Jacob Siza: Ecuadorian design behind andeshome.ec

The family workshop in Riobamba was the starting point for Andes Home & Design. Jacob Siza, now its creative director, has developed a new identity for the business through contemporary furniture and traditional crafts. The company showcases its collections at andeshome.ec and opened a space in Cumbayá to reach a different audience.

What did you inherit from your parents’ workshop, and when did you decide to give Andes Home an identity of its own?

My parents have always worked with great transparency. They paid close attention to details, craftsmanship and warranties. Even though it was an artisanal workshop, they were quite innovative. I inherited creativity and an authentic approach to design from my mother, and business vision and attention to warranties from my father. That is what we inherited.

When I was finishing high school, I became very interested in brands. I wondered whether it would be possible to register Andes as a trademark. We started the process and succeeded after a year. We kept the name the business had used from the beginning, but gave it a new direction and a different concept.

What is your role today as creative director?

A great deal of responsibility for the collections we release and Andes’ main identity rests with me. We want to show how much Ecuador has to offer in materials and design. We are interested in reviving crafts such as spinning, weaving and carving, and bringing them into more contemporary furniture.

In Cumbayá, our customers are mainly foreigners living in Ecuador. I find it striking how much they value local materials and crafts. Sometimes, because we have them so close to us, we do not appreciate them in the same way. We want those techniques to find a contemporary expression and connect with that audience as well.

“A great deal of responsibility for the collections we release and Andes’ main identity rests with me.”

What was the hardest part of changing the direction of a family business?

Letting go, to some extent, of my parents’ traditional way of working. The hardest part was giving the brand a different form and substance. Registering the name and opening the store in Cumbayá were decisions that marked that transformation.

There was some tension in my family because they were used to making furniture in one way, and now the brand had a different vision. Many of those decisions were becoming my responsibility. I think that has been one of the hardest parts: changing the business’s direction while still recognizing where it came from.

How do you bring Ecuadorian references into contemporary design?

I like studying what is happening in interior design and furniture elsewhere in the world, but also looking at the materials, inspiration and craftsmanship we have here. In Mexico, I came across a brand that worked with its own traditions and materials. I thought Ecuador also had a great deal to show.

I am not saying we have created a trend. It is about understanding what is happening in design and adapting it to our culture and surroundings. There is a lot of trial and error, and we need to find artisans willing to experiment with us. It is not always easy, but that process has allowed us to work with people who turn the pieces into something that, to me, is also art.

Which piece best represents that collaboration with artisans?

We work with artisans who traditionally carve religious figures. They have very precise knowledge of the proportions of hands and faces. Together, we developed a carved piece shaped like a hand, but designed as a seat.

The inspiration came from a work we had seen outside the country. We gave it a local interpretation through the talent of Ecuadorian artisans. I am interested in how a craft traditionally used for certain objects can find new applications without losing the handmade work that makes it possible.

Why return to materials and techniques that are used less and less?

Many materials once served everyday purposes but have been replaced by others. I think, for example, of carrizo, a type of reed that used to be used in construction or basketmaking. Today, many of those things have been replaced by plastic.

We want to look at them differently. Rather than thinking only about their original use, we can work with them in a more sculptural or decorative way. We are interested in organic materials that can be recycled whenever possible. But the essential thing is also to recover the knowledge and techniques behind them.

What is the hardest part of explaining the value of a handmade piece?

I think we need to appreciate what we have more. Sometimes, when people hear that an object is handmade or local, they automatically think it should cost less. For me, the challenge is to educate ourselves first and then help customers understand what they are buying.

Our goal is not to mass-produce products, because I believe that is where the essence is lost. When a piece passes through an artisan’s hands, it has details that might seem like imperfections, but behind them are time, effort and stories. We are not looking for perfectly uniform objects, and we do not want to pressure artisans to produce them. We want their craft to be valued.

“Our goal is not to mass-produce products, because I believe that is where the essence is lost.”

How do you balance production times with customers’ expectations?

We launch collections, but many pieces are not in stock: we make them to order. We display them on our website using photographs and videos of projects we have already completed. Anyone who wants a piece accepts the terms and delivery dates, because these processes take time.

For example, the hand-shaped carved pieces can take three to four months. We work on them in batches, depending on the season. The business has taught us to set these boundaries and explain why not everything can be done immediately: rushing certain processes ultimately affects quality and the final result. Buyers need to understand in advance what that wait involves.

What changed when you expanded from Riobamba to Cumbayá, and how do you reach your customers today?

It remains a challenge. We had already started using social media in Riobamba, but when we arrived in Cumbayá practically everything changed: pricing, communication, presentation, logistics and audience. We also had to create content that matched what we wanted to offer and take greater care in how each piece was presented.

We chose Cumbayá because we wanted to reach people with greater spending power who would appreciate a brand with a meaningful proposal behind it. At exhibitions and in the store, I have met customers who see objects as more than their function. Social media has also helped us reach other parts of Ecuador. For me, it is important that anyone who discovers Andes understands the history, materials and work behind the furniture.