Pampanga-based furniture maker Genteelhome launched Sibol, the first 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 means to emerge or to rise, reflects the pieces from the collection.
“It speaks about growth, but not the usual kind of growth, not the natural kind of growth. It’s a growth to pressure about transformation through challenge,” Ms. de Leon said.
“The burnt collection is not just about 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 will have its own kind of hope.”
Ms. de Leon noted that Filipino artisans craft each piece of furniture from the collection. “Usually, we hire an unskilled artisan, and we train them. We have our own training team or training department to really develop the artisan.”
The signature burnt look, with varying 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 have to get the blue flame, and then there’s a distance, and then you have to let that fire sit on the wood for a certain time, depending on the size of the wood,” Ms. de Leon said.
“It’s really important to be precise with what you do because one mistake, the finish will look different,” she added.
The thickness of the wood also plays an important role in perfecting the burnt look.
“The project planner will compute it. For example, it’s like 80×1.4, we already have a time there,” she said. “So during the R&D process, we already have the swatches that we color, so there’s a recipe for each process.”
The majority of the collection’s pieces, such as tables and chairs, were made from mahogany wood sourced both locally, specifically in Batangas, Mindanao, and internationally. The company also uses “remnants” to promote sustainability.
“We keep our remnants and then assemble it and form them,” she said. “Our goal in Genteelhome is zero waste, that’s why we’re intentional on how we can beautify our remnants.”
Genteelhome is expected to release several new collections this year, each designed to bring unique personality, depth, and character into homes and living spaces.
“This year, our brand Genteelhome is diving deeper into exploration of studying how these finishes can live across different forms, cabinets, tables, chairs, and how they can translate into pieces that are both functional and emotionally resonant,” Ms. de Leon said.
“If you are buying a furniture for a home, it should be something to connect with,” she added. “It should be something that you can relate with.” — Almira Louise S. Martinez
