Rustan’s redesigns home section with vignettes

Walking through the exhibit halls of home and accessories fair Maison et Objet in Paris last year, Nena Tantoco, president of Rustan’s Department Store, stopped in her tracks and stared at the objects on display. They were miniature chairs made of acrylic. What made them special were the designs on the backrests ranging from peacock to dog heads, colors from pink to clear portraying both the whimsical and the theatrical.

Today, at the newly redesigned Home Department of Rustan’s, you can find several models of these Acrila chairs interspersed with the more classic brands, and be met by surprises along the way including plates with surreal prints by Hollywood director David Lynch, the master of mind-bending plot twists and surreal cinema, for Bernardaud (P80,000 for a set of 12 pieces).

Marilen Tantoco, Rustan’s Home vice president, says the renovation of the home section started with a redesign of Rustan’s Makati’s fourth floor (and its extension on the fifth) with the help of furniture designer Ito Kish, who did a re-layout of the section to make browsing easier, the displays more coherent, and the flow more seamless.

Rustan’s Home also launched this week its month-long home and entertainment fair, running from August to mid-September, with vignettes created by personalities such as Modern Living TV host Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi, Rustan’s marketing manager for cosmetics and toiletries Sevrine Miailhe, Rustan’s marketing communications head Dina Tantoco, Cathy Chia, Paolo Tantoco, chef Him Uy de Baron, Mia Borromeo, Lexi Schulze, and Jia Estrella.

The settings feature mainstay brands that the department store has carried for years and more recently acquired ones such as Bernardaud. What’s interesting is that even though Rustan’s has seemingly gone more high-end with some brands, the settings do mix them with some mid-priced brands as well.

Customers who get a little overwhelmed by the choices can ask help from the home department’s personal shopper to pick out what’s best for their style and spaces.

Among the vignettes is Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi’s “Vintage Eclectic,” where she puts together a Pols Potten table against a Prussian blue wall with black, white and beige color combinations.

Indicating the flickering candles, Marilen Tantoco says, “See these candles over here? They’re battery-operated and they’re one of the store’s bestsellers. You can put them everywhere, including an antique Chinese cabinet.”

Cathy Chia brings to life a modern glam table with the use of Acrila chairs and crystals for the table top. “Inspired by her training in Hong Kong, Cathy’s style is effortless, but always distinctive and glamorous.”

Rustan’s marketing manager for cosmetics and toiletries Sevrine Miailhe uses dinnerware and home accents from her favorite brand Meissen, whch Rustan’s now offers. Sevrine has put together a light, leisurely and stylish breakfast setting.  

Rustan’s marketing communications head Dina Tantoco and her husband Paolo Tantoco both chose to go country with their vignettes (they are raising their family in the farm estate Sta. Elena) but in strikingly different ways. Dina’s is for a country brunch with lots of greens and pretty prints on the dinnerware while Paolo’s  is a more streamlined country look against a slatted wooden wall.  

Lexi Schulze calls her vignette for an intimate get-together “Joy Luck Club,” using Natori candleholders as the centerpiece. She uses red and black, hard and soft elements for striking contrasts and a richness of textures.

On the second floor, there is one more setup in the ladies’ department, a Moroccan afternoon tea vignette by Jia Estrella using jewel tones that represent key cities – Marrakesh red and Essaouira blue.

The vignettes will truly inspire you to give your home — or at the very least your table — a quick makeover.

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Rustan’s Home and Entertaining fair runs until mid-September at Rustan’s Makati, Ayala Center.