Reclaimed
Teak Furniture
Not only is this high quality furniture a
beautiful fit in any Southwestern home,
but it is
environmentally friendly, and
easy to care for.
From wagon wheel benches to hand-carved cigar
store Indians and cowboy statues, reclaimed teak
furniture, (also known as “Rustic Teak” , ‘Rustic
Root Furniture’ or ‘Log Furniture’), is a popular
choice for homes in the desert and mountain
regions of the southwest. I recently talked to
Daniel Jolin, a subject matter expert and importer
of teak furniture for his company, Uniquely Thai
Furniture & Gift LLC. The reclaimed teak used to
create this furniture actually comes from
Thailand, where his family has been involved
in the teak business for many years.
Reclaimed
Teak is a high quality wood, and is often used as
patio furniture and in boat building, because it
has its own natural oil that makes the wood very
resistant to rot, Ultraviolet Rays (UV),
insects, marine bores and fungus. According to
Daniel, when teak is left outside for a while, it
will turn a natural silvery gray color. This shows
when the natural teak oil forms a natural UV
defensive barrier on the surface of the wood. This
does not hurt the longevity of the wood. The
regular use of a store bought Teak Oil or other
wood preservative containing a UV shield, will
insure the nature beauty of the teak grains and
the teak will
last for years without the silvery gray effect.
Daniel runs an eco-friendly business by
importing reclaimed teak. This means that the
majority of the pieces are made from teak which is
has been used before, and does not take away from
sustainable harvest. For example, his wagon wheel
furniture uses authentic wheels from actual ox
wagon wheels. Daniel explained to me that back in
the late 1800s and early 1900s, the teak industry
in Thailand was devastated by over harvesting. In
the 1980s Thailand had an unusually heavy monsoon
season, and due to the lack of trees, suffered
major landslides and mudslides, killing thousands
of people. The King of Thailand then banned all
exporting of teak. Born in the US over 80 years
ago, the King has played a major role in keeping a
strong relationship between the US & Thailand,
which dates back to WWII. After initiating huge
reforestation campaigns, Thailand slowly opened
its doors to logging to registered companies.
Purchasing authentic reclaimed teak furniture is
not only an environmentally friendly option, but
one can also end up owning a piece of the past!
I
talked to Daniel about the carvings and statues he
carries – some are teak and some are carved from
soft woods. These teak carvings come from large
stumps from trees cut down many years ago, prior to
the logging ban. In many cases they are harvested to
make room for new forests. The carvings are done
in relief on teak slabs that come in a variety of
sizes. Other carvings such as the Native American
and cowboy statues are carved out of softwoods, proving again, just how non-wasteful the Thai
culture is. These carvings are made from
softwoods such as the Jack Fruit tree (called the
Mai Kaknown). Carving was becoming a dying art form due to
the artists not being paid enough, so Daniel’s company is actively
helping to bring the art form back to life by
creating a market and paying the artists a
decent fee.
To listen to an interview with Daniel Jolin, owner
of Uniquely Thai, from an excerpt from our online
radio show,
Champagne
Sundays, please double click on the Play
Button below.
Uniquely Thai Furniture & Gift also imports high
end carvings such as hand carved elephant and
village scene tables, and hand carved furnishings
for all rooms in the house. Carved furniture and
art is
considered a status symbol in Thailand,
along with many unique gift and décor items. Many
of these elegant carvings are usually reserved for
royalty or nobility, but because of their
connections, Uniquely Thai is able to import them
and bring Thailand to you at affordable prices.
To view samples or find out more about Reclaimed
Teak Furniture visit
www.usauniquelythai.com