Eco friendly furniture in Costa Rica

With all the new trends in the world regarding environment preservation we normally could    question if we are contributing to global warming by purchasing determined items for our   personal use or household. Furniture is one of  the most important ones as they are a long-term  acquisition as well as the materials used in their production. Costa  Rica has for about 25 years been growing extensive plantations of very well adapted species of Wood that nowadays  are used in most of the locally made furniture and those are excellent news for a country that decided to preserve  30% of its land with legislation to create national parks and biological reserves. At the beginning of this preservation  initiative and because reforested wood plantations were not yet mature enough, illegal lumbering took place in many  areas of the country.  

Today, Costa Rica boasts one of the largest plantations of Melina, a strong, light-colored, even-grained wood that is naturally insect resistant, easy to work, and which accepts stains and finishes well. It is a fast growing tree which can be harvested at different stages of its 14 year mature growth cycle, for varied markets.Also, Teak plantations are among the most important for furniture purposes for the beauty and resistence to weather extremes, mostly found in tropical countries. But maybe one of the most important issues when thinking of environmentally friendly or Eco friendly furniture in Costa Rica is the fact that an important portion is produced by small manufacturers scattered all over the Central Valley. 

These people have learned their skills from generation to generation and involve complete families that contribute to the family income by working in the shop.This, is also called "fair-trade", when the buyer looks into the way the item to be purchased was produced. And this gives an article an incredible added value, not just in raw materials but in the way a society that seeks to benefit most of their population through service accessibility such as global healthcare and education.

Among the most important features of furniture produced with reforested Woods is that it mostly kiln dried, which will prevent from cracking if taken to dry areas like the beach areas, where most people are furnishing their home units. Another advantage is the great possibilities this type of wood will allow the manufacturer when wanting to reproduce styles of furniture that clients want to custom make. So next time you think about buying furniture in Costa Rica remember to inquire about manufacturing practices as well as the name of the Woods. If you hear the names Melina or Teak, definitely you are getting a piece of furniture produced with reforested Woods, meaning you are contributing to preserve the planet through cultivated wood plantations.Visit http://www.pacifichomefurnishing.com/ to find the largest catalog of furniture in Costa Rica.

Buying a nice piece of art in Costa Rica

Costa Rica has many famous artists and their art ranges from watercolor to oil painting. But the one that makes me very happy all the time has to do with the Costa Rica countryside because the colors of the houses, the sky, the leaves on the trees, the sunsets, all these elements bring so much life to a painting.
Names like Francisco Amighetti, Jose Sánchez, Rafa Fernández are well known in the Costa Rican art galleries because with all the international expositions they have been into.

This artist I have chosen  to show you is José Sanchez. His favorite theme is the Costa Rican countryside. He made this painting called "Clean clothes" and comes from the inspiration of the words his mother always said that they should always wear clean clothes. On this watercolor he pictured himself playing with his brother.

I also found a video with all his paintings . It shows a most complete set of paintings and describes somehow the timeline of his career.
In Costa Rican art you will always find bright colors and happy people as well as nature. These paintings show a lot of the Costa Rican lifestyle like this man riding the oxcart. Oxcarts are still a means of transportation in a few villages, especially to transport materials like sand from the rivers.

On this painting one can see the mud oven that is very used in the Guanacaste area where they bake "rosquillas" made with corn meal. Also, another detail is the bougainvillea growing on top of the wall with its intense colors of purple.

Affordable Costa Rican furniture

Did you say affordable furniture in Costa Rica? I hear you, tell me more. Well, it´s easy. Most of the furniture condo owners on the beach like  tropical furniture, this means that a lot of rattan and fiber furniture which is usually imported from South East Asia.

Costa Rica furniture is known by woodcraft. A lot of people who know the traditional Costa Rican furniture immediately associates this concept to redwood and sometimes bulky designed pieces. But that has changed and given way to different  designs that mix wood with fabrics or other materials like leather and also a variety of wood tones. In other words, the traditional Costa Rican look doesn´t have to be the only option when thinking about Costa Rica furniture.

The good news is that all this wood furniture is made with reforested woods, locally grown and locally manufactured with warranty and in the given case that you wanted to add pieces to your set, you could find exactly the same with the suppliers.

But that is not all, the price is actually the good news because this furniture does not pay the import taxes that most furniture does, which ranges anywhere from 30% to 50% .  Linked to this is the fact that you can create a nice furniture package for a two bedroom condo under  $9,000 and you know that  you can count on durable furniture that will hold up to renters and visitors because it is made with high quality wood, produced under environmental standards that make this furniture the most eco-friendly option in the Central American region.

If you want to have more information about  Costa Rican furniture visit  http://www.pacifichomefurnishing.com/