studio
carpe spatium; seize the space
our motto—
teak & cane is an interior design studio on a mission to elevate living spaces without the hassle and disruption of renovations. We specialize in creating curated, enduring designs that can adapt to our clients’ evolving lifestyles while authentically reflecting their personality. At the heart of our approach is carefully selecting unique and versatile pieces that make each space unique.
our founder
Sonia Kloeti
Principal Designer
Sonia has built a reputation for creating highly personal interiors for clients across the country. She believes that a space should be a physical manifestation of its occupants, whether designed to inspire or relax. This principle drives her to prioritize understanding each client’s personality, preferences and taste as a critical part of her design process. Sonia’s signature style combines organic, clean forms with curated, one-of-a-kind styling items from her vintage finds across the world.
Sonia holds a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University where she majored in History and Political Science with a minor in Communications. She later attended Columbia University where she received her M.S. in Sustainability Management. Witnessing the impact of climate change firsthand through her trips to visit family in India, she is passionate about integrating reuse and refurbishment in her designs.
When she is not immersed in client projects, Sonia can be found hosting dinner parties for her friends and family, collaborating with her husband on an ever-growing list of DIY projects, or embarking on road trips across the country to antique stores in search of the perfect vintage home finds.
our name
Teak & Cane isn't just our studio’s name—it's a tribute to a family legacy interwoven with design history. Sonia's grandfather, Jeet Malholtra, was a key member of the architectural planning team that shaped Chandigarh, the visionary new capital of Punjab in 1950s India. Working alongside renowned architects Pierre Jeanneret and Le Corbusier, Jeet contributed to a project that would redefine modern urban planning.
the story behind our name, teak & cane
Jeet Malhotra
Pierre Jeanneret
& Le Corbusier
At the heart of this ambitious undertaking was a chair that would become an icon: the Chandigarh or Jeanneret chair. Crafted from locally abundant teak wood and cane, these pieces were Jeanneret's practical solution to India's challenging climate, embodying the project's ethos of innovation meeting necessity.
By naming our studio after these iconic chairs and crafting our logo accordingly, we ground our work in a rich history of innovative design that responds to real needs while creating enduring beauty—a perfect symbol for our approach to interior design. Just as the teak and cane chair has stood the test of time, evolving from necessity to icon, we strive to create interiors that are not just of the moment, but enduring, adaptable, and deeply meaningful to those who inhabit them.
Initially overlooked as mere "working man's chairs," teak and cane chairs have since risen to become coveted pieces in the design world—a trajectory that mirrors the enduring impact of the Chandigarh project itself. For Sonia, these chairs represent more than a design trend; they represent the studio’s philosophy: design should be rooted in purpose, elevated by creativity, and enriched by personal history.