“My wife and I had been shopping around for outdoor furniture all over the city and we couldn’t find anything that really stood out. It was all very regular looking, more cubical, square-looking; there was nothing different about any of it. Plus the prices were pretty high,” says Phuong Le.
While on holiday in China and Vietnam, Phuong spotted the business potential of a vast selection of styled, high-quality outdoor furnishings, all available at a fraction of the cost of what he had seen locally. And from this inspiration, Wicked Wicker Furnitures was born.
Every piece in Wicked Wicker Furnitures’ Richmond showroom has been carefully selected based on its distinctive style, fine craftsmanship and sustainable materials. “The styles are really quite special; for example we offer a sofa that has been designed after butterfly wings,” says Phuong.
“The majority of the pieces fit best in a larger backyard. But we also have more compact hammock swings, which have been very popular with people who just want to relax in the backyard with a book and a glass of wine.”
By purchasing directly from designers around the world, Phuong is able to cut out any middleman and offer his customers great value while helping to enhance their outdoor-living spaces. “The manufacturers that we buy from sell mostly to Europeans buyers, so I am one of the first in Canada to offer these pieces here,” says Phuong. “We are continually adding new designs that aren’t available elsewhere in the city.”