MANILA, Philippines—1. Artist and furniture maker Yola Johnson says collaborating with nature results in ephemeral art, as shown in this table setting at Bistro Filipino in Los Baños (Image 1). The bunch of santol fruit on a bed of leaves is a uniquely pretty set-up.

2. A powder room becomes a visual experience with this artful assemblage of natural materials (Image 2). The runo, a stronger cousin of the bamboo, makes a charmingly rustic material for a divider that defines the bath area. Weaver Elisa Reyes’ curtains, made from buntal (fine indigenous fiber made from stalks of talipot palms), soften the cool textures of the Romblon marble walls. Buntal curtains are easy to maintain. Just wash with soap and water, dry in 15 minutes, then iron.

3. Find beauty in imperfections. This cabinet (Image 3), designed by architect Conrad Onglao, is given a distressed finish with the old mirrors to create a time-worn look. The cracks add character to the newly designed furniture. This transitional style serves as bridge between modern and traditional interiors.

4. Dramatize a simple floral arrangement with lighting. In this setup, Onglao creates a simple light pedestal of plywood with a rich finish (Image 4). A series of these light pedestals illuminates a hallway, with flowers to add life to the setting.

5. Stencil adds style. Onglao adds decorative interest to the ceiling with stencil markings, which create illusions of shadow and add more depth to the surface. This is a guest room of a model unit of East Tower at One Serendra. (Image 5)

6. Change the look of chandeliers with bows and crystals. Designer Anton Peña embellishes his three-tiered, seven-foot Spanish chandelier with little bows and crystal beads in jewel colors to create a new Venetian look (Image 6). “All you need are components such as prism beads and the vision of what you want to create. It has to be tastefully done,” he says.

7. Decorate a child’s room around his or her toy or accessories collection (Image 7). Bing and Riza Velasquez’s residence, for instance, display toys and the child’s artworks prominently. Consider materials that harmonize with the toy colors. Invest in curtains and bed skirts since they are the last to wear out.

8. A container garden makes it possible to cultivate flowers, herbs, shrubs and trees in small spaces without much time and effort. No need to worry about preparing the soil, checking conditions, weeds, pests or drying out. This herbal container garden was created by Emma Alday for her sister Sonia Alampay in the latter’s Batangas resthouse (Image 8). The herbs are planted in containers at the back of the kitchen. When it’s time to cook, they just pluck from the back.

9. Use a mosquito net to replace conventional aluminum screens. Homemaker Sonia Alday makes her own removable screens utilizing ruffled mosquito net material (Image 9). The fabric is hooked on a hinged chicken wire and given a wooden frame. The resulting screen is washable and easy to maintain.