Somewhere in the crossover between a hanging hammock, a tent, and a cozy sleeping pod, you’ll find TiiPii Beds. The product is a lightweight and portable floating bed with a whimsical design that easily catches customers’ attention.

The UK- and Australia-based brand showcased its products at its first shows in the United States this year, starting off with ICFF New York, with an encore at this December’s ICFF South Florida 2018 in Fort Lauderdale. The House Tipster Industry team was able to speak exclusively with Chantelle Flynn, Creative Director of TiiPii Beds and CEO Michael Merritt, who gave us the complete company run-down at this year’s Florida event.

Merritt, Flynn, and a third business partner named Beau Spinks, developed the TiiPii Beds brand from after another outdoor furniture brand they had been working on in Australia presented an opportunity in the market.

“We started off in Oz, doing a different range of products. We tested the floating bed concept in Australia with our other range, and it went really well,” Merritt said. “There was a need to come over to Europe, where we had a lot of clients. We started getting into the hospitality industry and supplying hotels and resorts around the Mediterranean.”

Flynn explained that the trio’s travel experiences led them to a design that would help customers get more in tune with nature.

“The concept for TiiPii came about when all of us went traveling [in Bali], around 10-15 years ago,” she said. “It was inspired by travel, the great outdoors, and getting people to disconnect from technology and reconnect with loved ones, themselves, and getting children to play outside.”

“When we were all living in Bali, we were very inspired by people we first met when we arrived on the island,” Flynn explained.

“We loved the work-life balance of these holidaymakers, who’d be sitting around a pool, but they’d be pretty entrepreneurial and running their own business. We thought, ‘How could we inspire people to take that holiday time and introduce it into their everyday lives?’’

While TiiPii Beds are creative and charming, they are also portable and highly functional. Each bed can support over 550 pounds of weight – yet they can be easily collapsed down into a manageable 14-pound canvas carry tote.

“The TiiPii name was obviously inspired by the structure, but also the nomadic value of the bed,” Flynn told us. “The bed can actually compact down into a small 70cm bag and actually taken with you.”

“[You can also] leave the structure at home, and you can pivot it from a tree or exposed beam of sorts. So it’s something that can be enjoyed at home and also away,” the designer advised. “It’s not something you can only enjoy when you’re away from everyday reality.”

The brand started out by selling products directly to consumers in residential homes, but has now found a niche within the hospitality and event spaces. After all, they make for great décor in both indoor and outdoor spaces – and many customers are eager to test the innovative structures out.

“It’s only a recent development, perhaps in the last two years, when we went back to the drawing board and [thought] this is a very revolutionary design that we wanted people to be able to enjoy at resorts, wellness centers, yoga retreats, hotels, weddings, bars, rooftops, and everything,” Flynn said.

We can’t wait to see more from this brand – and we have no doubt that TiiPii Beds will be popping up all across the U.S. come music festival season!