Ethnicraft recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. How about a trip down memory lane? Find out how the story started: from a single container shipped from Indonesia to a company with a strong vision for the future.
A single container full of decorative items from Indonesia. That is how the story began. In 1995, Antwerp entrepreneur Philippe Delaisse brought back a container of furniture and interior accessories from his trip around the world, to sell them at home. Long-time friend Benoit Loos heard of it and joined forces with Philippe.
Together, they started to import one container every few months. One year later, Ethnicraft was founded. They had clients eagerly waiting at the Antwerp docks, numbered ticket in hand, ready to buy that one special item they coveted. The duo very quickly decided that they wanted to design and produce their own furniture and set up their first manufacturing site in Indonesia. And so began Ethnicraft’s story, with the first solid teak collection. Philippe took charge of manufacturing operations and product developments, while Benoit was responsible for marketing, finances and the company’s growth.
Then in 1997, with the first opportunity to exhibit at Maison & Objet, came confirmation. Visitors and buyers raved about the products, it was instant success! Ethnicraft had found the right path: beautifully crafted contemporary solid wooden furniture.
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More than 25 years on, Ethnicraft has become an internationally recognised brand. We have significantly invested in supporting the know-how of traditional craftsmanship techniques. Our values continue being centred around harnessing and fostering local hand carving talent.
As time went by, certain products have become essentials from our collection, such as the M rack, the oldest design in our collection, or the Bok chair, which has become a signature design of our innovation.
Today, we continue to broaden our creative palette, developing and extending a collection that remains true to our core identity. Centred around aspects of quality and warm materials, alongside form and function, we create collections for every room or space: from the furniture that defines the purpose of an area to the accessories that layer it with meaning.
Our products are designed to age incredibly well, and this is an important part of sustainability. We want our products to last, carrying their stories from one generation to the next. That’s why for the next 25 years ahead, we are developing a new vision for sustainability based on designing for circularity and lengthening product lifespans with our spin-off Live Light.