A Teak Affair
Our lofty ambition is to buy second-hand hardwood furniture for our house as our renovation happens. To assist us in this, a new store importing antique furniture from India has opened in town called Puerta al Este (calle 60 between 45 & 47).
Much of the store is filled with pared-down simple teak furniture (durable and termite proof). There are no painted elephants, sacred cows or statues of Vishnu - just stuff that fits well with the colonial aesthetic of Mérida. A good example is the set of drawers pictured above that will serve as a small credenza in our dining room.
To say this place is a godsend is an understatement. We have been in and out of the store over the last two weeks buying up a storm. Every time we go in we say “no more”, but end up walking away with something in hand.
Our best find (so far) is a three-meter-long bench made of solid teak that seems destined for our eat-in kitchen (incredibly, we were stressing over whether we would find or manufacture said bench just last week). Right now, it is working as a makeshift closet.
Also pictured above, in case you were wondering, is an antique rat trap that has received some very puzzled expressions when viewed by our friends.
