The everyday romance brought to you by the furniture brand “Boy and Tree”

Where do you find your sanctuary in everyday life? Simply finding a way to rest that suits you can make a big difference in your daily energy levels. Here, discover the story of Kim Young-seok, CEO of the furniture brand “Boy and Tree,” who successfully completed funding after finding inspiration in a place he visited solely to rest following an unexpected crisis.

From CEO Kim Young-seok’s unwavering conviction and affection for his colleagues during the difficult journey of building the brand, to the relationships he forged with supporters through funding—we present the growth story of “Boy and Tree,” made possible by the power of togetherness.

#Furniture_Studio
The Romance of Boy and Tree

Hello. I’m Kim Young-seok, founder of“Boy and Tree,” a furniture brand that brings romance to everyday lifethrough warm colors and materials. We handle every aspect of furniture production in-house . To ensure our customers receive high-quality solid wood furniture at reasonable prices, we personally oversee the entire process—from selecting the wood to processing, cutting, finishing, and shipping.

Throughout my career in woodworking, I’ve often felt it was a shame that while there are many skilled craftsmen, there are few places that properly showcase and sell their products. These days, it’s not just about building a good service—it’s also about effectively communicating effectively communicating our products and values. That’s why we primarily showcase our furniture through Instagram and our blog, and we operate a workshop-cum-café and showroom in Gimpo where customers can experience the furniture firsthand. We hope you’ll see us as a brand that conveys the sincerity we pour into our furniturethrough various channels.  

“The Boy and the Tree” has been around for about five years, andthroughout that time, the message we’ve wanted to conveyhas been “romance.” Things are tough these days because of COVID-19, but honestly, the world wasn’t exactly easy even before that. We figured that everyone has their tough days, and during those times, home becomes the only place of refuge. We believed that if simple acts—like sitting at a table to eat a meal or sitting in a chair to chat over tea —feel romantic through our furniture, then home can become the best possible sanctuary. That’s why we infuse the message of “romance” into the furniture we craft ourselves.

#Handmade
Conveying Sincerity

Working with wood might not be something young people are used to. But for me, woodworking wasn’t something completely foreign.When I was young,my father used to build tables and chairs at home as a hobby. From that time on, as I followed him into the workshop, making things out of wood became second nature to me.

Then, while I was in the military, I happened to watch the movie *Beauty Inside*, where the male lead carefully crafted a chair as a gift for the female lead. That scene left a deep impression on me, so during my leave from the military, I made small wooden speakers at a workshop to give to people I was grateful to.Seeing how much the recipients enjoyed them, I realized that I could pour my heart and emotions into the things I made myself. Thatexperience led me to decide on a career in woodworking and eventually launch the brand “Boy and Wood.”

#MAKE_Camping Table in Nature
For a More Natural Break

There was a time when the space I had set up as my workshop was completely destroyed by a fire. It was a major incident—the entire space, including the machines and wood I used, was reduced to a pile of charcoal—and it happened not long after we’d finally secured our own space. I felt completely lost, but I couldn’t give up, if only out of guilt toward the people who had trusted me and followed me. So, we all pitched in to clear away the charred building and began working even harder.

Fortunately, we’ve now fully recovered from the losses caused by that fire, but the shock at the time was so great—combined with my guilt toward the people who stood by me and the stress from various other issues—that I developed a mental health condition. I should have taken care of myself along the way, but I just kept pushing forward nonstop. So, driven by the urge to get away, I went to the beach—and there I saw people camping. That’s when I got inspired to start making tables for camping.

I designed the table to be round—unlike my other products—not only because I don’t like sharp angles, but also because most things in nature are made up of curves. Since camping is an activity done in nature, I thought a product with rounded curveswould blend well with the natural surroundings. Also, I thought thatif you’re camping with someone, a design where you can place a fire pit in the center and face each other would be ideal, which is why I settled on this design. Many people have shown their appreciation for it, and I’m still very satisfied with this product because I feel it truly showcases our unique style. 

With handmade furniture, once a sample is ready, we simply produce it according to the finalized design, so we didn’t face any major difficulties when we ran a funding campaign for other products. However, since this camping table is a flat-pack assembly kit, each unit required individually crafting more than 10 separate pieces. Thankfully, over 300 supporters placed orders during the first funding round, but when I calculated the workload, it amounted to 5,000 pieces. I felt really bad because our team members had to work so hard back then.If you’re planning to fund a knock-down product, I recommend carefully considering these aspects and planning your schedule accordingly before you start. 

#ENERGY
The Motivation Gained Through Funding

Beyond simply whether the funding campaign was successful or not, the feedback we receivedfrom customers was a huge help. Thankfully, maker satisfaction is generally high, but there can still be areas of dissatisfaction, right? Customers clearly communicated those points to us. For example, “If you change aspect A to B, ‘The Boy and the Tree’ will become an even more beloved brand.”I think it’s difficult to receive this kind of feedback throughother channels.But on wadiz, I was able to see customer reactions that helped our brand grow, and that alone was a huge help to me. I also gained a lot of energy from hearing encouraging words. I consider that to be the driving force that has kept our funding campaigns going until now.

#WHY_wadiz
Why I Chose wadiz

Wadiz operates on a system where it takes pre-orders and manufactures products only after orders are placed. I think this is a major advantage for makers like me who are just starting out. Most people worry about things like, “Will customers respond to this product?” or “Will we get any orders?”in the early stages of a business. Even if you produce inventory with confidence, you can easily get stuck with it—but with wadiz funding, you don’t have to worry about that. 

It’s a system where, if you create a good sample and present it to supporters through your Story, the product’s market potential is validated, and orders are placed based on that assessment. I felt it was the safest channel possible for people like me. I also saw active feedback from supporters on other funding platforms. I decided that process could be an opportunity for my brand to grow further, which is why I chose wadiz. 

#TIP_From a Senior Maker
Tips for wadiz funding!

I believe that those who create handmade products are well aware of their own strengths and are confident in them. However, these days, the manufacturing process is more challenging than ever. Material prices have skyrocketed due to COVID-19, and we don’t have significant capital to fall back on. I believethatin times like these, what’s most importantis clearly understanding the messageyou want to convey through this product and this brand.It’s about creating a greatproduct and thinking about how to communicate its value to people. If you let external circumstances sway you and become too preoccupied with costs, you’ll end up losing more than you gain, so I think it’s helpful to firmly establish the message you want to convey to people.

#FUTURE
The Enduring Romance of the Boy and the Tree

The driving force behind my continued work in this field comes not only from customers who recognize our values, but also—and just as importantly—from my colleagues who are helping me shape the brand’s values. Another goal of mine isfor my colleaguesto fulfill their dreams through this brand, just asI have.Since ourwork requires making products by hand—which is the only way to generate sales and convey our message—it’s physically and mentally demanding .That’s why I always feel both grateful and sorry toward my colleagues. I’d like to take this opportunity to tell them I love them. (Laughs) 

Together with our reliable colleagues, Boy and Tree plans to continue growing as a furniture brand that brings romance into people’s lives. We want our furniture to do more than just be used and discarded—we want it to provide rest and inspirationto each person. 

Of course, I also have plans for our next funding campaign. (Laughs) To give you a little hint, I’m thinking of taking on a project related to houseplants and pets for our next funding campaign. I really hope to see you all on wadiz with another product that’s uniquely “Boy and Tree.”

▶ This content was first featured on the wadiz blog. If you’re curious about more stories from the blog, check itout here!