T-Lab Europe: Our history, our ethics

T-lab is a Japanese brand of small minimalist decorations.
These wooden animals, handmade, were created in 2007 by nature and animal lovers. Here we would like to introduce the brand through the way it works and its values. After reading this page, you will learn more about:

The choice of the name PolePole

What a PolePole from T-lab is 

How T-lab's wooden sculptures are made

The characteristics of these wooden decorations

Ecological and responsible commitment

Welcome to T-lab Europe

We are the official distributors of the Japanese brand in Europe, which means we work hand in hand with T-lab to introduce and share its creations.

For any information, we invite you to contact us via the contact page or on our Instagram. 

The choice of the name PolePole

The name PolePole, pronounced "poh-leh poh-leh", which is the name of these charming decorative white Albizia wood animals, comes from Swahili words meaning "slowly, slowly." It is a direct reference to the very nature of T-Lab carefully and slowly sculpted by the hands of our artisans.

The name PolePole directly refers to how the figurines are made.

Because of their lovingly handcrafted creation, each PolePole animal is slightly different, each expression is unique and delicately finished and hand-painted by a skilled artisan. With more than 60 different models, these wooden sculptures are very easy to collect.

What is PolePole T-Lab?

T-Lab makes original design wooden products, handmade from selected natural materials. These are hand-carved and carefully polished by a team of artisans. Each "animal" has its unique facial expression decided by the artisan, which makes them so special and gives you the desire to collect them!

Each figurine of the T-Lab Pole Pole is made in Indonesia, skillfully carved from an incredibly soft and non-composite natural wood called Albizia. It is a lightweight and durable wood, grown on T-Lab's own farms in this tropical Southeast Asian country. This tree is one of the fastest-growing tropical trees. In addition to remarkable wood quality, their rapid growth makes it a sustainable tree.

How are T-Lab wooden sculptures made?

The first cut in the wood

First, a piece of solid wood is cut into a rough approximate shape and dried in an oven for a long period. This method prepares the wood for the next step without using chemicals.

Each piece is carved 

After that, we refine the shape with delicate sanding. Then come the finishing touches on the wooden animal's shape, which requires considerable and precise expertise and mastery.

Finishing and painting 

Once the shape is well drawn, they are finished by hand, then polished with sandpaper to become truly smooth.
We hand-paint each of these cuties, giving them these original expressions that are never copied. As a result, each product has its own one-of-a-kind expression in the world. The finishing touches are done in Japan before taking their place in your decor. 

Discover here the steps of making our figurines

What are the characteristics of these wooden decorations?

These decorative figurines are aesthetically captivating, and very pleasant to the touch: soft, smooth, lightweight. At first impression, you don't even realize they are made of wood; they have beautiful flowing curves and precise hand-painted lines that give the feeling of a high-quality object and a minimalist touch. Nothing is left to chance for our Japanese company. 

They are crafted with a minimalist mindset, in the pure Japanese tradition of interior decoration, beautiful and sturdy. Also, they will blend perfectly into a nordic, scandinavian and hygge decor which are the current interior decoration trends. By the way, we wrote an article on Scandinavian decoration.

 

Sustainable, ecological, and ethical wooden decorative figures

As mentioned just before, Abizia is a very fast-growing tree, and not only is it less likely to cause forest destruction due to its rapid growth, but it also fertilizes poor soils. Our animals made of high-quality wood are crafted from sustainable wood. When properly treated, hardwood furniture and objects, for example, can last longer than the average product lifespan, sometimes over 100 years. Wood is known to be one of the most naturally renewable energy sources, meaning it will have less environmental impact than other materials.

Beyond these environmental factors, the effect of wood in your living environment brings much more than you might think. Research has shown that reducing the amount of artificial materials and introducing natural alternatives, like wood, decreases stress and anxiety when you are at home.

Wood has psychological effects on people and a stress-reducing effect similar to that of nature. Like the decorations we mentioned in this article, hygge and nordic, wood brings warmth and comfort to the home. It's up to you to take the step! 

Thank you for reading our article this far, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to share them in the comment section. T-Lab PolePole, 100% ethical, 100% human!