All articles
Everything on Indochine Decor, organised by topic.
Textiles
- Batik Buying Guide: Hand-Drawn vs Stamped vs Printed — Real batik falls into two hand-made categories: batik tulis (wax hand-drawn with a canting tool, most expensive and one-of-a-kind) and batik cap (wax.
- Ikat vs Batik: How to Tell These Textiles Apart — Ikat and batik are both resist-dye textiles, but made in opposite ways. Ikat ties and dyes the yarn before weaving, giving patterns soft, blurred edges.
- How to Tell Real Thai Silk From Fake: 5 Simple Tests — Stack several checks rather than relying on one: burn a spare thread safely (real silk self-extinguishes, smells like burnt hair, leaves soft ash, while.
- Thai Silk Guide: How It's Made, Graded & Priced — Thai silk is fabric woven from Bombyx mori (mulberry) silkworm thread that is dyed before weaving, giving it a two-tone iridescent shimmer.
Lighting
- Best Bamboo Pendant Lights: 7 Styles That Actually Last — The best bamboo pendant lights depend on the job: a woven bell or dome pendant gives the most even, practical light for dining tables and entryways, an.
- Capiz Shell Lighting: What It Is & Is It Worth Buying? — Capiz shell lighting is made from the thin, translucent shell of the windowpane oyster, giving fixtures a soft, diffused glow.
- What Size Pendant Light? Sizing by Room (With Chart) — Size a single pendant to roughly one-third to one-half the width of the surface beneath it: about 12-16 inches over a standard-depth kitchen island, 14-24.
- Rattan Pendant Lights: How to Choose Size, Shape & Weave — A rattan pendant light is a hanging fixture with a shade woven from rattan poles or peel around a frame, prized for the warm, dappled light it casts.
Art & Objects
- Carved Wood Wall Art: A Buyer's Guide to Quality & Origin — Carved wood wall art typically ranges from about $40 for small mango-wood panels to $600 or more for large teak pieces, with price driven mainly by.
- Mother-of-Pearl Inlay: Craft, Quality Signs & Care — Mother-of-pearl inlay furniture uses thin pieces of iridescent shell nacre, hand-cut and set flush into wood or lacquer, often against a black lacquer.
- Vietnamese Lacquerware: How to Spot Quality Before Buying — Quality Vietnamese lacquerware (sơn mài) is built from many hand-applied, sanded lacquer layers over solid wood or bamboo, giving the surface visible.
- Seagrass vs Rattan vs Water Hyacinth Baskets Compared — Rattan is the sturdiest of the three, with a semi-rigid core that holds its shape under daily handling — best for laundry bins and toy storage.
Furniture
- How to Clean Rattan Furniture (Without Damaging It) — Dust rattan furniture weekly with a soft brush attachment, then wipe it monthly with a cloth wrung out in mild soapy water — never soak it.
- Is Teak Furniture Worth It? Lifespan, Cost & Value — Yes, if you buy genuine, well-graded solid teak and plan to keep it for years: it can last decades outdoors with minimal upkeep, which often makes its.
- Rattan Furniture Guide: Types, Quality & What to Pay — Rattan furniture is worth buying when it uses real woven rattan over a hardwood or bent-cane frame with woven (not stapled) joints.
- Rattan vs Wicker: The Real Difference & Which to Buy — Rattan is a material — a solid tropical palm stalk. Wicker is a weaving technique, not a material, and can be made from rattan, reed, or synthetic resin.
- Teak vs Acacia Outdoor Furniture: Which Lasts Longer? — Teak lasts longer: its high natural oil content resists rot and water with little to no maintenance, often for decades outdoors.
Styling Guides
- How to Style Rattan in a Modern Home (Without Clichés) — Style rattan for a modern home by limiting it to one or two pieces per room, pairing it against plain, solid materials like matte black metal, poured.
- Southeast Asian Home Decor: The Complete Style Guide — Southeast Asian home decor is built from a small set of regional materials — rattan and cane, teak, Thai silk, batik and ikat, and lacquerware — each with.
Craft & Origins
- What Is Indochine Style? Origins, Elements & How It's Used — Indochine style is a colonial-era hybrid aesthetic that emerged in French Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia): European colonial furniture forms and.
- Is Teak Sustainable? Plantation vs Old-Growth, Explained — Teak's sustainability depends on source, not species.
- Where Does Rattan Come From? Harvesting & Sustainability — Rattan is a climbing palm harvested mainly across Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, both from wild forest stock and, increasingly, managed.