What Quality Means to Us
We take pride on the quality of our products that goes through stages before it is ready to find its new home.
Wood and Natural Fibres Treatment
Before any woodworking starts, each wood undergoes heat treatment or kiln drying to make sure the wood dries up. The drying process allows the wood to remove its moisture, removing molds, fungus, and parasites in the wood. The drying process also prolongs the life of the wood and prevents it from cracking.
Natural Fibers, on the other hand, are selected first using only mature fibers and sun/air-dried to remove its moisture. After drying, natural fibers are “cleaned” by brushing excess husks which sometimes contain insects and molds.
What we don’t do: Not heat-treating woods and fibres to remove moisture and moulds. Selecting young woods and natural fibres which is harmful to its sustainability and the local environment.
Solid Steel Frames
To make sure our baskets and hampers last for many years to come, we use galvanized steel (Galvanized Iron) wires as its mainframe. The steel wire is galvanized to protect it from rusting and we use thicker than normal wires for sturdier homeware. The solid frames are a must for all baskets as it serves as the frames for weaving natural fibres.
What we don’t do: Use cheap, flimsy, or no steel framing for baskets.
Thoughtful Crafting
This is where raw materials transform into timeless pieces for your homes. Our master crafters put their decades of experience and skills on each product, making sure it is exceptional quality and durable. The designs they use have evolved slightly to suit modern taste but most of them still were the original ones, dating back to designs from the 1950-1960s. Our artisans care about their own work, they treat it as their art and with a sense of pride. That is how they built their repertoire of skills throughout generations of woodworking as their livelihood.
What we don’t do: Have untrained crafters create homeware without accountability and pride on their work.
Coating
After crafting, all products undergo a round of coating to make sure it is durable and long-lasting. We coat kitchenware with certified food-safe coating and water-based stiffener for all wickerwork. This assures that wood and natural fibres are sturdier and durable in a very hot and cold environment. It adds extra protection and prevents wilt, tear, and breaking.
What we don’t do: Do not put protective coating. Use coatings that would destroy the product and has a strong smell.
Inspection
Lastly, our homeware goes a final inspection to make sure the products are ready for any home. Each product is carefully checked for any breakage, tears, or major blemishes.
What we don’t know do: Release any homeware and décor products without final inspection.
Following our ethos, we only use woods that are highly sustainable and native to the Philippines.
Philippine Acacia (Acacia confusa)
Family: Fabaceae
Wood lifespan: 30-80 (or more) years
Water-Resistant
Natural Antibacterial Properties
The Philippine Acacia or “Akasya” is one of the most common trees in the Philippines. Endemic to the rest of the Philippines especially in Luzon, these hardwood trees are famous for their sturdiness that could withstand frequent dry seasons and heavy typhoons in the Philippines.
As a wood, it is water-resistant and highly durable that could last for many decades. Because of this, its wood has been a staple material in furniture and homeware in Filipino households. It is high heat resistance and natural antibacterial properties, making acacia a primary material for kitchenware and tableware since early times. Its wood is dark to light brown in colour with beautiful graining, giving a warm and premium touch to any home.
Abacá (Musa textilis)
Family: Musaceae
Fibre Lifespan: 15-30 years
Mold and Water Resistant
Lightweight with High Heat Resistance
Considered as a “Future Fibre” by the United Nation due to its sustainability, Abaca is one of the biggest raw material exports of the Philippines since the 1800s. It is known as a hard fibre used as ship’s ropes, hawser, and cables due to its exceptional strength, buoyancy, flexibility, and resistance to saltwater damages. Because of its unique durability and strength, it is also used in a variety of products such as filter paper, carpets, bank notes, baskets, shoes, hats, and even automobile parts. Abacá has an attractive light to dark golden color that lights up any room and brings a feeling of warmth and calmness.
Rattan (Calamus rotang)
Family: Arecaceae
Fibre Lifespan: 15-30 years
Mold and Fungus Resistant
Flexible with High Cold and Heat Resistance
Often called “manila vine”, rattan is one of the oldest and strongest natural fibre used by man. It is similar to bamboo but stronger because of its solid core. Known as a lightweight, flexible and strong fibre, it’s been used as a primary material for home items ranging from baskets, hats, chairs, bags, planters, stands, bed frames and even bracing joints for boats and houses in early times. It is resistant to mold and fungus making it a perfect material for any homeware or kitchenware. Rattan gives a luster of light to dark golden color, giving any homeware a light and rich touch to it.