PCS Furniture

About Us

Greetings from Indonesia,

Let me first introduce myself. My name is James Tirtoprodjo. My family & I own PCS (Panca Citra Selaras) a furniture workshop in a small town called Blitar in East Java, Indonesia. I started the business 27 some years ago as an antique dealer, which I still do as a hobby & obsession. Over the years the establishment has transformed from a humble antique restoration facility to a forward-thinking furniture workshop. Now, it has grown with products that can be found in Europe & the United States.

Our products are still assembled by hands with simple tools in small batches. We utilize the same heritage techniques that have been passed down for generations, and put painstaking care into each and every piece. By staying true to our craft, our products can be used day in and day out, wearing with distinction over time.

Environmentally responsible- utilizing wood from salvaged landscape, old torn down houses, recycled railroad logs, certified timber, and recycled old furniture- a lot of our designs are driven by the material that we can find.

Our mission is to balance the rough beauty of raw log with a desire to shape it into a functional & made form. The blend of our craftsmanship with stunningly robust characteristic of our native wood creates wonderful furniture that can be passed down through generations.

Regards,
James Tirtoprodjo

President / Owner

Our Materials

Teak is a genus of tropical hardwood tree native to the south and southeast of Asia, and is commonly found as a component of monsoon forest vegetation. They are large trees, growing to 90 to 120 feet high. The name teak comes from the Malayalam word Thekku. Teak consumption encompasses a challenging set of environmental concerns, such as the disappearance of rare old-growth teak. However, its popularity has led to growth in sustainable production throughout the seasonally dry tropics in government-regulated forestry plantations. The Forest Stewardship Council offers certification of sustainably grown and harvested teak products. Teak is easily worked and has natural oils that make it suitable for use in exposed locations, where it is durable even when not treated with oil or varnish. Teak cut from old trees grown slowly in natural forests (Grade A), is more durable and harder; teak from young trees grown in plantations (Grades B through D), is more prone to splitting and water damage, however kiln drying allows for sustainable, plantation-grown teak to perform nearly on par with old-growth teak. PCS uses only sustainably grown plantation teak in the construction of our outdoor furniture, and predominately reclaimed or salvaged teak for our indoor furniture.

Rosewood refers to a number of richly hued timbers, brownish with darker veining. All rosewoods are strong and heavy, taking an excellent polish, being suitable for flooring, furniture, turnery, musical instruments, billiard cues, and chess sets (the black pieces). In general, supplies are poor through overexploitation. Some species become canopy trees (to 30 meters high), and big pieces can occasionally be found in the trade. The Forest Stewardship Council offers certification of sustainably harvested rosewood products as well. PCS uses a rosewood known as Indian rosewood or sonokeling and another classic rosewood that we often refer to as solobin. Other rosewoods can be found in tropical America, Southeast Asia, and Madagascar. About a dozen species of the large genus Dalbergia are recognized as rosewoods.

Longan fruit tree can grow up to 30 or 40 ft (9-12 m) in height and to 45 ft (14 m) in width. The longan is native to southern China and was introduced into India in 1798. But in Indian literature, it is averred that the longan is native not only to China but also to southwestern India. It is also commonly grown in former Indochina (Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam and in Taiwan), and grows but does not fruit in Malaya and the Philippines. While the tree is not often cut for timber, the wood is used for posts, agricultural implements, furniture and construction. The heartwood is red, hard, and takes a fine polish.

Our Construction

Mortise and Tenon: Simple and strong, the mortise and tenonjoint (also called the mortice and tenon) has been used for millennia by woodworkers around the world to join two pieces of wood, most often at an angle close to 90°. Although there are many variations on the theme, the basic idea is that the end of one of the members is inserted into a hole cut in the other member. The end of the first member is called the tenon, and it is usually narrowed with respect to the rest of the piece. The hole in the second member is called the mortise. The joint may be glued, pinned, or wedged to lock it in place. In China, the joints were traditionally made to fit together without the use of glue, and allowed for the natural expansion and contraction of wood in different temperatures. Owing to a long-standing Chinese influence, this principle can be found in many Indonesian structures as well.

Patches: Most of our teak and rosewood pieces have a variety of “patches” which come in different shapes and sizes. These are a mark of our craftsmen’s ingenuity and a part of the unique character and individuality of our furniture. Each table, chair, stool, or cabinet we make is constructed by hand predominately from reclaimed materials. Usually these materials will have some wear and tear associated with long use in other, non-furniture applications (floorboards, rafters, warehouse beams, telephone poles, railroad ties, etc.). As a way to achieve smoothness and consistency of texture without sacrificing large portions of usable wood, our carpenters cut out the area around nail holes, divots, hollow knots, and other structural imperfections and replace them with expertly cut patches that can be planed and sanded along with the rest of the board. This process is an integral part of Javanese furniture making culture, minimizing waste, and is of crucial importance in our policy of using sustainable materials.