Words: Ilídia Pinto
With the motto ‘Passion in Everything’, Boca do Lobo develops some “endless beauty” items to help create “a unique and exclusive world”. And exclusivity is the precise essence of this luxury furniture brand created in Porto in 2005 by Amândio Pereira and Ricardo Magalhães. It is a brand that, through design, innovation and rich materials, seeks to create true works of excellence. It has items in the Hollywood market and in some of the world’s most luxurious hotels.
With prices starting at 1,200 euros for a stand, to 270,000 euros for a gold-plated Millionaire safe, Boca do Lobo does not make furniture: it makes visual objects that are, in essence, works of art that require no other decoration. Exuberant, bold, luxurious, no one item is like another, because the strategy is to “reinterpret the past through technology and contemporary design”, but without forgetting the skills and knowledge of master craftsmen. Filigree is just one of the many craft techniques it seeks to incorporate.
Created in 2005, Boca do Lobo was the first brand in what is now the Covet Group, that is a wide portfolio of solutions incorporating 12 different brands, including Luxxu, Delightfull and Maison Valentina. Two years later they were in Harrods, the very exclusive London department store, then in 2009 they won the Most Innovative Brand award in Maison & Objet, Paris. And the awards just keep on coming.
In 2015 they made history by entering the world of cinema after they were chosen to decorate the home of the billionaire Christian Grey in the film 50 Shades of Grey. This opened the door to Hollywood, for Boca do Lobo and other brands within the group, with a number of inclusions in small series and in the most recent film in the Fast and Furious franchise. And there has been no shortage of requests, even from television programmes, but the concern has always been not to overexpose the brand, because Boca do Lobo’s customers “are very reserved”. This does not stop it from being known that the brand’s fans include John Legend and Beyoncé, and, of course, the Saudi royal family.
Today they have showrooms in New York, London, Paris, Milan, Valencia and Porto. During their rise they gained access to the luxury hotel market, as the big chains have come to realise that customers who travel a lot do not want to stay in a hotel that looks like every other hotel; they want it to be an extension of their own home, where luxury items are the norm. And now, with great works of art, these hotels have become an international luxury brand, and Boca do Lobo has found a place among them. The most recent example is the Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayala Resort in Jordan, which now has pieces like the Eden Gold coffee tables in its suites. The Palácio do Freixo in Porto is another example.
It has also become associated with other internationally prestigious brands, such as Lladró and Vista Alegre, whose 1,088 porcelain triangles, hand-painted by the craftsmen of the Ílhavo company have given a new covering to Pixel, Boca do Lobo’s iconic cabinet, creating Once Upon a Time, a bar cabinet costing 45,000 euros and which very quickly found a new home.
At a time when there is so much talk of customisation, Boca do Lobo has long specialised in custom furniture manufacture, through a Design Concierge or Bespoke. The former allows existing items to be adapted to meet the personal taste of each customer and the available space: that is, the size, materials and finishing can all be altered… the options are infinite. Bespoke is a “discrete and personalised service” of design, creation and production consultation, and which enables the development of new tailor-made articles.
And what is the secret of Boca do Lobo’s success? Persistence, discipline and the ability to serve the customer quickly are just some of the factors. “It doesn’t take much genius to create a brand. It takes a lot of hard work and persistence to work in a disciplined and regular way that will make all the difference in the future. The customer is at the heart of every decision and the ability to serve them quickly is paramount. They want a quick response to their questions, no matter where they are in the world. Because they can afford it. We cannot leave them waiting for an answer, we have to serve them well right down to the smallest details”, said Amândio Pereira. And because of this, the group has made a big commitment to intermediate stock, so they can guarantee deliveries in four to six weeks.
The brand’s value is another big concern and so you will never find Boca do Lobo, or any other brand in the group, having sales or promotions. “A very clear pricing strategy is vital for building a solid brand”, adds Amândio Pereira. That doesn’t mean they don’t offer their customers a little treat. That is because every customer, no matter how rich they may be, likes to get a good deal, always bearing in mind that they are taking home a piece that is unique and exclusive.
