The PSID exhibit includes this booth dubbed "Lastico,' which uses recycled rubber to create this modern dining room. (Photo by NOEL B. PABALATE)

MANILA, Philippines -- The word “sustainable” has become a by-word in environmental concerns. It’s used to describe materials that can be recycled or objects that can be made without having to use materials that might hasten the depletion of a particular natural resource.  The upcoming exhibit of the advanced class of the Philippine School of Interior Design (PSID) has opted to use sustainable materials in creating the interiors for 20 exhibit booths.

Dubbed “Jack en Poy… Bato, Gunting, Papel, Atbp,” the exhibit is a showcase of living rooms, bathrooms, dining areas, and bedrooms that make use of sustainable materials like glass, stone, bamboo, and steel, among others.

To be honest, this earth-friendly theme at first led to expectations that the show would be dominated by earth tones or modern, minimalist rooms with lots of whites accented by black carpets and upholstery.  In other words, it was felt that this was going to be an admirable, but predictable and less than exciting show.

On the contrary, however, this year’s batch pulled out all the stops in adding a bit of razzle-dazzle into every showcase. The students have adopted the glamorous look, which is said to be the trend this season. Thus, cheap materials were utilized to build rooms that look lavish, and even gothic. Used glass helped transform an empty space into a futuristic yet elegant black and white living room. Glass was also the highlight in a bedroom that captured the Egyptian look in the booth called “Glass with Class.”  It’s an opulent room fit for a queen like Cleopatra, says one of its designers. It doesn’t just capture the Egyptian style; it harks back to a legendary Hollywood when stars like Valentino and Theda Bara were considered royalty. “Our group wanted to create something glamorous, so we thought of Cleopatra and designed a room that she would have liked,” she said.

Using old bricks, stones and mud doesn’t have to translate to a dumpy looking room. As the designers of the booth called “Three to Tango” proved (the name refers to the three living spaces in the booth), a room could still look sumptuous and priceless.  And there’s the “Paper View” booth, which makes use of recycled paper. In this booth, old newspapers serve as texture for surfaces while toilet paper tubes found new life as wall paper paneling. The materials used are hardly noticeable, as the gothic yet feminine theme of the living room captures attention.

Rest assured many of these concepts can be compared to the concept cars being exhibited at motoring shows. A concept car presents the new technologies that can be equipped in the car of the future. But this doesn’t necessarily mean it can be used today on major thoroughfares like EDSA or España. The PSID show is also a presentation of ideas. Each booth was like a high fashion ball gown that elicits attention on the runway and demonstrates how a type of material can be utilized to make a stunning dress. Similarly, PSID’s designers show how sustainable materials can be used side by side with the products of the exhibit sponsors. For instance, Bisazza’s priceless tiles were made to blend with these very affordable recycled materials.

And of course, it takes a lot of artistry and talent to turn something old and drab into something that looks priceless and rich. This artistry shines throughout in this year’s PSID show.

“Jak En’ Poy” opens on October 1 and runs until October 31 at SM City North EDSA.