The very word ‘sandalwood‘ conjures up a feeling of calm and cool, bringing back with it memories of childhood, when sandalwood paste was applied on our foreheads at an auspicious ceremony. Mothers and grandmothers applied it on certain kinds of minor wounds too after cleaning them thoroughly. And a feeling of wellness pervaded as the fragrance of the sandalwood paste wafted into the air filling our olfactory nerves. As children we thought it was a magical potion from the heaven.

But yes, it is a magical potion from a different heaven. The one to whom we owe our very existence, Mother Nature. We knew as children that sandalwood is revered, with its unmistakable presence in temples, during festivals and at ceremonies. Our amazement doubled when we learned during early schooling that this magical potion is derived from a tree, the ‘sandalwood tree’. I remember vividly how an over inquisitive fellow student, or should we say precocious, wanted to know how fragrance was being added to the wood, only to be told that the wood was naturally fragrant.

We were then told of its antiseptic properties and it made sense why the paste had been applied on some of our wounds. Later in life we learnt how much more precious sandalwood is, with its healing properties as an anti-inflammatory, antiphlogistic, antispasmodic, astringent, diuretic, disinfectant, emollient, expectorant, hypotensive, memory booster, sedative and a tonic substance.

This blog post is the result of a question I had posed to The Sandalwood Room team on the choice of their name. In response to that, they showed me the sandalwood tree image specially created for them and a short succinct description.

Sandalwood is exotic and rare and its products precious and special. The wood of the tree is fragrant, heavy, fine-grained and retains its fragrance for decades. Gifts made of sandalwood show care, thought, style and the unspoken nature of a special relationship.

Sandalwood oil extracted from the wood has been highly valued as a fragrance for millennia across religions (for use in rituals and places of worship) and cultures (as medicine, cosmetics and fragrance). The Indian sandalwood is a threatened species indigenous to south India. Apart from its religious and cultural uses, sandalwood products are well-known to have a calming effect and are used during meditation and in aroma therapy.

And that explains how the products at The Sandalwood Room have been curated with so much care and thought, to personal styles and environment. Adding a mark of distinction. Just like the fragrance of the sandalwood that lasts for decades and is most coveted, the products of The Sandalwood Room are also sought after for their longevity and beauty of being handcrafted.

I feel like adding a note on sandalwood here to highlight why the wood is so precious. So, here goes:

The Indian sandalwood is the most highly prized to be followed by the Australian variety.

But sandalwood and its by products are becoming rare and expensive. Here is why : The trees are difficult to propagate and must grow for at least 40-80 years old to become suitable for harvesting. Specialists say 80 years is preferred – the older the tree, better the quality of the wood and its aroma. Nature has made the trees sturdy and resilient and they may live up to a good 100 years.

Oil extracted from such matured trees through steam distillation, is highly valued and used as an additive in fragrances, cosmetics, soaps (back in India, we have the popular Mysore Sandal Soap which comes highly recommended for children and the mild fragrance still lingers in my nostrils), talcum powders, incense sticks and many other life-style enhancing products. Hydro-distillation is another age-old method of distillation and is known to give even more superior quality oil.

The most precious part of the tree is the heartwood and the best heartwood comes from its roots. Older the trees, more the heartwood and better the quality of oil that can be extracted (of course the experience of the distiller and superior distillation process being a given).

The Sandalwood Room prides itself on being the only one of its kind in Singapore. I did a bit of recce around certain shopping areas of Singapore and I discovered that, yes, true to their claims, The Sandalwood Room is a boutique  with sublime inspirations of carefully selected fashion wear, jewellery, home décor and designer wear. Mostly handmade. In a lovely conservation shophouse on Tras Street,in the vibrant Tanjong Pagar district of Singapore. A boutique you can step into and linger for a respite; pause, away from the hustle and bustle of the world outside. Escape the ordinary as you step in and forget yourself.

It’s a place for those who love the finer things of life, who look for the detail, someone who goes beyond the ordinary. A place to stop by and suspend reality. Just to envelope yourself in a room full of creative possibilities in the sheer joy of shopping. Their product categories are ‪Fashion and Fashion Accessories, Jewellery,  Home Decor and Accessories, Art and Books, Gifts and Collectibles.

• If you have liked any of the products from the store, walk in and if you wish to place an order, The Sandalwood Room will be happy to courier it to you.
• Price on request. Email them at the ID below.
• Payments are routed through PayPal.
• All products subject to availability.

New Address:

The Sandalwood Room, 78 Tras Street, Singapore 079017

Landline : +65 6221 2654 / +65 9786 5896

Email: thesandalwoodroom@gmail.com ,

Website: http://www.thesandalwoodroom.com

Facebook : Visit The Sandalwood Room