Just about every piece you can find at GREAT ROOM by NKY has roots in remote villages dotting Indonesia’s coastline.
“I spent hours and hours and days just driving,” said Driss Tabakkalt, who curates the store’s collection.
Riding his scooter — often while fighting rain or venturing into rain forest — Tabakkalt scours the island of Java in search of the perfect raw materials that will eventually become the store’s designer furniture and home décor. He’s looking for fallen trees (he doesn’t cut them), or to purchase interesting cuts of mahogany or meranti from local vendors.
“It's not tourist (towns). Nobody goes there,” Tabakkalt said of the villages he visits. “It’ll be a small market or something. You're out and in nature.”
It’s that commitment to quality and character that sets the store’s pieces apart, said Patrick Maloir who co-created GREAT ROOM by NKY along with his wife, Nicola de Lima Maloir.
“It's unique because we are using solid pieces of wood and they are never the same,” Maloir said.
The trio initially established the company in 2002. Operations paused following Hurricane Ivan but the ownership re-established the company and the store opened its doors in August.
The difference this time, however, is that all facets of production are handled in house.
The owners operate a 60,000-square-foot factory in Java where artisan craftsmen create pieces using the one-of-a-kind raw materials. Every piece is designed and manufactured by their in-house team. They oversee shipping and importation of the pieces that are ultimately displayed on the corners of Market Street and Forum Lane. They can also assist with interior design for residents.
“We get more freedom and [it’s easier] for us to design [custom pieces],” Maloir said, adding that it also aids in quality control, shipping times and prices as they are no longer reliant on suppliers.
The store prides itself not only on the uniqueness of the pieces – think recycled teak dining table with clear resin or a burned wood coffee table and original paintings – but also its commitment to sustainability. Owners say all pieces are made with sustainably sourced materials, making every single piece unique and specific to GREAT ROOM by NKY inventory only.
GREAT ROOM by NKY is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
This article will also be featured in the September/October 2022 print edition of Camana Bay Times.