Asian Furniture Development History

Asian Furniture Development History

Since the intricate craftsmanship, quality and value of this furniture was discovered by travellers, colonialists and historians, these are the exact same qualities which still keeps it in such high demand in the market all around the world and the Asian furniture market has been growing rapidly since the 1990’s and production is mainly fuelled by export demands. The variety and abundance of available raw materials, the existence of companies specialising in furniture export and a strong force of skilled workers using the latest in manufacturing equipment are all factors which contribute to the global demand for Asian furniture, which is also commonly known as Oriental furniture.

Asia is the largest continent with very unique, cultural countries. Each country has it’s own diverse and deep-rooted traditions which reflect on their furniture and homes. It’s very difficult to categorize Oriental furniture as there are several variations which are all exquisite in their own way. However, people more often than not think of Chinese and Japanese furniture when refering to Asian furniture. The British rule of India and Burma also introduced furniture and decoration from these regions to the rest of the world and made them highly popular, while bringing about the design of colonial furniture made for the British. The Oriental influence on Europe during the 1800’s came mostly from these countries. While Japan and China have always been influential in representing Asian design, especially the influence of China’s dynasties on many other Asian countries, they had a more profound affect on western taste during the early 1900’s and especially after World War One. More frequent travel over the last 200 years also enabled people to visit the huge continent of Asia and bring back authentic oriental furniture. Now, Asian countries such as Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand to name but a few have grown in popularity and renown regarding their own particular traditional forms of furniture.

Japanese furniture often uses solid wood such as elm, gingko and kiri wood. The use of uncarved wood and bamboo and the use of heavy lacquers are popular Chinese styles who are well-known for being gifted artisans and Chinese pieces are extremely decorative. Chinese and Japanese styles are characterized with bamboo with some Asian characters or symbols on it. Southeast Asian furniture is usually dark brown in color with a lot of Hindu-influenced carving. Koreans are quite religious and this reflects on their furniture craftsmanship by using a variety of auspicious signs and symbols. Taiwanese furniture is distinctive for its widespread use of black-ink decoration. Philippine furniture is made from bamboo, rattan or exquisitely carved wood. Other items include snake or crocodile skin leather products, antiques and shell products. All handcrafted Asian furniture products pay attention to detail and display high artistic quality while bamboo and wood features heavily on all Asian styles.

Unique Asian furniture has done much to contribute to the markets of Asia and there are seven major producers which stand out; Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Korea and Taiwan. The combined production of these countries reached USD $1,828 million in the year 2000. Among these the leading producers are Korea and Taiwan, however, other Asian countries are on the rise and the Malaysian furniture industry has been on a steady surge upwards since 1999 with the USA accounting for almost 34 percent of the furniture imports from Malaysia in 2005. Europe, Scandinavia and Australia are have also bought considerably into the Asian furniture market over the past two decades.

In terms of what the future of Asian furniture exports is expected to look like, Asia in general has experienced an incredible demand for its manufactured goods from some of the world’s largest markets, particularly the United States, and this trend is presumed to continue for many years to come providing the quality standards and requirements continue to be met.

For more information on Asian Furniture, please go to

http://www.Furniture-Asian.com

Baby on Board sticker, to stick or not to...

I bought this baby on board sign last month but it still sits inside the drawer. I am still having 2nd thought into really putting this “baby on board” mark.

Where I drive - Metro Manila - , for (some) taxi drivers, bus drivers, and super disciplined jeepney drivers… this sign could very well mean for them,”a-ha - you have a baby in there, you’ll be soft and wimp and you’ll give way to my effin tank (jeep)” and I’ll be abused.

I rarely bring the baby with me in my Metro drives anyway. So for now, it’s still unwrapped and un-sticked.

Meantime, I have another sign in my car, the cool rockin Overdrive plates.

Oh btw, we have a Baby on Board t-shirt design we made last year. Check it out here.

Teak Wood

There are a lot of furniture shops out there offering wooden furniture. House furniture can be made of oak, teak, mahogany, or ebony, to name a few. But the most famous type of furniture is teak. Teak wood mostly comes from Indonesia, Burma, Philippines and other parts of Southeast Asia.

A lot of customers who have experience with different types of wood will tell you that teak is the best type of lumber for any outdoor furniture. If you want a patio or picnic table, it doesn’t matter what part of the world you are in because teak furniture can weather any type of condition. Be it sunny or snowy, this type of wood can withstand the elements that will usually destroy wooden furniture. From temperature changes, pests or old age, teak stands longer than any timber.

Why is there so much good publicity over teak? The reasons have become apparent. Teak is weather resistant and can survive any type of wood infection that results to rotting. It is also invulnerable to diseases and pests like termites.

Teak is a long lasting hardwood that can even rival the quality of the furniture inside your homes. It is even used for the decks of marine transport. But if used for the patio, it doesn’t lose its unique characteristics and when it ages, it gradually becomes silvery-grey in color if not polished. Stain can be left as it is because it will simply fade.

The furniture industry is putting teak wood at the top of their list as one of the most sought after and expensive materials in their line of wood products. Since importation of this wood has been restricted, you can only imagine how much the prices have gone up; nonetheless, the assured quality is enough to make you choose this among others.

Yes, teak furniture has gotten expensive over the years. Aside from rarity of the wood, the price can also be dictated by how you want your furniture to be made. Some companies can handcraft teakwood. There are also machine-made. It also differs in grade levels. Grade A is the priciest since this is made from heartwood and has the lowest moisture level. Although it is quite costly, its natural quality will save you from using chemicals and other finishing in the succeeding years.

This weatherproof hardwood has become a very inviting piece of material for outdoor decking. Although, it can cost you quiet a bit, it is so much better than buying furniture again and again because low quality wooden furniture can only last for a year or so. If you then try to revive that old patio furniture, then you start spending on polishing, oil and other treatments to compensate for the other qualities that a teak lumber already have.

Teak can be hand or machine crafted to add variations and design details. Even without accessories like an umbrella for the table or cushions for the chairs, teak will still stand out. And in terms of quality, nothing can go head to head with this wood.

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There is much more to discover about patio cushions and other patio cushions at the Best Patio Cushion web site.