o.k.-international / o.k.-Versand

Household Goods from Around the World

The store between Hackesche Höfe and Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz does something simple yet rare: it imports items that are completely commonplace in their countries of origin but immediately stand out in a Berlin apartment. This includes enamel mugs, plates, jugs and pots, ceramics, textiles, baskets and boxes, trays and bowls, small furniture, lamps and electrical items, outdoor rugs in five sizes, and school posters from India. These are items for use rather than display, and that’s precisely what differentiates it from a decoration store. The establishment ensures that the goods are produced under fair conditions. o.k.-international started in 1997; the first catalog appeared in the same year, followed by the online shop a year later. Until 2022, the business operated under the name o.k.-Versand; in wholesale, it has been known as o.k.-international since 2014. In addition to Berlin, there is a second store in Cologne. The fact that the name changed but the core idea did not is still evident in the product range today.

Hand-Blown Glass from Afghanistan

One product category has evolved into a story of its own: hand-blown glass from Afghanistan, featuring an irregularity that industrial glass lacks. This topic has been reported on multiple times in the press, including in DIE ZEIT. Prices remain affordable: a serving glass costs 30 Euros, a carafe 55 Euros. Otherwise, the store is not a place for major purchases, but rather for the small decisions that shape an apartment: a porcelain pendant lamp for 25 Euros, one made from an old oil drum, a lampshade made of glass beads. The overall pricing remains consistently reasonable. If you’re coming by subway, you’ll be there in two minutes; Weinmeisterstraße station is just around the corner. A note for those who prefer to order: shipping is currently only available within Germany and to Austria. So, if you live further away, it’s best to plan a visit during a stay in Berlin. The trip is well worth it: o.k.-international is one of those stores where you go in without a plan and come out with something you never knew you needed.