Paul's Antiques - Bangkok, Thailand - Colonial Era & Custom Furniture from Reclaimed Teak

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Paul's Antiques in Bangkok, Thailand, is a great store in the busy Sukhumvit area of town, specializing in antique furniture from Burma, most pieces dating from the British colonial period.

Shopkeepers explain, "The furniture is largely made of golden teak, tropical hardwood once plentiful in the rainforests of Indochina. The furniture is brought overland to our shop in Bangkok, Thailand where our in-house refinishing team restores each piece to its original beauty."

Why buy antiques when it comes to Teak furniture?

"Until the Second World War, Burma was one of the powerhouses of the region," explained shopkeepers. "Rangoon, Mandalay and Amherst all had large merchant classes that were greatly influenced by British tastes and styles. At first glance the furniture looks European. However, closer inspection reveals a tropical Asian warmth and character. Because of their simple, functional nature the pieces blend well in a range of decorative settings from traditional to contemporary."

They continued, "During the colonial period, the mills of Rangoon produced quality, seasoned timber. Teak was plentiful and used generously in crafting furniture. And because most of these pieces are now between 50 to 100 years old, the furniture is very stable and unlikely to warp or crack. It would be prohibitively expensive if not impossible to reproduce this furniture today using seasoned teak of the same dimensions and quality."

"Although teak is now a protected resource in Thailand much of the timber trade continues illegally and through loopholes," they added. "This practice has devastated forests and national parks in Thailand and Burma. Because of the illegal nature of most timber felling and processing, green Teak is rushed to Bangkok factories. New furniture made of unseasoned teak will warp and crack, especially after arriving in drier climates. Paul's Antiques respects Nature, The Law and Quality Woodworking. We use only seasoned, recycled old teak when restoring or repairing furniture."

Paul's Antiques brings traditional Asian style & hospitality together with professional business practices and straightforward communication, and has been serving collectors in the expatriate and local community since 1994.

They concluded, "We would be happy to send you send more information and pictures (digital .jpg images) of items currently available. We accept Visa & American Express and can arrange shipping worldwide."