Maricris Floirendo-Brias’ Coral panels win prestigious Red Dot: Product Design 2020 award



Maricris Floirendo-Brias, Creative Director of TADECO Home, adds another feather on her cap. She highlighted an original Philippine-made, Davao-handcrafted creation in the international design arena and scores a prestigious design award. 

Not one but two designs by Maricris F. Brias for TADECO Home were awarded the distinguished Red Dot Award: Product Design 2020 under the new metacategory of Innovative Products. Because of the designs’ use of innovative components, the Brain Coral Panel and Sea Fan Coral Wall Panel was awarded this prestigious distinction in Essen, Germany last June. The winning designs will be presented in the Red Dot Design Museums, in the online presentation and in the Red Dot Design Yearbook. 

TADECO Booth in Coral Brain panels


The ‘Sea Fan Coral’ and ‘Brain Coral’ wall panel and partition are designed to resemble corals native to the Philippine seas. This decorative element is made up of metal bars covered with abaca fibres held together with metal wire of copper, stainless steel or brass. It is completely handmade that no two panels are alike. Each piece makes for an outstanding interior design element that can be used as a partition, curtain or decorative object, which can be customized to any color and size. This design has been expanded to lighting fixtures such as chandelier and lamps.

The making of Sea Fan Coral. Everything is made by hand. It takes a team of Davao artisans 720 hours to finish one 100cm x 100cm panel. No two panels are ever alike.



Detail of Brain Coral Panel & Sea Fan Coral Panel




Why it was awarded the distinction, the Red Dot Jury states, “As a handcrafted product with a filigree, organic structure, the Sea Fan Coral Wall Panel opens up many possible applications for designers and interior decorators. The Brain Coral Panel excites with its versatile, translucent structure, which is created through the special choice of materials. Also, the sustainable nature of the manufacturing process is impressive.” 


Red Dot and the Red Dot Award

To earn a Red Dot distinction means belonging to the best in design and business. It is one of the most sought-after seals of quality for good design. This distinction is merited through the annual international design competition, the Red Dot Award. An excellent design is selected by competent expert juries in the areas of product design, communication design, and design concepts.

Due to the diversified field of design, the award is broken down into three disciplines: the Red Dot Award: Product Design, Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design, and Red Dot Award: Design Concept. 

The two coral designs were categorized under the category of Red Dot Award: Product Design.


Evolution of the Coral design

“I draw my inspiration solely from nature. Living in a country surrounded by islands rich in marine biodiversity, the beauty of the sea life fascinates me.” shared Maricris.

(L) Table top lamps in Sea Fan coral design against the Brain Coral Panel. (R) Small scale home accessories in coral designs include votive cande holders and vases



From the fascination emerged the the Under the Sea series in 2012. The Anemone Collection was the first of the series. The look was achieved by manipulating abaca textile strips to imitate the pattern of the terrestrial plant. From this, votive candle holders and bowls were made.

All designs conceived by the designer for TADECO Home is organic. It can transform and shaped according to its use, most importantly, it can evolve.  In 2013, the Brain coral series came about followed by the Sea Fan coral series the following year. For both series, small scale home accessories came first—votive candle holders, tabletop baskets, vases and lamps. It evolved to larger, bolder home accessories like lighting fixtures in exciting shapes, and eventually to the largest pieces—the wall panels.

Exciting lighting fixtures in the 2 coral designs




In the same manner, all the new TADECO Home creations, the Sea Fan coral and Brain coral collections, including the striking coral wall panels, were unveiled on the domestic and international design stage via the trade shows since 1998: Manila Fame, Furniture Show, to name a few; and abroad, in the ‘Ambiente‘ in Frankfurt Germany, ‘Maison et Objet’ in Paris, ‘Salone del Mobile’ in Italy and ICFF in New, York. 

Like any thing of beauty, the Sea Fan Coral Panel and the Brain Coral Panels garnered an audience—and awards.

Enticing. TADECO Home booths are always crowd drawers in any rrade show they participate in. On display are the Brain Coral and Sea Fan Coral collections


The Red Dot Award: Product Design is not the only prestigious accolade the Coral design has received. In 2017, the Sea Fan Coral Panel won in the Iron category of A’Design Award in the A’Design & Competition, another internationally-renown honors platform. 

Red Dot Awardee. Maricris Brias, Creative Director of TADECO Home, with daughter Victoria Brias, VP of FB and Co., Inc.


T’nalak Home

Curious about the award-winning Brain Coral Panel and Sea Fan Coral Wall Panel? It’s on display at T’nalak Home in Abreeza Mall. Davaoeños are lucky to have access to all the award-winning products of TADECO Home. The flagship store puts the world-class, Davao-made home accessories on display as soon as its shown in the national and international trade shows. 

Soon,  Amakan Design Curated spaces and online store will be launched.

Also published in the SunStar Davao newspaper.

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