet includes several open shelves with neatly arranged storage boxes, as well as hanging spaces for suits and other garments. A central island with glass-topped drawers offers additional storage, showcasing smaller items like jewelry or accessories.
On the island, a white vase filled with fresh white tulips and a framed black-and-white photo add a personal and decorative touch. The closet also features mirrored doors, enhancing the room’s depth and providing practical functionality. An bold-colored upholstered stool sits by the island, offering a comfortable spot to sit while getting ready.
Rooted in Tradition
Since 1886, under the Angelo Cappellini mark, Opera Contemporary’s unique stylistic language juxtaposes aesthetic solutions to create sophisticated atmospheres. They offer a wide range of finishes and fabrics, providing infinite possibilities for coordination within an expandable collection, perfect for high-end interior decoration in both public and private spaces.
Their distinctive appeal lies in the ability to draw inspiration from the past, crafting timeless designs that fit seamlessly into various settings. “We’re not trying to be a trendsetter,” declares Pietro Alliata. “We want to maintain our identity, which is rooted in our past. We balance classic and modern elements to ensure we don’t lose our heritage.”
“Linking to our heritage is crucial,” he continues. “We avoid straying too far from our origins, ensuring our designs reflect our history. We keep an eye on market trends and materials but always develop products that are tied to our past.”
Opera Contemporary is renowned for its artisanal details, stemming from a long tradition of woodworking using precious solid woods along with luxurious marbles combined with metals.
“The Opera 3 collection, particularly our dining table, showcases our philosophy,” Alliata says. “This table features uniquely treated noble materials like marble and refined wood. It’s not about being modern but creating something timeless and refined, which perfectly represents our brand’s essence.”
Office Space & Lounge
The final stop of the tour was the office and lounge visualized by WTA Design Studio Managing Director, Rebecca Plaza-Ti.
It featured a sitting area with a blush sectional sofa with various soft pillows, anchored by a modern coffee table with marble and mirrored surfaces. The office space itself had a large wooden desk with a unique geometric design on the front panel. Built-in wooden shelves and cabinets with a combination of open and closed storage provide a well-organized and aesthetically pleasing look. WTA decorated the desk and shelves with books, figurines, and personal items.
Overall, the space combined modern elegance with comfort, resulting in a welcoming and luxurious atmosphere, with one of the architect’s prized bonsai trees displayed on a mirrored pedestal adding a touch of greenery.
The room includes a few chairs with quilted upholstery, echoing the diamond-pattern of the sectional and the desk. Overall, the office exudes a contemporary, organized, and welcoming atmosphere, suitable for a modern workspace.
BluPrint Circles
Following the tours, the event moved to the roundtable discussion, BluPrint Circles, focusing on the theme of “Design and Detail.” Esteemed curators discussed the history of Italian craftsmanship, its global impact, and the dynamic relationship between architecture and art. The panelists shared insights into their creative processes, emphasizing the importance of mastering the art of curation in interior design.
Parting Words from Moda Interni
The event concluded with closing remarks from Moda Interni’s CEO, Goldwin Sison. Sison expressed gratitude to the guests and reiterated Moda Interni’s commitment to bringing visions to life with unmatched elegance and style.
“Moda Interni is dedicated to showcasing the finest in Italian craftsmanship and design, creating spaces that are both beautiful and functional,” he said. “We wanted to bring brands that offer more freedom in design… Our company emphasizes customization, responding to the current market demand. Mass production is over; we are moving towards mass customization. It’s a response to market trends and a forward-thinking approach. Customization adds value, and with advancements in robotics and technology, it is now possible and feasible.”
“Right now mass production is already over,” Sison notes. “We’re going into mass customization. So we’re trying to respond to that portion of the market and be forward thinking.”
Moda Interni is proactive in addressing site management after-sales service. Recognizing that having good brands isn’t enough, they take significant steps to enhance the customer experience. One notable initiative is partnering with a company dedicated to maintaining furniture, a first for any company in the Philippines. This ensures that their customers’ pieces remain in pristine condition, allowing them to maintain the highest standards of quality.
Photographed by Kieran Punay.
Read more: Uma Nota Manila: A Symphony of Brazilian and Japanese Design
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