V-Ho and Giselle Khoo, the brother-sister duo behind Dad’s Woods.
For Penang-based bespoke furniture makers Dad’s Woods, their work centres around crafting modern designs with a focus on highlighting the beauty and durability of Malaysian wood. Here, V-Ho Khoo tells us about their journey in ‘rebranding’ the family business and the unique characteristics of Malaysian wood.
What have been some of the learning curves for running a furniture startup?
Because we have been exposed to the furniture industry from a young age, the transition came quite naturally. In terms of how to run a furniture business and its day-to-day operations, we had some basic ideas since we grew up with our parent’s business.
In terms of starting a new local wood-driven brand, there are a lot of learning curves. To start, most of what was available in the furniture market at the time was mostly commercial wood like rubber wood, acacia and so on.
So, it starts from the basics of learning about different kinds of timbers that are available in the country and what kind of carpentry they are suitable for. It’s a lot of reading up and a lot of trial and error from the carpentry front and we had to learn to work with a variety of timbers. Of course, this came with also deciding on what to make, how to sell and how to program it into a viable business. From that front, it’s almost from scratch.
Heritage seems to play a big role in the brand’s vision. How do you maintain heritage design while balancing contemporary elements?
I would describe our furniture as the other way round, contemporary design with heritage elements. We were clear that the design had to be contemporary when we started out, and that we wanted to make work that represents this era, and not be a period furniture replica company.
How would I describe contemporary design, it’s a concept of “now”, it’s a design aesthetic which speaks to the audiences of today. It’s a constantly evolving and shifting concept. I think it’s important to participate in the design landscape of today, so our design will have a voice when we speak of furniture design of the 2010s and the 2020s.
On heritage, I am extremely passionate about heritage conversation and where our identity stands as Asians in today’s world. It’s very important for us to not be completely drowned in a sea of global contemporary furniture design, so having some kind of local element is important. In exploring the wider global trend of contemporary design, one also has to look for local adaptation. How does it adapt to local materials, climate, way of life, sensibility and aesthetic.
The way I adapt heritage into contemporary design is to look for history as inspiration. For example, how Neoclassical, Georgian and Victorian architecture has travelled east to Asia, and how it has adapted into the colonial architecture we speak of today, with Indian influences, with tropical characteristics; and that is what I see to do with our contemporary design with an Asian and Malaysian characteristic.
What is special about Malaysian woodwork and how do you aim to showcase Malaysian timber to your audience?
There are many different species of Malaysian wood. We learned about it in geography school. Some of the timbers we work with include Teak, Cengal, Mahogany, Angsana and more. Many of them are hardwood species and are extremely good and durable wood.
Many people know these timbers are used in construction and some may think of them as old and not fashionable, like grandma’s old vanity. For these materials, we use a very modern design, to showcase their use in different ways. A lot of them have beautiful grains, so the minimal design works well to show the timber’s natural characteristics. I’d like to think half of the value of our product is in the design and workshop and half is in the wood, so there is a lot of importance given to the material and it’s reflected in our company name.
Is there a trend in demand for local pieces in the market right now?
Yes and no, I think primarily our clients look to originality and authenticity. If it’s a good product, made of good material and good design, it doesn’t matter if it’s local or not, there will be demand. Recently there seems to be more demand for local products because many local furnishing companies have stepped up their game and it’s the collective effort of the entire local furniture industry that will continue to drive the surge in locally made pieces.
How are your materials sourced?
We buy our materials from a few timber yards, they are all locally sourced from Peninsula Malaysia, mostly around Northern Malaysia, where we are based.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy working with my sister, and having a team that functions like a family makes work easier every day. Also, there were a lot of fun projects and clients that we have worked with, sometimes the client is creative and the collaborative process is always fun. Also, I really enjoy living in Penang, so being able to build a company that is based in Penang is a huge plus. It’s the little things that make the day-to-day work enjoyable.
This article was first published in The Peak Malaysia’s February 2025 issue.
