Santa Clara

Lamps and Tables

We were hosting some friends for lunch on our back patio one day when I realized that, while we had improved on our patio, it was still flush with potential and I wanted to make improvements. I mentioned to Justin that I wanted to make some changes and threw out some ideas. He thought it unnecessary, but being of active mind and ambition, I wanted to make this my project for the first part of our two week vacation.

Our first stop was Santa Clara. Santa Clara is a small part of town on the south end of Quito known for handmade wood furniture and furnishings. The actual market is no bigger than a couple of blocks and all of the furniture appears to be done in the same style. Big, heavy dressers and dining room tables carved from a dark wood. Everything is hand made and heavy. It's actual wood, rather than the particle board IKEA stuff that you can find at most places in the states. The artisans in this area also specialize in wicker and bamboo furniture and all types of woven baskets.

Wood Crafts

When you walk into a shop, there is about a 1.5-3 foot walking area, the rest of the surrounding area is nothing but wood things. Stacks and stacks of end tables from floor to ceiling. Kitchen tables from corner to corner. Stools, chairs, and everything else in between, all hand made. All heavy and all available for a negotiated prices. It's really an incredible experience to see it all.

As part of my back patio makeover project, I was looking for a small table to hold our potted herbs. We are growing rosemary, cilantro, and aji pepper. After browsing the shops for a quick half hour, I settled on a simple wire rack to hold the herbs. But, I just couldn’t resist some of the multicolored hand-woven baskets. We haggled a bit, as is done here and when we agreed upon some prices, I bought three of these used them as planters for the herbs. Now we have a bright, cheerful patio and homegrown herbs! After it was all said and done, Justin agreed that it was the right move.

Herbs and new Flowers