| THE BEST
OF ALL HEMISPHERES
CRAFTED BY HAND FOR THE BUDJI COLLECTIONS |
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"Leather stretched and stitched by hand" |
Renowned international furniture and interior designer Antonio “Budji” Layug discovered his calling on a beach in his native Philippines, when he spied two men building a traditional bamboo nippa hut. Fascinated by their skill and their use of native Filipino materials, Budji spent hours observing their work. In response to this experience, Budji began designing furniture that incorporated traditional techniques and indigenous resources. His first collection of giant bamboo furniture took the home |
| furnishings
market by storm, and twenty years later remains the hallmark of the Budji
Collections.
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| Over the years,
Budji has created a broad array of seating, dining and occasional pieces
from a variety of mediums, but one thread has always held true: a commitment
to employing renewable Philippine resources and talented Filipino artisans.
The sleek, contemporary lines of every Budji piece are the result of Budji’s
modern aesthetic, and his workshop’s dedicated to handcraftsmanship.
The Budji Collections’ forte is the weaving |
" 100% Hand- Crafted" |
| of mixed mediums
and finding new uses for existing abundant raw materials in their designs.
The Filipinos’ craft of weaving is second to that of no other country,
and the native weavers employed by the Budji Collections skillfully combine
leather, the leaves of Southeast Asian plants and grasses, and wicker in
the execution of Budji’s vision.
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"Weaving by hand in grasses and vines" |
The sturdy construction
of the Budji Collections’ designs and their beautiful finishes are also
the product of careful handwork. Replenishible native materials,
selected for both their environmental friendliness and beauty, are hewn,
shaped and transformed into elegant, contemporary furniture with a thoroughly
modern sensibility. “For rattan or bamboo, the first place to go
is Budji,” says Los Angeles designer Mimi London, (Architectural Digest,
April 1998).
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| The
Budji Collections, USA uses plantation-grown bamboo and other abundant
native grasses as the primary materials for their furniture designs.
Bamboo, one of the fastest growing plants on earth, has the strength of
steel, with an elaborate root system that prevents soil erosion.
The leaves of other non-endangered grasses native to the Philippines are
expertly woven for uses ranging from upholstery to shelving.
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"Hand-woven Leather" |
| The designs of the Budji Collections USA epitomize Budji Layug’s personal philosophy of maintaining a harmonious balance between environmental consciousness, ethnic grace, cosmopolitan elegance, and simplicity. | |