Introduced just last year, our Peetal handcrafted coffee table and side table are already strong customer favourites. So let’s take a closer look at these glistening fair trade furnishings and share their story.
Every year, our founders Georgie and Simon head to India in search of fresh ethical finds that hit the Myakka sweet spot: beautiful, artisanal and individual. Over the years, they’ve established great working relationships and firm friendships with several of our suppliers. And it’s just such a valued supplier that makes the Peetal handcrafted coffee table and side table.
The enterprise is a brilliant small-scale fair trade producer based in Jodhpur, India’s Blue City. As well as their own workforce, they use specialist small-scale production teams in the local area.
And, with this particular supplier, ethics and imagination go hand-in-hand. They bring the benefits of fair trade to the best of traditional Indian handicraft, and they love to collaborate on new ideas and designs. And that’s exactly how this handcrafted coffee table and side table came to be.
Crafted in Collaboration
A joint design effort, the Peetal tables are entirely handmade. Firstly, the table bases are cut from sheet metal. Next, the elaborate patterns are hand pierced, and then these mandala-like circular designs are accented with decorative etching. The artistry is amazing and the techniques used date back centuries. The tables’ circular drum shape is then formed and they are hand gilded to have the look of antique brass. A coat of clear lacquer seals and protects the finish.
But that’s just half the story. Because of course, the Peetal tables both have a separately formed wooden top, made from responsibly sourced solid mango wood. It’s is a real point of difference that separates the tables from those you might see in Indian homes. Conversely, it’s the cutwork metal bases that make them so unique in European homes! Once smooth sanded and checked for fit, a wax polish sealer finish protects the tabletops.
Artisans carefully check and approve every single one of the handcrafted coffee tables and side tables before signing them off. Only then do they get carefully packed and stored ready to ship to us here in the UK.
Unique and Fairly Traded Furniture
Working together with our suppliers to develop products like this enables fair trade to flourish. This is because the supplier has a guaranteed buyer for what they produce (we pay fair and proper prices promptly so there’s no financial juggling or cash flow problems). They are then able to develop the scale of their business, providing more security for workers and their families which benefits the whole community. And we benefit by having exclusive selling rights to beautiful, unique and ethically made furniture and home furnishings.
It’s trading like this that has earned Myakka a reputation as an ethical leader in the UK furniture market. We are enormously proud to be featured in The Good Shopping Guide, the organisation that helps people make informed decisions about which companies and brands are best for the planet, best for animals and best for people worldwide.
Eclectic Home Style Inspiration
So there you have the story of our Peetal handcrafted coffee table and side table. But before we go, let’s give the last word to our stylist for a little inspiration on how to make the most of these unique and beautiful tables in your home:
“The Peetal tables are wonderfully versatile. In one easy step, they add that chic ‘global traveller’ look. They sit well alongside other styles of furniture and look especially good on any of our kilim rugs. The tables’ curves provide a nice contrast to the linear shape of most living room furniture and I love how the burnished brass finish glistens in both daylight and artificial light. You could even put a string of fairy lights inside the Peetal table base to create a wonderfully exotic after dark look!”
For more inspiration on metallic interior accents, don’t miss our Interior Design Trend blog.
Want to have these on-trend bestsellers in your home? We don’t blame you. Shop the Peetal Round Drum Coffee Table and Peetal Round Drum Side Table on our website.
