Four spaces at Rustan’s define comfortable and modern living.
MANILA, Philippines — At Rustan’s, luxury carries a quiet tone — more like refinement than opulence, less about excess than expression. With the launch of the Rustan’s Designers’ Circle in collaboration with the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers, four design minds — Cynthia Almario, Cynthia Fernandez, Cecil Ravelas, and Ann Dee Santiago — translate spaces into elegant and eloquent vignettes, not just well-furnished but well-considered, suggesting that true luxury might be found not in what fills a room, but in how that room makes you feel.
It is fitting, then, that these styled spaces do not clamor for attention with extravagance, but rather whisper their stories with intention.
Cynthia Almario: The spell of chic
There is a kind of luxury that does not announce itself, but arrives as presence. Cynthia Almario’s vignette possesses that quality — an atmosphere more than an arrangement, the spell of opulence cast not through spectacle but through balance and daring. You step into her space and feel instantly that this is someone who has long lived with beauty — not just beside it, but within it. Her choices, though lavish, never feel forced. They play. They dare. They surprise.
Almario, ever the grande dame of glamorous interiors, draws from a lifetime of working with exquisite materials, yet never loses a sense of lightness. There is magic in her method, as if taste and whimsy were old companions. She tells a story not just of affluence but of wit — chic, cheeky, and unapologetically feminine. A zebra-print carpet sets the scene with theatrical flair. A Jonathan Adler nipple vase commands attention—not for shock, but for celebration. Every piece, from the sensual curves to the bold reds, invites a pause, a second look, a touch.
And yet, beneath the enchantment, there is order. A quiet logic that ties it all together into something unexpectedly livable. This is not a showroom. It is a room meant to be lived in, even if the living it requires is of a higher, more imaginative sort. Almario’s vignette reminds us that luxury, at its best, is not about price tags or perfection—it’s about being surrounded by things that lift the spirit, reflect the self, and give comfort, even as they dazzle.
Cyndi Fernandez-Beltran, national vice president of the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID) and her curated vignette “La Dolce Isla” that explores the fusion of European elegance and Filipino craftsmanship.
Cyndi Fernandez-Beltran: The art of knowing
Cyndi Fernandez-Beltran glides into a room and seems to already know what needs to be done. There’s a graceful air of certainty about her — a sense that everything she touches has been considered, gauged, and chosen for excellent form. Her vignette, like the woman herself, articulates clearly, confidently, and with a solid point of view.
Presented in three thoughtful parts, her space blends European sophistication with Filipino soul. Nothing feels forced. The materials, the tones, the accents — all play well together, yet keep their distinct character. This is what Fernandez does so well: She doesn’t smooth things over to create harmony; she draws out each element’s strengths until they naturally fall into place. You’ll notice it in the way an imposing chandelier in dramatic black is hung lower than expected — intentionally interrupting the air, making you stop and take in the room, rather than just pass through it. Even the small transitional space before the main dining area feels curated, like a gentle breeze saying, “Wait, not so fast. Look around. There’s more.”
There is, in fact, more. A cocktail nook just outside carries the same charisma, extending the story instead of ending it. Fernandez, also serving as the current VP of the PIID, is clearly thinking beyond aesthetics.
Cecil P. Ravelas and her curated living and dining room vignette that captures the heart of hospitality.
Cecil Ravelas: A quiet confidence in the space
You don’t just sit in a Cecil Ravelas living room — you exhale into it. There’s a quiet confidence in the space she’s curated. Nothing is loud, and nothing needs to be. The living room, like the woman who shaped it, knows exactly what it’s about.
“We live in a world where everything comes from a box,” she says plainly, “and that’s okay — but we lose our voice sometimes, maybe even our soul.” Ravelas advocates for something far more intentional than what’s often sold to us as beauty. For her, design is not about keeping up, it’s about tuning in — knowing who you are, what you need, and shaping your space from that point of honesty.
She believes deeply in the art of relevance. “Buy things that you need,” she says. “Things that resonate with you. It doesn’t matter where you buy them.”
Luxury, in this context, isn’t about price or pedigree. It’s about purpose. It’s about building a home that serves you — not just aesthetically, but emotionally and psychologically. “What is an extravagant living room or a grandiose kitchen,” she asks, “when it cannot be used? When it doesn’t add to your quality of life?”
Her vignette — calm, grounded, and breathing with intention—offers an antidote to the visual noise and clutter of contemporary life. It reminds you that restoration doesn’t need to be dramatic. Sometimes it’s a clear surface, a gentle texture, a place where your eyes can rest. “When you wake up,” she says, “your environment already affects your day. You don’t want to be greeted by chaos.”
But Ravelas doesn’t stop at personal philosophy. As a teacher and mentor, she’s driven by the belief that art and creativity must have a place in every society — that without them, a culture becomes hollow.
Ann Dee-Santiago and her curated “lounge-dining experience in a lanai” vignette that feels like an effortless extension of the home.
Ann Dee-Santiago: The luxury of leisure
Ann Dee Santiago brings something beautifully honest to Rustan’s Designers’ Circle showcase: a kind of joyful grounding. There’s a spark in her — a gentle giddiness that quietly announces she’s happy to be here, to be doing this, and to be sharing it with others.
Her vignette — a lush lanai setup — feels like an ode and a calling to and from nature.
Unlike more formal interior spaces, this one carelessly waits. It invites. It reminds. There’s an assortment of foliage and blooms, earthy tones here and there, the splash of yellow makes you feel truly alive. Santiago’s concept works because it understands that the ultimate luxury isn’t in rarefied finishes or gilded furniture—it’s time. Time to gather. Time to listen. Time to simply be.
“What’s the problem that needs to be solved?” she asks at the start of each project. Her lanai solves a problem too many of us have grown used to: the disconnection between self, nature, and community. She bridges it with wicker, cushions, greens, and art – that painting by Tara Soriano commands the vibe at this lanai.
In her own way, Santiago offers what we need most, a design that welcomes us when we finally find the courage to give time a chance.
In the end, the most valuable takeaway from any event worth our time is the chance to learn — whether from the brilliance of others, from quiet moments of observation, or from the questions sparked within ourselves. The launch of the Rustan’s Designers’ Circle gave us all of that, and more. It reminded us that design, at its best, isn’t just about aesthetics or luxury as we’ve come to define it, but about intention, reflection, and contribution.