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By Sarah Baviera
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Bright
summer colors inspired
Boysie Villavicencio’s arrangement
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SIX design masters were given a
tough task to stretch their artistry further and turn ordinary
tables into masterpieces: a bag designer, a veteran couturier, a
landscape artist, a gallery owner, an accountant turned fashion
brand owner and an interior designer. All six squeezed their
creative juices and came up with fabulous table setups in an exhibit
organized by Swan Catering billed as “Tablescapes ala cARTe.”
The natural beauty of wood, the
glimmer of glass and the strength of iron are the elemental
characteristics of interior designer Eric Paras’ Tablescapes
design. Paras proved that combining all elements can result to
overwhelming splendor. He got inspiration from kamagong cutlery and
crockery woodworks, glass candle holders, wine buckets and cast iron
statues on weathered wood base.
Paras is a well-loved interior
and furniture designer who runs Novocom, a construction company that
designs and builds edifices and Gallery A-11 in Manila where he
sells his own Filipino-inspired furniture and artworks. His
masterpieces go from simple to eclectic, all understated yet market
oriented. He also counts weathered wood and iron as his favorite
materials and like all artists, he is sufficiently energized in the
process of creative development.
And while some would think that
creating a sense of the elemental and natural in a bustling city
like Manila is impossible, landscape designer Pido Villanueva thinks
otherwise. Villanueva has been in the business of creating lush
forests in a ballroom setting while making use of the variety of
plants and foliages he grows in his own farm in Cavite. Through the
genius of Villanueva, events landscaping was born and welcomed with
open arms in themed-weddings, corporate functions and events.
At the exhibit, Villanueva made
use of pińa with gold threadings for the table covering with
mini-silicon lamps to light up the table. Yellow daffodils and
violets held up in an enormous glass vases topped with a ball of red
roses and orchid stems flow down from under the shade of Moroccan
umbrellas made up his centerpiece.
Although most of the artists
thrived on contemporary dining setups fit for formal occasions,
artist extraordinaire Albert Avellana took on the table for the
little ones and splashed colors in the set through his multicolored
kiddie buffet table.
Rubber coasters provided the
accent for the long table and Avellana created a fabulous backdrop
filled with goodies and sweets. To achieve a double-tiered buffet,
he used kiddie wooden chairs and styled these to make room for
space. He owns the Avellana art gallery on FB Harrison, Pasay City,
where the finest artworks of our best artists are exhibited all year
round.
Couturier Boysie Villavicencio
came up with a colorful and fun table ensemble that included
decorative crystal fruit embellishments over vibrant fruit decorated
crockery paired with whimsical cutlery accessorized with green
goblets and candles on ceramic holders. A perfect tablescape fit for
summer weddings and outdoor dining.
Unknown to many, Bergamo’s Mel
Meer is a certified public accountant by profession before he turned
to dressing up the country’s high society profiles. Meer is a
Parsons educated interior designer whose various works adorn his own
private space in a posh Makati village and in four of the
restaurants he has set up over the last decade.
In his Tablescapes piece, he
provided the same definitive touch of simplicity and elegance that
Bergamo is known for. A traditional, formal dining arrangement of
fine china and an interesting centerpiece with long-stemmed flowers
and foliage blended perfectly with the authentic Asian linen and
antique dark wooden chairs he chose for this particular exhibit. A
backdrop of eclectic capiz dividers and Bangkok carved wood statues
from Bangkok were devised to provide a real Asian feel and vibe.
Also making her presence felt was
bag designer Ella Puyat who teamed up with interior designer Ricky
David for casual dining arrangement with a fusion of table ornaments
in brass, porcelain, ceramic and glasswares. And to give even more
casual comfort, pillows are thrown on the seats so guests could
relax while munching on pralines or puffing cigarettes from the
tandem’s cigarette jar.
Tablescapes is yet another
milestone in Swan’s food catering tradition, its contribution to
the ever changing trend in table design and setup. Vice president
Danny Jacinto believes that aesthetics play an enormous part in
giving the overall ambience of every function. For 40 years now,
Swan Catering continues to be at the forefront of quality and
innovation, particularly in satisfying the palate of its loyal
clientele.
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