5 Questions with Wood Expert and Founder of LUMBERmart, Charles Lee.

Originally published in homeanddecor.com.my, Jun 12, 2019

H&D: LUMBERmart specialises in imported high-quality timber flooring and has expanded to the creation of furniture and kitchen worktops. Can you elaborate a little about the available collections, designs, durability and the maintenance aspects of solid wood furniture?

C: At LUMBERmart, we pride ourselves on being a team of wood artisans with specializations in traditional solid wood joinery and carpentry. Most of the carpenters in the market have lost their skills in wood joinery and carpentry. It’s to build pieces of solid wood furniture without the use of nails and screws. We call it “Tanggam” in Malay. In the past, we had craftsmen who used Tanggam in building the famous Istana Lama Sri Menanti in Negeri Sembilan. With little maintenance required, it remains standing for more than 100 years on. We aim to build furniture that lasts for a few generations. On a personalised scale, we’re able to engrave the owners’ name and the year a piece of furniture is made. These make great pieces to pass down from one generation to the next. Not much maintenance is required if these furniture are used indoors. You need only to wipe them down with a damp cloth.

H&D: Tell us more about the customisation and after-sales services, if any.

C: We can virtually build anything with wood, from flooring to outdoor conventional decking or even a boat decking, ceiling, feature walls, doors, furniture and even serving platters and cutting boards. We have a dedicated department that focuses on the refurbishment works of old wooden floor and timer decking under our own brand name “Vedkare” which means Wood care in Swedish. Our dust-free sanding service helps to minimalise the disturbance inflicted on the occupants of the house when refurbishing old wooden flooring.

H&D: How do we choose the right wood for kitchen worktops, sideboards, chairs and flooring?

C: The wood used for your furniture should match with the colour scheme of your house. Here at LUMBERmart, there are 12 different species of wood to choose from.

H&D: What are the projects undertaken by Lumber Mart?

C: We have taken up both private and commercial projects.

H&D: What can we expect from Lumber Mart in the near future?

C: We will be expanding our brand to the key markets within the region and abroad. We currently have an office in Singapore.