A Dialogue With K

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Edgy design

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Lately, everytime I walk past the OVO Modern lifestyle and furniture shop in Wanchai near my place, I find it really quite fascinating to see such a beautiful furniture sofa from the window display. Somehow, I stood there for a minute, glance, bend and can’t help but admire the design. Even so that it makes me so curious as to who the designer of the rattan sofa could be. Today, while flipping thru my favourite local Sunday magazine on its featured houses and design sections, the exact piece of sofa was mentioned and immediately found the designer’s name.

Kenneth Cobonpue
Originally uploaded by: tomcakuls + Shanghai. This is a store called “Magazine,” full of really nice furniture designed by a guy named Kenneth Cobonpue. Much of it’s asian looking without being cliche or otherwise cheesy–using materials like rattan or traditional screen patterns in totally modern looking ways.

Kenneth Cobonpue
Originally uploaded by: rollcomerollgo + Kenneth Cobonpue’s creations have earned him recognition at home and abroad. Tropical Living, and Tropical Interiors underscore Kenneth’s position as a leader of a new movement incorporating new technologies with crafts.

Kenneth Cobonpue
Originally uploaded by: emily

It’s a Kenneth Cobonpue’s designs. A filipino furniture designer who was being granted the prestigious 2005 Design For Asia Award. Isn’t that something that gives the Philippines the reason to be proud?

Kenneth Cobonpue began studying Industrial Design at Pratt Institute in New York, 1987. While completing his degree, he apprenticed for a leather and wood workshop near Florence, Italy. In 1994, he studied Furniture Marketing and Production in Reutlingen, Germany.

He returned home to the Philippines in 1996, to manage Interior Craft of The Islands Inc, a company founded in 1972 by his mother, Betty Cobonpue, a designer famous for creating new techniques in rattan.

He’s such a genius. And apparently, I’m not the only one impressed. His works have appeared in Magazines like Architectural Digest, Newsweek, the International Herald Tribune, and even Vogue. Kenneth Cobonpue’s furniture designs are now available in Hong Kong at: OVO Modern Lifestyle G/F 16 Queen’s Road East, Wanchai, Hong Kong Telephone: 2526 7226.


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30 Comments »

Wavatar kengkay
2007-10-08 02:35:22

hi K, ganda talaga kapag rattan ano? medyo ilag ako dun sa last one kasi baka gawing pick up sticks lang nung mga bata ang mga walis ting-ting e - waaaah, pag uwi mo sa bahay wala ng likuran yung sofa nyo, hahaah! though iba ang dating nya ha.

 
2007-10-08 02:43:03

“medyo ilag ako dun sa last one kasi baka gawing pick up sticks lang nung mga bata ang mga walis ting-ting”.

Kenks, hahahaha. Well, pwede din gawing “hide en seek” kaso, careful careful, baka matusok ang mga mata ng bata. It’s edgy but, I don’t know if it’s comfortable lalo na sa mga bata. Gusto kong gupitin, pero that’s how the style stands out, the brand speaks for itself, PINOY made. Galeng diba?

 
2007-10-08 04:03:34

K, you are right. His designs are eye catching. On the third photo though, isn’t that sofa uncomfortable to sit at? parang….

 
2007-10-08 04:04:09

btw.. I like the second photo. I wouldn’t mind to have a living room like that :)

 
2007-10-08 04:27:59

Duke, I saw him being featured on Rated K with Korina Sanchez, di ko lang natandaan yung exact name nya. His talk-of-the-town designs was the voyage bed and even Brad Pitt bought one. According to the news, he was also asked to furnish a casino set for the Ocean’s Thirteen movie, so I think cultural design such as these can create jobs in Pinas diba?

 
2007-10-08 05:01:57

Mas tayp ko ang pangalawa!yoko ko ng pangatlo na yan baka magkatusok tusok ako,lol

Fantastic set of ideas actually.Very Unique!! Respect to him!

 
2007-10-08 05:06:27

Cheh, actually the tusok-tusok style is good for people na makukulit kapag na-invite sa bahay nyo? Kapag ayaw pa nilang umalis dahil magpapatulog ka pa ng bata, gamitin mong panusok para duguan ang kanilang nga matang umalis ng bahay nyo. No, no, not a good choice for the family, so para AKIN LANG SYA! Sa Besaya lagi dire mga sets ginawa ha?

 
2007-10-08 05:57:35

yan ang world class Pinoy talent! very creative designs….pic # 3 is not comforting though…yun name nun designer sounds very foreign

enjoy!

 
2007-10-08 06:09:34

I’m more into the antique styles. It’s just that classic style is more affordable for our home. It’s not exactly cheap to be changing furniture every time my mood changes. :)
I’m really happy that it’s a Filipino who is getting an award.

 
2007-10-08 11:02:35

cool post, k!

 
2007-10-08 13:01:19

Tumayo yung mga cat’s hair ko ng mamention mo na pinoy ang designer ng mga furnitures na yun. Dito ako natouch na nagpatayo ng nilalaman ko—–> Isn’t that something that gives the Philippines the reason to be proud? ang post mo ay may connection sa post ni engz ( http://engengz.blogspot.com/) kaya nakarelate ako talaga.

Back then, nakaka impress talaga ang designs niya.

 
2007-10-08 14:53:40

Chuvanes, agaw pansin diba yung design? If you have visitors, the first impression would probably “Whoah, pwedeng i-try umupo? I’m sure my answer would be, “WARNING, sit at your own risk”. But I like it anyways.

KK, antiques are expensives around here. Most shops sells Chinese furnitures that I find quite a bit too much for a single-person like myself. Do you know that people around here loves decorating their small apartments, kaya mabenta ang IKEA shop dahil they have an affordable good design that makes for good solution to many space problems.

Polaris, posting photos such as these saves me from writing more in-depth writing. I tend to write less these days. I hope that’s ok.

Hi redlan, thank you for the link. I’m not just impressed with his design, it’s inspiring talaga so that I should work hard and save and buy one of those. If only I was rich, ngayon pa lang bibilhin ko na, hehehe.

 
2007-10-08 14:54:50

i so love the second picture. it’s refreshing and relaxing.

 
2007-10-08 15:50:22

hi k! i just happened by your site. i like these stuff. i’ve actually heard of cobonpue’s designs but i haven’t seen any. hehehe. they’re really nice.. and that’s coming from me, who doesn’t like rattan on furniture :)

 
2007-10-08 19:01:07

Kuya K, I like the first set of sofa.. it looks comfy. the third one hehehe parang ayokong umupo at mukhang makati LOL mahirap mag karoon ng ganyan na sofa sa mag-asawa hahaha baka matuldos ang isa pag nag-away.

I agree with iRonnie on the second sofa, very relaxing indeed.

 
2007-10-09 01:07:14

Ron, makes me just want to stay at home all day staring at them while having my Jazz music on the background.

Ris, I swear don’t wanna know what’s on the tag price in HK dollar. Thanks for the visit.

Blue, hehehe I’m sure comfortable yung sofa na may walis-design. Exotic masyado pero dito, ganyang mga designs, type ng mga locals, rare kasi dito ang rattan eh.

 
Wavatar Kayte
2007-10-09 01:08:44

I found your site through Ask.com today and i’m enjoying browsing your pages. i love the images of the modern furniture designs, especially those unique styles of Kenneth Cobonpue. I’ve never seen anything like it before… and i love modern design! If you guys like modern furniture and home goods, Unique Decor at http://uniquedecor.blogspot.com/ is a really interesting modern blog, too. The entries are more like artistic stories so they’re fun to read. I’m pretty sure they’re associated with AllModern.com because that’s where their featured product links go to. Anyway, just thought i’d pass that along! Keep up the fun posts! :)

 
2007-10-09 01:34:17

Kayte, thanks for the click, I peeked at your site and I’ve already lovvee it. I do enjoy home archi and designs. You got a few nice posts there specially the bean bags. You can also browse thru the Apartment.com site, very quintessentials.

 
2007-10-09 01:35:25

k, yong sofa ng last pic ay type ko. multi purpose para sa akin, pwedeng gamiting pantuhog sa bbq, pwede ring toothpick at pamalo ng aking mga kulet na bulelets. pero kidding aside yong nasa middle ang gusto ko kasi it looks comfortable and it has a sophisticated touch.

p.s
gamitin mo na kasi yong space mo. you can even register a domain for it kong ayaw mong gumamit ng sub. o sagot na bilisss!

 
2007-10-09 01:55:14

Ate Lukresia, I actually logged in kanina and I can’t upload a THEME to my dashboard at blog-o-holics. I even logged-in at FTP and I messed it up.

Nasanay na ako ng click drag click from wp.com dashboard. I don’t even know how to import the posts from wp.com to blog-o-holics.

And how do I register? For Free?

 
2007-10-09 02:32:50

psst, check your email. yahoo addy mo ang ginamit ko.

 
2007-10-09 04:32:53

Whoa! I wish my pad looked like that second picture with the Bamboo against the window, the colors and earth tones. That would rock my world. in fact, I will go out on a limb and say that that’s one of my dream environments.

Jon

 
2007-10-09 07:58:02

Looks pretty nifty, but expensive!

 
2007-10-09 12:28:37

I like masculine furniture, and don’t change them very often, more like never.Lol. I’ve the tendency to buy high quality furniture so they last for a long time, but not paying high price because my sisters work for a furniture company so I get them dirt-cheap. :)

 
2007-10-09 16:16:12

Kenneth Cobonpue’s designs are cool, diba? Cebuano yan. :)

 
2007-10-09 21:05:30

Beng, I did na. Salamat.

Jon, a kind of living room for a great relaxation. But of course, I was only dreaming for this and who knows, I’d buy one when I get rich someday.

Range, I’ll keep my IKEA sofa, not that grand but also comfortable as an alternative for my bed.

Ginger, lucky you but you know business wise, I won’t give you a discount if you were my sister. Hahaha.

Marni, exactly. I heard Cebu is not always has a natural, man-made, historical and cultural tourist attraction but also a place with beautiful people. Ehem.

 
2007-10-09 22:15:57

what are you waiting for, K? Byahe na to Cebu!!! :D

 
2007-10-09 23:05:53

I’m not so sure there K, I know how to sweet talk to people, with you, I might get it for next to nothing. ;)

 
2007-10-12 05:08:24

i have rattan furniture in my porch kaya lang the white paint is starting to peel off. i think i prefer it to be in its natural color gaya nong butaka sa atin so it is less maintenance. i don’t mind the furniture on the second picture.

 
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