Homebound

For those of you building homes, palettes of color and layout configurations will probably fill your waking hours. How many rooms? What material to use? Where should the front door face? When all is said and done, when the structure is up and the paint has dried… all of sudden, the life that is meant to fill the walls takes shape. Shouldn’t everything we put inside our homes be a reflection of what we would like the world outside of it to be? — aesthetically beautiful, clean, safe, and special. Choosing something as simple as furnishings can be as important as just that.

Established in 1967 by Alfredo Battistella, Novamobili, now under the dedicated leadership of his son Mario, is at the forefront of the Italian furniture industry. In terms of product innovation, investments in new technologies and revenue levels, the Battistella family commitment to excellence remains solid and thriving. Always in step with the constantly developing global market, Novamobili’s commitment to research, sustainable development, and a tradition of perseverance has resulted in an amazingly comprehensive furniture line. 

Recently brought to Manila by Fullybooked founder, Jaime Daez, the Novamobili showroom features an amazing selection. Tucked away on the third floor of the Fullybooked Fort complex is a 400-sqm. space connected to the main building by an innovative conduit featuring a display of unique design/art books.

Originally an architect by training, Jaime has made sure you will find everything here,  from extremely comfortable sofas to full wall-mounted units, innovative beds, and even lighting fixtures. Featured in both neutral and bold colors, the wonderful thing about this line is that everything can be completely coordinated and customized. Want your slate grey laminated drawers to match your walk-in closet’s area rug? Done. Want your cranberry-colored chairs to match your side table? Done. Nothing is impossible — whether it be size, shape or even time. Look for their showroom manager, Italian furniture designer Alberto. He will tell you all there is to know.

However, it’s not just the aesthetics of it that’s worth the mention, each design is also extremely efficient and lasting. Although every item is supported by a special design software, there are portions of the manufacturing process that are manually checked for quality — almost like an artisan production. Expert staffers take true pride in their work through meticulous craft details. You will never see a piece a furniture leave the assembly line where laminated areas can chip, prove uneven or even unbalanced. Even the simple act of incorporating color is a high-tech system that is complemented by hand painting. How do they possibly do this? By keeping everything close to home. Each Novamobili product is manufactured 100% in Italy and nowhere else. In a world where “made in China” is as ubiquitous as our Manila traffic, this is an amazing feat — proof once again of the Battistella commitment to tradition.

Yet tradition is not the only thing that makes this furniture-maker special. Novamobili uses materials with the Greenguard Indoor Air Quality Certification, the strictest international standard for chemical emissions to ensure that your family lives in an atmosphere that is safe and clean.

Strangely enough, air inside a home can be more polluted than air outside it. Did you know that certain materials used for producing furniture can sometimes release harmful volatile substances into the environment? Something to think about the next time you actually try to calculate your carbon footprint. 

Novamobili’s commitment to your well-being doesn’t just stop there. They use only water-based paints that produce 95% less emissions than other market products. They developed an exclusive system of matte water-based lacquering certified by the Ecolabel mark — a benchmark for the most advanced standard of safeguarding health and protecting the environment. It is no surprise after all since Novamobili’s over-40-year history began with manufacturing children’s furniture and its focus on safety methods. Don’t get me wrong though, these paint colors are outstandingly durable and brilliant as they are environmentally conscious. So children can be dazzled with such pretty colors in their room as you sit back completely at peace. 

If that wasn’t enough, because of their commitment to recycling wood and preserving trees, Novamobili uses only non-toxic melamine-faced panels fully in line with the E1 European standard. The look and feel of wood without having to cut down a single tree, how much better can that get? I am certain that even Al Gore will approve. But wait, there’s more. 

Relatively speaking, one can actually buy this furniture at prices that are accommodating. In no way will their price tags break the bank. So no need to encase sofas in plastic or keep furniture merely on display. No need to cover table corners with the palm of your hand as your toddler meanders awkwardly around the living room for fear that they might hit their head on a sharp surface. You can actually use each item and love it every chance you get as can every member of your family. After all, isn’t that what the inside of a house should be filled with? People and objects that remind you to relax, enjoy without any need to worry about safety or comfort. Everything just naturally is.

You need not take my word for it though, I am certain that even Jaime’s lovely wife Chris will not think twice about filling up her newborn baby’s room with Novamobili. Baby Stefano and big brother Mateo will sleep soundly as will their parents knowing that they are in the best hands. 

It is the Battistella family promise — evidence once again that wellness is not bound by country or culture. And that some things like family, are built to last. 

* * *

Visit the Novamobili showroom at 2F Building 6, 11th Ave., Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig; e-mail info@novamobili.ph; call 738-2430. 

E-mail tcbautista@arkeology.org.