John Hardy’s Design Center: no New York corner office

Imagine working in beautiful bamboo buildings surrounded by lush rain forest and exotic animals. The extraordinary John Hardy compound in Bali is unlike any other jewelry design studio. Nestled in the heart of Mambal, Bali, the compound is made up of a series of low-impact buildings constructed in the traditional Balinese style with bamboo and mud. It is a village life, where one lives with the light and everyone has a role and responsibility in the concert of daily life. 

This paradise-like compound boasts a green work environment using little to no electricity in the buildings, living up to the company’s tagline “Greener Every Day.” The entire compound has been constructed such that the land can be returned to rice fields in three months! The company also promotes traditional techniques to hand-make each and every piece of jewelry in an eco-friendly way.  

 

Dedicated to sustainable living, produce from the workshop and surrounding farms is used to provide lunch to the staff of more than 650 people every day. Small fields of heirloom Bali rice and organic vegetables are found between the buildings, where all employees contribute to planting and harvesting. Chicken, cows, goats, pigs and rabbits are organically raised for sport and to help fertilize the gardens. One of the most incredible aspects of the compound is the authentic Balinese open-air kitchen. They don’t use electricity or gas in the kitchen, they use wood fire instead. 

 

CEO Damien Dernoncourt and Creative Director Guy Bedarida were so grateful for the amazing opportunity to create a jewelry brand when they bought the company in 2007 that they thought of giving back. Job for Life was born out of an effort to support disadvantaged Balinese orphans. The program aims to ease the transition from orphanage to the real world by providing vocational training, teaching them practical skills that can be marketed as they look for work. After graduating from school, John Hardy aims to offer the students employment opportunities at the compound in Bali.

 

To learn more about John Hardy and the Bali compound, check out their virtual tour, visit our website, or stop by either Reis-Nichols Jewelers location to see the full collection!