EVERYDAY COMFORT

Meet the brothers: Morgan, Lincoln and Ryan. With the vision to revitalise the staid carpentry industry in Singapore, Morgan took over the family’s business in 2014. The theme of “family”, runs deep in his values; a value that he holds as utmost importance, is his bond with his employees. Together with his brothers, Lincoln leads the team through creative direction of branding, design tonality, and marketing; while Ryan runs the operations, leading a team of carpenters with his never-stop-trying attitude. In our interview, the brothers share about sustainability as part of their business ethics, as well as their thoughts on styling with Muji T-shirts.

Can you describe your profession / line of work?
Roger&Sons are a team of ethical makers and mavericks who craft fine furniture and thoughtful objects. Our work is driven by inquiry and spans disciplines: furniture, industrial, and product design, as well as woodworking. Our crew consists of a mixture of craftspeople and designers. We ideate, conceptualise, prototype and fabrication; Our vision is to build and revitalise the local woodworking industry in Singapore through technology, innovative materials and processes as well as education. This is complementary to our mission in improving our skills and experience in designing and crafting fine furniture and objects.

We believe that it's our responsibility, to take good care and respect the materials we use; especially since these trees that take decades to flourish. These steps are important to us, for the longevity of the business, the sunset industry and most paramount, our earth. We hope that by working with sustainable materials, improving our systems and processes for a circular economy, we can rope others to do the same within the industry.



We have seen your initiatives in saving discarded trees by giving them a new life and making them into functional and aesthetic furniture with the wood that would have gone to wastage. Tell us more about the Local Tree Project and its success story.
The Local Tree Project is an effort to salvage trees that are destined to die — in an environment where there isn’t room for the old and outdated. Currently, there are multiple sawmills in Singapore with massive stockpiles of abandoned logs. More than 100 logs arrive each day, with no immediate purpose other than to be turned into wood chips or shipping pallets someday.

The stockpiles are the result of felling trees for urban development. But because of a lack of infrastructure to process the logs into usable forms and a preference for importing wood, these logs are simply left to rot. Around 15,000 more trees are slated to be felled over the next 15 years. Against a backdrop of throwaway culture, the abandoned logs are rehabilitated into future-proof, durable objects. We wanted to change the situation and maximise their full potential. Instead of always opting for imports, why not utilise what we have in our backyard?

We started The Local Tree Project in 2019 to bridge the gap, spread awareness and tackle this issue. It is in our hopes that this initiative will change how the industry works sustainably and positively as well as to educate Singaporeans, especially those of our future generation.

We are hoping that this would be able to spark more interest in learning about our local trees and create conversations. We are spending time and money on research and development to come out with new innovative ideas for us to work on and maximise the potential of local trees. This will include working with some not so commonly used parts such as the bark, sawdust and branches.

With this knowledge, we also have plans to move into education and workshops where we can add value to students, industry professionals and the public. Clients who have partaken in and supported The Local Tree Project to name a few are Mandai Development, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, OCBC and URA.

Which person do you admire in modern/contemporary woodwork?
R: I think it is hard for us to pick a person as there are so many people we look up to. We know that we are only at the beginning of our journey and we have so much to learn from the people around us. With the technology available to all of us, everything is so accessible and there are so many people within the global woodworking community, actively putting knowledge and wisdom together to come up with really crazy innovative ideas and new techniques.

Here at Roger&Sons, we believe a lot in experimenting, learning intricate techniques and applying them will not be possible without the woodworking community as a whole. We also draw inspiration from the wood itself, always letting the beauty of the material speak for itself. We tend to keep our design light so that it draws the attention of the eyes to the grains of the wood.

M: I agree with Ryan in that there is no particular person that I admire in woodwork. Woodworking is dynamic and with many different schools of thoughts. I have worked with many local experienced carpenters as well as learnt and watch many videos and tutorials of many woodworkers from all around the world. For me, it is taking inspiration from all these people and keeping grounded in our values while working in preserving the beauty of the material that we work with.

Running a business is not an easy feat. What keeps you motivated?
What keeps us going, is working with and for our family. We are a family-orientated business. From our mother to our brothers to everyone working in the company. Everyone here is family and we take pride in being able to help them grow and support them. We also have a very light heart, candid approach to work. We do not believe in pushing the blame but rather we believe in solving the issue together. This removes a lot of the stress as you always know that you have a whole team behind to catch you when you fall.

M: We also believe that as an SME in Singapore, it is our duty to be able to give back to society and support the less fortunate. With our spare time and resources, we are always looking to give back.

You and your brothers work so well together. Any tips on building strong and close-knitted relationship especially in running a business together?
R: We have been very close to at a very young age but to me, the point, or rather event, that brought us together was probably climbing a mountain together. So my tip is to experience climbing a mountain together with your brothers.

M: A tip that I would share is that understanding and trust is very important. We took over the company at a young age with little to no experience. We were bound to make mistakes. However, we understood that we are all working for the best interests of the company. We trusted that we will give our best and we will make decisions that are to the best benefit of the company. Thus even if someone makes a mistake, we do not blame as we know that we have done our best and that the mistakes we make, would only spur us to grow and be better.

L: Having each other’s back and constant communication. We relied on each other to grow together during the early years of the business and I think that helped build our bond even further. We knew our hearts aligned and that made moving forward slightly easier.

What is your daily go-to attire?
R: you can always see me in cargo pants, a basic tee and a cap. This is my go-to as I’m constantly on the move. Cargo pants allow me to utilise its pockets to keep tools and screws within a hand's reach. Cap helps me keeps my hair in place as I do find myself in weird positions at times.

M: I am always in jeans and a basic tee. Being in comfortable clothes in this industry is very important. Sometimes in a day, I can be on-site, helping with carpentry and the next minute, I am attending a meeting with a client. Being in a t-shirt and jeans allows me to be able to be appropriate dressed for work regardless of what needs to be done for the day.

L: Similar to my brothers! I top it off with a bucket hat sometimes when it gets too hot and I need to be under the elements.

What is your definition of sustainability in today’s modern world of mass production and fast fashion?
With the shift in people supporting businesses that make sustainable choices and products that have a longer lifespan, we feel that people do think more about what they consume on the daily basis. That also includes the food they eat. We feel that when companies start being transparent and genuine on their steps towards sustainability, that is when it would encourage more people to believe in the goal of a more sustainable earth.

L: We think that sustainability should not only be of face value but achievable actions should be taken from the start to the endpoint of any business. This means going deep into the processes: where the material is sourced from, who are the workers manufacturing a brand, are the additional materials used to fabricate the end product eco-friendly, the carbon footprint from import and export, and etc.



Can you share how does MUJI T-shirt make you feel?
R: For a lack of a better word, comfy. The lightness of the basics makes me feel as though I’m not wearing anything. It’s super absorbent and soaks up my sweat almost instantaneously.

M: The MUJI T-shirt is really comfortable. In Singapore’s humid climate and especially for us when might be perspiring the whole day, the T-shirt is really cooling! I am surprised no matter how much I perspire, the Muji T-shirt does not stick to my skin!

L: Like my brothers, comfort! I think we’re similar when it comes to choosing clothes. Comfort is always key since we’re constantly out and about.


We did the layering style on you, how receptive are you to the idea of layering T-shirt on T-shirt kind of coordinate?
R: This is generally not my style because I guess the biggest concern to me is the weather. However, I still found myself cold in an air-con room after layering.

M: This is my first time trying layering. I do not typically do it as the weather in Singapore is really humid and it is very difficult to work. However, after trying the layering style and even as I was walking around under the sun, the two t-shirts feel lighter than the normal t-shirt that I wear to work! It’s amazing how I feel cool even when I am wearing double layers of clothes.


You have worn the T-shirt made of uneven yarn that has lesser skin contact and creates a breezy feeling. With the constant movement around the studio and workshop while woodworking, do you think the material of the clothes matter?
R: Very much so! Our number one priority is comfort and safety. If my t-shirt makes me feel uncomfortable whilst woodworking, it distracts me. Losing focus on what I’m working on does not bode well. From messing with an intricate detail, an important process to cutting yourself with a saw blade! This is also one of the reasons why we find it difficult to procure a uniform for ourselves that is of proper, breathable material and also ethically made.

M: Yes! As woodworkers, we understand the importance of good materials. After trying on the MUJI’s T-shirt, it's really telling how you can feel the difference in materials the moment you put the shirt on!

L: This applies very much so to when I’m on shoots too! The feeling of the shirt sticking to your skin, especially under the hot sun - not going to lie - it gets annoying. The more breathable the material, the more comfortable I feel, the easier I can convert that energy into focusing on my shots.


What is the one piece of advice that you would give to other makers?
R: Remember to enjoy and have fun in the process as well. Sometimes we get too fixated on the end goal that we forget to take the time to fully enjoy each and every aspect of the journey. It makes a world of a difference with two different mindsets.

M: The journey of a maker is a very personal one. Be bold and brave. Let inspiration and your experiences shape and define who you are in your journey as a maker.

L: Just try! Trial and error help us learn what we don’t know. Understand your medium of choice better and you’ll be able to find a style that’s right for you.