Editor’s note: Cal Tavera’s column comes out every Wednesday under the Home and Living theme, but we are publishing her column printed today as part of our Holy Week special.
A few days ago, I posted a teaser of a cross with a message to my friends and family to forgive and remain kind. The past few weeks during Lent, I was surprised by the random messages or meetings where hurtful exchanges would erupt between longtime friends, business partners and even some of my family members. There was even a violent action towards a parent from an adult child – the reason for which I honestly still cannot comprehend until today. I know situations like these exist but it can be draining even as a bystander. I am not here to rant though or pass on any negative vibes. This week’s column will be focusing on something beautiful and positive that can uplift our spirits and strengthen our faith during moments like these. It is the story of a group’s strong faith and their unique way of spreading love and joy to other homes through design.
Seven months ago, devout Catholics Nestle and Trina Jeturian and Patrick and Joey Frias launched a passion project to honor their faith called “The Carpenter,” which is a religious concept store designed for contemporary living. It offers artisanal and modern items, blending both tradition and design into their religious pieces. The group hopes their designs serve as a gentle reminder of God’s love through their beauty in the modern day.
Since the Spanish regime when our country was introduced to Catholicism, crosses and other religious elements have become a common sight when entering a home here. I remember when I was studying back in 2008 and our class was discussing dining room designs for residential projects. Our professor exclaimed, “When I design dining rooms, I ALWAYS come across the owner asking me where we should put The Last Supper and that is their main concern. Always.” The whole class laughed but it’s quite true in our culture where the beauty of this tradition has been passed down from generation to generation. These elements are a testament to the homeowners’ spiritual beliefs. However, the aesthetics of today’s generation have evolved to the likes of minimalism. While the finishes and furniture in homes have validated this, the religious pieces remained traditional and untouched.
Trina admits, “When we built our home in 2011, we planned to have an altar and crosses in each of the spaces to serve as visual reminders of the Lord’s love and light. However, we had a hard time searching for pieces that would match the modern, minimalist interiors of our house.” It took the couple months before they found a piece that could work but it still did not quite match the exact style they had in mind. That experience inspired them to toy with the idea of updating the religious pieces, but it was only in 2014 that they took the steps in realizing their vision.
Nestle and Trina decided to collaborate with Patrick Frias, their friend from Couples for Christ who also designed the furniture for their modern home. Together, they created various collections where the crosses and scripture boards were lovingly made from beautiful local wood like narra and kamagong. They also have rustic items inspired by the seaside and created out of pinewood and artisanal accents made from steel. Design enthusiasts can also customize pieces and collaborate with this group from scratch. Verses can also be transformed into scripture boards. Trina admits that it is always a joy to sell or work on a piece because that means an individual or a family is accepting Christ in their home.
Trina shares, “More than anything else, this passion project is for the Lord. We want to honor Him and spread His name in as many households, offices and other places possible.” She added, “My husband calls this a ‘faith-based entrepreneurship.’ Even if we do not reap maximum profits, we pray that we will be able to realize our profits in heaven as we plant our seeds of faith through God and for God. That will be more than enough for us.”
Please visit their Facebook and Instagram accounts, thecarpenterph. They will also be launching their online shop, thecarpenter.ph, next month. You can also find some of their pieces in Rustan’s department store in the gift pavilion and in Lily, Discovery Primea’s Lifestyle Store.
For my personal adventures, follow my Instagram @cal_tavera. You may reach me at caltavera@gmail.com.
