Blims remains the gold standard for fine furniture

MANILA, Philippines - “At the end of the day, the only place I want to be is home,” so goes a popular line from a movie about a world-weary woman conveying her thoughts of retreating to her home after a hard day’s toil at the office.

Indeed, a home is a sanctuary where one can rest one’s tired body and soul.

But what makes an abode more enticing to come home to is the thought of lying on the ultra-soft fluffy bed, or relaxing on a reclining La-Z-Boy chair, or simply bonding with loved ones over dinner on your new, intricately-carved wooden dining table.

 Without a doubt, a good furniture contributes to the beauty, character and ambience of a home. They also reflect the style of the person or persons who live in it.

 That’s why people nowadays are very particular in choosing and buying their furniture. While the mass-produced Chinese-made furniture appeals to people’s practical outlook, many Filipinos still opt for the more durable, timeless and stylish pieces.

One brand that Filipinos continue to patronize over the years is Blims Fine Furniture.

Blims president and CEO Samie Lim says they aim to remain the gold standard in fine furniture.

As a company that started in the 70s, Lim who is also president of Automatic Center and chairman emeritus of the Franchise Association of the Philippines, says they continue to evolve and adapt to the changing and modern times. Great design, great quality—these are what goes into every Blims furniture piece, Lim attests.

In running their furniture business, Lim fuses over functionality and aesthetics and then pushes the boundaries a step further. Blims always strives try to think out of the box, innovates and blazes trails – just like what it did in 1977 when it opened its very first showroom in Makati.

At that time, custom-made furniture was the rage and Blims went against the tide. They introduced ready-made furniture.

“Back in those days, people ordered furniture pieces that were handcrafted. ‘Pakopya sa craftsmen; made to order ang uso’ (Imitated designs were in vogue). But what we did was introduce ready-made furniture. We also marketed Blims as a one-stop shop for all the home furnishings people need,” Lim recounts.

 The people liked it and soon they were swamped with orders and were running out of stock. What’s more, other stores have caught up and followed their concept.

Blims president and CEO Samie Lim with his sons Blims business development manager Sam Gregory Lim (left) and Blims general manager Sam Frederick Lim (right) during the launch.

“After that, everybody followed. The concept became an after thought,” Lim says.

And now, 35 years after opening their first store, Blims continues to innovate and stay in synch with modern lifestyles and the changing times.

“We are not just a furniture shop, we are defining and selling lifestyles, whether you are a bachelor or newly married or a family man, you’ll find something in Blims,” he says.

To date, Blims has 15 showrooms in Metro Manila, Pampanga and Davao.

To celebrate their 35th anniversary, Blims recently unveiled its “Luxe Living Collection for Spring/ Summer 2012” at The Gallery, Greenbelt 5 in Makati. During the launch, pieces from its limited editions, latest collections and luxury brands – The Tusk Collection by Blims, The Royal Oak Collection and Amphibios Series by the world-famous brand Cellini, Maestro and La-Z-Boy were rolled out and displayed.

Guests walked past clean-lined, modern and contemporary art work pieces, stylish coffee and dining tables and cozy reclining La-Z-Boys.

“It’s a sneak preview of what we are introducing in 2012. We have limited editions,” says Lim’s son, Sam Gregory, Blims Business Development Manager, who also shared their plans to collaborate with the Design Center of the Philippines to know more about trends and color forecast for the industry next year.

As part of their plans to scale up, Sam Gregory said they are in the thick of preparation to launch their luxe emporiums or show rooms. Blims has hired Philippine School of Interior Design Director and editor-in-chief of My Home Magazine Jie Pambid, a renowned name in the interior designing world to do the design for the stores to give them more modern feel.

 “We are upgrading and renovating our showrooms. For the showrooms, we want the minimalist look. What we want is to really highlight our designs. We have platforms that will highlight our individual pieces. We carry a lot of lines right now,” he says.

Sam Gregory also discussed their condo living collection, a wide array of furniture that fit any space in a compact place.

He notes the boom in the construction industry and stressed Blims offers function, space-saving and convertible furnitures that will suit any condo space.

“We are very upbeat about it. As you can see there are a lot of development these days so the market for furniture is huge. What we offer are functional pieces for condos to make sure they are stylish and modern. We have sofas that are convertible, smaller furnitures,” he added.

Sam Frederick Lim, Samie’s older son who is Blims’ general manager says they are very optimistic about the furniture industry and remain confident their business will stay afloat even during hard economic times.

Samie says they’ve been in the industry long enough and know that a commitment to quality, great design, craftsmanship and total customer satisfaction are factors that explain why they lasted this long and remained successful in the business.

“Quality was really all about every Blims furniture. We don’t compromise quality over anything else, not even for profit,” he says.

“That’s why the test of a genuine, solid and durable furniture lies beneath. The finish may be smooth and attractive on the outside, but just to test it, just try to feel your hand underneath the furniture and see if the finish is smooth and fine, that’s the true test. At Blims, we make sure the overall design and quality are seamless. We stand for quality,” Samie says.

For more information about Blims and its 2012 Luxe Living line, call 470-9185 or 470-9170, or send email to [email protected], or visit www. blimsfurniture.com.ph, or Blims showrooms in Metro Manila, Pampanga and Cebu.