All our pieces have a natural matt finish. However, we can certainly accomodate darker finishes and stains for a nominal charge, depending on the piece. Refinishing charge is quoted at time of placing order.

Stains
In general, Teak can be stained to Mahogany finish, Rosewood finish or Ebonized Java.
Mahogany can be stained to a Rosewood finish or Ebonized Java. At the time of ordering, please let us know if there are any other special requests that you may have.

• All pictures of caning types are in natural finish. Caning can be stained to darker brown shade (tea stain), or to a black shade (ebonized java stain).
• Slight color variations may occur from piece to piece as these are all hand stained.

Caning Types & Stains

There are three basic factors that one must consider when placing a piece of furniture made of precious hardwoods such as Teak, Mahogany or Rosewood in your home or showroom. These factors go beyond mere decorative aesthetics to keeping your furniture away from potentially damaging sunlight, heat and humidity.

1. Direct exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun is almost as noxious to worked wood as it is to human skin. Constant exposure to sunlight will cause discoloring of varnishes, lacquers, woodstains and even of the wood itself. It is important to keep your furniture pieces out of the direct reach of the suns rays, especially in this wonderfully balmy tropical climate of ours. Of course, if you are going to place the furniture in direct sunlight, then you should look into treating the wood with a poly- utherine finish, available commercially or over the counter in most hardware stores.
   
2. Extreme humidity can also be an enemy of precious woods. Regardless of how well the craftsmen watch over the drying of their wood, often exposure to excess humidity can cause precious woods to swell up and crack as it absorbs moisture from the air. On the other hand, too little humidity (a problem that we don't encounter here, but that affects other locales in Latin America), can cause the wood to shrink, which can lead to some warping.
   
3. The third thing to keep in mind when placing furniture at home or in your showroom is heat. Excessive heat can damage lacquers and varnishes, causing physical changes in their textures (welts, discolorations). For example: please be mindful of placing a hot tray on your dinner table without a trivet or other protective surface.

As far as keeping maintaining wooden surfaces, we will advise you as follows:

1. Never, dry dust a wooden surface. Always moisten the cloth or fabric before putting it in contact with the wood. To moisten the cloth, you could use any commercially available product, or simply, a very small amount of clear water. Wiping your furniture with a dry cloth can cause friction between dust particles and the wooden surface, which in turn will lead to tiny scratches.
   
2. Never use too many aerosol chemical cleaners. Use them cautiously and always spray them on the cloth rather than directly on the wood. This will prevent any buildup from collecting on the wooden surface over time.
   
3. Be weary of "natural oil" conditioners/cleansers and polishers for wood, as too much oil can have the opposite effect of its original purpose, and will dull the finish if it collects on the surface.
   

   Care for Caning
   
   A quick spritzing once a month with a plant mister will help to keep the cane seats and backrests supple. We strongly recommend the use of cushions on the seats to avoid direct pressure on the caning.