Who
I am Rares and I am happy to share with you the adventure of my label TRANSFORMO. This journey started some years ago when I became a father, and, at the same time, I became a kid again.
Trained as a software engineer I got to work for big Dutch, German, Czech and British IT companies for a couple decades, exploring the ways bytes and algorithms would bring me joy and fulfilment in exchange for my hard work. I worked best with systems, models, algorithms and parameters and that is how I'd designed all my work: simple, minimalist, modular, scalable yet highly functional.
Why
Becoming my child’s playing mate and building with LEGO every spare moment, turned our tiny apartment into a crowded minefield. I wanted unlimited space for play, exploration and expression of our imagination, despite the physical restraints of our living space.
I am an engineer after all, I love creating physical things of wood and metal just as much as I enjoyed writing lines of code. Thus I crafted my first play-enhancing solution: the LEGO City, a wooden playmate that can be parked to the wall with all the toys, to save space.
One thing was always missing in my programmer career, working for large enterprises: seeing the end result and the joy in the consumer's eyes. I realized I could repay that with my own designed and crafted solutions, encapsulating functionality, quality and minimalism, values which are deeply rooted in my everyday life. I took matters in my own hands.... and started TRANSFORMO.
How
Our overall focus is based on using appropriate quality materials, sustainable local production and a functional design that can last a childhood and after, appreciated by the entire family and for generations to come.
We use birch plywood as the winner choice of materials that have strength and natural aspect altogether. Shelves need to be easy to lift and they are thanks to the lighter veneered panels. Our products are transformable using smart and simple yet solid contraptions.
We believe in creativity so that we provide all the products in DIY mode so parents and kids can decorate and personalize them in their own way. Of course, oil or lacquer protected, natural wood or colored shades variations are available, too.
With whom
It's hard to start a venture alone and it's even harder to continue alone. Equally difficult is to find reliable help when you're a small-sized family business. It's well hidden but fortunately still reachable. We found ours in the former Capital of Wallachia, a beautiful city with eight centuries of history.
A small team of hard working people led by a young-generation entrepreneur accepted the challenge to undertake our small-batch production process. They carefully do the mechanical wood cutting and the manual finishing, sanding and cleaning. Quality check, packing and the final personal touch are then carried out in our local studio in Bucharest.
We are proud to say that our small-batch production is all made in Romania, with a local workforce.