CONTEMPORANEO

CONTEMPORANEO is a furniture company that began in Olongapo City in the 1990s. Among their first clients were American servicemen and their families who lived in the US Naval Base in Subic Bay. After the 1992 Pinatubo eruption and the subsequent base pull out, the company moved to Metro Manila.

Owner and General Manager Arnulfo Milambiling is a marine engineer turned entrepreneur and furniture designer. After working in the Middle East for 5 years, he decided it was time to come home and start a business. With only 3 carpenters and 1 varnisher, he began to make basic furniture like chairs, tables, benches and beds using primarily Philippine mahogany. Not wanting to throw away the excess wood and end cuts, he decided to do some research on what he could do with these discarded pieces of wood. This is how he came to manufacture furniture pieces using woodchips, adhesive and varnish. The art is in the detail and in the pattern of the wood.

Pieces made by Contemporaneo stand out because of their interesting wood chip pattern and modern design. Their Inra Square Stool is one of their most iconic pieces and is still their most in demand piece. They service both the domestic and international market. Locally they have ready made and custom-made pieces available online. They also export to the United States and are available on LilyJuliet.com.