Puustikki – passion for woodwork
Puustikki contact details
Whether the job is big or small, everything related to wood is possible. Don’t hesitate to contact us.
E-mail: jarkko.pilvinen@puustikki.fi
Phone: +358 40 774 0076
Puustikki Oy
Kirkkokatu 11
41160 Tikkakoski
(Tikkakoski industrial building)
Entrepreneur: Jarkko Pilvinen
Business ID: 2536785-3
Handprints for future generations
Puustikki was born from following dreams and implementing them without making any compromises. During the years 2010-2011, while having a day job, Jarkko Pilvinen shared a humble 25 square meter hobby workshop with a friend, where claustrophobic feelings were lost in the joy of making things. The first crude and rock-spirited pieces of furniture were dining table sets and TV tables made of solid wood, which seemed to be in quite a demand due to their uniqueness – not everyone wants to bring home generic stuff made of plywood.
The spark to use his hands and to fulfil himself grew so big that Jarkko Pilvinen resigned from his permanent job, and Puustikki Oy was born in 2013. Next to the rustic peasant style, a unique style began to gain shape due to customer orders, gaining inspiration from Viking mythology, fantasy worlds and ancient religion, and combining Finnish wood material, an epic appearance and practicality. The epic furniture that is sculpted from rafters and planks that are delivered from 50 kilometers distance from Kouhian Saha, last for decades.
During the years, the personal wooden furniture has found its audience, and five carpenters and a jeweler from TuoniCoru are working at Puustikki’s 450 square meter workshop in Tikkakoski. Each Puustikki employee is doing his dream job, and by using their hands they are passing the imprint of their passion on to future generations – whether the product born out of wood is a utensil, furniture, jewelry or a whole interior.
Get to know us
Jarkko Pilvinen
The first piece of woodwork that still lurks in the depths of CEO Jarkko Pilvinen’s mind, was the wild boar sculpture that he made in elementary school.
– The others made a rat, but I drew a wild boar and asked the teacher if I could make one. He gave me his permission. It seems that already at that time I had my own vision about what I wanted to make. Woodwork was indeed the only school subject from which I received the best grades.
After attending high school and commercial school he studied data processing for a year in the university of applied sciences, where he was fascinated by the graphic side – not really by programming or database issues. The second-year classes didn’t offer a possibility to go deep into graphic design, so he didn’t finish his studies.
– When I was a teenager, drawing fantasy themed pictures was the greatest thing ever. Now I draw all of the epic furniture we produce. I’m at my happiest when I’m holding an angle grinder and wearing a mask. In a flow state I listen to film music from Skyrim or Lord of The Rings, sometimes Viking themed music.
– The best moment in the creative process is when you get to the point of seeing the entire picture. I sculpted three massive dragons for a very large bed. The nicest moment was when I was able to haul the dragons next to each other in the workshop. I sat on the floor and looked at them from down below from an imposing perspective.
The dragon bed is one of Puustikki’s crown jewels in its massive size and detail. In addition to the bed, Jarkko mentions creating a 2,3-meter-wide griffin sofa and making a 2,85 meter high Fenrir throne as his nicest pieces of work.
– I haven’t been picky at all when it comes to work: industrial installation taught me what rough physical work is like, and after that building houses felt considerably lighter! I have worked as a doorman in a movie theater, as a department chef in a department store, and as a roadie on gigs. At the moment I don’t really see myself as a CEO, but as a carpenter, an artist.
- From Äänekoski
- The founder and CEO of Puustikki
- A self-taught carpenter
- A fan of: Skyrim, Don Rosa’s art, Lord of The Rings, WarCraft 1 + 2, Diablo 1 + 2, Witcher 3, the Fall Out saga
Mika Ohtokallio
In addition to working as a carpenter and sculptor, Mika is responsible for supervision of work at Puustikki. He is a furniture artisan by education, but before becoming a creator in the wood industry he was an Art Director for 12 years.
– Many people have wondered why I changed careers from computer artistry to waving about with an angle grinder, but at Puustikki it is only useful to have experience in graphic design. Creative problem solving is needed in both lines of work, and I enjoy it the most: you get kicks from planning how a piece of pine tree can for example be sculpted into squid tentacles on a wooden throne that appears shipwrecked.
Doing things half-heartedly is not enough for Mika, the hinges joining the structures need to be designed perfectly, so that the piece of furniture is as clean-cut as can be and can be used for decades. He mentions designing and implementing the interior of Gastrobar Wanha Krouvi in Rauma as one of the most memorable projects, along with another creative project, in which a troll-like rootstock bed was built according to the client’s wishes. Regarding the bed, the client desired to “sleep in a troll forest”, and the design was influenced by the forest, roots, the manifold mystery of nature, the fantasy world and troll stories.
Before working at Puustikki, Mika had run into the firm on Facebook.
– The majestic furniture gave me the chills: I thought, damn, that’s cool! I used to wonder whether my dream job even existed, one that wouldn’t feel forced – or like work. The graphic industry didn’t feel like the best option for me in the long run, and I had already given up a little on finding my dream job.
– At Puustikki I have realized, that I wouldn’t be able to implement my passion anywhere else. I want to leave a unique imprint into this world through epic furniture and interiors, I don’t want to make anything simple and boring, I genuinely want to push my own limits and challenge my potential.
- From Leppävesi
- Has played the guitar and the bass in different metal bands for the main part of his life
- Consumes music in many forms: from Kikka to Iron Maiden to the darkest drone. A good melody is the most important thing!
- A fan of: music, Tarantino, Harley Davidson, well-planned things and well-designed products
Juho Manninen
With his TuoniCoru trademark, the self-taught jeweler Juho Manninen is skillfully sculpting his jewelry collection based on ancient beliefs, the Kalevala, Viking and Celtic mythology, and Nordic nature. His first rings were made out of applewood at the kitchen table.
– I’m a Bachelor of Media by education, and I worked as a sound mixer for about six years in the Helsinki area. At some point I started thinking about my own values, I started to make rings by hand to deal with my stress. I also felt a longing to be among pure nature – we have plenty of that here in Tikkakoski.
– The nicest thing about my work is making wedding and engagement rings; they are always immensely meaningful for the client. At that moment they are the most important pieces of jewelry in the world for their users, and they constantly carry them everywhere they go.
Juho remembers a myriad of ring and jewelry projects well, because usually the clients have a story to tell about their material and design preferences – and precisely these stories inspire Juho.
– Each piece of jewelry has been designed and made unique for the user, even the ones in the basic collection. They are unique, because natural materials always vary a lot, and the jeweler’s handprint is supposed to be seen. Since I’m not an educated jeweler, I’m free to generate ideas, to listen closely to wishes and to interpret them.
– The necklaces that always make me pause in respect, are the pendants that I have made from pets’ ashes. In this piece of jewelry, the pet’s ashes are placed under the surface finishing. A pet is close to you for years of your life, but also after its death it can still literally be close to you.
- From Hämeenlinna
- A self-taught jeweler
- Follow on Facebook and Instagram: TuoniCoru
- A fan of: Counter Strike: Global Offensive, floorball, fishing, the radio