Material Madness
Homes on Samui are filled with items made from various, and sometimes very unusual, materials.
Thailand is not a throw-away society. In fact, in some ways Thais are far more advanced at recycling than they are given credit for. Being industrious and full of initiative the Thais seem able to maximise whatever raw materials they have at their disposal.
In shops and market stalls you’ll see products for sale that have been made out of surprising things. In fact, turning everyday objects into wonderful pieces of art, jewellery or handbags has become quite an industry. And in some cases crosses over from the cheap and cheerful items aimed at tourists to the high-end furnishings and works of art displayed in hotels and residential homes.
Relatively cheap and unusual raw materials are often transformed into something of interest or genuine beauty: coconut shells, mango wood, old nuts and bolts, chopsticks, and soft drinks cans are all examples.
Coconuts are unsurprisingly plentiful on Samui and the shells can be used in many ways to produce an eclectic range of products. Wind-chimes, lamp shades, ornate trinket boxes and various other products are found made from this tropical fruit. But there are more subtle uses too. For example, polished coconut shells are cut into squares, stitched and fashioned into handbags that fit comfortably in the collection of any style-conscious western lady. Coconut, as a raw material, may be cheap but some of the finished products produced look far from low budget.
Mango wood is another commonly available and much-used material; the rich dark colour, which can be highly polished or have a matt finish, is popular for making vases and carved candle holders. From an aesthetic angle, mango wood can be very beautiful, and ornaments of all shapes and sizes can be seen in market stalls and also in the island’s most exclusive furniture sales rooms. Therefore, despite production costs being low, the price of some mango wood items can be very high; it all depends on the style and design of the piece and where it’s being sold.
A peculiar sight in Thailand, and one that’s prominent on Samui, is the recycling of old car parts and nuts and bolts. Unless you’ve looked closely you may not even know what I mean. But you will have seen the huge metal statues of the film characters Alien and Predator; other designs include cowboys, animals, motorbikes and dragons. These incredible figures are made entirely of recycled car parts and basic nuts and bolts. Love them or hate them, they are true works of art and undeniable conversation pieces. At first glance, and depending on your sense of style, you might dismiss them as gimmicky. But, if you venture inside one of the showrooms selling them on Samui, you could find something that would actually fit with your home décor; however traditional it may be.
Other materials used creatively, yet more likely bought as curiosities or gifts, are chopsticks and aluminium drinks cans. Chopsticks can be used to build almost anything in model form, in the way matchsticks are sometimes used in other countries.
The drinks cans are flattened and re-moulded by hand into replicas of Tuk-Tuks, and Harley Davidson motorbikes, amongst popular items. They’re less likely to be seen on show in a top-end villa. But nonetheless it’s a good way of recycling and an example of the creative skills and abilities of the Thai people to make something interesting, or even collectable, out of seemingly nothing.
These examples of materials are generally used for ornamentation and the dressing of homes. But the variety of materials doesn’t end when you start looking at more substantial pieces of furniture. Samui is a tropical island and even in the most contemporary of western-styled homes you will often find furniture fashioned out of all sorts of natural tropical materials.
Bamboo can be used for all furniture pieces, large and small, and it can be in a variety of colours and appearances. Despite bamboo furniture having a reputation for being a cheaper solution than hardwoods, such as teak, the use of bamboo has undergone something of a fashion resurgence. In fact, most top quality and expensive furniture showrooms now heavily feature bamboo products. In such establishments it’s usually in the form of bamboo inlaid in teak or other woods to make natural looking pieces like tables, beds and even artwork for walls. The look of this furniture is extremely popular and it can enhance even the most fashionable of homes.
Mixing modern styling with natural materials is probably the most commonly used interior design theme on Samui. And, the number of appropriate materials to achieve this look is almost infinite. Water-hyacinth, wicker, rattan, stone, cottons and Thai silks all fit the bill, and all are very versatile in their uses.
Thai silk for example can be used for small items such as coasters, cushion covers and even tissue-box holders. But it’s also used for larger products like table cloths, bed-covers and wall-hangings. Water-hyacinth is similarly used in numerous ways. Sofas, tables and TV cabinets, as well as lamp stands and table mats can all be found. And this pattern continues with each raw material being utilised in many different ways.
Hardwoods, metals, ceramics, sandstone, concrete and glass are all added in to the mix of materials available when creating exciting interiors that are suitable for the lifestyle and the climate that living here provides. So, it’s quite possible when you sit and look around your home, that you’ll be surprised, not only by the amount of different natural and man-made materials used, but also by what those materials actually are. |
