It’s one of the questions we get asked most about our homeware here at Indu House.
Sometimes a customer might notice one item is just a little softer and warmer in tone than the next one, perhaps the finish has settled into the weave of one piece of rattan differently from another (based on the material's natural variations in texture). These little variations in tone are subtle, and in fact part of what lends the finish an authentic feel rather than a manufactured one.
Because the whitewash finish on Indu House pieces is hand-applied, every single item is ever so slightly different from the next. And this is deliberate.
We always felt that natural materials should remain to feel and look natural too. We never wanted a finish to cover up the character of the weave beneath. We felt that the whitewash finish should act on softening the material’s natural tone, but that the warmth and variations inherent in the weave should remain visible.
The process of application is slow, and highly reliant on the material itself.
Each woven piece starts as natural rattan, possessing already its own distinctive tone and texture. Certain fibres will absorb more of the finish than others, while some fibres maintain more of their natural warmth beneath. Hand-applied whitewash therefore has the effect of settling lightly into the weave, not coating the piece evenly and thickly.
This then causes the wonderfully softened, layered appearance which handmade whitewashed rattan so possesses.
Where a sprayed synthetic finish aims for complete uniformity, a handmade whitewash finish leaves the natural texture of the material clearly visible. As daylight varies throughout the day, parts of the weave pick up light differently and the tones change, helping the piece feel softly organic and much more comfortable to have in a home environment.
And we feel this is what prevents a handmade finish from appearing too flat and artificial.
The finish also mellows organically in the home; like all natural materials rattan can respond in subtle ways to atmosphere, age and light. These are entirely natural occurrences of the process of aging, and we feel they add to the inherent, long-term appeal of handmade homeware; rather than developing a static, over-processed, and too-perfect appearance over the years, the piece gradually settles into its surroundings.
We recognize that the modern marketplace can often breed expectation of absolute uniformity; but handcrafted homeware follows its own rules. Differences in tone or texture are never indicative of a fault in the piece; rather, they suggest that the object has been slow-made, individually crafted and hand-finished.
It’s these variations that we feel make our handcrafted homeware truly beautiful.
And two homes are never quite the same either, and so we feel objects in them should also not be identical. It’s these slight, manual, inconsistencies in handmade finishes that make objects feel warm; more human and more in tune with their surrounding material and environment.
Perhaps it's for this reason that whitewashed rattan complements calm interiors so perfectly; its muted tones nestle easily against linen, wood, stone and earthy colours while its natural warmth remains apparent beneath the soft, bleached overlay. It gives timeless rather than trend-conscious warmth; natural, restful, and softly lived-in.
We are always committed to producing homeware that never feels too polished or removed from the hand from which it emerged; always revealing elements of texture, skill and material.
Because ultimately these small differences aren't mistakes that should be corrected…
They are simply what makes an object feel alive.