Family Visit to Our Workshop & Central Java

We took advantage of the reality that with older kids we could do more exploring! We all went to the workshop together and the kids enjoyed seeing the different steps of handcrafting furniture and meeting all of the people involved. Chris had fun walking the kids through the old part of Malang and showing them his elementary school (complete with holes in the exterior fence leading to food stalls where he bought lunch from daily). The family has a vast community and it was wonderful for the kids to get to know some of the family’s friends. A highlight is always the delicious food we get to eat, and the kids get to try. This trip did not disappoint and I finally agree with Chris’ declaration that Indonesian food is the best! The flavors are complex and so much of what they eat is slow cooked, so it has time to absorb the many spices.

We headed to Yogyakarta in Central Java, a vibrant city where the Dutch palace is located, and we visited a Wayang Kulit (shadow puppet) workshop and met an artist who has been carving puppets from animal skin for 52 years! We had the remarkable experience of visiting Borobudur, a Buddhist temple built in the 9th century with beautiful carvings depicting the many lives of Buddha. We also went to the Hindu temple complex Prambanan, where we were able to climb up into the different buildings and see statues of Hindu gods. Quite a remarkable experience, though very hot! Every visit I learn more about the complex history of this diverse country and the influence of the many different colonizing countries (Portuguese, Dutch, Japanese, French, Britain, and Japan), not to mention the different religious beliefs. We ended our trip relaxing in beautiful Nusa Dua, Bali and eating delicious Balinese specialties.

Thanks for taking a minute to hear about our adventures. We are grateful for the opportunity for our family to experience the richness of Indonesian culture. We could not make these trips if not for our awesome team at the shop, we are thankful for them and their commitment to this business.

Celebrating 10 years of Tirto Furniture!

Thanks to your support we have continued to thrive as a locally owned, family business here in Seattle. We are grateful to have the opportunity to provide you with unique, handmade, wood furniture for your home. We love what we do and your choosing to support local businesses and telling friends and co-workers about our shop, helps make it all possible.

We are excited to share that we have new designs in the works, we hope to never get stagnant but also to provide some consistent designs. And, we love the challenges you bring to us with unique custom furniture pieces! We are currently working on huge wood slabs that will be mounted on a corner wall. We take great pride in the fact that we are one of just a few furniture stores in Seattle that carry wood furniture built to last decades, thank you for continuing to chose our handcrafted pieces for your home.

We Love our Neighborhood!

When we first opened the store, we transformed the office upstairs into a two room home where we lived for two years. For this reason we got to know our neighborhood and the small businesses surrounding our store very well. As business owners, we have started calling our neighborhood pocket “NECap”, North East Capitol Hill.

Filled with locally owned small businesses and restaurants, NECap is a lovely area to spend the better part of a day if you are seeking a low key, delicious, and walk-filled day. Brunch options include Vietnamese at Monsoon, Mexican at Rocket Taco, or Americana at Tallulah’s, all with patios to bask in the morning sun. Should there be a wait, you can always find coffee and pastries at Fuel Coffee or Macrina Bakery & Cafe.

After brunch, come visit us at Tirto Furniture and then get interior design ideas next door at Jason Dallas Design’s new showroom. You can check out local goods and gifts at Cone and Steiner Mercantile or Megan Mary Olander Flowers. Up for a walk? Less than half a mile of walking through majestic old homes, finds you in Volunteer Park designed by the Olmsteads; complete with a conservatory, a water tower which rewards you with stunning views in 360 degrees, as well as the Seattle Asian Art Museum. If you still have energy after your stroll, consider a class at Ritual House Yoga. After some exercise, you owe it to yourself to stop in to Hello Robin for a warm cookie or ice cream sandwich (made with Molly Moon ice cream). Come happy hour time, it’s easy to grab a slice and a local beer (over 15 on tap) at Zeek’s Pizza or to enjoy any one of the other number of sunny patios you missed at brunch. Leave NECap knowing that if you frequented these businesses, you supported ALL locally owned small businesses.

And, because we love our city, here are a few of our favorite locally owned spots:

• Freeman Seattle: High quality men’s clothing made in Seattle and USA

• Velouria: High quality women’s clothing, jewelry and accessories

• KOBO Seattle: A lovely store for gifts and to wander

• Bar del Corso: Our favorite dinner restaurant, hands down. Delicious and good value

• London Plane: You can’t order wrong, we typically pair lunch and a Pioneer Square wander

When we are out and about, we make a conscious effort to support local businesses. We hope that if you visit any of these places, you enjoy them as much as we do.

Our Favorite Dining Table

When people ask our favorite dining table style, our Dingklik Table is typically the first one to come to mind, because of it’s durability and modern rustic look. With a top made from old bench tops, this refurbished teak wood is already worn, weathered, and loved. Another reason we love this table is it’s great for families with small children because kids can bang and spill away; worry-free.

One feature customers have loved about this style of table is that we often have an extendable leaf option in stock, which includes the feature of the leaf storing inside of the table. The hidden extension provides flexible additional seating for large groups. As you can see in the photos below, the two sides of the dining table slide to the side and the interior leaf unfolds before the two sides slide back into place, complete with a latch on the underside for added stability.

Dining tables are at the heart of our business. We love providing a place for customers to gather with friends and family, in intimate or large groups. The Dingklik dining table embodies our business with the reclaimed teak bench tops repurposed into a table top, a rustic look that works well in both a classic and contemporary setting, and durability for customers at all phases of life.