Our
Story
​A TOKO comes from a love for Indonesia's rich culture and skilled artisanry. But, it was the meeting and connecting with those who now make our furniture that really fuelled A TOKO’s inception.
For both Alex and Sara, this love and appreciation for craft predates A TOKO and encompasses the worlds of art, architecture and design in general:
"We are inspired by the mid-century and modernist design movements, you’ll see that in our furniture, but we do not wish to be limited by them. Through our furniture, and the platforms which allow us to connect, we want to share our love for craft and the way it inspires us. We want to share with you what we learn as we learn it.”
A TOKO is a place for those who are curious, it's a place for those who share the same values for people and planet, and for those who would like to travel through an exploration in 'craft'. A TOKO is a place where we ‘celebrate our makers’.
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You will begin to see A TOKO work with makers, artisans and artists in London (the other half of Alex’s & Sara's hearts) and perhaps even other parts of the world too. But, the idea will always be to foster creative partnerships between our collaborators and the artisans of Indonesia.
We welcome you on this exploratory journey, where we promise you that all our materials are responsibly sourced, they are all of the highest quality and are made by those who deserve to be celebrated.
Yours sincerely,
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Alex & Sara
A TOKO.
Meet the makers
Andi, Quality Control
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A little note from the head of our workshop, the master of ceremonies, Ayub Negarra:
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"The primary steps in wood furniture making are choosing good material from ethically sourced wood, cutting it precisely to minimise waste and reducing wood moisture by drying it in the oven. All of the steps help us to strengthen the wood and ensure that our furniture is of the highest quality."
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RATTAN
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There are many varieties of rattan, but at A TOKO we use 'Tohiti' for the strength of its fibre, the speed of its growth and the fact that it grows in abundance locally.
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The first step is for the artisan to separate which rattan vines are best suited for steam bending and which are better suited to providing structural rigidity.
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Steam bending is a natural, low energy, waste-free method of plying the rattan into a desired shape. Typically, the rattan vine will be exposed to steam for around twenty minutes before being fitted into a pre-made 'jig' that holds the rattan in the required position. The rattan is then left in place there for 24 hours in order for it to set.
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Once set, the next stage is 'Joinery'. This is where our artisans will join the various aspects of the design together using stud and nail. Now, it's time to fit the rattan weave to the frame. First, our specialist 'rattan weavers' peel off the outer layer of the rattan vine, treat it and then weave it into the 'round weave' design you can see across our range. The rattan weave is then stretched taught and carefully attached to the furniture's frame, providing a durable and comfortable seating experience.
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Finally, the item is treated with a sealer, sanded, dried and sanded once more before being polished. Then, you have your finished piece of A TOKO furniture.
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TEAK​
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Much like with our rattan, our teak furniture starts its journey via 'quality control'. Our teak passes all government regulations for quality and safety and on top of that we have our own for responsibility & sustainability too (please see our 'materials' section for more info).
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Once the teak has passed our tests and met our standards it is dried and cut into boards before our carpenters, using the planer, will smooth and flatten the boards ready for use. Then, the boards will be cut to shape using the lathe and bandsaw.
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The next step is joinery. This can really vary depending on the design and use of the item of furniture. But typically, our carpenters will adopt what's called a 'mortise and tenon' joint. They can also use rabbet, dovetail and biscuit joints too. Each joint and joinery method is designed and crafted in a way to fit securely and seamlessly with the design.
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The final stage is called 'finishing'. This stage can be thought of as the cosmetic stage of the process; first our carpenters will sand and then seal the wood before sanding it once more. Next, if the piece requires staining, it will be stained one of the many shades that we offer with our teak range. Then, we apply the top gloss before leaving the furniture to dry and finally, polishing. Now you have your finished item!​
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If you have any further questions about our making processes or anything else for that matter, then please do reach out to us at contact@atoko.shop.
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How its made...
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Rattan
A TOKO sources its rattan from the famers of Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo). The rattan grows up the tropical trees there, and so the trees are protected.
Rattan is reliant upon the tropical trees to survive. But those same trees can hold immense value to those who may want to cut them down. By purchasing the fast growing rattan vine from these communities, we can insure the protection of the trees that the rattan needs in order for it to grow.
Rattan is sustainable because rattan farming doesn't harm but protects trees that may otherwise be cut down to make-way for agriculture or palm oil plantations.
Teak
Teak is a hard and durable wood that lasts lifetimes. Our teak is sourced from Randublatung (Java, Indonesia) where forestry is government monitored. The Perhutani regulators manage more than just the sustainable resourcing of teak. It also works towards the conservation of the natural wildlife, educates and trains the local people in forestry, supports the plantation of ‘community forests’ and limits both the times of the year and amount in which the teak trees can be harvested.
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Recycled Plastic
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Our Market Tote range is made entirely from recycled plastic from Bali. Tourists in Bali use 3.5 times more plastic than local people and a lot of this ends up in waterways and washing up on beaches. Local people collect waste each day to keep beaches clean and this waste is taken to local recycling facilities and made into strips to be woven into the colourful Market Tote Range that we bring to you.​