These beautiful new planters are made from reclaimed Rain Tree wood, hence their name. We made 200 of them bespoke for the guest rooms of one of London's swankiest hotels and love them so much we've added them to our shelves too.
Why Monsoon? Well, they're made from Rain Wood, and we wanted to pay tribute to the power of Burma's magnificent monsoon season. Each day from June to October, the heat bursts, the sky cracks in two and great sloshes of rain fall so suddenly and so hard that the sound mutes everything else and you're instantly drenched, right through to the skin. An umbrella keeps your eyebrows dry, but that's about it - the back-splash from the pavement ensures a full soaking.
Then afterwards, once the roar reduces to a patter, the smell of rain on hot concrete rises into the cleansed air and the birds emerge cautiously from cover, their tweets announcing that we may carry on as we were. It is the perfect metaphor for the country: overwhelming but with indefatigable spirit, and always calm after the storm, despite the challenges. The natural order of things a constant reminder of hope.
