The Soul of the Weave.
Crafted on the Ground in Java.
Why Living in Indonesia Changes Everything
When I moved to Jakarta with my family in 2022, I chose not to be an overseas buyer choosing pieces out of an export agency catalog. As a French designer trained in London set design and interior architecture, becoming a mother in Indonesia transformed my relationship with objects. I asked: “What can we put in our children's rooms that is authentically safe, durable, and honours the poetry of the home?”
In European design capitals, rattan moves through fleeting trends; in Indonesia, it was often relegated to “grandmother’s furniture.” Yet Indonesia produces over 80% of the world’s wild rattan. The disconnect between global luxury demand and local appreciation troubled me.
Over several years of living in Indonesia, I traveled across traditional weaving hubs in Java and Sumatra. I worked hands-on with dozens of raw rattan suppliers, examining forest harvesting practices, fiber elasticity, and wall thickness. We rejected hollow cores, chemical bleaching, and synthetic plastics in favor of mature Grade A solid wild vine rattan.
Together with my partner, Tian Binsar Purba (who oversees production and operational discipline), we engineered a design philosophy tuned specifically to little hands: ~2.5 cm calibrated pole thickness for comfortable toddler grip, arched steam-bending without metallic nails, and a 3-stage silk hand-sanding ritual paired with European food-grade, zero-VOC water-based sealants.
📍 Jakarta Resident Since 2022
Direct, daily presence in Indonesian workshops; zero overseas intermediaries.
🌿 Vetted Supplier Network
Direct relationships with wild vine harvesters; Grade A mature solid rattan.
📐 2.5cm Child Anatomy Scale
Calibrated for small hands, non-tipping geometry, and lifetime structural integrity.
🛡️ Zero-VOC Certified
European water-based organic lacquers, completely odor-free and baby-safe.
Over 48 Hours of Slow Human Weaving
Every Milou prototype takes roughly six months in refinement. Anna works side-by-side with Javanese master weavers who have practiced their ancestral craft for over thirty years.
The 6 Stages of the Milou Weave
How raw wild vine rattan is transformed into an heirloom treasure through patient human dedication.
Wild Forest Harvesting
Grade A Pole Sorting
Steam-Bent Curves
48-Hour Hand-Weaving
3-Stage Silk Sanding
Organic Food-Safe Finish
LIVING ARTISANAL HERITAGE
Human Hands, Ancestral Patience
How We Differ From Remote Competitors
On-The-Ground Sourcing
We don't buy from third-party export middlemen or select items from overseas catalogs. Our founder personally evaluates the harvest quality in Java, ensuring only dense, mature climbing vine rattan enters production.
Built From The Nursery Up
Competitors often shrink adult furniture, creating unsafe tipping hazards and rough edges. Milou pieces are engineered specifically for infants and toddlers with calibrated proportions, nail-free joints, and triple silk-sanding.
Generational Artisan Partnerships
We treat our weaving partners as co-creators, not disposable labor. Working alongside Javanese artisan families, we ensure fair living wages, healthcare support, safe workshops, and preservation of Indonesia's cultural heritage.
CO-WRITTEN WITH KINDERKLOUD
Woven Worlds
The enchanting story of Antoine from Paris & Aya from Java
Woven Worlds”: Passing Down the Magic of Rattan to Children
Our deep exploration of Indonesian rattan inspired a larger educational mission: how do we teach our children to appreciate the soul of handcraftsmanship and the natural wonders of Indonesia's rainforests?
Together with KinderKloud — a forward-thinking community of parents and educators in Indonesia — Anna co-authored “Woven Worlds”. The book tells the story of an epistolary friendship between Antoine, a little boy living in Paris, and Aya, a young girl from a Javanese rattan-weaving family.
Through their letters, young readers discover the journey of sustainable rattan from rainforest canopy to the artisan’s bench, exploring cultural diversity, ecology, and the timeless beauty of objects made with patience and love.