THE KURV LIVING STORY
Kurv Living was established in 2014 as Cocina Joinery but was re-branded with the new business name in 2017. Kurv specialises in high-end, custom joinery for residential fit outs, mainly working for architects and luxury home builders.
Owner Chris James has been a cabinet and furniture maker since he left school at 16 and went straight into an apprenticeship. A car lover from a very young age, Chris had always wanted to work with his hands and almost chose a mechanics apprenticeship but a week’s work experience in Year 10 with a cabinet maker opened his eyes to the satisfaction and challenge of this career.
Having completed his apprenticeship, Chris worked for many years with a commercial high-rise joinery company where he enjoyed the challenges of this type of work. But, he could always see the potential in running his own business and had a very clear idea about what he wanted to achieve, so eventually he went out on his own.
Chris’ favourite style is a modern/contemporary blend with straight lines, lots of detailing, with streamlined features and a European design edge. Wanting to harness the European aesthetic, the business was originally launched as Cocina Joinery (cocina being Spanish for kitchen) but this name didn’t adequately express Chris’ vision for the company, so a re-branding exercise was undertaken and Kurv Living was born.
Chris’ passion is in customer service and Kurv Living has established an enviable reputation for the quality and reliability expected by high-end architects and custom builders. Chris and the Kurv Living team are able to take the design vision for the project and execute the joinery to the level of luxury required, with the attention to detail needed to meet the expectations of these clients. Kurv Living’s modern factory and state-of-the-art machinery and software are testament to the investment Chris has made to the quality of the end result.
As any company grows, the challenge becomes maintaining the levels of service and quality but Chris has an established team with various levels of expertise across a range of areas to ensure every job produced meets the exacting standards required. The team now comprises a Project Manager, Factory Manager, three factory workers, two installers, a detailer and one apprentice plus Chris, creating a tight-knit team who know each other well and work as a cohesive whole.
Chris believes strongly in passing on his expertise to the next generation and has worked through MEGT and its apprenticeship scheme to find a mature-age apprentice for the team. In addition, Kurv Living is a member of the Australian Cabinet and Furniture Association (ACFA), formerly the Cabinet Makers and Designers Association. Industry membership is a key way in which Kurv Living continues to invest in the professionalism and expertise of the team.
Team & Customers
Kurv Living is proud of its ever-expanding team, led by director Chris James. Large enough to take on full-house fit outs and multiple dwelling projects but small enough to provide the attention to detail needed for the types of intricate joinery we create, our team prides itself on strong personal service and quality communication with clients throughout every project.
Chris has worked with a wide variety of clients and across a large range of projects from small renovations to large-scale commercial jobs.