Lillemor Franzén and her colleagues found themselves sitting in the homes of these weavers, listening to stories about how SOARÉ has made a positive impact. “One woman told us that thanks to SOARÉ her daughter is now training to become a teacher,” she says. Usually, two or three weavers gather in one of their homes to work together. They chat, laugh, keep an eye on the farms and look after the children who are too young for school. “I feel so proud working at IKEA when I see this,” says Lillemor, “It gets to your heart, really.”
SOARÉ Place mat, water hyacinth, 37 cm
Price $ 4.25/piece
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SOARÉ
001.764.62Just as welcoming on casual summer evenings as in the winter. It’s handmade from water hyacinth – a plant that is harvested in tropical waterways to control its growth so it doesn’t clog the water flow.
More information
Every product is handmade and therefore unique.
Designer
Sandra Kragnert
Reviews
Great Value for MoneyMarciaI'm using this as a feature in the centre of my dining table instead of a tray to anchor a group of decor items. It works perfectly. Highly recommended.
Place matsRhondaInexpensive, but functional and looks good on the table.
AdequateHelenBought but not used
PlacematsDeborahPurchased previously, needed a couple more, perfectly placed on the black dining table!
PerfectMandyPerfect just what I was looking for just as advertised
Perfect tableCarolineThe mats make the perfect table accompaniment and are both practical and lovely to look at.
Look great!LauraReally nice, neutral placemats that give a beachy vibe.
ReplacementsBrianExactly the size and colour we needed.
LOVE!AmberGreat quality!
Easy to clean, easy to useBethA delightful item that adds a special touch to to our dinner table
Great Placemats AngelaThese placemats are really good. Super cheap and look amazing
Perfect size & great quality AnastasiaPerfect size, use under the air fryer, looks stylish and good quality
Good quality for a low priceBenDo what they’re designed to do. Holding up so far.
Placemat round water hyacinth LizLovely placemat. Despite being handmade they are quite uniform. I bought 10. Look good on the table. Great thickness.
simple styleJulielove these, I need to get more, wash over easily
Quality product of good sizeCatherineLovely placemat both for indoor or outdoor entertainment and at an affordable price when you need to buy several
PlacematCathHandy produce, protects the table & can place hot dishes on it.
WOVEN PLACEMATSJaneThese dress up my table and saves any damage to the white top of my dining table. Look great!
GaneshGaneshOverall happy with the purphase
PrettyDinahWe sit these over material place mats, it’s all for aesthetics really and looks super nice when we set the table for dinner.
Customer reviews
4.7Average rating
120Reviews
4.7Average rating
120Reviews
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Story
Making business decisions that empower women
The SOARÉ placemat is so popular it nearly disappeared. Why? Sales were approaching the impossible when it comes to delivering quality, handmade, natural fibre products. The team responsible for SOARÉ was preparing to replace it with a machine-made alternative. But before they did, they took a trip that changed everything.
The Vietnamese waterway Mekong is teeming with water hyacinth, the vibrantly green plant SOARÉ is made from. It grows incredibly fast, making it a valuable renewable resource, but also a potential hazard that can clog the river. People living by the river, mainly women, harvest water hyacinth and weave the stalks together. This keeps the river passable, preserves the tradition and earns them extra money.
Empowering women
Making better business decisions
The team decided the solution to meeting growing customer demands for natural fibre placemats is to introduce more of them, but machine-made. Customers get a wider selection to choose from and sales pressure is taken off SOARÉ. Machine-made placemats can be produced in higher quantities than handmade, and SOARÉ production can continue as it is. “We always have the intention here to do good business, and we are,” says Lillemor. “And on my trip to Vietnam I found that SOARÉ has a purpose greater than business.”
Material
Set the table with a little help from nature
SOARÉ place mats are woven from water hyacinth, a beautiful and fast-growing plant. Harvesting, drying and weaving it keeps waterways free, preserves traditions and earns the weavers money that can pay for opportunities like schooling.