If you’re ever visited the Settha Palace hotel in Vientiane, you might have noticed a tiny shop called Caruso Lao. It displays fine handmade wooden pieces trimmed with silver, along with silver and textile products.

They’re symbolic of Laos and are elegant and artistic, appealing to international tastes. A larger outlet can be found in Luang Prabang.

Each piece reflects aspects of Lao culture and features unique designs, crafted to perfection by local master carvers.

“I wanted to make products that would attract foreign visitors and wanted to make them completely Lao, but of a quality that would satisfy international tastes,” says founder Sandra S Yuck.

Born in Montreal, Canada, Yuck has lived in Southeast Asia for more than 30 years. Her Hong Kong-based career in fashion design and development has taken her all over the world.

In 1997 she moved to Laos, attracted by its natural beauty, the people and the culture. Since then she’s been working with talented local artisans to develop a collection of high-quality, handmade home accessories that combine function with elegance.

“When I first came to Laos it was so amazing – the sky was so clear I could even imagine touching the stars! The country was very young – not much industry, no traffic jams, few hotels and restaurants. I felt that I loved this country and I would come back, and I did.”

Despite her years working with textiles and garments, she found that her passion lay more with artistic creations, so she decided to concentrate on this aspect of design.

On a quest to add other materials and skills to her collection she uncovered a pair of chopsticks made from black and white ebony.

She found the artisan who had made them and discovered that the wood was being used mainly to make charcoal and not for turning out decorative items.

“I was determined to change that, and thus began my journey into wood-accessories development, resulting after a lot of trial and error in a collection of black and white ebony, followed by various exotic types of wood, turned, carved and sculpted by hand.”

Caruso Lao now produces a broad range of fine wood products with silver and copper trim, as well as textiles and silver and copper home accessories.

“I designed all the products and they’re all crafted in Laos,” Yuck says. “Our silks are hand-woven by local weavers. Our exclusive woods are indigenous to Laos and handcrafted by master carvers and turners.”

Caruso Lao currently employs 40 people, mostly local. “Many of them have been working with us for years, and they’re good, skilled workers.

“Our clients come from all over the world. Many people come here on holiday, go shopping and are craving for something interesting, which they find in our shop. They buy something from us and we can ship it for them.

“Our main clients are American, European, South American, Mexican and Asian, and we also have local clients who want high-value souvenirs.

“The clients who buy my products always mail me when they want more. We also have new designs all the time because we always have regular clients, so we need to have new designs for them.

“The products are designed to be used and also can be a home decoration at the same time,” Yuck says.

The products are also on display in luxury hotels in Vientiane and Luang Prabang and at boutique shops in neighbouring countries. “Our main sales centre is in Luang Prabang, and in Vientiane we have our office and workshop and arrange the shipping. We also have outlets in Thailand.”