More than a decade ago, she took a leap of faith and landed firmly in the world of furniture design — a world so bespoke, so genteel, so much bigger than her childhood dream.
By JOSE PAOLO S. DELA CRUZ
One seven-piece set made by a team of three in a townhouse in Angeles City, Pampanga. This is how genteelhome — a homegrown furniture atelier that specializes in bespoke pieces — was born in 2013.
“I just had three people working with me: a skilled framer, a helper and a skilled finishing guy. They would list down what they needed and I would go out to personally source the materials,” Katrina recalls fondly. “We didn’t have machines then so everything was mano-mano (handmade). I’m also very meticulous so each piece had to be checked and revised multiple times, just so I was sure that they’d turn out exactly as we had promised them to be.”
And while she had studied furniture design as a student at the Philippine School of Interior Design, Katrina would soon learn that experience is still the best teacher. “When you are in the immersive process of furniture creation, it’s different. You would learn a lot from the craftsmen, from the process itself,” she says.
The same rang true for the more practical side of things. Since she couldn’t collect payments before the project was completed, Katrina had to use her savings to cover raw materials and her team’s salaries. All this paid off on delivery day, when their first set was assembled at her client’s place. “When I saw that they were happy, I felt fulfilled.”
Well, such fulfillment has probably grown tenfold these days for Katrina, who has since formally assumed the title of founder and principal designer of genteelhome. But that’s not to say that it has become any less special.
Childhood dream
From the original team of three who worked magic in her garage 11 years ago, Katrina now employs around a hundred individuals, including a team of 12 designers who help her serve a growing number of clients. She has also established three job shops in various parts of Pampanga, and two furniture ateliers — one in Pampanga, which opened its doors in 2021 and another at SM Podium in Mandaluyong City, in 2023
Now a bona fide businesswoman and furniture designer, Katrina is living her childhood dream. “Ever since I was a child, I’ve wanted to be an interior designer. My dad was an architect and I saw him design and build homes. I’ve never imagined doing any other career than beautifying homes,” she expounds.
It is therefore unsurprising that after securing her bachelor’s degree in Business Management at the Assumption College, she went on to pursue further studies at the Philippine School of Interior Design.
Katrina then worked as an in-house designer for the Asian Development Bank (ADB), where she helped decorate events for diplomats, top business leaders and other VIP guests. She also took on art curation duties for the ADB. “I was living my dream of being a designer. I have a good job. It’s so safe and stable. So I was really happy,” she says.
But not completely. “At ADB, you’re not allowed to moonlight. You cannot have multiple jobs. So when opportunities in furniture design started to materialize, I found myself at a crossroads,” she narrates.
It was her mentor within the company who pointed her in the right direction. “I was about to turn 30 at that time. He told me that if I were to take a risk, I had to do it already, while I still had time to pivot back or build something else, in case the risk didn’t pay off,” Katrina adds.
Lo and behold, she did just that — and the rest, as they say, is history.
A delicate balance
One look at genteelhome’s pieces is all it takes to see Katrina’s deft hand in balancing edginess with elegance, form with function. All this she does while training the spotlight on local talent, who in turn, help realize her world-class designs.
A recurring theme in genteelhome’s collections is its use of solihiya. “It’s a popular choice because of how it looks and how sturdy it can be. Plus, it can be so comfortable. In our workshops, we weave solihiya the traditional way, wherein we go from end to end, using natural rattan, not just for aesthetic purposes, but to add support to the furniture,” she explains.
In pushing the envelope, Katrina and her creative team were also able to reinvent Filipino furniture, which often borrows its identity from Spanish or colonial aesthetics.
One such example is their homegrown Curio cabinet, whose semi-oval shape harmoniously blends with its sleek wooden panels. “We have probably sold more than a thousand of our Curio cabinets, each one customized to fit the needs and requirements of its owners,” says Katrina.
Much like how she thinks beyond the box when it comes to furniture design, this businesswoman also learned to go beyond her comfort zone, after a moment of introspection during the COVID-19 pandemic. “During the first seven years of genteelhome, we didn’t do any marketing. I was simply happy designing pieces and delivering quality furniture to clients, whom I got through word of mouth,” she says.
Her eureka moment, however, came when she looked around her office and saw her team — some of whom have been working with her since the beginning — working in what she describes as a “neighborhood business.”
“I realized that growing the company meant giving my staff room to grow, get promoted and progress in their careers,” she adds.
With that, genteelhome opened its furniture ateliers and job shops, and increased manpower to meet a growing number of clients. The brand even collaborated with influencer and style maven Heart Evangelista.
Looking back, Katrina made the right decision.
She beams with pride as she narrates how some of her original team members have since taken on more senior roles due to their recent expansion. “When you fall in love with the business, you don’t just fall in love with the craft or the opportunity. You fall in love with the people. And that means finding ways to make sure that the people you love grow, too,” she reminds us.
With Katrina at the helm and her equally passionate team by her side, genteelhome has also amassed a growing number of clients, including those from various parts of the Philippines — and even the world. The bespoke furniture brand is also gearing towards opening its first satellite office in Dubai and has started to join international furniture fairs and expos, such as the recent FIND Design Fair Asia in Singapore.
Her own “genteelhome”
Some may not know it but within her lifetime, Katrina actually built two genteel homes — one that she shares with her 100 employees, and another that she shares with her family.
And as expected, this “Woman of Style and Substance” shines in both roles. The key, she says, is always giving her 100 percent. “In the same way that I give my all when it comes to work, I also give my all when I’m at home. I’ll turn off my phone, cook and make sure that we are engaged in those precious moments with our undivided attention.”
And that is how Katrina Blanca De Leon lives life to the fullest.
Photography by MARK CHESTER ANG
Art direction by DEXTER FRANCIS DE VERA
Styling by BANG PINEDAHair by ARVIN SANTOS • Makeup by MARIAH SANTOS
