About Us
Chaiya Home & Garden Decor in Beautiful Downtown Merrickville
Chaiya, a Cambodian word meaning luminous beauty, combines the couple’s two big loves: travelling “off-the-beaten path” to experience diverse cultures and handcrafted, one-of-a-kind art.
Imported hand-made unique home decor, garden decor and gifts from India and Indonesia, direct from the artisans to you.
Meet the Owners - Carlos and Lisa Card
We both spent many years in the zoo and conservation fields, and have travelled extensively for work and pleasure. We have always been awestruck by the creativity and craftsmanship of artisans the world over, and dreamed of bringing some of these beautiful things home to the Canadian market. In 2015, we moved to Merrickville, Ontario and made our dream a reality. Together, we now travel to several developing countries to buy handicrafts and décor for Chaiya. We love to explore and to deal directly with the artists and craftspeople we meet, purchasing their wares and helping them develop new products to appeal to our fellow Canadians. Collaborating with these artists gives us an appreciation for their cultures on a level unattainable as casual tourists, and we have built long-term relationships of trust, respect, and in many cases friendship. Because we deal directly with the artisans, we can be sure they are being paid a fair wage. This also means we are cutting out the middlemen - wholesalers and distributors who would drive the price of goods up - so we are able to pass these savings on to our customers. Everybody wins!
We love meeting our customers! We are located at 323 St. Lawrence St in the historic village of Merrickville, Ontario.
Lisa and Carlos