Monday, August 03, 2009

The Islands of Indonesia come alive at Bali Bay Trading

We first found Bali Bay Trading when it was located on Bay-to-Bay Boulevard in South Tampa. They now have a 10,000 sq. ft. showroom and warehouse on North Florida Avenue and a store in St. Petersburg. It is the place in the Bay area to buy handcrafted products from Indonesia. Over the years we have brought home a fun, colorful and kind of wild assortment of things ranging from huge armoire (when a television set needed such a giant cabinet) to a 3-ft. tall carved rooster who lives with the rest of the rather large collection of chickens. (He is the only one who speaks Indonesian.) Bali Bay specializes in attractive, comfortable and sturdy teak furniture but they carry an assortment of statues, doors, carved panels, clothing and jewelry. Everything is imported directly from Indonesia where they are made by hand so no two pieces are ever alike. They have large benches, beds, tables and shelving units which are heavy and hold a ton of books. The furniture is made from teak, coconut and coffee woods, as well as bamboo. We've always enjoyed exploring and never knowing what fun, odd and intriguing items we might find hiding around the corner. I'm never quite sure if an item is old and antique or brand new. The age, patina and handcrafted appearance add to the charm. Everyone in the store is very nice and friendly and genuinely enjoys being the Bay area's local source for Indonesian products. They receive monthly shipments so new things are arriving regularly. The women in your life will like the intricate and carved jewelry plus handbags, sandals and even sarongs...if you're into an authentic - and cool - exotic islands look.

7 comments:

Lowell said...

Looks like the Bali form of Pier 1. What did you buy there? A wicker rocker, probably, in which you can rest your weary bones down on the waterfront, down a few beers, and take gorgeous sunset pictures with boats and gulls and stuff like that!

Kris McCracken said...

I love the colour.

Don and Krise said...

You are right. My wife would love going through that store. Actually I would too. We have a somewhat similar store here, and every once in a while we'll go in just to see what new things they have. Great photo of a fun place Frank.

VP said...

It looks interesting and I like the colorful outside. Nothing like this here, it would be very popular.

Hilda said...

Funky colors!

Definitely my kind of shop! Thankfully, we get lots of Indonesian merchandise here too :)

Unknown said...

I must visit that place!!!

Lois said...

This looks like a fun place to shop. I really like those two chairs they have sitting out front and the green sure does demand your attention!