Eco friendly handcrafted furniture

“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.” – Joseph Campbell

That is one of my favorite quotes and it defines the driving force behind Blissopia Furniture. Established in 2012 by Monika Vokoun and Dylan Akinrele, Blissopia is the realization of their dream of a furniture company that creates eco friendly handcrafted furniture.

Blissopia extra wide reclaimed hemlock hairpin leg bench featured in staging of 13 Laurel Way, Highland Falls, NY by Claudia Jacobs Designs. Photo credit: Jim McHugh of HomeTour Visions
Blissopia extra wide reclaimed hemlock hairpin leg bench featured in staging of 13 Laurel Way, Highland Falls, NY by Claudia Jacobs Designs. Photo credit: Jim McHugh of HomeTour Visions

The inspiration for Blissopia came when the couple wanted to buy a new dining table. The choices they found were either made from particleboard with a wood veneer made to look like solid wood or made from solid wood and extremely expensive.

“There is an opportunity to give the world something beautiful here,” Monika said. “Eco friendly, handcrafted, solid wood furniture at a reasonable price that will be the centerpiece of family memories for generations to come”. So they made their first Blissopia dining table.

Monika’s background in sales & customer service and Dylan’s background in design and manufacturing were the perfect balance and skill set to make this dream a reality in Westtown.

Their first step was to create a list of what they wanted in a piece of furniture.

  • Use reclaimed and sustainably grown wood.
  • Use only zero VOC stains.
  • Use eco friendly topcoats. They actually use a topcoat that is derived from whey (a natural byproduct of the cheese manufacturing process). This product turns out to be tougher than its synthetic counterpart.
  • Source all materials as local as possible & US made.
  • Use only solid wood, no veneers, laminates or illusions.
  • Create pieces that are easy and enjoyable to install & assemble.
  • Each piece is designed and built to last for generations.
  • Use traditional joinery methods like mortise and tenon joints. “No pocket screws”.
Coat rack with shelf and antiqued boat cleat hooks by Blissopia.
Coat rack with shelf and antiqued boat cleat hooks by Blissopia.

The things they love inspire them. Their passion for sailing is evident in their nautically inspired sailing line. Their love for the charm of old farm houses inspires their Farmhouse line and the harmonious contrast between wood and metal provides the classic style to their Industrial line. Each of their product lines is tied together by a minimalist element using clean lines and crisp design.

As for the business name Blissopia, it is the merging of two words and Bliss & Utopia. Monika explains, “We were following our bliss (supreme happiness) and it bought us to Utopia (an ideal place). Blissopia is our ideal place of supreme happiness. It feels great to do right by our family, our environment and our customers.”

Find them online at:  Www.blissopia.com or Phone: 908-444-6817