"I was inspired by the beauty and ruggedness of old wood. I bought a truckload of old wood from demolished houses in northern Luzon and employed two carpenters who helped build and furnish my home. Even after the house was finished, there was still plenty of leftover wood. Since the carpenters were very good and experienced, I also felt it would be a shame to let them go," said general manager Ma. Victoria Gochoco Perez.
Just to keep the people even if there were no orders, Perez began designing pieces which the carpenters made. These pieces eventually became samples as people, mostly relatives and friends who saw them, wanted similar pieces for themselves.
When her crew of carpenters grew to six, Perez formally incorporated her business venture. Haspé, the native term for wood grain, formally opened shop with a 143-square meter showroom in Makati City last month.
Useful
While many visitors mistake it for an antique shop, Haspé designs prove to be modern and contemporary, considering the usefulness of each design to the homeowner.
An old capiz or seashell window becomes a decorative floor lamp. Discarded electric posts become legs for a table. Old grills are used as headboard for a bed, a calesa or horse cart wheel provides the table top for a lanai set, and a bologasan or palay storage bin becomes a bench.
"We favor simple, clean lines that show the beauty of the wood grain and none of the curlicues of old designs. With our all-wood designs, we prefer to use dowels instead of nails and wooden hinges instead of metal ones," said Perez.
Haspé furniture uses old wood such as ipil, molave, balayong, and kamagong, which offers many advantages. It has stopped warping and it is too hard for termite teeth. Since the wood comes from old, demolished houses, it is also environment-friendly.
Haspe can custom-make furniture according to the customer’s space and budget requirements. The shop is also capable of interior design jobs, including installing short, narra planks for floors.
"Our market are those who can appreciate new renditions of old wood. They would want to get the best for their homes," said assistant general manager Nesty Jay-ar Ortiz.