Doctoring Up Design

Episode 46: Viefe: Bespoke and Exceptional —A Century of Craft and Design

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Mark Font and Andrea Yebra of Viefe share how a family business that began with wooden buttons nearly 100 years ago evolved into one of Europe’s most respected makers of knobs, handles, and home accessories.

This conversation explores Viefe’s journey from its roots in Catalonia’s woodturning tradition to becoming a global design brand with a growing U.S. presence. Mark and Andrea discuss their manufacturing approach, the art of merchandising, their U.S. showroom strategy, and how they balance tradition, innovation, and design trends while navigating tariffs and global supply chains.

Origins of Viefe

  • Founded nearly 100 years ago by Font’s great-grandfather, originally a baker who shifted into woodturning
  • Early products: toy accessories, then wooden and later plastic buttons
  • Expansion into knobs and handles in the late 2000s

    • The Shift from Buttons to Handles

    • Market pressure from low-cost production in Asia made buttons less viable
    • In 2009, launched the first Viefe handle collection
    • By 2017, phased out buttons entirely, focusing on knobs, handles, hooks, and accessories

      • Craft, Manufacturing & Design Process

      • Manufacturing in Spain, Turkey, China, Vietnam, India, and Europe
      • Wood turning origins, now largely CNC milling for precision
      • Design philosophy: trend-spotting through travel, trade shows, customer input
      • Internal design briefs and team collaboration for new collections

        • U.S. Expansion Strategy

        • Entered U.S. market ~2019–2020 with warehouse in Canada
        • First KBIS (Kitchen & Bath Industry Show) in 2020, right before the pandemic shutdown
        • Approach: bypass national distributors, instead build direct relationships with showrooms and reps
        • Current rep coverage: California, New York, Florida, Texas, Midwest, New England, and more

          • Navigating the Pandemic

          • Lucky timing: completed a new large facility in Spain right before COVID
          • Warehouse expansion allowed stockpiling and meeting surging demand during home-renovation boom
          • Grew 70% in one year despite shutdowns

            • Merchandising & Showroom Strategy

            • Display boards: a challenge in U.S. vs. Europe
            • Striking a balance between finishes vs. collections on boards
            • Special attention to long handles and accessories (like doorstops, hooks, appliance handles)
            • Showrooms customize boards; Viefe provides guidance and options

              • Cultural & Market Adaptation

              • American market requires bigger sizes, bolder finishes—“go big or go home”
              • Regional taste differences: California vs. New York vs. Midwest
              • Good design seen as universal, but scale and finish matter by market
              • Example: Brooklyn Collection works globally; Chassis line tailored for U.S. industrial aesthetic

                • Global Supply Chain & Tariffs

                • Viefe manufactures worldwide but keeps wood production local in Spain
                • Adapting to tariffs, supply chain volatility, and pricing confusion
                • Chose to delay raising prices rather than constantly shifting costs
                  • ...more
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