Breathing classical and modern into woodwork
Pix by Athula Devapriya
The Woodstock showroom in Havelock Road is the newest addition to Colombo’s array of furniture stores. What sets Woodstock furniture apart is their strict use of hardwood, their uncompromising adherence to quality and their attention to detail. The use of Medium density fibreboard (MDF) and plywood in the products is strictly avoided, as it is known to compromise quality due to susceptibility to rot under high humidity conditions.
Woodstock originally started out in Shiromie Misso’s backyard in Boralesgamuwa, in 1993 with two carpenters. From those humble beginnings, the business has grown to an 80- 90 strong workforce and a factory in Bandaragama. The showroom in Havelock Road will be its first. “Consumers are more educated now. They need to see the products and designs before they can make a decision,” says Shiromie, explaining that this, together with the fact that the new factory is located far from Colombo resulted in them deciding to open up a showroom.
Primarily focused on custom-made furniture, from client consultations to home visits, the Missos are very hands on, going to the extent of making templates of the walls to ensure that the furniture fits perfectly to the house. Woodstock will typically take three weeks to complete a pantry project and six weeks for projects which cover the entire house. Both Shiromie and son Shervon design all the furniture in-house. “Of course client preferences are taken into account,” Shiromie tells us. Her own style is a traditional colonial and post colonial with a high emphasis on intricate woodwork. Shervon has a more contemporary approach to design. The mother- son duo closely supervise the manufacturing process, and refrain from subcontracting any process within it for the sake of preserving quality.
Their designs are fusion between classical colonial style and modern functionality. Their console table, for example is aesthetically colonial in style, yet can house several TV and gaming consoles that can be covered with a drawer-like façade to give the illusion of it being a mere decorative table. The table also features a false back so that wires from the consoles are kept out of sight. This is especially ideal for apartments and rooms restricted in space, as it is space saving and allows rooms to be multifunctional.
Shiromie’s clientele have included celebrities such as Rosy Senanayake, Sanath Jayasuriya, and several hotels including Heritance Ahungalla, Rainforest Eco-lodge in Denniyaya, Turyaa Kalutara Hotel, and Ekho Lake house in Polonnaruwa (previously the Polonnaruwa Rest House).
The Havelock showroom is at No. 7/3 Isipathana Mawatha in Colombo 5, and is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday to Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays. Woodstock can be contacted on 0112 581 001/ 071 771 5815, or email: woodstock@sltnet.lk.