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April 06, 2010
30 and under
Wood works
It started, like most furniture businesses, as a family affair. Now the owner of Home & Lifestyle Furniture, Tina Kraut says her affinity for woodwork began in the 1980s, when her father set up a knife block factory that would grow to be the biggest in Asia.
TINA KRAUT, owner of Home & Lifestyle Furniture
Business was booming until Chinese firms edged the company out with their rock-bottom price tags. Instead of losing out, the family turned to furniture production, a related arena that allowed them to apply the same technology and mass manufacturing know-how to a wider range of consumer goods.
They have since regained their footing in the industry, marketing their furniture as "products that will last a lifetime." The firmÕs staying power, claims Ms. Kraut, lies in collections that are equal parts comfort, functionality and aesthetic beauty.
Well-versed in both woodwork manufacturing and export, the firm keeps its processes, from start to finish, "in the family." It refuses to outsource labor, instead relying on workers who have been honing their skills with the company for decades.
Their wares are fashioned out of kiln-dried Philippine hardwood and other homegrown supplies like coconut shells and crushed bamboo. Among the most popular product lines are Beatriz, known for its interwoven patterns, and Koshel & Kubek, a line of Altiza hardwood furniture with coconut shell inlays. In-house designers take charge of drawing up custom-made patterns for more discerning customers.
The company, which has expanded its product range to wooden bed frames, commodes, tables and sofa sets, also prides itself with its intricately cut decor and home accents. It counts interior designers and developers among its regular clients, and has accolades like Best Furnishings, Best Furniture Collection and Best Booth Design awards from the 2006 Gawang Pinoy Awards and the 25th Philippine Furniture Festival lining its shelves.
When she’s not out running the family firm, the 28-year-old Ms. Kraut builds her own nest with her husband and three children and takes classes at the Philippine School of Interior Design (PSID), a follow-up to a degree in Advertising Management which she got from the De La Salle University (DLSU) in 2004. She’s also on the lookout for a Manila showroom that her Cavite-based business can call its second home. -- V. T. Vizcarra
Home & Lifestyle Furniture is located at Km. 28 E. Aguinaldo Highway, Salitran II, Dasmari–as, Cavite. For product details, visit the Web site, www.homelifestylefurniture.com. Ms. Kraut can be reached via mobile phone at 0917-819-1862, telefax at (046) 416-2035, and e-mail at homelifefurniture@yahoo.com.
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