mid- century modern muse
Words SHAHARAINE P. ABDULLAH Photographs ADRIAN ARDIENTE OF CERCA TROVA Event Styling GARY DACANAY Stationery THE WRITE IMPRESSION Cake NAKED PATISSERIE Food JUAN CARLO THE CATERER Shot on Location at BLUE LEAF FILIPINAS
Contrary to popular belief, achieving a minimalist style isn’t necessarily limited to simplifying every aspect of a particular design. In fact, a space decorated with multiple furnishings can still have minimalist overtones. More than aesthetics, minimalism is also about prioritizing function and efficiency. The key is to be selective about each particular piece and its placement. Equipped with a few standout pieces, an understated setup can leave a resounding impact.
Embracing this formula, event stylist Gary Dacanay created a modern minimalist-inspired setup that heavily features contemporary furniture and accents.
Set in The Blue Leaf Filipinas, Dacanay’s eclectic blend of modern and traditional pieces is highlighted by the venue’s modern Filipiniana interiors.
For starters, the VIP area occupies one section with a long, crescent-shaped chrome table, giving the room an open, airy feel. By foregoing tablecloths, Dacanay kept the focus on the table ornaments propped against the bare surface’s sleek finish. Huge acrylic candelabras provide the centerpiece, along with golden vases filled with orange flowers and wispy plants for color and texture. Tea lights in small, turquoise-tinged glass bowls accent the rest of the table, along with gold, geometric ornaments and matching gold candleholders. The simple white plates are placed on an elevated wooden charger plate with matching gold utensils.
Menus and place cards by The Write Impression are carefully arranged on each place setting, along with a solitary sprig of leaf for a natural touch. Printed on white, matte paper, the stationery features a chartreuse, mint green, and gray graphic design with a black and red modern font, echoing the gold geometric ornaments on the table.
Chairs framed in copper chrome complete the VIP section, which overlooks the guest area. A cluster of round tables with a gold metal frame base and chrome top, the guest area mirrors the same table arrangement as the VIP section, albeit with a different centerpiece. In lieu of the acrylic candelabras, turquoise-tinged glass vases filled with orange proteas, wispy plants, baby blue carnations and pistachio green cymbidium orchids adorn each guest table, along with gold candleholders and table cards. Coated in a forest green shade, the cards are laser-cut in a hexagon shape and bear a striking chartreuse font.
Overall, Dacanay’s setup ensures that decorative accessories are kept to a minimum, mostly with pieces that are subtly remarkable, like the wedding cake by Naked Patisserie. Featuring a marbled finish on top of a white base with gold leaf flowers, the two-tiered confection sits atop an ornate gold cake stand, providing a good contrast of contemporary and vintage design.
The quiet decadence extends to the menu as well, courtesy of Juan Carlo the Caterer. The meal begins with Galloway
Beef to entice the taste buds, followed by an appetizer,
King and Queen Scallop in Magnificent Aurora. Other starters include Seafood Symphony with Flowing Velvety Soup, followed by a fresh Baby Leaf Salad, Chianti Poached Pear with Cambozola Cheese and Caramelized Peach and Candied Walnuts with Agave Nectar Vinegar. Verdant Lime Sorbet is served afterwards to cleanse the palate and is then succeeded by two main courses. The first course is comprised of Pan-grilled Chilean Sea Bass, Confit Cherry Tomato, and Champagne Duo Caviar with Crushed Jersey Potato. The second course, meanwhile, features Prime US Certified Angus Rib Eye Steak, Roasted Herb Garlic Pumpkin with Tricolored Pepper Cream Sauce, and Black Tiger Prawn with Hollandaise Sauce. Dessert choices include Volcanic Melts, Chocolate Truffles, Milk Chocolate Bonbons, and Coffee Bonbons.
Despite its neutral color scheme, various accents and sleek furnishing, Dacanay’s setup is far from lifeless, though it isn’t excessively cluttered either, making it a grand example of mid-century modern minimalist.