Window shopping: Kenneth Cobonpue and Hive

I usually go for clean lines and minimalist stuff but for some reason I'm liking this dainty piece of furniture right here. 

A couple of my colleagues and I recently attended a general membership meeting for a professional organization (surprisingly I belong to one) at The Residences in Makati. We arrived way too early and looked at the shops around to while away time. We found ourselves outside Kenneth Cobonpue's showroom and were gawking at the pieces behind the glass windows.  We decided to enter.


The multi-awarded furniture designer's Makati showroom opened just last year in October. Knowing I couldn't possibly afford his pieces, I never had the chance, nor intention, to check it out. But well, I just found myself right inside his space anyway and it was a few minutes of furniture and design bliss!

"Eclipse," Cobonpue's reinterpretation of the lowly padyak with aluminum woven with recyclable polyethylene. I can imagine Martha Stewart riding this one in the Hamptons. The seat on the left is an easy armchair that's part of the "Rapunzel" collection, made of thick hand-coiled upholstered foam.

On the left is a rattan easy chair that's part of Cobonpue's "Yoda" collection. On the right is "Bloom," made of microfiber stitched over a resin top with a steel base. I wanted one for the living room.

The red lounge chair on the far end is part of the "Dragnet" collection. To the right is the easy armchair and ottoman combo that make up the "Papillon" collection, made of hand-woven nylon rope. The three stools are from the "Chiquita" collection. The deceptively hard rattan poles sink what sat on; and yes, they're very functional. The white tables with the plants on the left are part of the "Kaja" collection, which are both functional and versatile.

The living room set in the background form Cobonpue's "Cabaret" collection, characterized by woven fabric-wrapped foam on a steel frame. The dining table in the foreground is called "Wave."

The "Hagia" collection. I reckon that daybed would be perfect for our terrace, or at least the room next to it. And that "Fandango" lamp by Danny Fang definitely goes well with this set.

Cool way to display furniture right there by suspending them. These "Zaza" side chairs sure are whimsical.

Made of powder-coated metal stems topped with hand-folded Tyvek paper, these lamps are called "Sway" and are not of Cobonpue's design but of Luisa Robinson, one of the designers at Hive, a design and manufacturing facility where Cobonpue is creative director.

Aptly called "Paperwork," this chandelier is indeed made of molded paper. Also available in lantern and floor lamp options, Paperwork is created by another of Hive's designers, Harry Allen. The lamps reflected in the mirror are made of cotton ropes and are called "Carousel," by Cobonpue.

The lamp on the left is by Cobonpue and is part of his "Little People" collection. It's made of hundreds of individually bent metal rods and shaped into human figures. The lamps on the wall, meanwhile, are by Olivia D'Aboville, who also did a light installation at the recent Art in the Park 2014. They're made of hundreds of hand-molded polystyrene tentacles woven together to mimic anemone. Yup, the lamps are called "Anemone" and Nemo can't be far behind.

Nice bed, huh! Nice rug, too.

An easy armchair from the "Pigalle" collection, yet another display of Cobonpue's skill using abaca rope this time.

The "Ziggy" collection.

Remember those horse-shaped rocking stools for kids? This is your poshed-up version of it called "Harry."

I don't know if it's for sale but I am just so in love with this painting. It's hauntingly beautiful with that 3D effect.
(Update: It's a painting by young artist Dino Gabito.)

"Secret Garden" hanging wall screen, which could actually be used as anything, by Hive designer Luisa Robinson. The irregularly shaped hanging lamps are Cobonpue's "Cloud," while those native round stools are from his "Dreamcatcher" collection.

I have no idea how much these furniture cost but I just enjoyed a few good minutes surrounded by such beautiful design. Well, maybe if I win the lottery I can get to buy some of these pieces. But first I need to buy a ticket.

What a lovely showroom this is.

Kenneth Cobonpue's Makati showroom is located at the Ground Floor of The Residences right across Greenbelt 2.

kennethcobonpue.com
designbyhive.com