Why Italians do it better

When Florence Ko was building her home about 10 years ago, she had no idea that in searching for her own furniture she would end up creating a company and distributing some of Italy’s best names in furniture. If you had told her then that her training in accounting would be superseded by a growing love for interiors and furniture design (particularly Italian), she would have argued with you because, as she says, she “couldn’t even read floor plans.”

Italy has produced some of the biggest names in fashion, furniture design and the related arts. A few years ago, in fact, the Italian Trade Commission attempted to answer the question “Who will be the next Achille Castiglioni, Emilio Pucci, Carlo Scarpa and Federico Fellini?” The forum talked about Italian creativity and why it is so great, citing reasons such as “a common language of design” spoken in Italy and the country’s culture for having produced artists that create enduring art, amazing fashion, sports cars, buildings and furniture.   

Florence herself was so taken by Italian design and furniture that she decided to focus on just a handful of names to distribute in the Philippines.

 “When we were building our own place, we were looking for really nice furniture, but at the time there weren’t too many brands to choose from, although a couple of high-end brands were already here,” says Florence. “We’re in the hardware business, so our suppliers helped us source our furniture for the house. Then I thought, maybe there are other people like me who are interested in high-quality furniture, so why not bring them over to the Philippines? That’s how we started.”

Less is more: The pieces at FurnItalia range from classics to contemporary and modern — but always with a touch of something different and surprising.

Florence founded FurnItalia, a company devoted to high-end furniture pieces and accessories. The early years in Manila were a struggle, people couldn’t understand how a sofa or a chair could cost so much.

“People were not aware of this kind of things so we needed to educated them, what the furniture products were all about and why they were pricey. I tell my clients, ‘Pricey and expensive are two different things. It’s expensive when it’s not worth the price you are paying for; pricey, the cost pa lang is already high. So, a Porsche is pricey but not expensive because it is worth its price. It’s the same with the furniture we carry.”

Today, the retail landscape is totally different. More high-end furniture companies are now in Manila, and architects and homeowners are choosing pieces that will last, recognizing that they do have to pay a hefty price for them.

Florence looks at competition as a healthy thing for the retail industry. “The more brands there are here, the more the end-user will realize that there are products like these. Instead of having no plans of buying Italian-made furniture, it now becomes an option. When the market is exposed they become more open-minded. A single store cannot do that by itself. When people see that such stores are thriving in Manila, it becomes the norm to check out what they have to offer rather than reject them right away because of the price.”

Next year, FurnItalia will be celebrating its 10th anniversary and Florence is planning a year-long celebration for the store’s past, present and future clients. On top of this they will also be renovating FurnItalia’s showroom in Bonifacio Global City, which they opened in 2006. The building — a beautiful glass cube — was designed by architect Ed Calma. Back then, it was the only building in this part of BGC. Today, where it stands at the corner of Rizal  Drive and 3rd St., it is surrounded by mixed-use buildings, but it is still one of the most interesting designs in the area.  

The lady who loves Italian designers: FurnItalia founder Florence Ko, “I tell my clients, ‘Pricey and expensive are two different things. It’s expensive when it is not worth the price you are paying for; pricey, the cost pa lang is already high. So, a Porsche is pricey but not expensive because it is worth its price. It’s the same with the furniture we carry. ” Photos by JUN MENDOZA

In the 2,500-sq.m. space are FurnItalia’s Italian brands — Poltrona Frau, Giorgetti, Molteni & C, Cassina, Fiam, Flexform, and Penta, plus some accessories from the Czech Republic and other companies.

“In total, we have about 30 brands since we carry a lot of accessories from different companies. It would be boring if all your pieces — from your furniture to your accessories — are coming from one brand alone. The bulk of the business is still furniture, of course.”

Florence attends the Milan Furniture Show yearly to keep herself updated on the trends in furniture and soft furnishings.

She is most proud of the flagship brand of FurnItalia: Poltrona Frau, which is celebrating its 100th year in 2012. Poltrona Frau has collaborated with some of the world’s best designers and architects, among them Frank Gehry who designed the chairs for the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, of which he is also the architect; Richard Meier for the Getty Museum in LA; and Renzo Piano for the Music Park complex in Rome. Also on its roster are Luigi Massoni, Sergio Mazza and Giuliana Gramigna, Tito Agnoli, Pierluigi Cerri, Marco Zanuso, Ferdinand Porsche, Lella and Massimo Vignelli, Luca Scacchetti, and Jean Nouvel.

There are also places where you might not expect to see a high-end furniture company’s name, but it would make sense once you understand that Poltrona Frau is known for its leather. For instance, it is doing the seats of Ferrari cars, Japan Airline’s first-class seats, Singapore Airlines’ A380 business-class and first-class seats, and Emirates Airlines’ first-class seats. It also made the seats for the European Parliament Hall.

Some of the fine things in life: “When the market is exposed, people become more open-minded,” says Florence Ko. “When homeowners see that such stores are thriving in Manila, it becomes the norm to check out what they have to offer rather than reject them right away because of the price.”

You probably don’t know it’s a Poltrona, but many chic homes featured in magazines here and abroad have a Poltrona piece or two. And if you saw the Sex & the City  movie and noticed that nice coffee table in Mr. Big and Carey’s new apartment — that’s also a Poltrona Frau.

When you sit on the chair by architect and furniture designer Jean Marie Massaud, you will know why Poltrona got its reputation for fine craftsmanship. It is one of the most comfortable chairs I have ever sat on (and I’ve sat in many designer chairs in a number of showrooms), seemingly defying the laws of scale.

On the mezzanine level of FurnItalia are pieces from Molteni & C, a company known for system furniture and wardrobes. There’s a little more flexibility in terms of materials as sofas are covered in leather or fabric.

“For Filipino homes, I’d say they still go for a warmer look and feel, not too modern,” says Florence. “It’s not so nice when it’s all aluminum and stainless steel, magsasawa ka. You need a little something to bring warmth to your home.”

One floor above are the other brands like Giorgetti and accessories. Here you have a lot of glass vases from the Czech Republic, lamps and other accessories that go from oddly shaped to very unique.

One interesting thing we found out from Florence is that some clients have the date to have the furniture delivered feng shui’d. They can check out the showroom any time, but when the pieces are delivered, especially for a new house, is crucial.

Welcome to the world of Italian craftsmanship: A setting in the showroom of FurnItalia mixes Italian furniture pieces with hand-blown Czech glass vases.

“They want the furniture for the whole house delivered on a good feng shui date, especially beds. We had a client that asked us to deliver and assemble the pieces only between 6 and 8 a.m. We were ready, we knew which pieces went to which room and we had a number of people to assemble the furniture simultaneously.”

That’s Italian craftsmanship, Filipino efficiency.

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FurnItalia’s showroom is located at 3rd St. corner Rizal Drive in Bonifacio Global City.