Eclectic: Some rosewood furniture pieces from Oriental Handicraft (above), a piece from Picket and Rail's Starbay collection, which is designed with a more fashionable aesthetic in mind - PHOTO: ORIENTAL HANDICRAFT
Eclectic: Some rosewood furniture pieces from Oriental Handicraft (above), a piece from Picket and Rail's Starbay collection, which is designed with a more fashionable aesthetic in mind - PHOTO: ORIENTAL HANDICRAFT
Eclectic: Some rosewood furniture pieces from Oriental Handicraft, a piece from Picket and Rail's Starbay collection (above), which is designed with a more fashionable aesthetic in mind - PHOTO: PICKET N RAIL
Clean designs: Picket & Rail's modern rosewood furniture (above) is also available in a matte finish, rendered by a wax and oil technique - PHOTO: PICKET N RAIL
Clean designs: Picket & Rail's modern rosewood furniture (above) is also available in a matte finish, rendered by a wax and oil technique - PHOTO: PICKET N RAIL
Clean designs: Picket & Rail's modern rosewood furniture (above) is also available in a matte finish, rendered by a wax and oil technique - PHOTO: PICKET N RAIL
A piece from Picket & Rail's Starbay collection - PHOTO: PICKET N RAIL
In demand: Gnee Hong Rosewood Furniture says the prices of its rosewood furniture (above) have gone up 30-40% in the last year alone - PHOTO: GNEE HONG FURNITURE
In demand: Gnee Hong Rosewood Furniture says the prices of its rosewood furniture (above) have gone up 30-40% in the last year alone - PHOTO: GNEE HONG FURNITURE
A COFFEE table in rosewood, clean in its lines as a whole and yet bearing intricately carved designs, can serve as a centrepiece with strong functionality in a living room. It can pull the look of a room together and be that conversation piece around which the sofa and other chairs revolve. As rosewood is a hard, dense wood with a fine, closed grain, it is one of the most favoured materials for the construction of high-end furniture today. The wood, hailing from Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Brazil, and India, can add a classic and elegant touch to your home; furniture made from it is ageless and versatile.
Vincent Goi, the director of boutique interior design and architecture firm HUE D, says: "TV console, dining table and chairs made from rosewood are wonderful talking points for houses with an Oriental or eclectic look."
The wood is durable and termite-resistant and has investment value in its very timelessness, adds Anthony Liew, the director of marketing and merchandising at Oriental Handicraft (S) Pte Ltd, a manufacturer of rosewood furniture here. "Over the last few years, Chinese rosewood furniture has become popular," says Mr Liew, who attributes the growing appreciation of the wood partly to a widening pool of older consumers.
Elaine Yeo, manager of another rosewood furniture specialist, Fefco Fine Furniture, confirms that those aged 45 and up - baby-boomers - are more appreciative of rosewood furniture. It is also popular among expatriates and well-heeled professionals, managers, executives, and business people who are passionate about Oriental history; local tow kays, who take pride in their Asian roots also go for rosewood furniture.
Preference for the sleek look
Golden City Rosewood Handicraft (S) Pte Ltd has seen its sales of rosewood furniture go up 20 per cent in the last year. Its director Yang Boon Sah counts the younger set among her customers as well - the cosmopolitan set who want an "East meets West" decor in their homes.
Oriental Handicraft's Mr Liew agrees, saying: "Generally customers furnish their homes with some Oriental add- ons to give the contemporary decor a contrast in colour; it also adds sophistication and an exotic character to the living space."
For example, he says, some customers get an altar- style console table in rosewood - one with some minimal carved motifs - and then set up a contrast by displaying a modern piece artwork right above it to make the space more interesting.
In terms of style, homeowners typically go for Ming Dynasty and less-ornate oriental rosewood pieces; their contours, lines, and structures are sleek and uncluttered, and thus blend into a home done up in a modern, contemporary interior decor.
At Oriental Handicraft, round dining tables in rosewood available in various sizes for feng shui considerations are popular buys. Mr Liew says: "The round shape in Chinese culture symbolises harmony. The carvings on the apron of the table and chairs also have symbolic meanings." Rosewood display cabinets, designed to hold heavy ornaments, are also popular among those with treasured collectibles they want to put on display.
Mix and match is the name of the game
Homeowners also throw in classical Ming horseshoe chairs in rosewood among their modern fabric or leather sofas. Such chairs, originally developed for court officials during the Ming dynasty, will not look out of place in any living room, whether traditional or contemporary in decor, because of their clean, elegant lines. Other popular rosewood furniture items include beds, altars, TV consoles, and sofa sets which are ergonomically designed for the spine.
By and large, rosewood furniture is most popular among buyers living in landed property, but condominium and HDB flat owners are increasingly seeking out this kind of furniture.
Picket and Rail's chief executive Faisal Alsagoff counts residents of three-room HDB flats among his customers. Some buyers get their pieces custom-made to fit into their smaller homes, says Mr Liew.
Not all like it
Sky Tan, the chief executive of interior design firm Sky Creations disagrees that the market for rosewood furniture is growing. He says rosewood is losing its appeal and that the younger generation tends to go for modern furniture. It may also be a case of rosewood being more durable than desired: He says his younger clients want to be able to change their furniture from time to time.
And although Mr Goi of HUE D believes rosewood furniture can be conversation starters, it is largely the choice of those who want that Oriental look: "Rosewood does not look trendy. It is reddish and does not go well with contemporary design that is shaping the design scene today."
More trendy and less elaborate designs
So those who want the rosewood, but not the old-world look are now thus asking for rosewood rendered in more contemporary designs, says Mr Faisal. Picket & Rail's Starbay collection, for example, is designed with a more fashionable aesthetic in mind.
Traditionally, high-end rosewood furniture comes in a high-gloss, lacquered finish. But this shiny look is considered "old-fashioned"; besides, the lacquered finish is getting expensive because of the diminishing number of skilled craftsmen. Younger workers shun the work because of the fumes and tedious work, he adds.
Modern rosewood furniture is thus now available in a matte finish, rendered by a wax and oil technique. "Our modern classics and other modern rosewood pieces are available in this finish and very popular. Their simple and clean designs make them easy to combine with other contemporary furniture," says Mr Faisal.
Even Oriental rosewood furniture is coming away from the highly elaborate, heavily carved designs - think latticework of dragons, birds, and cherry blossom motifs - to pieces with minimal carving. Mr Liew says: "There is more emphasis on the detailing and edging of the lines with simple Oriental carvings." Furniture pieces also come in walnut tones for a more modern feel; silk cushions also come in softer colours that give the Oriental theme a more muted look.
Prices to go up
Furniture makers say prices of rosewood furniture will inevitably head north. Mr Faisal predicts they will triple or quadruple in price within a decade. Picket & Rail's Starbay dressers are now priced from $2,000 to $8,999; its "modern classic" rosewood pieces start at $169. Gnee Hong Rosewood Furniture says the prices of its rosewood furniture have gone up 30 to 40 per cent in the last year alone.
Oriental Handicraft's Mr Liew says: "As the craft is dying, many skilled craftsmen and carpenters are now very well paid. This makes finished products very expensive." Another factor is the controlled and limited supply of rosewood raw materials from South-east Asia and the increasing demand for rosewood in China.
Still, furniture makers here are ramping up their efforts to sell the appeal of rosewood to younger homeowners. As Mr Liew says: "We want to tell them that Chinese furniture can be trendy and hip."
