CREATIVE Italian design master Giulio Cappellini and Tessa Valdes next to Wanders’ Tulip armchair
TO CALL the Proust Geometrica armchair an extraordinary piece of furniture would be an understatement. This artwork screamed “Tessa” all over, and it was this piece at Cappellini that immediately caught my eye. The colorfully whimsical stunner is the showstopper at the window display of the new Cappellini Showroom at Bonifacio Global City.
Created by Alessandro Mendini, the hand-finished armchair with a wooden frame, upholstered with a multicolor fabric is just one of the many home furnishings offered at Cappellini. Modular furniture, home accessories and container systems with iconic designs cover the spacious showroom that recently opened with no less than Italian owner Giulio Cappellini present.
Suyen Corp., the name behind Bench and Dimensioné, is the exclusive distributor of Cappellini in the Philippines. After carrying a few pieces of Cappellini in their Dimensioné shops a few years back, Bench founder Ben Chan and his team decided to open a Cappellini mono-brand showroom at the BGC. Bench VP Bryan Lim is glad to represent the Italian design firm in the country in the same way in Italy, France, the United States and the rest of its flagship locations.
At our pleasant chat at the opening, I discovered that aside from all his successes and achievements in the design field, Giulio is quite a family man who immensely enjoys being with his wife and children. He told me that his youngest daughter shows interest in furniture design.
COLORFUL and whimsical Proust Geometrica armchair by Alessandro Mendini
Trendsetter
He talked about his team of designers that helped transform his company into one of the biggest “trendsetters” worldwide. The Milanese architect has worked since 1979 and has become a widely recognized tastemaker in international design.
Time magazine even hailed him as one of the top 10 trendsetters of our time, as well as one of the most charismatic leaders in the field of design. Cappellini helped launch the careers of award-winning designers such as Jasper Morrison, Marcel Wanders, the Bouroullec brothers, Nendo and Tom Dixon. Many of the Cappellini-designed products have become iconic pieces and are exhibited in museums around the world: Victoria & Albert in London, MoMA in New York and the Pompidou Centre in Paris.
The local showroom carries important pieces of several Cappellini designers. The Wanders’ Tulip Armchair by Marcel Wanders is displayed at the entrance of the shop. The tulip-shaped armchair has a shiny, revolving base in dark, varnished metal, and provides support mimicking the stem of a flower.
The Org cool table by Fabio Novembre is quite a conversation piece. It is a coffee table with structure made of flexible polypropylene rope legs and stiff legs with steel internal structure covered with white, red or black rope. Architect Miguel Pastor and I had fun figuring out which of the rope legs were real supports or just decorative parts.
EXCITING living set with Cotton Flower Lamp by Marcel Wanders and Cloud Bookcase by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec
The Revolving Cabinet by Shiro Kuramata is one unit I desperately need for storing all my accessories. The chest of drawers, with 20 drawers in red polish acrylic material, revolves around a vertical, metal support.
An explorer of design between imagination and reality, Cappellini designs transform some original pieces and evolve them into contemporary creations. Cappellini offer completes itself with the respect of the traditional “sartorial” productive aspect.
Having experienced each piece in the shop, I felt that it was not only the Proust Geometrica armchair that was screaming “Tessa” but almost all the Cappellini innovative and interesting pieces. It will surely be in my Christmas list this year.
Stylish Christmas décor
With Christmas just around the corner, check out Cappellini and the shop next door Dimensioné. There are colored trees and décor to match any Christmas theme.
ORG Table by Fabio Novembre, Anthracite Satinate Vase One Flower Vase and Lorenzo Bowl
For other stylish Christmas décor, drop by any Our Home Shop for one-stop shopping from Christmas lights, garlands and decorative pillows. With Paris as my family’s Christmas-décor theme this year, I was able to purchase Paris-inspired tree ornaments, napkins and table runners.
Our Home Shop in SM North Mall also carries intricate Indian and Tibetan furniture. Beige marble top coffee tables and silver-leafed armchairs are displayed for viewing.
The furniture section of SM North Mall has a variety of shops from traditional Pinoy furniture or lightings. It’s wonderful to have all the furniture options locally. Happy shopping.
Follow @tessavaldes on Twitter or email her at seaprincess@inquirer.com.ph.