The Philippines has sometimes been called “the Milan of Asia,” thanks to the world-class designers we produce. For fashion, we have designers like Michael Cinco, Rajo Laurel, and Monique Lhuillier on global runways. But did you know the country has also birthed many talented designers of furniture, home décor, and accessories?
And many of them hail from one island: Cebu.
What’s in the water, you might be wondering? Cebu’s central location gives it easy access to its own suppliers and artisans and those from surrounding islands and provinces. The natural and sustainable materials favored by most local designers is convenient to source. The island is also home to many furniture manufacturers and exporters. They have passed on their love of furniture to their kids, resulting in new generations of designers.
Read about a few of Cebu’s most famous and up-and-coming designers of furniture and home décor below. We also included details of where you can shop their pieces, in case you’re looking to buy furniture for your future retirement home or investment property in the Philippines, or perhaps to ship to where you live abroad.
1. Kenneth Cobonpue
The giant on this list is Filipino industrial designer Kenneth Cobonpue. He is known internationally for his imaginative designs and lauded for his use of natural materials and handcrafted techniques. He’s won too many awards to count, and in 2005, TIME Magazine named him “Rattan’s great virtuoso.”
His client list includes royalty like Queen Sofia of Spain and Queen Rania of Jordan. His furniture can be found in the homes of Hollywood and Filipino celebrities alike, including Kate Hudson, former couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Coco Martin, and Manny and Jinkee Pacquiao.
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You can also spot Cobonpue’s work on the sets of Hollywood movies like Ocean’s Thirteen, John Wick 3, and Netflix’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery; TV shows CSI: Miami, Suits, and Elementary; and shoots for K-pop artists BLACKPINK and Seventeen. In 2018, he collaborated with Disney for a Star Wars Collection. Plus, if you’ve arrived at the multi-awarded Mactan International Airport in Cebu, then you’ve already seen his work.
Where to find Cobonpue’s work: Kenneth Cobonpue collections are available worldwide, with distributors in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. A distributor list can be found on KennethCobonpue.com.
Global offices and stores also include locations at 3-A General Maxilom Avenue, Cebu City, Philippines; The Residences at Greenbelt – San Lorenzo Tower, Antonio Arnaiz Avenue, Makati, Philippines; and the New York Design Center at 200 Lexington Avenue, #415 New York, New York, USA.
2. Vito Selma for Casa Selma and Vito Selma
Another industrial designer who has become well-known for his furniture is Vito Selma. His style is all about loving nature—combining organic shapes and textures with natural materials. Geometric shapes feature heavily in many of Selma’s most distinctive designs, as seen in his GEO, BAUD, and ZIMA collections. Other collections evoke memories of flora and fauna. For example, his Aguila lamps look like eagle wings. His Plumeria table resembles the branches and flowers of frangipani, locally known as calachuchi.
Selma’s work has been featured in design magazines all over the world, including Elle Décor, Harper’s Bazaar, and Architectural Digest. His client list includes Saudi Arabian and Malaysian royals and even the late South African president Nelson Mandela. Locally, his furniture graces the homes of Dimples Romana, Solenn Heussaff, and Ellen Adarna. Casa Selma has also collaborated with actress Sarah Lahbati-Gutierrez for an indoor and outdoor furniture collection.
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Where to find Selma’s work: You can order Selma’s furniture directly from www.casaselma.ph or visit the Vito Selma Studio on Don Sergio Suico Street, Canduman, Mandaue City, Cebu. US distributors include Ogetti Designs at 3040 N. 29th Avenue, Hollywood, Florida; and Lightology at 215 W. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Illinois.
3. Debbie Palao
Here’s another Cebuano designer known for working with natural materials.
Debbie Palao infuses her designs with a sense of whimsy and humor, and she draws inspiration from what’s local—people, culture, plants, and animals. For example, her TREKKI pendant lamp (Pipe Dream) has rattan strips curled into the shape of a sea urchin (tuyom in Bisaya). Meanwhile, her DUNE bamboo pendant lights (Bukag Weave) are inspired by fishing baskets.
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Palao co-founded HoliCOW PH, the Holistic Coalition of the Willing, which showcases sustainable furniture and houseware, all made locally.
Where to find Palao’s work: You can shop online at HoliCOW.ph or visit HoliCOW at MAGNA Solutions Showroom, 2/F (New Wing), Streetscape, Maria Luisa Road, Banilad, Cebu City (open 11AM to 5:30PM, Monday to Friday, or Saturday by appointment).
4. Allan Murillo and Christopher Murillo for Murillo Furniture
Brothers Allan and Chris Murillo learned to love working with furniture at the knee of their father, Asher. They started learning technical skills like welding and carpentry as early as their school years. They wanted to learn from expert craftspeople and build up their skills so they could manufacture their designs using local and natural materials.
While they are both in the business of home décor, the brothers focus on making different things. Allan designs more of the furniture, while Chris’s work revolves around art pieces, including sculptures, paintings, lamps, and wall décor.
Where to find the Murillo brothers’ work: Their items are on display at their Cebu City Showroom in Lower Inayawan, Cebu City, and at Furniture City on Hernan Cortes Street in Mandaue City, Cebu. You can visit Murillo.ph to see photos of their products and contact them to find out how and where to source these for your own home abroad.
5. Paula Rodriguez and Vikki Rodriguez for Detalia Aurora and Co-Creative Studio
Here’s to more sibling power! Sisters Paula and Vikki Rodriguez design for export company Detalia Aurora Inc. They also founded design service and collaboration brand Co-Creative Studio. Both brands focus on combining modern technology with traditional Filipino craftsmanship and indigenous and recycled materials. The Rodriguez sisters passionately advocate using ethically sourced sustainable materials.
The sisters’ iconic designs include a shell-shaped bookshelf, lamps, and vases made from leaf-like cuts of coconut shells. For more whimsy, their Fun Planters are shaped like human legs that might be sitting, standing, or walking.
Where to find the Rodriguez sisters’ work: Visit DetaliaAurora.com or Co-Creative Studio on Facebook to learn more about the sisters, their company, and their designs. You can also visit HoliCOW at MAGNA Solutions Showroom, 2/F (New Wing), Streetscape, Maria Luisa Road, Banilad, Cebu City (open 11AM to 5:30PM, Monday to Friday, or Saturday by appointment). Detalia Aurora caters to a global market, so you can contact them to find out how you can get the Rodriguez sisters’ fun creations in your home.
6. Neil Felipp San Pedro for Neil Felipp
This young designer is best known for his gorgeous minaudiere clutches featuring fantastic beasts or sea creatures. But Neil Felipp also has a line of accessories to glam up your home. Most of these take the form of trays to hold jewelry and other small trinkets. Some of the dishes and trays he makes feature elements from his iconic minaudieres.
One great thing about Neil Felipp’s creations is that no two items are exactly alike. Because each piece is made by hand using different components by local artisans, owners of these accessories can boast about their uniqueness.
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Where to find his work: You can order items directly from NeilFelipp.com or check out his store at Unit 08, ZR & DC Building, Rosal Street, Camputhaw, Cebu City.
7. Katrina Delantar for Floreia
Another Filipino designer known for her fashion accessories but who also produces a range of home accessories is jeweller Katrina Delantar. Her parents, Pedro and Cathy Delantar of Nature’s Legacy, are known globally for their green innovation. So it’s no surprise this gemologist and jewelry designer has a deep-seated passion for sustainable manufacturing.
Delantar’s company Floreia advocates using ethically sourced, sustainable materials. Floreia uses Nucast® technology, this being a light-weight but durable recycled paper composite. It’s designed to mimic natural textures, so it works well in both jewelry and home accessories. Floreia’s home collection includes table accessories, curtain dividers, and more.
Where to find Delantar’s work: Learn more about Floreia’s designs, materials, and more at Floreia.com. The Floreia showroom is only open by appointment; if you’d like to visit, it would be best to schedule this two to three weeks in advance. This is located at Area 77, P. Remedio Street, Banilad, Mandaue City, Cebu.
More Cebuano home brands
Other Cebu-based home furniture brands to know, yet who use teams of designers or collaborate with individual designers for different collections, include:
Obra Cebuana
This decades-old exporter of Filipino furniture was acquired in the mid-2010s by Selina and Justin Romualdez. And here’s a fun fact: Selina is sister to Vito Selma, also featured on this list.
Obra Cebuana had long held its reputation for supporting local artisans and using local materials, and while it had previously manufactured export-only creations, the Romualdezes opened this to the local market. They’ve since gone on to supply their pieces to businesses and homes around the Philippines and abroad, including the luxurious Manami Resort in Sipalay, Negros Oriental, and Kona Village in Hawaii.
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Where to find them: The Obra Cebuana showroom can be found at R.A. Ouano Street, Opao, Mandaue City, and you can view their products at ObraCebuana.com. Products are exported to clients in the USA, Latin America, Europe, Australia, South Africa, and Asia, so you can contact them to find out how to get their products into your home abroad.
ANTHILL Markets and ANTHILL Fabric Gallery
This social and cultural enterprise is on a mission to support cultural preservation and sustainable livelihood in Filipino communities. Their commitment to environmental sustainability has them weaving manufacturing waste into new fabric. Many of these feature traditional designs and patterns.
Co-founder and “Princess Ant” Anya Lim highlights the importance of community development and circularity. With this, ANTHILL creates fashion and home items that have lower environmental impacts and that honor traditional weaving practices.
While many of ANTHILL’s products are wearable, home items include Philippine pride ornaments, a Philippine map fabric tapestry, an abaca bucket, pillowcases made from local weaves or abaca, and a weave bed cover.
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Where to find them: Shop online at ANTHILLmarkets.com, where you can also learn about the brands they collaborate with, such as Rags II Riches, Save Philippine Seas, and more.
Among Balay
This company is 100% staffed by Cebuanos. It creates custom furniture inspired by designs from their clients. Promising to “make your dream furniture a reality,” their team takes your design ideas and brings them to life with the help of local artisans.
Their online store features a variety of wooden furniture in a mix of styles. While some go for a sleek, modern look, others have more traditional features, such as hand-woven rattan in the solihiya style.
Apart from showcasing their products and projects, their Facebook page also puts the spotlight on their craftspeople, giving you a more personal sense of who Among Balay (which means “our house” in Visayan) are as a company.
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Where to find them: Visit AmongBalay.com to see their shop and learn more about the company. But because the furniture produced is customized from your ideas, collaboration is a big part of their business model. You’ll be encouraged to schedule a visit to their store at P. Sanchez Street in Pagsabungan, Mandaue City, Cebu.
Have we missed any of your favorite Cebu-based Filipino designers? Whose designs would you want to see in your own home? Or maybe you’ve spotted these designers’ work in homes, resorts, hotels, and even TV shows and movies? Share this story on social media and include your callouts in your post text or comment!
