Tag Archives: Vitra

IN our article ‘Faux furniture fad or fab?’ (BT, Sept 24), we said that SPACE acquires replicas of original designs from licensed manufacturers such as Vitra, Carl Hansen and Herman Miller. We also said that it offers licensed replicas for sale. SPACE has pointed out that these brands are actually the licensed manufacturers of original designs and the products are original, not replicas. It also said it has from the outset positioned itself as a retailer of original products.

In the report ‘Li Heng to float assets in HK, stay listed in S’pore’ (BT, Oct 1), the company’s main business operations are in China, not Hong Kong.

We are sorry for the errors.

Source : Business Times – 2 Oct 2009

Interior designers and shops alike are seeing a trend where clients choose to mix and match high- and low-end pieces, reports FELDA CHAY

THE economic downturn has hit home – with high-end furniture shops and interior designers saying that demand for upmarket furniture pieces has taken a dive. ‘Under the present economic circumstances, it would be disingenuous to state that for the current year our sales have not been affected,’ says Eileen Tan, senior marketing executive at SPACE. Revenue has dipped by a ‘low double-digit figure’ so far this year, she says.

Luxurious: This belt-tightening, however, does not mean that furniture buyers are willing to furnish their homes with less stylish-looking pieces. Instead, they have sought to acquire replicas of the originals, which industry insiders say can be two to five times cheaper than the original

Her views are echoed by Samuel Leong, director of interior design firm Free Space Intent Pte Ltd. ‘Demand has definitely dropped for these high value products as people get more cautious about buying designer furniture,’ says Mr Leong. This belt-tightening, however, does not mean that furniture buyers are willing to furnish their homes with less stylish-looking pieces.

Instead, they have sought to acquire replicas of the originals, which industry insiders say can cost just half or even a fifth of the original. Some of these come from licensed manufacturers such as Vitra, Carl Hansen and Herman Miller. Others are fakes that come from unlicensed manufacturers trying to make a quick buck from home owners who love the design of a piece of furniture, but are unwilling to pay for the original and deem the licensed products too heavy for the pocket. Most of these are made in China.

Given the costs involved in purchasing an original, such a situation is inevitable, says Ms Tan. ‘Including design development royalties and the use of better quality eco-friendly materials, it ends up costing more than replicas, which saves substantially on all these aspects,’ she says.

She separates customers who buy replicas into two groups, one of which she calls the ‘aspirationals’, and the other the group that purchases replicas for the ‘look-alike’ aspect. The ‘aspirationals’, Ms Tan says, are a group that appreciates the design of the piece they buy, and the purchase decision for copies is merely an interim solution for them to own the design before they can purchase the original. Continue reading →