When you were little, you thought your parents knew everything. Capable of wizardry, those moms and dads—equipped with eyes in the backs of their heads. If you asked how they knew you had glued your drawers shut or hid your brother’s toy in the cellar, their stock reply might have been, “A little birdy told me.” Well, this little birdy doesn’t speak out loud, but its design speaks volumes.

Birdy Chair. Designed by Homebasic.

Birdy Chair from German company Homebasic is modern and earthy, a controlled organic design (if I can be paradoxical). Homebasic announces their aesthetic bent on their home page: “crafted evolution: made on earth, inspired by the universe.” And much of their furniture lives up to this description, especially the pieces made from liana, such as Birdy. If you don’t know what liana is (and few do), allow me to divulge the basics: liana is a family of long-stemmed vines that root in soil and climb away (on trees or walls, anything will do). When dried, it is a strong material. That is certainly a good characteristic in terms of reliable construction, but the true appeal lies in liana’s look—a crumpled, twisting, textural tessellation resembling a nest.

And when you think of nest, your next association should be bird (unless you think strangely, which is always a possibility). So, liana is the ideal material for the Birdy Chair. Each Birdy is made of liana rattan, wood, and leather, and measures 134 x 121 x 127 cm. It’s a signature piece all by itself, yet looks great with other Birdies or liana furniture. Every tropical resort should own one—most especially those that cater to that very odd species, bird watchers.