Words Gabrielle de la Cruz
Images Forma
“We opened Kanto Intersections with Kohler with a relaxing day at Jorge Yulo’s Hacienda Community Center, then brought three Filipino architects to Indonesia for design and cultural exchange. Bathroom Confidential closes our trilogy with a toast to beauty, creativity, and daily luxuries worth celebrating,” said Kohler Philippines Marketing Head Kimi Abapo as she welcomed guests to bathroom-inspired speakeasy Somewhere Quiet in Bonifacio Global City last Thursday, November 27, 2025.
Guests slipped into the venue through a Kohler bathroom vignette—a sink-like display that doubled as a foyer and first clue of the evening’s theme. Stylistic party brochures introduced guests to Kohler’s wide range of faucets and showers and teased out the evening’s specials: Power of Four, a personality test of sorts built around four signature Kohler design lines; Liqueur de Toilette, a cocktail bar serving Kohler-inspired drinks; and The Art of Craft: a gallery of works by five artists from various disciplines.
Joining us for the celebration were friends from Deo Alam Design Architecture (DADA), Edwin Uy Design Office (EUDO), Headroom CDV Architecture, POLYGON: Human-Centered Space Design, and TAYO Architecture & Design.
Hosting the evening was Angel Yulo-Cruz, who teased that the Kanto-Kohler Philippines trilogy of events is fittingly ending with a party, “wrapped with a little mystery.” Kanto founder and editor-in-chief Patrick Kasingsing also gave his opening remarks, highlighting the brands’ and their events’ shared values: “relentless pursuit of beauty, appreciation of craft and artistry, and the celebration of unbridled creative expression.”
And then came the surprise of the evening: a one-night-only art gallery featuring Kohler’s faucets, transformed from objects of utility to objets d’art. Beyond the curtain were artists Bien Alvarez, Jonathan Dangue, Ricky Francisco, Robin Ravago, and Row Bean Paz. Coming from various disciplines, each of them interpreted Kohler’s pieces and brand values into visual artworks, ranging from paintings to sculptures.
Alvarez opened the program with Gridnest, a series of 3D-printed substrates that reimagine the relationship between Kohler’s Avid and Components faucet collections and their surrounding forms. Using plastic as a counterpoint to polished metal, he encased silver and matte-black faucets in a sculptural waffle-weave. The white grid amplifies the faucets’ silhouettes, allowing their geometry and finishes to shine. “I wanted the pieces to feel like the faucets were being held, not displayed,” he shared. “The grid softens the metal’s authority and invites you to see the object beyond its function.”
Next was Dangue, who said that he primarily works with brass. He presented a resin sculpture of a hand encircled by a brass ring, capturing the quiet, intimate ritual of reaching toward running water. The artist said that it is an ode to the simple luxury of washing your hands or lingering a moment longer by the sink. “We don’t think of it as luxury, but those brief encounters with water are some of the most grounding moments we have.”
For Francisco, the inspiration came not from individual fixtures but from Kohler’s values of comfort and gracious living. “I wanted to capture the beautiful feeling of stepping into a relaxing shower. Sometimes our time in the bathroom is the only self-care we get in a day,” he jested. His contribution to the after-hours gallery was a calming abstract painting rendered in soft ombré gradients, depicting the gentle transitions of water, warmth, and release.
As a sculptor, Paz sought to depict water as the flow of life and a reminder of humanity’s connection to nature. His installation features a piece from Kohler’s Artifacts collection positioned at the center, with water cascading downward into an open hand sculpted beneath it. He regards it as an image of both offering and receiving. “Madalas po akong gumamit ng mga gripo sa aking mga gawa, pero hindi po ganito kaganda,” he ended, drawing laughter from the crowd.
Last to present was Ravago, who introduced his piece Between Flatness, crafted from laser-cut medium-density fiberboard (MDF) finished with layers of lacquer spray. Primarily a painter, he shared that this was his first time working with the material and technique. Through this shift, he set out to explore an experimental, almost abstracted reading of water. “Trying MDF and laser-cutting opened new ways for me to think about how water can look and behave.”
As the program drew to a close, the party began! Guests moved through Kohler’s thoughtfully curated stations: first, the vignette at the front, then a table displaying the brand’s shower fixtures, and finally, a selection of faucets in every finish imaginable. Each guest explored the stations at their own pace, collecting bath-essentials souvenirs along the way.
Conversations flowed as freely as the cocktails, which were also inspired by Kohler! Guests were welcome to choose one (or all) from CLEO Bathtub Rum, a tropical mix with hints of guava, pomegranate, and pineapple; STATEMENT Spritz, a Jin Jiji dry gin-based drink with notes of grapefruit; or French Gold Fantasy, a cocktail of luxury and style mixed with sparkling wine.
Everyone was also quick to describe the night’s energy, with architect Kevin Nieves of Headroom summing it best: “Kakaiba ’to—party pero may lalim.” Others likened the atmosphere to a polished finish: sophisticated, yet undeniably fun. Some described it as “matte,” calling it classic but bold.
Overtime was worth it, in every sense, as it was a night of good design and good company. Kanto and Kohler closed the evening with gratitude, marking the successful culmination of three events that put design at the center while fostering meaningful conversations among designers and creatives.
A huge shoutout to Kohler for championing design excellence and supporting a space where creativity, collaboration, and inspiration could flow freely.
See you again soon? •
