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Most
architects and interior designers will agree
that there has been a significant surge in
interest in premium teak wood
furniture in recent years. |
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After all, this material has long been recognized for its durability and
stability even under severe climatic conditions.
Due to its |
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high
concentration of natural oil, teak wood lasts
for decades and is also resistant to mold,
mildew, splintering, rot and insects.
Owing to these inherent qualities, teak wood is considered the first
timber of choice for ships and yachts and in
recent decades to furniture.
As one of the country’s largest manufacturers and importers of teak
products, Komodo Artcrafts, Inc. has catered to
this growing need for fine handcrafted
furniture. The company’s first showroom was
opened along Pioneer Street in Mandaluyong City
by husband and wife tandem Louie and Kay Mendez
in 1998.
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Mendez plays with
stone and teak in his designs |
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A few months
ago, Komodo opened a second showroom along
Pasong Tamo in Makati City to cater to more
clients in the southern part of Metro Manila.
“Our decision to open another store came to us
naturally, thanks to our loyal clientele, as
well as our partners in the who recommend our
products,” says Louie. “We also expanded our
product range to include a wider selection, not
only of wood, but of stone as well,” he adds.
Louie refers to the recent inclusion in his
product range of home features made out of
Indonesian natural stones such as Black Lava,
Yellow Sandstone and Limestone, which are
innovatively crafted into wall and floor
accents, bollards, fountains and even bathtubs.
“While teak has always been my first material of
choice, the uniqueness of stone accents is also
very appealing”, he says.
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Aside from its expanding range, Komodo has
likewise enhanced its range of services. Should
a client have unique designs or furniture needs,
Komodo is able to accept custom orders using a
wide array of materials beyond teak wood and
Indonesian stones,
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Louie Mendez in his showroom |
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including
other materials such as mahogany and nyatoh.
At present, Louie and Kay not only work closely with top interior
designers, but they also supply wholesalers and
furniture stores that would otherwise be unable
to meet minimum order quantities and other
challenges of overseas production. “We save our
clients from the hassle of sourcing and
importing, as well as the uncertainties of
dealing in foreign currencies,” Louie says.
Amazingly, even though 100 percent of Komodo
products are made in Indonesia, these can
oftentimes be delivered faster than locally
produced furniture depending on the shipping
schedule. “We can manufacture quality furniture
relatively fast, and if an order reaches us
right before the vessel leaves, then the
custom-made product can be delivered in less
than three weeks,” Louie explains.
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Starting Over
By Jacqueline L.
Ong
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Starter kits span a whole range of
commodities, from cross-stitch and cellphones to dishwashers and waxing
sets. But a starter kit for a marriage?
We’re pretty sure there’s no such boxed
kit listing mechanics and to-dos for a
just-divorced wife.
So what’s a starter wife got to do?
That’s the premise behind Hallmark
Channel’s new TV series “The Starter
Wife”. Starring Debra Messing as the
41-year old Molly Kagan, the six-part
series comically travails the
adjustments of Molly from being a wife
of a powerful
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Newly-divorced Molly
Kegan (Debra Messing)
learns the ropes of
starting over with her
new life. |
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Hollywood producer into a person on her
own. Surrounded by just as colorful
characters—Lou Manahan (Joe Mantegna),
the flirty friendly boss of Molly’s
husband Kenny (Peter Jacabson); Joan
McCalister (Judy Davis), Molly’s
desperately alcoholic friend and another
wife of an old rich man; Cricket Stewart
(Miranda Otto), Molly’s slightly
wishy-washy friend and again another
wife of a Hollywood director who’s
courting Kenny for a film he’s
making—Molly’s daily toil to reclaim her
sanity is reflective of the high life’s
phoniness and mendacity. The show pokes
fun at the Hollywood culture with its
light satire on the lifestyles of the
elite social circuit, the betrayal and
back-stabbing of so-called friends,
controversial love connections, the crab
mentality crowding the social ladder and
the pretentious regard on position
labels.
“The Starter Wife” is based on Gigi
Levangie Grazer’s New York Times
best-selling novel. Its earlier run in
the United States earned it 10 Emmy
nominations including a lead actress
nomination for Debra Messing, supporting
nods for Joe Mantegna and Judy Davis and
Outstanding Miniseries. The Southeast
Asia exclusive Sunday weekly run starts
on October 21 with a two-episode premier
special at 9pm.
Like in anything meaningful, there’s no
such easy starter kit in finding one’s
true identity from the confusing world
of self-realization without being
somebody else’s attachment. |
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