The tale of the furniture man

There’s always a story behind that gorgeous coffee table or the great comfort provided by the family couch—it is these stories that make the piece worth more than its price tag.

Rodito C. Atendido, founder of RFA Furniture & Interior, has lived and breathed the world of furniture since the 1960’s. And his journey brought him from being a simple carpenter to a successful furniture shop owner.

“I started as an apprentice in upholstery,” relates Rodito Atendido or Mang Rudy, as he is fondly called. “Pinag-sikapan ko ng mabuti at dinevelop ko yung carpentry work (I worked hard to develop my craft),” he says. It’s certainly quite a jump from a graduate of a vocational course in tailoring.

There’s a certain bit of magic in Mang Rudy’s life. Of course, like every story, the hero goes through trials, adventures to a far off land and a realization of what the Universe has planned for him.

After a year in Saudi Arabia as manager of a furniture shop, he armed himself with extensive experience and intact savings and he was soon ready to embark on a new business venture.

“Sa bahay lang ako nagsimula —sa garahe. Ako lang mag-isa (I started at the garage of my home). I did everything from upholstery, carpentry and finishing —pati pag-varnish,” he says.

Gifted and artistic, the orders poured in and RFA became a thriving enterprise. Mang Rudy invested in more tools, hired other skilled carpenters, and like all other start-ups, involved his partner—lifelong mate and wife, Estrelita or Aling Ilet.

“When we started, pati delivery sa kliyente, ginagawa din nya yan,” shares Aling Ilet of her husband. Meanwhile, her role was handling the client side of the business. “Gumagawa din ako ng mga kurtina at window treatments noon,” she laughs. A teacher by profession, she asked her husband to teach her how to sew to augment the family income.

Despite the hardships and their busy schedule, the couple still found the time to raise their family. They have seven children, and most are now involved with the business. Franklin, the eldest, is an architect and oversees the direction of the business.

Daughter Eva, on the other hand, is a designer who attends meetings with the clients and handles accounts. Lanie, his other daughter, is the one who manages their Tiendesitas store. These days, the Atendido’s have more than just a garage for work space. Aside from their main showroom in Pasig, a store in Tiendesitas (Designer’s Den is a haven of finds for furniture lovers), and a showroom in Taytay, Rizal where they have a three-story hardware store right next to it, they are also venturing into construction.

They are dedicated to providing their customers with an outstanding level of service and workmanship, at excellent value – and this, they say, is the secret to RFA’s success. Their works are not limited to a particular style. They create massive dinner tables, intricate chairs, comfortable couches, contemporary consul tables, unique bookshelves, media and TV storage cabinets, modern wine bars, and dainty daybeds, to name a few. They even do doors and outdoor furniture. Some of their work can be seen at the Serendra lobby.

Mang Rudy works with many renowned masters in the industry, such as architect J. Antonio Mendoza, Camilo Vasquez, Daniel Enriquez, Anton Bermudo, Lorie Borja, and Joevy Dimayuga.

“They show us their specs and designs and we make it happen for them. Marami ka pa tuloy natututunan sa trabaho (You still learn a lot from the job),” he says thankfully.

For living spaces to be filled with furniture that exudes character, warmth, and personality, it has to be made with heart. The results are stellar. You can see many of their works in high-end beach resorts and sophisticated hotel poolside such as Le Soliel de Boracay, Misibis Bay Resort, Hotel St. Elise, and Manila Grand Hotel, just to name a few.

Naturally, the real estate boom was a big help in business. Home and condo-unit owners were requesting their services. Most residential clients come from well-known names in the showbiz, politics and society pages.

Even hotel circuits—from large chain hotel groups up to boutique hotels—wanted RFA to do their furniture.

“We have clients who show us imported catalogs or a designer chair they bought abroad, and we try to replicate—but not copy, the piece for their home,” shares Atendido.

Every story has supporting characters to help the hero in his quest. When Plantersbank approached them two years ago, things fell into place.

“We had a lot of fears in borrowing. It’s a big thing to be trusted by the bank and be granted a loan,” says Mang Rudy. Partly lack of knowing how a loan can help them and the responsibility involved, stopped them for the longest time.

“Parang napakabagal pag sariling sikap,” he explains. “Pero noong nagsimula na kaming makapag-loan, ang dali na palakihin at palawakin ang business dahil may kapital—everything you can think of is possible.”

The fears disappeared. “Other banks size you up—but not Plantersbank. Which is why we also try our hardest to fulfill our end of the bargain and keep a good credit name,” he says. Although husband and wife retired, the magic doesn’t stop. Both are confident that their seven children will be able to handle the reins and make the business grow.

Meantime, Mang Rudy has more free time to design and go back to his first love, upholstery.

Being a self made man, he believes in treating employees fairly and with respect. “Siyempre, dyan ako galing kaya alam ko,” shares Mang Rudy. “We make sure that we pay them on time,” chimes in Mrs. Atendido, knowing the trials of a carpenter’s family.

It’s been more than 40 years since the beginning of RFA’s story. Like their furniture, Mang Rudy and Aling Iletremain strong, sturdy and timeless in their character. Most of all, the Atendido’s show how daring to dream, showing up during adversities, and charging onward determines the outcome of the journey.