Peter Schönhofen seems a jolly man; he has a warm smile that constantly tugs at the edges of his lips. At the grand opening of the latest KARE showroom at Garden Towers in Makati, Peter makes a nondescript appearance, dressed in a modest white polo and a grey coat.
A co-founder of the whimsical German design house, KARE, Peter had flown into Manila for the store’s latest opening. And while his clothes may seem solemn, his outlook, his ethos, and his designs betray a much more colorful outlook on life.
“Thinking outside of the box requires one to stay young-at-heart,” Peter revealed. “You must remain a child all your life.”
And indeed, a quick look at the showroom sees plenty of sophisticated yet imaginative whimsy. There are lamps in the shape of bunny rabbits and side tables with flowers growing beneath their glass. Cockatoo cookie jars and French bulldog sculptures are displayed atop contemporary dining tables with golden geometric legs.
“We do the unexpected, the out of bounds, and we think outside of the box,” Peter explained.
Founded in1981, KARE’s origin story finds resonance in “thinking outside the box.” Back then, Peter explained, there was very little choice for the consumer.
“Furniture was either well-designed and very expensive, or poorly designed – boring, in other words. There was little in between those extremes,” the founder shared. That’s when he began offering outside those niches. Today, they continue to imbibe a youthful and dynamic ambiance to homes all over the world, well-designed but also reasonably priced.
For Peter, keeping up with the business and staying creative means infusing the company with plenty of young blood, and therefore, new ideas. While KARE has over 40 years of experience in the industry, Peter is constantly ensuring that they don’t get left behind. “We love to hire young people in the company; we educate them on the industry. My daughters also work for me [at KARE] and they constantly remind me that there are new ways to reach similar results.” After all, as Peter attested, change is the only constant.
This paradox has even led him to his most treasured interior design tip: which is to change things up once in a while.
“An empty wall is just an empty wall,” he stated. “Think about what you can do with it – maybe add some lighting, a picture frame, or art.”
Of course, Peter added that sustainability– the obvious trend for a new generation of homeowners – dictates a need for longevity.
“People now want their furniture to last ten, fifteen years,” the CEO acknowledged. “And we do that. Trends come and go; right now, natural materials are in vogue. Certain colors are popular, but at the end of the day, people want things that are well-designed and long-lasting.”
For more information about KARE and its product offerings, you may visit their showrooms at Garden Towers Makati, The Podium, Robinsons Magnolia, and Shangri-La at the Fort. Follow their Instagram page.
