ABOUT US
B. Living - Sustainable handcrafted rattan pendant lights and solid wood home decor
- Family business based in Raisio, Finland
- Finland's leading rattan lamp supplier
- Product design, contract manufacture and import
- Direct delivery from workshops in Indonesia to our warehouse in Raisio
- Every purchase supports an Indonesian small business owner
Each item in the B.Living collection has been hand made by skilled artisans in Indonesia. Every stunning rattan pendant light and sturdy hardwood stool has come alive in the hands of a talented craftsman. All our products have three things in common: they are made from natural materials, exquisitely hand crafted and designed in Scandinavia.
Our collection was launched in early 2020 and features Finland’s largest selection of rattan pendant lights and wooden stump stools. The entire collection is available in our online store. We also provide customer service by phone and in our showroom, which is located in our warehouse in Raisio.
Products are shipped from our warehouse to customers in Finland and elsewhere in Europe. Our clientele consist of private customers, architectural and interior design firms as well as a few selected retailers across Finland.
B. Living’s owner and lead designer is Silja Juonala. Silja has more than ten years of experience in creating beautiful homes for Finnish people in her interior design company Bellava.
Welcome to our webshop!
OUR STORY
It was more than ten years ago when I bought my first hand-carved wooden stump stool from a local carpenter in Finland. I instantly fell in love with the simple and elegant design and the way the oak cracked beautifully as it aged. I can honestly say it has been one of my absolute favourite pieces of furniture ever since. It’s just so unique and authentic.
Years later in 2018 work took our family to Melbourne, Australia. Living on the other side of the world got my creativity flowing and I developed a passion for the local way of building, decorating and creating personal homes. I began to think that the square stump stool I had at home in Finland could be developed into something so much more. After I found a potential manufacturer in Indonesia, that was it! My imagination began to run wild. Gradually a collection of wooden items and rattan pendants developed in my mind.
In late 2018 our taste of Australia was coming to an end. Lengthy negotiations with our Indonesian craftsmen had borne fruit and first models were created while the search for high-quality manufacturers of rattan pendants was under way in rural Indonesia.
Alongside our family returning to Finland in March 2019, the first prototypes started their journey from Indonesia to Raisio. Many memories of our stay in Australia are still reflected in our product names that stem from the Australian Aboriginal languages. Each name carries a meaning, many of them associated with nature.
DIRECT DELIVERY FROM INDONESIAN WORKSHOPS TO WAREHOUSE IN FINLAND
It’s important for us to know where our products come from. Trips to the workshops in Indonesia have been an important part of B. Living’s sourcing process. It’s always such a pleasure to meet the talented people who make our products and to make plans for future products together. It’s not just the origin of the products we care about; we want to support micro entrepreneurs in Indonesia and that way improve wellbeing in the entire region.
Global equity and equality are at the core of B.Living’s business concept. Our vision is to work with people across geographical boundaries and offer jobs and wellbeing to people regardless of their origin. It truly is amazing to think that our collection has offered jobs to more than a dozen craftsmen in Indonesia bringing prosperity to not only their immediate families but to their wider community and the environment as well.
I have deep appreciation and admiration for the exceptional skills and the mindset of the local artisans, who are prepared to polish each detail to perfection, again and again. Easy and seamless communication is key. It’s essential that we have direct contact with the people in the workshops in Indonesia when we create new products. As handcrafted items carry their maker’s unique handprint, I believe it’s so important to speak to everyone personally, rather than simply see them as names on e-mails.
Silja | B. Living
”Endless rows of green rice fields. The driver’s enthusiasm as he talks about the farmers’ market the previous day. Stray dogs and scooters on the streets in perfect harmony. We are on our way to where it all begins, to the source where the skilled craftsmen will start transforming my sketches into beautiful products.”
”Rural workshops. Smiling faces. This selfless and friendly lifestyle is so easy to love, and it is something we want to pass on to you with our service and products.”