For people who like fashionable furniture but don’t want to spend the time ordering and importing items now have a local alternative with a new shop which mixes western and Khmer styles.

Called Artwood, the store hand makes pieces using quality woods with its craftsmen’s creativity on display in a large showroom.

Yin Daravy, 31, was a student at Limkokwing who studied interior design and developed a love for wooden furniture, giving her the idea to open her own business with her own money and help from her parents as well.

Her training made her spot many good quality timbers in Cambodia, and she decided to combine traditional and western designs and create a market for both Khmers and foreigners.

Daravy wanted to merge the Khmer style of using nice woods with modern design inspirations and open up a new market – hoping both Cambodian and foreigners would be proud to own something new and unique to the country.

Since opening her showroom Daravy has experienced a lot of interest in the designs she and her team have come up with, many of them ex-pats who live in Cambodia but want an interior design taste of home.

She has already sold many sofas, dining tables, shelving and wall units and has also had orders from hotels.

“So far my clients have been 90 per cent ex-pat and they all like the Khmer furniture with a modern twist – it’s exclusive but at also reasonable price,’’ she said.

“I’m very happy that everyone have liked designs and have also supported what I’m trying to achieve.

This young businesswoman is focused and also hopes Khmer people will increasingly appreciate her idea of old-meets-new.

In the future she wants Khmer people to appreciate her design philosophy and be proud the old and new can be done as one in contemporary Cambodia.