Piotr Kler - a Visionary from Dobrodzień

Piotr Kler – a Visionary from Dobrodzień

1. As a young boy, you went to Antoni Aptyka's upholstery workshop. He instilled in you a love for furniture. How do you recall the journey you have taken?

My childhood was not easy. I lost my father early. My uncle took care of my mother, my two brothers, and me, taking on the arduous task of raising the three of us. At 13, I went to Dobrodzień, specifically to master Aptyka, to learn the upholsterer's trade. The Aptyka family welcomed me very warmly, treating me like their own son. I worked and lived with them. Antoni Aptyka had a huge impact on my life. He was a perfectionist who was never fully satisfied with his work. That's what he infected me with (laughter). He instilled in me the bug for seeking new challenges, solutions, and technologies. In retrospect, I can confidently say that he put tools in my hands, the upholsterer's craft in my head, and hope in my heart. These were gifts that led me to where I am today.

2. The motto of Kler furniture is excellent quality of workmanship, not quantity. What is the recipe for building a strong, solid brand whose products are known worldwide?

To achieve our current position, we needed over 45 years. It's impossible to build and promote a brand in a few years. It takes time, a lot of time. The client must be sure of the product's quality, they must trust it. At Kler, we focus on the highest quality, we concentrate on details. It is precisely the high quality of furniture craftsmanship, not the quantity of sold pieces, that allowed us to create a premium brand. From the very beginning, I made sure that the furniture entering the market under the Kler brand was interesting in design, functional, and made from the best materials. Not only to serve well daily but also, like home jewelry, to please the eye for many years.

3. In the beginning, you designed all the furniture yourself; today, the best designers from Italy and France work on it. Are you still the spiritus movens of the entire design process?

Previously, when I had an idea for new furniture, I would simply sit down to sketch the design, and then personally supervise the production of each piece of furniture. Today, as you mentioned, the company employs the best designers from Italy and France, but every outside idea is modified to fit the Kler furniture concept. I only review and indicate the direction.

4. What role does Kler Atelier play in the Kler group? Is it a response to the realization of the original vision of the investor and designer?

Kler Atelier fulfills orders for individual clients. Atelier, as the name suggests, is a unique place where each piece of furniture is made to order, according to an original design. It's like a tailor-made suit - it fits perfectly. It is also a source of short, limited collections, created for enthusiasts of good design.

5. Kler is not only about luxury furniture but also charitable activities. The Piotr Kler Foundation supports, among others, young pianists. Why did you decide to help young, talented people in particular?

My life unfolded in such a way that I owe a lot to good people who selflessly helped me. It's a kind of life's debt. Today, I am repaying this obligation to the next generation. The Foundation is the culmination of our brand's activities. There are many areas in which we help. Music is spectacular, so it is possible that this area of the foundation's activity is most visible. I am very proud of my proteges. These are people of exceptional hard work and perseverance. They remind me of myself in my youth. Their work is like a craftsman's work - hard, difficult, constantly striving for perfection.

6. Kler furniture enjoys renown and recognition among customers. What do you think customers appreciate Kler furniture for?

I believe customers appreciate our efforts to adapt to their individual needs. We create furniture based on knowledge and many years of experience, but we are not deaf to buyers' comments. We adapt to the specifics of the customer group. We strive to reach a demanding audience – hence, on the one hand, we offer modern design, and on the other, classics that never age. When it comes to quality – we always guarantee the highest level of craftsmanship. We also constantly expand our offer, introduce modern technologies, and consider how to improve our products. We also ensure that each set of furniture we produce differs from the others. The times when we all dressed the same and furnished our homes the same way – fortunately, are long gone.

7. Do you believe that long-term experience in the profession is necessary to create furniture of the highest quality? How many years did you learn the trade before starting your own company?

As I mentioned, it all started in Antoni Aptyka's workshop, where for ten years I learned the trade, the approach to work, and the creative process. Several hours of daily effort under the guidance of experts is an experience no one can take away from me. Thanks to hard work, I saved money to open my own company. I believed that my own business would allow me to utilize my full potential and experience to create truly high-quality, unique, and innovative furniture. Original designs, including primarily leather furniture (then hard to find in Poland), opened the way for my development. I drew furniture designs on ordinary paper, cut every piece of leather myself, and every element of furniture leaving my workshop bore traces of my work. I believe that long-term practice and a continuous pursuit of perfection are the foundation for creating furniture, as well as other things, of the highest quality.

8. Furniture is undoubtedly your passion. What other interests do you have, and how much time do you dedicate to them?

I never expected that a time would come when I would have a lot of free time, that I would retire. I thought I would work sixteen hours a day until I died. But it turned out to be different (laughter). Today I go to work for three hours, the rest of the day I have free. Thanks to this, I have time for my passion, which is sports: walking, running, swimming. One day I run 10 km, the next day I swim for an hour, and so on, alternating, seven days a week. It doesn't matter if it's a holiday or if I'm away from home - there's no exception to this plan. I do sports for my health, which makes me feel like an eighteen-year-old despite my age. Besides, I travel a lot around the world.

Thank you for the interview

Interview given for Dobroteka Magazine

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