By Melisa Ng | Mar 29, 2011
Photographs courtesy of Modern Primitive
Wonderfully crafted at Modern Primitive Bangsar
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Passionate: Giorgio Ned Acosta and his lovely wife Zaireen Acosta
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Introduced to the furniture industry in America in 1988 through his family business - C&S Acosta, Giorgio Ned Acosta developed an interest and appreciation for solid wood and the beauty of their natural grains. For over 20 years now, his family has been involved with the wholesale trade of furniture; importing to the US from several Southeast Asian countries.
“In 2004, I moved to Malaysia and set up a modest production facility in the neighboring country of Indonesia. My factory produces furniture and mirror frames of my designs and they are exported to the US. I’ve always desired to open my own furniture retail business. In 2008, the opportunity to open up a showroom in KL presented itself. It was a chance I could not miss,” shares the 43-year old designer.
In July 2008, together with his wife, Zaireen Acosta, and her sister, Nurul Husna, Giorgio launched the showroom. Aptly named Modern Primitive, the showroom offers a range of wooden furniture with sophisticated design and wonderful craftsmanship.
Acosta’s passion in combining rustic natural materials with modern designs is the underpinning idea behind Modern Primitive. Thanks to his keen eyes for sophisticated wooden furniture, the pieces sold in the showroom are suitable both modern and classic home setting.
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Ultra-modern designs: The jigsaw table (left) and the table made out of wood slab (right) are the best sellers of Modern Primitive.
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Where it all began
Modern Primitive, whose first outlet was at Solaris Mont Kiara, recently unveiled yet another stylish showroom in Bangsar Shopping Centre (BSC).
“The reason why we chose BSC is because it is an upscale neighbourhood mall that caters to affluent clientele, which is the main target market of Modern Primitive. Our market is very niche and we have unique items that cater to the type of consumer that appreciate our style and designs,” Acosta explains, before adding, “We fit well here and it was the next step for us from our Solaris showroom.”
The BSC showroom takes up approximately 2,600sq ft and offers a delightful assortment of furniture and home decorative products – all of which are imported from Thailand and Indonesia.
With Mother Nature in mind
Described as ultra-modern design furniture, marketing manager David Yeoh highlights that Modern Primitive a step ahead the general market in its dedication towards creating quality and enduring designs. Modern Primitive’s furniture ranges from dining tables, armchairs, barstools, coffee tables, sofas and other furnishings.
“Our most sellable items are the wood slabs, which can be mould into tables and shelves. It is just one slab on top and you can design your own base. Even the wood slabs can be cut and designed to your suit your preference. Any shape, any size - we can do it for you,” quips Yeoh.
Wonderfully crafted, each furniture piece at Modern Primitive is a work of art, customised to fit individual tastes and different types of lifestyles. With versatile designs and the availability of various configurations, the furniture provides the flexibility and mobility that is much needed in modern living spaces.
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Uniquely different: Each furniture piece is a work of art, customed to fit individual tastes and different types of lifestyles.
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Acosta prides the products he sells as unique, insisting that each piece has a design feature that is rarely found in the furniture market here. He credits the distinct combination of natural elements, such as reclaimed and recycled wood, and modern design aesthetic as the factor that makes his products stand out.
Aesthetically speaking, Acosta explains that reclaimed and recycled woods have mature grains, which create richer texture for wooden furniture. Using reclaimed and recycled woods also means reducing deforestation.
But Acosta maintains that one of Modern Primitive’s best selling features is its custom-made service: “[the shop’s] ability to customise for our shoppers, giving them a piece that truly reflects their personal and distinct style. Our tables seem to be a highlight at the moment, mixing the natural elements of wood with modern design of steel, as an example.”
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Distinct: Using natural materials, no two furniture are exactly alike.
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Passionate about unique designs
Acosta himself designs most of the furniture. However Modern Primitive also works closely with Carlo Pessina, a renowned Italian designer who shares the same passion for unique designs using natural materials. Many of Pessina’s designs can be found in 5-star hotels in such as the Four Seasons hotels in America and Bali, as well several Ritz Carltons in America among many others.
When asked about his favourite item in the showroom, Acosta shares, “My personal favourite was a dining table made of reclaimed teak wood aged over 80 years and recycled from a boat. The natural tone and grains on this table was historical and beautiful and very rare to find in such pristine condition. The table was recently sold to a wonderful French family living in Kuala Lumpur.”
As for home improvement tips, Acosta advises, “With a little creativity, you can recycle, re-paint, re-varnish old furniture, and it can change the character and design of the furniture piece and even the room it sits in.”
Modern Primitive also provides interior design services including customised and individual assistance.
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Modern Primitive Sdn Bhd |
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T125 & T126, 3rd Floor, Bangsar Shopping Centre, 285 Jalan Maarof, Bukit Bandaraya, 5900 Kuala Lumpur.
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03- 2011 3200 / Fax: 03- 2011 3201
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www.modernprimitive.com.my |
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