Embracing Natural Design: Inspired Living

Stephanie Kienle Gonzalez is an interior designer and the managing director of Philux, which was established by her parents in the Philippines as a small furniture workshop but has grown into a luxury furniture and lifestyle manufacturer and retailer with locations across Metro Manila.

In her first book, Gonzalez gives a broad treatment to her work. Two representative projects — her Manila home and a South African retreat — are included, and show the modern tropical style and attention to colour and texture for which she’s known. True to the title, organic forms and natural materials like stone, wood and bamboo are privileged, along with the craft that forms the core of Philux’s work. There’s discussion of her approach to design and entertaining, as well as musings on the people who have inspired her, and a

DIY guide to the interior design process. The photography of the South African retreat in particular will induce wanderlust.