Carpenter Jari Karppinen

Karppinen’s workshop has been crafting fine woodwork for 25 years. To celebrate this milestone, the Karppinen logo received a fresh new look and the Karppinen Shop online store was launched. The guiding theme for the anniversary year is sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint.

 

Photo from 1999: Jari’s final school project, a display cabinet, with the wood material in hand.

Jari’s greatest inspiration has always been wood as a material. As a young boy, he loved playing in the wood shavings at his father’s workplace, where his father worked as a woodturner. He was fascinated by the scent of wood and the machines, and his interest in carpentry grew from these early experiences.

"Wood is beautiful. Different types of wood have always fascinated me — their colors, shapes, and the fact that every tree is unique. Wood has its own character, and you must understand it before you can create furniture. You need to know which wood is suitable for which purpose."

Jari began studying carpentry in 1997 and continued at Heinola’s Fine Carpentry School, graduating in 2000 with a degree in woodworking. During his studies, he started receiving custom orders regularly, and his business naturally began to take shape.

Karppinen’s workshop is located in Paaso, Heinola, by the lakeside, surrounded by idyllic rural scenery and trees. Jari built his workshop in the old family barn, continuing the family business into its fifth generation.

 

"It’s always a pleasure to go to the workshop. I start my day with morning coffee in the workshop yard, enjoying the surrounding nature. There is no better way to begin the workday."

 

At the Karppinen workshop, they produce their own Lyyti stool collection, custom orders, and small series for a few interior design brands. All Lyyti stools are made from Finnish pine. Read more about the Lyyti milking stool and how it came to life here.

Sustainability and Carbon-Free Products

Sustainability — the responsible use of natural resources and the preservation of biodiversity — is the most important value at Karppinen.

The long-term goal is to create completely carbon-free products. Every spring, Jari plants new trees in the workshop’s surrounding areas, following the example of his ancestors. The aim is to plant as many trees as the carbon footprint of Lyyti stool production requires. Local wood is always used whenever possible.

 

Karppinen encourages people to purchase high-quality and sustainable products, made carefully and with respect for nature. Supporting local and small-scale artisans is also important to ensure that traditional crafts, such as carpentry, continue into the future.

 

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