A homeware shop selling artisan Burmese crafts will open its doors to the people of Marlow in just under a week.

URU Home was founded by Aye Latt over four years ago, starting life as an Etsy-based business specialising in traditional Burmese crafts.

Aye was raised in Northern Burma and has since made it her mission to showcase the work of independent artisans creating handmade and high-quality pieces from and of the Asiatic region.

She described the ethos of the business as "an appreciation of slow-making handmade products and reducing the negative impact on the environment in our everyday life". 

The still-burgeoning business is continuing to grow its product range of varyingly priced and curated furniture and accessories - and will no doubt continue to do so from its new base at 21 West Street in Marlow, with the new branch set to open next Monday, August 19.

 Its wares will include ethically sourced woven baskets and trays made from Rattan climbing vines, furniture from reclaimed wood collected in the wake of monsoons and recycled glassware hand-thrown using traditional Burmese techniques.

Prices range from around £7.99 (for a hardwood hand-turned salad bowl) to £320 (for a large rattan laundry chest), with each item curated by Aye and the team to ensure each one “tells a unique story and celebrates the artistry and creativity of our talented artisans”.

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The shop’s sign went up at number 21 on West Street at the end of July and will replace Sarah Hughes, another homeware shop that said goodbye to the town after a decade in May 2023.

The independent business’s founder and namesake said she was leaving the unit to focus on building up her brand online – a move opposed to Aye’s decision to expand what started as an Etsy-based business to brick-and-mortar stores.

Aye told the Free Press that she was looking forward to bringing "our passion and personal experience of using traditional handcrafted Burmese accessories" to Marlow, and introducing the high-quality and diverse wares to a new customer base.

Sharing a video of the sign being installed on West Street last month, she said she was “so excited” to see the new branch come together, adding: “I was so looking forward to seeing the finished touches and here we are!”

Monday's opening will be a "soft" one, but the entrepreneur is pushing for the even earlier opening date of Saturday, August 17, if all goes to plan in the next few days. Watch this space!