Monday, December 03, 2007 Art, wooden furniture pieces make good investments says shop owner
LIKE fine jewelry, wooden furniture pieces and paintings are good investments and heirlooms.
Nene Treveño, Treveño’s Arts and Antiques proprietress, said paintings as well as furniture pieces with wood component are also investments as the price value of these items continues to appreciate over the years.
“Wooden furniture are like jewelry, they are investments. You can pass it on (to the next generation),” she said, adding that paintings are the same.
“Paintings cannot be replicated. Mangawat man gani ng uban og painting. It only means it has high value,” said Treveño, as she urged Cebuanos to put money in these items. (Others would even steal paintings)
In an interview with reporters last Thursday at Treveño’s Arts and Antiques in SM City Cebu Northwing, Treveño said that when buying furniture pieces, anything with wood component “is better” than cushion-type ones since the former lasts longer.
“The tendency when buying cushions is that you keep on changing them every now and then to fit the trend. But antiques or wood furniture are always ‘in’ and they last longer,” she said.
Treveño also said that despite advances in technology, the present generation of interior designers and furniture fanatics still opt to buy wooden furniture pieces.
Furniture buyers have also increased their collection of paintings, owing to their fascination for something “old, unique, and timeless.”
This is why she is optimistic that Treveño’s and all other antique shops will continue to be a growing sector within the furniture industry.
She said Treveño’s, which opened in September 2001 in Banilad, Cebu City, has many long-time customers.
Treveño, who admits having a passion for antique, said she goes to India, China, Indonesia and Thailand four to five times a year to buy old furniture items.
She also buys furniture items in Manila and other parts of Cebu.
Most of Treveño’s clients are interior designers from all over the country, she said, adding that this indicates that Manila interior designers source many of their furniture and home furnishing requirements from Cebu.
Treveño’s niche, she said, are its unique collector’s items including furniture, and home furnishings like hanging lamps and other antiques.
The shop caters to high-end buyers, although Treveño said their prices are competitive.
As an added value, Treveño and the shop’s interior designers, Michael Tan and Jeffrey Uy, assist buyers in picking furniture pieces.
Treveño said she also allows her furniture items to be rented-out to designers.
Treveño’s leases a 90-square meter space within the SM Northwing.
“In SM, there’s more traffic and customers here pay in cash,” she said, explaining her decision to open in the mall. (MMM)
