Swiss dreams, Pinoy style

Ever wished that the Philippines had its own Ikea? Good news: we have our own version of that Mecca for democratic design — but it’s proudly Philippine-made, comparably priced, and leagues better in quality.

I’m talking about Philux, the homegrown brand that’s been designing and making solid-wood furniture for the past 30 years. With a new collection that’s like ready-to-wear for the home and an assemble-it-yourself dining set that can be shipped pretty much anywhere, Philux could go global if it wanted to, but instead chooses to devote itself to the market right here.

“Philux is Filipino-made and -designed with good Swiss quality,” says Stephanie Kienle, marketing manager of Philux Incorporated. The model-pretty daughter of Philux founders Max and Zelda Kienle, Stephanie is half-Swiss (courtesy of Dad), and half-Filipino (thanks to Mom), much like the brand itself. Using know-how gleaned from her studies in New York and Paris, Stephanie is taking over the reins of the family business and reinventing it for a new generation that likes its furniture fashionable, functional and affordable.

“The new collection that we’re launching now is more for urban living,” she says, taking me through Philux’s midyear 2009 collection at the Rockwell Power Plant showroom. “We notice that a lot of people who come here are newlyweds — they’re starting out, they have a small pad, they prefer clean and modern. So we’re focusing much more on modern.”

The collection, which includes one set each for living room, dining, bedroom and office, is certainly sleek enough to fit any contemporary home setting, while incorporating chic design touches that are more trendily European than stereotypically Filipino. The Caroline bed, for example, was inspired by the French style of Roche Bobois, one of Stephanie’s favorite furniture stores in Paris. A slit in the headboard shows off the generous thickness of the wood, while the bed itself is low, evoking a more Zen aesthetic.

Mix-and-match nesting tables of different heights resemble cute little mushrooms, hence their French name: Chanterelles.

The dining chairs have deliberately short armrests — another design flourish echoed within the collection — while glass-topped desks and tables glint with stainless steel.

“We don’t just do wood now,” says Stephanie. “We used different materials to show we have skilled craftsmanship.”

The 23-year-old economics major is equally excited about Philux’s efforts to reach a wider market. They’ve started consigning with SM Department Store, offering their lower-priced lines through Homeworld, and developed a product perfect for the mass market: the Sarah dining set. “You can assemble it Ikea-style,” Stephanie says. “It’s a smaller, very simple design, but fits in a box you can ship easily with a guide inside and tools.” On the market already, the set costs a mere P12,995 for a four-seater and P14,995 to seat six.

But unlike mass-market furniture retailers who rely on cheap materials tarted up to look like wood, Philux crafts its furnishings from the real thing: solid hardwoods sourced from here and abroad, like Philippine mahogany, narra, and the surprisingly less costly but more sustainable alternative — radiata wood imported from New Zealand.

“My dad — his Swiss side — tries to be more green,” Stephanie explains. “In New Zealand their regulations for plantation forests are very strict. Every time they cut one tree, they plant two.”

Called “south pine,” radiata is also more versatile: it can be stained different colors from light to dark, and “it’s more reasonable than hardwoods like narra, which can cost twice as much.”

The concept of releasing a furniture collection twice a year is actually a new one for Philux. Before, pieces were created sporadically and new designs were dependent on inspiration, which might strike family members during travels abroad.

Though a proud Filipino brand, west-meets-east defines most of Philux’s heritage. While working for a multinational food company, Swiss national Max Kienle came to the Philippines over 30 years ago and fell in love with the country and his beautiful, Filipino-Spanish wife-to-be, Zelda Aragon. They decided to keep living in the Philippines, had two daughters, Stephanie and Jessica, and went into business together, selling rattan baskets before establishing Philux in 1980.

A diehard outdoorsman, Max does triathlons, runs marathons, and bikes the trails up north every weekend — all at the age of 62. With like-minded friends, he formed the group Run for Others (R4O), which raises money for worthy causes. A veteran of the Paris-Dakar Rally, an off-road race that crosses the Sahara desert, Max likes riding his motorbike to work every day. 

“That crazy guy who does wheelies — that’s my dad!” Stephanie laughs.

But the daredevil is also an engineer, closely monitoring every stage of furniture production at the Philux factory in Sucat — from woodcutting to carpentry to sanding and finishing. “We don’t use nails, we use dowels in the old style of craftsmanship,” notes Stephanie.

Mom Zelda is in charge of accounting and sales staff, Stephanie handles business and marketing, while younger sister Jessica, who is studying art in Paris, will surely play a more creative role in the future.

“We started with a more country look in the ’90s, but over the years as our tastes have evolved, our designs have evolved, too,” says Stephanie. “My dad is a very practical guy, so he wants functional pieces that are still beautiful: simple, clean lines, contemporary, and reliable with good quality.”

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Philux showrooms are located in Rockwell Power Plant, SM Megamall and Alabang Town Center. For more information call 809-0774, 809-4760, 772-3925 or visit www.philux-inc.com.