SOTO

SOTO - Shop of the Orient - is an online retailer of home and garden furniture, lighting, decorative accessories, fashion and gifts made from ethically sourced natural materials. We have hand-crafted items like bamboo and mango wood candle holders, hand painted clocks, handbags made from hemp and coconut shell, beautiful and rare table runners made on the Thai-Burmese border from Karen and Thai silk, handmade natural soaps in playful designs, Thai triangle cushions, stunning lacquer candle holders and photo albums from Vietnam, silk scarves from weavers in the villages of Laos, silk cushions, jewellery made from real orchids and lined wicker baskets made by villagers in the mountains of Northern Thailand. Our contemporary and highly original teak, bamboo and water hyacinth furniture is designed by gifted Thai designer, Prapai Sairien, and is made using only recycled teak. We are committed to fair trade practices throughout our range and source our products in an environmentally and socially conscious manner.

Aside from our retail business we also supply trade and source wholesale for a wide range of products.

Shop of the Orient

SOTO make efforts in many directions to actively assist the growth and success of companies and projects which aim to improve the lifestyle and self-sufficiency of the makers of our products. One of SOTO's most valued associations is with Sop Moei Arts, a company founded as a project to generate income & support health care for the Pwo Karen Tribe. Their exceptional traditional weaving skills have been combined with the talent & marketing know-how of top European designers to produce a superb range of exquisite textiles and home decorative items, including hand stitched cushions and table runners, no two of which are identical. Another priority is to ensure that our suppliers share our concerns about ethical business practices and environmental protection. For example; choosing wherever possible, natural colouring techniques over chemical, suppliers that look after the long term future of their labour force, hand made processes over mass produced.