Our Vision
To be one of the most innovative and influential artisan furniture makers in the Philippines
"VISION IS THE ART OF SEEING WHAT IS INVISIBLE TO OTHERS".
Our Mission
Our Mission is to work with our clients to help them realise their ideas about wooden furniture, no matter how difficult it may be. This will allow us to be the most innovative furniture provider in the Philippines.
To pass on the knowledge gained by our Designer and Master Craftsmen to the younger members of our team.
HISTORY
"Jarrah" is the name of an indigenous tree that grows in the South West of Western Australia. It has a beautiful reddish color and good grain pattern. This makes it a great timber for making fine furniture that will last for generations. Jarrah Works Fine Furniture (Named after the Jarrah Tree) was started in 1994 by George Coles in Perth, Western Australia.
Prior to 1994 wood work was only a hobby for George. After he suffered an injury to his back, it became a way for him to keep active and productive. He was only able to work for an hour or two per day, so it was slow going. Even so, the furniture making soon turned into a business as the demand for unique pieces of furniture from his friends, ex colleagues and their friends grew.
Later, George started to make commissioned pieces for various clients and Galleries in and around Western Australia. This created a large demand for these individually designed pieces. He has pieces that have been exported to collectors in countries like UK, Germany, France, Japan, USA, Canada, to name just a few.
In 2009 George's wife was asked to transfer from Perth, Western Australia to Manila, Philippines for her work. They then decided to move from Perth to Manila, Philippines, full time.
Rather than be a man of leisure, (which was very tempting for George), he felt the need to do something to keep busy. His first project in the Philippines, was to build a house in Antipolo. As the property was a 19 year old unfinished shell, it was the same as starting from nothing. This project kept him busy for more than a year.
As it was very difficult to purchase what George and his wife considered good, high quality furniture, he decided to train some local carpenters how to make furniture using traditional methods of joinery etc. based on what he had taught himself over the years.
The same growth phenomena that happened in Perth happened here in Manila. Many people who have seen the cabinets, tables, doors etc. that George designed and crafted for the Antipolo house, have asked for pieces of furniture or doors to be made for them. Based on this demand, he decided to continue to design and craft furniture here in Antipolo.
To make this a more rewarding experience, George decided to train more local carpenters how to make furniture without nails I.e. the traditional way of furniture making. George continues to train young carpenters and takes on Interns from different Design schools from the Philippines to help ensure that these skills are passed on.
To see their skills and abilities increase as they learn is extremely rewarding for George.
OUR TEAM
- operates with a high degree of interdependence
- shares authority and responsibility for self-management
- are accountable for the collective performance,
- works toward a common goal and shared rewards
The team becomes more than just a collection of people when a strong sense of mutual commitment creates synergy, thus generating performance greater than the sum of the performance of its individual members
.George ColesDesigner& Master Craftsman
Vincent BruaFurniture Finisher
Zeigler MantahaFurniture Craftsman
Mar BurayangFurniture Craftsman
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY &
TIMBER SOURCING
Since 1994, George Coles and Jarrah Works Fine Furniture have been crafting furniture by recycling timber that would have been burnt, sent to landfill or left to rot.
We source wood wherever we can find it whether from old bridges, warehouses, factories, or old houses.
Jarrah Works also salvages storm felled trees as a resource. These are found in various Barangay (suburbs) and other places around Metro Manila. However these storm felled trees need to be cut and air dried for 1 tor4 years, depending on the thickness of the wood, before they can be used.
Another load of recycled timber from North Luzon
At first glance, these posts and planks shown above, may seem worthless, but we look deeper and see them as a beautiful piece of furniture waiting to be born.
These logs, posts and planks are a precious resource that cannot be wasted. We feel strongly that the native forest that is left in the Philippines, should be left as it is for us to reconnect with nature and to allow our animals to flourish. The logging in these forests needs to be strongly discouraged.
The Philippines was blessed with a huge biodiversity, trees alone comprised about 3500 species. However this resource of trees has mostly been depleted and now we only find these marvellous timbers in the recycled posts that may have been harvested between 50 - 200 years ago. Once these posts and planks are cleaned up, they expose amazing colors and grain patterns.
Jarrah Works understands and is committed to the sustainability of our environment. We believe that our responsibility lies not only to our customers but equally for the land we are all sharing. We endeavour to prove this everyday with each piece of lovingly hand-crafted timber furniture we produce from this recycled resource.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
Stored Carbon
We at Jarrah Works Fine Furniture believe in doing what we can to help prevent global warming and climate change.
To achieve this we use reclaimed (recycled) timber from old buildings to manufacture our furniture. By doing this, we can lock up the stored carbon in the timber for several more generations.
About Stored Carbon
The process that trees use to lock up carbon is called "Carbon Sequestration" and is the process of absorbing carbon into living things so that it stays out of the atmosphere. This is one of our most powerful tools in the fight against global warming.
Carbon sequestration is the process by which CO2 is transformed into above and below ground biomass and stored as carbon.
During photosynthesis by trees, atmospheric CO2 enters the leaf of the tree through stomata, then combines with water, and is then converted into cellulose, sugars and other materials in a chemical reaction that is catalysed by sunlight. Most of these materials become fixed in the tree as solid wood, although some are respired back into the atmosphere as CO2 or used to make leaves that are eventually shed by the tree.
Once trees die or are cut down, they begin to decompose and return the stored carbon to the atmosphere. The rate of decomposition differs greatly based on the fate of the wood. Wood that is burnt, releases the carbon immediately, while wood salvaged for use in wood products like household furniture can survive 100 years or more, before gradually decomposing.
Therefore, timbers that are only used once nature has played its part and naturally felled the tree are a brilliant GREEN option by storing unwanted carbon locked within its cells.
As the timber we use has been logged and then used in buildings that in some cases may be more than a hundred years old, the period that the carbon is stored can be almost infinite. The reuse of this timber in our furniture further extends the capture of the carbon and helps our environment.
Eco Friendly Finishes
To further help prevent global warming, we try to use environmentally friendly sensitive products whenever possible; these treatments include natural waxes, oils and water based finishes. These finishes have either zero or low volatile organic compound content.
This way we can enable our customers to furnish their homes with environmentally friendly furnishings.
Energy Requirements
Energy is required to prepare any material for use whether in buildings or for furniture manufacture. This energy creates Green House Problems for Mother Earth. As can be seen from the chart below, the timber we use, (air dried sawn hardwood) is the most Ecologically friendly material for furniture manufacturing.
Energy Required for Different Materials
The chart below, shows the energy requirements (PER) for some common building materials.
As can be seen, the recycled hard wood that we use in your furniture is the one that does the least harm to the environment. This should make you proud of your choice.
Chart of Energy Requirements for Common Building Materials (PER)
Source: Lawson B (1996) Building materials energy and the environment.
Towards ecologically sustainable development.
The Royal Australian Institute of Architects.
PHILOSOPHY
You had a need, a want or a desire, you came to us, and because you liked what you saw and what you heard, you ordered something from us. You trusted us to build your special piece of furniture that you and your family would enjoy for many years to come and eventually to pass on to other family members as an family heirloom.
That trust is not something we take lightly.
This concern is felt by all the people at Jarrah Works Fine Furniture.
"How can we make a better product and give a better service?"
This is a major principle of our business. We strive to give each piece of furniture a life of its own with its own unique character and to treat each piece as if it were being built for someone we know and love. Because of this many of our customers become our friends and also our ambassadors.
At Jarrah Works Fine Furniture, we want to and do build beautifully unique furniture for you to enjoy. This all begins when you bring us your wants and ideas and together we create your very own family heirloom.
OUR INVITATION
We believe that people, who wish to acquire a piece of furniture from us, that may some day, become a family heirloom, should be in touch with the people who will design and craft that heirloom for them.
To be able to talk to and get to know a bit about the client, their personality furniture requirements is very important for us.
The client's interest in our furniture makes the designing and crafting of their special piece of furniture by us, a very rewarding and more personalized experience for both the client and us. So be prepared, if you want a piece of fine furniture from Jarrah Works, you will need to set aside some time for a sit down together.
If you are interested in seeing how Jarrah Works Fine Furniture craft their pieces, please visit us in Antipolo. We would love to give you and your friends a look into our workshop.
Today, this kind of personal involvement between client and craftsman happens infrequently and I feel that something vital has been lost. So, please consider yourself welcome to call us to arrange a time to visit. Touch the phone to call now: 
George Coles
Designer - Master Craftsman
