If we told you Koh Living was inspired by a chance meeting in an Israeli bar in Bangkok you probably wouldn’t believe us – but it’s the truth, and the picture is us on this day! This is going back over 15 years, and this meeting would not have happened without our passion for travelling and meeting people.
For us, life is about the places we visit and hearing the stories of people we meet along the way, as well as a deep love of the arts and appreciation of the ways in which people can connect through shared passions and storytelling!
We were both at a time in our lives where we wanted to return to Australia, but we were aware we had a lot of energy and passion between us, and above all were determined to put this into something we really felt could make a positive difference to people's lives. Creating Koh Living ticked all the boxes for us - to connect people through unique, special, art-inspired meaningful gifts; to showcase and support Australian Artists from all different backgrounds, to uncover fascinating and inspiring stories and create the opportunities to give back to our communities.
Meeting new Australian & Aboriginal artists is a key part of Tui’s role and close to her heart is discovering artists and designs which are not only beautiful but will really stand out from the crowd with stories that deserve to be told! As Tui says “It is so important to me that people choosing and receiving our products not only LOVE them, but also use them for years to come.” Every detail is thoroughly thought through from the initial design review, to the quality of the products, the way in which the designs are translated onto each item, the packaging materials and design and the stories we can tell with each collection.
We are proud members of the Indigenous Art Code, and deeply support ethical and sustainable practices in all stages of our processes, from meeting new potential artists to replicating their designs for production. Many of our products are either handmade or hand-finished and we have stringent processes in place to ensure safe and fair working practices are followed in all of our production sites around the world. We use environmentally friendly & sustainable packaging and minimise waste with reusable drink bottles and travel mugs. Our reusable bags are made from recycled materials, and our journals are made from FSC-certified paper. We are both deeply conscious individuals and remain committed to ensuring our personal values are represented throughout Koh Living and all that we do.
Do you know a wonderful artist, or have you seen paintings that you just loved? Or have our gifts helped create special memories for you? We would love to hear your stories, so please get in touch: