The DBP Building as a Landmark of the International Style At the corner of Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue and Makati Avenue stands a landmark of the Makati Central Business District. It is one of the last still standing that were built in the first wave of construction in district fifty years ago. The Development Bank […]
The Rustan’s Designers’ Circle 2025 Unveils a New Epoch of Filipino Interior Design
Four leading Filipino designers unveil inspiring vignettes with PIID, showcasing 2025's home trends.
In the dialogue between space and inhabitant, the home transcends mere shelter to become a profound articulation of lifestyle, aspiration, and aesthetic sensibility. Recognizing this intimate nexus, Rustan’s Designers’ Circle 2025 emerges as a significant curatorial endeavor, this year fortified by a landmark partnership with the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID). This collaboration not only lends institutional gravitas but also underscores a commitment to championing the vanguard of Filipino creative talent.
The initiative presents a compelling tableau: four distinguished interior designers, each commissioned to conceive and execute a unique vignette. These installations are not merely decorative assemblages but are posited as distilled expressions of individual design philosophies, responding to emergent trends for 2025. Key thematic undercurrents—the embrace of sustainable materials, the ingenuity of multifunctional spaces, and the grounding serenity of earthy color palettes—are explored through the lens of each designer’s distinct vision, utilizing a curated selection from Rustan’s extensive repository of both local and internationally acclaimed home brands.
A Quartet of Visions: Reinterpreting Domestic Space
The Designers’ Circle, inherently a program dedicated to celebrating design professionals, this year elevates its discourse through these four distinct spatial narratives, each offering a compelling perspective on contemporary living.
Whimsical Chic
Cynthia Almario orchestrates a living room imbued with a “whimsical chic,” a delicate counterpoint of playful exuberance and refined sophistication. The structural integrity and understated luxury of furniture from Poliform and Flexform provide a distinguished canvas. Upon this, Almario layers vibrant hues and sculptural forms, notably from Jonathan Adler.
“I infused the room with vibrant colors and quirky shapes… to create a delightful contrast to the refined furniture,” she explains. “My idea is to create an enchanting environment that invites exploration, blending various sumptuous materials that harmonize to provide a unique sensory experience.”
The result is a meticulously detailed environment where modern elegance and charming idiosyncrasy converge, fostering an atmosphere of joy and creative immersion.
La Dolce Isla
Cyndi Fernandez-Beltran presents “La Dolce Isla,” an ambitious exploration into the symbiosis of European classicism and indigenous Filipino craftsmanship. The vignette interrogates how the iconic, surrealist motifs and bold monochrome of Fornasetti can achieve resonance within a tropical, vernacular context.
“The concept is hinged on the belief that Fornasetti’s iconic look…can be seamlessly integrated into tropical, locally grounded interiors,” Fernandez-Beltran articulates. “By pairing his signature aesthetic with the warmth and texture of Filipino design, the vignette reimagines maximalist European charm through a distinctly island lens.” This vision materializes across three interconnected zones: a formal dining foyer, a principal dining area, and an alfresco cocktail nook, each demonstrating a fluid transition and a masterful layering of global and local design idioms.
Sanctuaries for the Soul
Cecil Ravelas crafts a living and dining environment that serves as a poignant meditation on the essence of hospitality. Her design emphasizes textured surfaces, considered table compositions, and an inviting chromatic scheme to evoke a deep sense of welcome.
“In the rush of daily life, we often forget to feel,” Ravelas posits. “That’s why our homes must become sanctuaries—spaces that breathe, hold beauty, and speak to the soul… Each piece of furniture, every artwork, every cherished object is more than décor—it is nourishment.”
Her vignette is conceived as a restorative haven, where carefully chosen elements elevate the domestic experience.
Spaces for Connection and Comfort
Ann Dee-Santiago addresses the contemporary yearning for integrated, fluid living with a lounge-dining concept designed for a lanai. This space is envisioned as an effortless extension of the home, promoting informal congregation. “The inspiration came from the pace of real life,” Dee-Santiago shares. “One thing we all truly value is slowing down and sharing happy moments… This set up invites that – a relaxed space… I wanted a place where you can hangout during the day with coffee, or stay up late with good conversation and a bottle of wine.” Her design prioritizes connection, comfort, and the unpretentious luxury of shared time, centered around a substantial wooden table and enveloped by verdant plantings.
Collectively, these vignettes serve as a compelling forecast of design sensibilities for 2025, illustrating how notions of sustainability, adaptability, and biophilic connection are shaping interior landscapes. Each installation offers a nuanced interpretation of modern living, where meticulous detailing and narrative depth transform domestic environments into works of spatial art.
A Sustained Design Dialogue
Following their unveiling, these four distinct environments will remain on public view for one month at the 5th level of Rustan’s Makati. This extended exhibition invites a deeper engagement, allowing patrons and design aficionados alike to discern how exceptional objects and materials can be orchestrated to redefine personal spaces, offering tangible inspiration for future projects.
The Rustan’s Designers’ Circle 2025, in its thoughtful curation and collaborative spirit, transcends a mere showcase; it is a testament to the enduring power of design to shape experience and articulate the evolving narrative of the Filipino home. The Designers’ Circle itself, a premium loyalty program, further underscores a commitment to fostering and rewarding design talent within the professional community.
Special acknowledgments are extended to partners Philippine Wine Merchants, Garden Barn, Casabella, Poliform, Pottery Barn, Floret, Fornasetti, Jonathan Adler, and Kenneth Cobonpue, whose contributions have been integral to the realization of these visions.
Images courtesy of Rustan’s.
Read more: The Evolution of Lladró: A Heritage of Innovation and Craftsmanship
Frequently Asked Questions
The Rustan’s Designers’ Circle 2025 marks a landmark collaboration with the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID) to showcase the vanguard of local creative talent. By partnering with the country’s officially recognized body of licensed practitioners, Rustan’s lends institutional gravitas to the exhibition while championing Filipino interior design on a professional stage. This initiative transforms the department store’s 5th level into a curatorial gallery that forecasts 2025 home trends through expertly crafted spatial narratives.
The 2025 showcase serves as a compelling forecast for domestic living, centering on sustainable materials, multifunctional spaces, and earthy color palettes. Designers utilize these themes to address the contemporary yearning for homes that act as “sanctuaries for the soul” and fluid extensions of personal lifestyle. Each vignette illustrates how biophilic connections and adaptable layouts can redefine modern interiors, using a curated selection of both local and internationally acclaimed brands available at Rustan’s.
Cynthia Almario’s “Whimsical Chic” living room uses high-end furniture from Poliform and Flexform as a sophisticated backbone for playful experimentation. She layers these refined pieces with vibrant colors and quirky, sculptural forms from Jonathan Adler to create a delightful sensory contrast. The result is a multi-sensory environment that invites curiosity and creative immersion, proving that modern elegance can be harmoniously paired with charming, joyful idiosyncrasies.
“La Dolce Isla” is an ambitious exploration of “island maximalism,” merging European classicism with indigenous Filipino warmth and texture. Cyndi Fernandez-Beltran integrates the surreal, monochrome motifs of Fornasetti into a tropical context across three zones: a formal foyer, a principal dining area, and an alfresco cocktail nook. This vignette demonstrates how global design idioms can be seamlessly paired with local craftsmanship to create a space that feels both elevated and deeply rooted in its environment.
Cecil Ravelas focuses on emotional restoration, using organic textures and soulful table compositions to create a restorative haven that “nourishes” the inhabitant. In contrast, Ann Dee-Santiago interprets the sanctuary through social connection, designing a lanai-inspired “lounge-dining” space that encourages slowing down and sharing moments. While Ravelas emphasizes internal peace and clarity, Dee-Santiago prioritizes the unpretentious luxury of companionship, featuring communal wooden tables and lush greenery to bridge the gap between nature and community.
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