When Johanna Weckström and her family moved to Costa del Sol in 2012, she never would have guessed that her new home would also lead her to a new profession.
“That first year, we travelled a lot, especially in Spain and Morocco. The story of Zoco Home started to form during that time, and I founded the company in 2013. This year is the shop’s 10-year anniversary!” says a thrilled Johanna.
Inspired by Johanna’s travels, Zoco Home is a cocktail of different styles – a perfect marriage of Scandinavian style and values with ethnic elements, traditional craftsmanship and sustainability. Johanna still selects every item for the shop’s product lines herself. The company has its own production in different parts of the world, including in Spain.
Zoco Home’s eclectic style and natural materials clearly have universal appeal, and the company’s design clients can be found in a number of locations.
“Our operations encompass interior design projects, a showroom and an online shop, and we design not only for private homes but also for restaurants and hotels. During the pandemic, we renovated, for instance, Nikki Beach Miami, and we are currently renovating the hotel of a major chain in Bali. Our work is most prominent in Ibiza, Mykonos and here in Costa del Sol,” says Johanna.
Pandemic put growth on hold
The Nikki Beach Miami project was a real bright spot during the otherwise bleak pandemic period, as due to Spain’s complex Covid rules, Johanna was forced to lay off, with the exception of two logistics employees, her entire staff of 12.
“During the pandemic we decided to focus on renewing our systems and processes, trusting that we would bounce back from this. We also helped out families whose livelihoods had been completely wiped out due to Covid-19. We partnered with our local Red Cross, which assembled aid packages, and our two logistics employees delivered food packages to homes in need,” recounts Johanna.
The company recovered well from the pandemic period, and now Zoco Home already has 40 employees – from designers and sellers to logistics and marketing staff.
Travelling for work and leisure
Johanna hasn’t bored of travelling yet, despite travelling for work more than the average globetrotter.“I don’t travel for work as much anymore, and I have been able to delegate travel duties to others. But I do love to see new places, and we still take family trips now and then. Even on those trips I try to combine work and leisure in some way, at least when it comes to finding inspiration and meeting people. Indonesia and Morocco are currently my favourite destinations. They both have a tradition of handicrafts, amazing people and rich cultures.
My absolute favourite destination in Spain is Tarifa, where we also own a home,” says Johanna.
Zoco Home’s 10-year anniversary appears to be just the beginning, however. This year, there are plans to open new shops, and several interesting design projects are currently in the pipeline. Johanna dreams of one day landing a project in the place where it all began.
“I feel I would somehow come full circle if I could design a riad in Marrakech. I have spent a lot of time there, and the Zoco Home concept was born there, so it would be so great to work on a project in Morocco!” ■
This amazing home in Tarifa can be rented via Airbnb.
