When about to buy furniture but not wanting to spend a lot I bet most people think of IKEA. There is also the option of buying second hand, of course. But do you know about the affordable and sustainable quality option of Pakilan työkeskus (“work centre”)? Or Sovinto ry (?
Pakilan työkeskus is owned by Helsinki city and that is where old furniture from e.g. city daycares and offices are taken to be fixed up. There is qualified staff, carpenters etc, that together with people with reduced ability to work (some of them qualified too, some learning the work) fix up the furniture to be reused. They listen to the customer as well so you may eg decide what kind of fabric you want on your work chair. Or ask them to build something to you from scratch. The delivery times may be a bit longer but the quality is great. And when buying there you make a conscious choice to support the rehabilitative work and recycling. Pakilan työkeskus is on Jakokunnantie 26 – 28, 00660 Helsinki and open Monday-Friday 8am-3.45pm. Here you can find further information about the place in Finnish and here see some examples on what they do.
Sovinto ry in Roihuvuori is a different vocational school, where one can usually study for a maximum of one year, often on a raised dole. The teaching is done almost exclusively by working on customer orders, so the expectation is that one knows the field already when applying, and within a year one can prove their skill and get their qualifications. Sovinto ry has a few fields of study and one of them is wood work, where they mainly do small furniture. Other services that they offer for a relatively modest price but where getting the product may again take a bit longer are car and small engine repairs. For making an order to the carpenters, please be in contact with the teachers on 044-7097714.
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[…] allowed), we emptied an IKEA too (please find options for buying quality furniture for a good price here). It is easy, everything matches, it is fun to plan what you want your new home to look like, and, […]
Love the concept! Is something we also believe in too – finding ways of reusing and keeping costs low while listening to what customers want and need. Reclaimed and Sustainable is the future!
Now that’s a wonderful concept! Wish we had something similar here in our country!
I am going to need to get VERY creative on stretching my budget because I just bought a real “fixer-upper”. Yay that I have a home to move into at the end of March – but holy crap! this place needs a lot of work. 🙂
Congrats on finding a home! The schedule sounds a bit stressful but I am sure you’ll love it after you have fixed everything up and have been able to do it to make the place look like you in the process.
I have never been in Ikea… 🙂 But I love the idea of supporting local!
I don’t think you’ve lost anything there 🙂 supporting something local, giving work to those who need supported employment opportunities and to get good quality wood furniture is quite a win-win-win
Thanks! This is such a useful information! We are just planning to buy a pull-out bed, which is very rare and the design ones are too expensive. Maybe these people can help us 🙂
Hope you’ll find what you wish for! It is worth checking the places out.