Caducus Folium Design Centers celebrate eight years of design and growth
“We started with a $6,000 dollar cashiers check and a 500 square foot office.”
Colleen Bute Bennett describes the first to-the-trade showroom of Caducus Folium+ in Escazu, an upscale suburb of San Jose, Costa Rica. The humble office was “across from a chicken, a donkey, and turkey that I still remember to this day.” Colleen along with business partner and now husband David Bennett founded Caducus Folium+ Consultores S.A. (CF+) back in May of 2006. Now, the company celebrates eight years of luxury furniture design.
The young entrepreneurs have since expanded their design centers to Nicaragua, Ecuador, Honduras, and North Carolina. At the opening of each showroom, Colleen recalls the “scary and exhilarating” feeling, but also the success that followed a first-to-market showroom in a new country. Some of her favorite moments over the last eight years are the first houses CF+ installed in each new country. As each uniquely crafted piece arrived, clients and visitors at last could see the refined and customized aesthetic that Caducus Folium+ represents.
Taking luxury furniture to the global market brings its own challenges. Colleen notes some of the company’s biggest struggles have been “keeping pace with our own growth,” but the Bennetts have overcome these odds, excelling at operational excellence to meet their clients' needs. Colleen would tell her younger self, “your tears, hard work, and sweat will pay off! It's worth it!”
In tradition, you give the gift of bronze on your eighth anniversary. So I asked Colleen what furniture piece would they gift Caducus Folium+:
One of my favorite bronze pieces is one I used at a house in Punta Isltia, Costa Rica. It’s the Phillips Collection Bronze River Stone cocktail that can be used as a centerpiece or as chairs. We used [the table] so it would not block the view of the ocean but blended beautifully with the ambience.
The River Stone Cocktail Table in silver from Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams
The River Stone Cocktail Table is now sold mainstream with Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams in silvers and golds. “Hopefully we can make it to those jubilee years!” adds Colleen.
And it seems CF+ will celebrate those jubilees. In 2015, Caducus Folium+ will expand to Colombia after their Ecuador showroom officially opens this summer.
"We would like to say thank you to all who have made the last eight years possible. Most importantly we want to thank our Caducus Family, which is now 35 strong. Without them we would not be here!"
David Bennett with his favorite Caducus Folium+ co-worker