U Kyaw Sein1993
A light-filled interior with hardwood furniture, tall windows and an exposed timber ceiling

MYANMAR · SINCE 1993

Welcome to the World
of U Kyaw Sein.

A life spent building. A passion that endures.

RESIDENCES · HOSPITALITY · HARDWOODEnter the world

01 / SINCE 1993

One home.
A lifetime of making.

In 1993, U Kyaw Sein began by building a friend’s home. Private residences followed. Then hotels. More than thirty years later, he still designs and builds for the same reason he began: it is his passion.

U Kyaw Sein walking beneath a mature tree in front of a scaffolded house under construction
U Kyaw Sein on site · A house in the making

U KYAW SEIN

Still on site.
Still in love with the work.

For U Kyaw Sein, making is personal. The house, the room, the piece of furniture: each asks for time, care and attention. His world has grown, but that way of working remains.

Today, his work brings together development, construction and furniture-making. He works with independent architects on architectural design, while furniture design and development remain part of his own practice.

U Kyaw Sein

The original hand.

02 / THE PHILOSOPHY

Anything of high quality
takes time.

Handmade. Substantial. Natural. We believe in materials with weight and character, and craftsmanship intended to last for generations.

I

Time

Care cannot be hurried. A considered detail is worth the time it takes.

II

Material

Hardwood only in our furniture and joinery. Natural grain, honest weight and lasting substance.

III

The hand

The maker’s attention carries through the whole piece, from its proportions to its smallest joint.

03 / SELECTED WORKS

A world,
made by hand.

From the scale of a house to the curve of a chair. A selection of spaces, structures and objects from U Kyaw Sein’s world.

A living room with hardwood seating, a live-edge table, tall windows and a pitched timber ceiling
INTERIORS

Room to live

A handmade hardwood lounge chair with a woven cane seat between panelled timber doors
HARDWOOD FURNITURE

The shape of comfort

An ivory private residence with a sheltered arrival, mature palms and a stone garden wall
RESIDENCES

The private home

A substantial live-edge hardwood console with its natural grain and irregular edge
HANDCRAFTED OBJECTS

The character of timber

View the photographic archive48 PHOTOGRAPHS

Architecture, interiors, furniture and the work in progress. Photographs are presented as supplied; unfinished buildings are part of the making.

U Kyaw Sein walking beneath a mature tree in front of a scaffolded house under construction
01 U Kyaw Sein on site · Construction in progress
A handmade hardwood lounge chair with a woven cane seat between panelled timber doors
02 The lounge chair
A room for gathering
03 A room for gathering
Furniture in a warmer light
04 Furniture in a warmer light
Joinery, light and proportion
05 Joinery, light and proportion
The quiet corner
06 The quiet corner
The natural edge
07 The natural edge
Cabinetry and mirror joinery
08 Cabinetry and mirror joinery
A handmade hardwood desk with closely spaced vertical detailing and cane chairs
09 The hardwood desk
Substance and natural character
10 Substance and natural character
A curved stair with a hardwood handrail, iron balustrade and tall timber window
11 The curved handrail
A house under construction with scaffolding, timber shutters and stone columns
12 The house in progress
A living room with hardwood seating, a live-edge table, tall windows and a pitched timber ceiling
13 A place to gather
A light-filled interior with hardwood furniture, tall windows and an exposed timber ceiling
14 Light beneath the timber roof
Natural timber beams and an exposed pitched timber ceiling
15 The exposed ceiling
An ivory private residence with a sheltered arrival, mature palms and a stone garden wall
16 The arrival
Fitted hardwood kitchen cabinetry with natural stone counters
17 The fitted kitchen
Hardwood seating and table
18 Hardwood seating and table
The turned balustrade
19 The turned balustrade
The four-poster and the room
20 The four-poster and the room
A shared living space
21 A shared living space
Desk and cabinetry
22 Desk and cabinetry
A table for company
23 A table for company
Dining beneath the arches
24 Dining beneath the arches
The crafted console
25 The crafted console
Timber overhead
26 Timber overhead
Everyday dining
27 Everyday dining
The window seat
28 The window seat
Hardwood vanity and fittings
29 Hardwood vanity and fittings
The live-edge headboard
30 The live-edge headboard
The guest room
31 The guest room
The louvred wardrobe
32 The louvred wardrobe
A warm retreat
33 A warm retreat
The room and the objects
34 The room and the objects
The gathering of objects
35 The gathering of objects
The console and the grain
36 The console and the grain
The sculpted side table
37 The sculpted side table
A seat by the window
38 A seat by the window
The hardwood sofa
39 The hardwood sofa
Rooms with character
40 Rooms with character
Space, detail and light
41 Space, detail and light
A stair through the home
42 A stair through the home
An interior, lived in
43 An interior, lived in
A substantial live-edge hardwood console with its natural grain and irregular edge
44 The live-edge console
A substantial live-edge hardwood console with its natural grain and irregular edge
45 Timber in its own form
A substantial live-edge hardwood console with its natural grain and irregular edge
46 Natural grain and weight
A seaside guest room with a carved four-poster hardwood bed and an ocean view
47 A room by the sea
A handmade hardwood four-poster bed frame with bedside cabinets
48 The hardwood four-poster

04 / OUR WORLD

Three expressions.
One way of making.

Private Residences, Signature and Woodwork bring different parts of U Kyaw Sein’s practice together under Southern Silk Road.

DEVELOPMENTS

Private Residences by U Kyaw Sein

Private Residences by U Kyaw SeinA Southern Silk Road brand

Homes developed around a considered way of living. Space, proportion and natural materials brought together with the care of an owner and the attention of a maker.

Private Residences is the development identity within U Kyaw Sein’s world. Architecture is created with independent design partners; construction and hardwood craftsmanship give it substance.

A living room with hardwood seating, a live-edge table, tall windows and a pitched timber ceiling
Private living · Light, natural materials and room to gather
An ivory private residence with a sheltered arrival, mature palms and a stone garden wall
A welcoming arrival
A curved stair with a hardwood handrail, iron balustrade and tall timber window
Interiors with lasting character

CONSTRUCTION

Signature by U Kyaw Sein

Bespoke homes and interiors, built with care. Signature brings the discipline of construction to the personal detail of a home, including relevant commissioned hospitality work.

Working alongside independent architects and designers, the team carries a project from its structure to its finishing details. The photograph here records the work in progress.

A Southern Silk Road brand
A house under construction with scaffolding, timber shutters and stone columns
Construction in progress · Structure, timber and patient work

HARDWOOD ONLY

Furniture with weight.
Character without imitation.

Furniture, cabinetry and architectural joinery. Handmade in hardwood, with natural grain and the substance of the material at the centre of every piece.

From a freestanding chair to fitted cabinetry, the intention is the same: proportions that feel right, careful making, and pieces intended to live with you for generations.

A substantial live-edge hardwood console with its natural grain and irregular edge
Hardwood furniture · The grain is part of the design
A handmade hardwood four-poster bed frame with bedside cabinets
Furniture
Fitted hardwood kitchen cabinetry with natural stone counters
Cabinetry
Natural timber beams and an exposed pitched timber ceiling
Architectural joinery

05 / HOSPITALITY

Places to stay.
Rooms to remember.

The story grew beyond the private home into hotels and hospitality. The same attention to material, comfort and making finds another expression in spaces created to welcome guests.

A seaside guest room with a carved four-poster hardwood bed and an ocean view
Hospitality · A room opening to the sea

SELECTED HOSPITALITY EXPERIENCE

  • Inya Lake Hotel
  • Ngapali Bay
  • Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon

From U Kyaw Sein’s body of work.

A CONTINUING CHAPTER

Honest Series · NDG354

Henri & Thondra has partnered with U Kyaw Sein to build its Honest Series residence in North Dagon, Yangon. CAVE DESIGN is the architect. Signature and Woodwork bring construction, interiors and hardwood details to the partnership.

Explore Henri & Thondra

Architecture by CAVE DESIGN · Development by Henri & Thondra

06 / THE PARENT COMPANY

Southern Silk Road

The parent company behind Private Residences, Signature and Woodwork. Three connected disciplines: development, construction and hardwood craftsmanship. One belief in the value of work well made.

Private ResidencesSignatureWoodwork

07 / CONTACT

Something worth making
begins with a conversation.

For private residences, construction commissions or hardwood furniture and joinery, speak with our team.

Private enquiries

+95 9 402 887 041

MYANMAR

A Southern Silk Road world