Remodeling and Home Design

Saturday, July 24, 2010

brilliant batiks from bali

i have a thing for textiles, especially when they're handmade!

look how terrific these pillows are, mixed up, NOT matching (matching is one of my biggest pet peeves!)
this works partly because they are a similar value and all share the same white.


i just received an exciting email from a wonderful batik company in bali, katherine rally textiles!  it's a husband and wife team, katherine and rally, he's an architect and she's an interior designer - so cool and romantic!  they live in bali with their two children and there, work with a small scale batik production facility that is family owned and operated, making batiks for generations.  everything is sourced locally, minimizing the oil consumption typically used to ship materials.  in addition, no machinery is used and in fact, the batiks are patiently crafted by hand, piece by piece.  the only source of energy used is local renewable wood to heat and remove the wax.  and even the wax is recycled to be used again for the next piece!  then, the finished pieces are dried on a clothesline in the sun.



i love how the patterns are colorful and bold yet are soft and warm (part of the allure of batik).

again, notice how well these bright bold batiks look against the patina of old furniture!  
i love how katherine rally textiles takes an ancient craft and makes it fresh for today.


imagine an afternoon nap snuggled in all those wonderful pillows!


owners katherine and rally also live a sustainable life.  for example, they don't own a car or motorcycle and instead get around their little city of ubud on a bicycle.  plus, their son attends a green school which is made entirely out of bamboo!

i'm so excited to decorate with these batiks for curtains, roman shades, headboard, seating, and table linens!



information about where to buy all these gorgeous goodies is on their website including retail via some showrooms selling the pillows and tableware and trade representatives like nicky rising in LA.

*i just found out from rally dupps, the husband of the fabulous team behind katherine rally textiles, that the factory not only recycles the wax, but also the dyes, and because they don't toss harmful chemicals into the Balinese rivers, they are officially licensed by the indonesian government, a privilege of which the factory is very proud!

ettabits

eTTa designs presents ettabits to highlight some of the visual treasures around us - enjoy!