ABOUT OUR PRODUCTS

Guyana and the Guiana Shield territory are considered exceptional because almost 90% of the terrain remains in a pristine state.   Probably the region's greatest wealth is the ancient nature and rich bio diversity. Sustainable development of these diverse resources is the only way that this great nature monument can survive.

Liana is a generic name for woody rainforest vines that attach themselves to the towering tree canopies while their roots and multiple offshoots droop down to the forest floor. Similar in look and texture to the rattan and bamboo of the Far East, the kufa and nibbi vines are used for the structural elements of the furniture.  Nibbi, a small vine that grows from the forest floor up the trunks of trees, is used for binding joints as well as for weaving that gives wicker-like appearance to some of the pieces. A fibre of the Ite palm is made by women into a twine called Tibisiri. This is used for the production of a cord-like material that is woven into fabric for the seats and backs of the chairs and tables, unique to this line of furniture.

The furniture is manufactured from three non-timber forest products: kufa, nibbi and tibisiri (from the Ite Palm). The kufa and nibbi are harvested mainly on the watershed of the Essequibo and Demerara rivers by the Caribs and Arawaks of the Pomeroon Region.  The kufa harvesting is done by the younger men of the tribes who climb the roots to the base of the epiphyte, which can be as high as 100 feet up. The selected roots are then cut with machete. These are then debarked and transported to the factory by lorry.

Upon arrival at the factory the kufa is sorted and graded and immediately steamed and stacked to dry. The steaming at this point is to destroy any eggs or larvae that may be present in the roots.After the kufa dries it is then sized and sanded. The poles are then cut into required lengths, then steamed for bending if necessary. The various shapes are produced in jigs and templates after steaming. The various components are then assembled using screws and glue.

Production of the furniture and architectural pieces from forest vines helps to combat the destruction of the Guyanese forest ecosystems, threatened by two pressures. The first is the increasingly desperate search of people in poor countries for survival; the second is the movement by big timber businesses into the remaining global forest resources of the South. Adding value tonon-timber forest products encourages the diversified use of the tropical Guyana rainforest and provides evidence that a more sustainable forest practice is economically beneficial to people. The  materials are harvested with a light ecological footprint on the forest and, in comparison with the conventional timber industry, generate many times more jobs per unit impact.

The furniture has been inspired by nature and is created for life.