Pampanga-based furniture maker Genteelhome launched Sibol, the primary series of the Burnt Collection, unveiling uniquely crafted bespoke wood pieces.
Founder Katrina Blanca de Leon told reporters in a media briefing on Wednesday that Sibol, which suggests to emerge or to rise, reflects the pieces from the gathering.
“It speaks about growth, but not the same old type of growth, not the natural type of growth. It’s a growth to pressure about transformation through challenge,” Ms. de Leon said.
“The burnt collection will not be just concerning the burnt wood, it’s about transformation,” she added. “It’s about us communicating with you that allowing a process to unfold, making room in our lives, and trusting that what emerges may have its own type of hope.”
Ms. de Leon noted that Filipino artisans craft every bit of furniture from the gathering. “Often, we hire an unskilled artisan, and we train them. Now we have our own training team or training department to actually develop the artisan.”
The signature burnt look, with various cracks, highlights a light-to-dark brown and black appearance created by burning the wood with a blue flame using a torch-like tool.
“You’ve got to get the blue flame, after which there’s a distance, after which you will have to let that fireside sit on the wood for a certain time, depending on the scale of the wood,” Ms. de Leon said.
“It’s really necessary to be precise with what you do because one mistake, the finish will look different,” she added.
The thickness of the wood also plays a crucial role in perfecting the burnt look.
“The project planner will compute it. For instance, it’s like 80×1.4, we have already got a time there,” she said. “So throughout the R&D process, we have already got the swatches that we color, so there’s a recipe for every process.”
Nearly all of the gathering’s pieces, equivalent to tables and chairs, were created from mahogany wood sourced each locally, specifically in Batangas, Mindanao, and internationally. The corporate also uses “remnants” to advertise sustainability.
“We keep our remnants after which assemble it and form them,” she said. “Our goal in Genteelhome is zero waste, that’s why we’re intentional on how we will beautify our remnants.”
Genteelhome is anticipated to release several latest collections this 12 months, each designed to bring unique personality, depth, and character into homes and living spaces.
“This 12 months, our brand Genteelhome is diving deeper into exploration of studying how these finishes can live across different forms, cabinets, tables, chairs, and the way they’ll translate into pieces which can be each functional and emotionally resonant,” Ms. de Leon said.
“If you happen to are buying a furniture for a house, it must be something to attach with,” she added. “It must be something you could relate with.” — Almira Louise S. Martinez