How we work
This exclusive series was created to celebrate our 10th anniversary, which takes place this fall. Follow the series to get a fresh look at BEdesign and a deeper insight into our exciting journey, which began already more than ten years ago. The series includes behind-the-scenes photos that have never been shared before and a visit to our designer Bette Eklund's home in our hometown Turku on the southwest coast of Finland.
This is the fourth part of the series. Here, we will share our view on sustainability, responsibility and transparency.
PART 4: Sustainability, responsibility and transparency
Serene designs with a purpose.
“When we founded BEdesign in 2012 and set down our values, we decided that we as people and as a company are citizens in this world, in Finland and in our community. This means that we must have environmental, social and cultural aspects at the heart of our strategy.” - Cilla Eklund
Our need for new furniture and designs that support everyday needs will continue to evolve as our lifestyles change. We should not stop improving our everyday lives or designing new furniture and objects to support and improve our new lifestyles. Instead, we should both produce and consume differently and with greater care. Good design should continue to bring joy to everyday life. With respect to nature and a focus on timelessness, functionality and high quality, we work towards creating a more sustainable way of life.
“We want to inspire meaningful relationships that continue through generations.” - Bette Eklund
We want to create desirable products that are never just thrown away but passed on over generations. Our products are as much about the nature and society that surrounds them as they are about the everyday life they need to support. We strive to make a lasting positive impression in your home and on this planet.
“To earn its place in the world, we believe that each BEdesign product should be created to bring years of value and joy to its owner(s). A long-lasting product is also a more sustainable product.” - Bette Eklund
Designed and made in Finland - respectfully and made to last
Our local roots are what define us both at home and all over the world.
We want to strengthen the position of Finnish design and know-how both in Finland and in the rest of the world. All our products are designed and manufactured locally in Southwest Finland, with respect to the traditions of Finnish wood and metalwork. By keeping the entire manufacturing process in Finland, we can employ local professionals and thus support the local economy and the heritage of the Finnish furniture industry, bringing more vitality and continuity to the region. Furthermore, this guarantees the workmanship of the highest quality as well as safe working environments and proper wages and benefits for the employees. Many of our partners are family-owned businesses with a long history within the industry.
We put an emphasis on every step in the design and the manufacturing process, recognizing that everything is borrowed from nature and will one day return. As the famous Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto once said:
“Nothing is ever reborn but neither does it totally disappear. And that which has once been born will always reappear in a new form.”
All wooden BEdesign products are made of FSC®-certified material. FSC®-certified forests are given time to naturally regenerate themselves, and considerations of the local wildlife are considered, as well as the well-being of the forest workers.
Exploring new ideas, experimenting with materials and production techniques and doing things together have always been the path to innovation at BEdesign. Inside our factories, our designer works side by side with skilled craftsmen and -women. They all share a passion for the craft and the smallest details as well as a pursuit of high-quality craftsmanship with longevity.
In the following part of this series, you can follow us on an exclusive visit to our designer Bette Eklund's home in our hometown Turku on the southwest coast of Finland.