The war has affected all furniture manufacturers in one way or another. However, those companies whose production facilities, warehouses, or offices were destroyed by enemy shelling suffered the most. DLS-Furniture was no exception to such tragedies. A shell exploded on their premises in the Kyiv region, burning down the office and nearly all documentation. Moreover, there were casualties.

Since the beginning of the war, the company organized a humanitarian aid center on its premises. Tragically, during the deadly strike, volunteers were sorting medical supplies, and two women lost their lives.

This tragic incident was shared by the company’s co-owner, Dmytro Antonenko. While it’s impossible to bring back the deceased, the damaged facilities, except for the office that burned to the ground, have been repaired. The finished product warehouse remained intact, as did the company’s production base, located in another part of the Kyiv region. This allowed the company to quickly resume its regular furniture production. However, they now operate with a smaller team: production volumes decreased due to fewer orders, and the company also faced staff shortages due to mobilization.

The sales department is located in the Forum shopping center, which also houses the company’s showroom. Management is carried out in a mobile manner, with visits to various locations. However, as Mr. Dmytro noted, the sales department currently requires the most attention since product sales are the top priority.

The company specializes in custom-made upholstered furniture for commercial use — bars, restaurants, cafes, hotels, banks, and offices. The primary requirement for such furniture is durability under intensive use. Many of these furniture pieces are built on metal frames, so the company must excel in both woodworking and metalworking.

– Our company, – Mr. Antonenko assured us, – was the first in Ukraine to prove, despite skepticism from colleagues, that even office furniture can be upholstered. After we developed a standard line of sofas for restaurants and offices, which became successful, this trend in furniture making firmly established itself in the market. Today, we offer the largest range of upholstered business furniture in Eastern Europe.

The same applies to the use of stainless steel in furniture frames. DLS Furniture not only pioneered this trend in Ukrainian furniture manufacturing but remains unmatched in producing furniture using stainless and carbon steel, proving that it can be original, reliable, and highly functional in interior design.

– Do you also handle private orders? Do they require creating separate models?

– Not necessarily. Our base commercial models can easily be adapted to meet the needs of private clients. Moreover, it doesn’t make sense to mass-produce models for businesses since they are always customized to the client’s specific requirements, especially when it comes to finishes. The finishing materials are the main difference between office furniture and residential furniture. Finishes for commercial furniture are less decorative but more durable for intensive use, whereas residential finishes tend to be more luxurious but less wear-resistant.

– What trends do you observe in your niche of the furniture industry?

– An interesting and logical trend is that long-time clients are bringing back furniture purchased years ago for renovation. Sometimes, this happens after 15–20 years of intensive use. They mainly request upholstery updates. The frames, particularly those made of stainless steel, don’t require such updates, as we’ve always provided a lifetime warranty on them. In the past, these clients would have replaced worn furniture with new items, but now, with tighter budgets, they find it more cost-effective to refurbish. Most updates are limited to reupholstering.

– Your website mentions that you stopped producing loft-style furniture. Why, given its current popularity?

– To be precise, it wasn’t a focus but rather experiments that allowed us to develop the technology, showcase our capabilities, and apply the experience to custom designs. Our company does not limit itself to specific directions. There’s no area where our furniture isn’t applied or a style we can’t handle.

– Your website also states that the company produces acoustic panels. How did you venture into this field from furniture manufacturing?

– It started when an architect requested a custom order. Afterward, more clients approached us with similar needs for projects requiring soundproofing and spatial organization. That’s how this direction took hold.

By the way, producing acoustic panels isn’t much of a deviation from manufacturing upholstered furniture: the base (frame) is typically covered with a special filler and then finished with upholstery materials.