Kouboo’s owner, Patrice Gerber, has recently returned from a buying trip to the Philippines, Thailand and Myanmar (formerly Burma) and the vendors continue to out-do themselves with their one-of-a-kind home décor items!
We pride ourselves in discovering unique items from around the world, sourced from natural materials indigenous to the countries we travel to. The end results range from Capiz Seashell Chandeliers from the Phillipines; vibrant textiles from Thailand; and the Nito vine, which is transformed into items such as placemats, baskets and wine holders. Every product is handmade.
The natural materials and techniques used to create each of our products is thrilling to see and watch as something as simple as a vine comes alive and is transformed into an item you will cherish in your home.
One such material is the Nito or Lygodium, a slender, climbing fern found on a southern island of the Philippines. As the fern gets older, it climbs and twines around various different kinds of plants. As it sheds its leaves, the stem gradually changes from green to a light brown, then on to a darker brown, finally becoming black. The Nito fern grows best where the ground is moist, in hillsides where timber is not very heavy or in open woodland.
After the Nito is brought and sold to our vendors it is stored in bundles vertically. Some of the vines are “split” into thinner more flexible strips, which are then used to tie or weave the vines into the finished product.
Once woven the product is then varnished with a protective coating and then laid out to dry in the open air. Every piece is carefully inspected for any loose splinters and trimmed accordingly for a quality home décor item found in our Kouboo online store.
We buy only the best products from vendors we trust. The weavers take great pride in their work and it shows in the craftsmanship. For example: the Cube Nito Tissue Box Cover takes a weaver 2 full days to complete and a place mat takes 1 full day.
As we approach this season of “giving” ~ whether it is a wedding gift …anniversary…special occasion or holiday… we have over 400 beautifully crafted home décor items from which to make your selection! If the options are too vast we also have Kouboo Gift Cards!
We look forward to hearing from you!