For holiday tinsel, glass is best
Ito Kish says glass balls, tubes and finials add character to setting
DESIGNER Ito Kish has come upwith his shiniest holiday collection ever. “I fell in love with glass,” declares Kish. Its transparency and shimmer can add sophistication and character without eclipsing other elements in a setting, he explains.
Objects in clear glass may be subtle, but they possess a certain boldness nonetheless.
For example, Kish brings back the glass test tubes that serve as contemporary display of a single magnolia.
At P5,500 each collection, half of the stock was sold out in a week. He maintains that they’re made in Italy, not China.
Clear glass balls and finials can provide an elegant contrast against the usual colorful decor scheme of a Christmas tree.
Retro-style, unadorned bottles from Denmark can add a modest but charming touch in a starkly simple space.
Kish’s duo-tone glass jars with lids have a touch of vivacity. Bought as a pair, the lid and the bottom can be mixed and matched to create a new look.
For nostalgia, the smoky glass, reminiscent of the ’70s, is found in old perfume bottles.
Antique chandeliers lend glamour and sparkle. Kish says the beauty of the crystal table chandelier from India has something to do with its imperfection. “The shades are not straight, thus making it feel antique,” he points out.
Exclusive pieces
Kish is proud of his exclusive pieces that target people with individualistic tastes. Aside from being the sole distributor for Vito Selma, a young Cebuano designer now enjoying a global following for his string engineered furniture, Kish carries retro-inspired and nostalgic furniture.
The delicate, slim-line modern classic pieces by the New York-based company Organic Modernism (OM), integrate well in any decor style.
For a look that doesn’t take itself too seriously, Kish’s Basilisa Collection, contemporary furniture infused with Filipino elements such as spindly antique balusters and cane weaving, makes fabulous statement pieces.
Also of note is the award-winning Gregoria Baluster Lounge Chair, which has been selected as one of the modern icons for Asian furniture by the Guangju Design Biennale in China.
Kish points out he’s trying to fill the need for the lack of variety of stylish but affordable area rugs on themarket.
Sharda, a premier manufacturer of hand-tufted and handwoven carpets, produces unique colors and geometric designs and pouf stools made from wool, blankets and old sweaters.
And, if you want to bring the outside in, boxwood wreathes and topiaries are sculptural forms that are beautiful. They’re the real thing because of their subtle fragrance, Kish says. As evergreen foliage, they can last for three years.