Icelandic lopapeysa sweaters in a variety of colors and patterns share space with reindeer hides, paintings, carvings, photography, small-batch food products and more.

Una Local Product sits in a bright red, former army barracks, in Hvolsvöllur, South Iceland, surrounded by rolling hills and pastures, and has become a natural meeting place for locals and travellers drawn to thoughtfully made Icelandic handicrafts and one-of-a-kind gifts.

“It isn’t just a store, it is a platform for more than 150 craftspeople — mainly women but also a few men” says Rebekka Katrínardóttir, who owns and founded the company with her husband. “Some of them knit the traditional Icelandic lopapeysa, hats, mittens and socks, others paint pictures, make jewellery, textiles, and all sorts of culinary crafts — everything made by hand. These people are so precious, and most of them have become my friends. This is not the kind of place where ten copies of the same sweater hang in a line — every item is a unique work of art, and people notice that. Every hand-knitted wool (lopi) sweater is labeled with the name of its maker. People are meant to find the sweater that is meant for them; when it clicks, they will know. Just like with Cinderella’s slipper!” She explains, smiling. 

“People are meant to find the sweater that is meant for them; when it clicks, they will know.”

Rebekka finds working with and watching this large collective of craftspeople grow and prosper within the shop very rewarding. “One of the women I sell for lives in the Þórsmörk nature reserve. She had brought a backpack filled with her drawings four times before finding the courage to come up to me. When she finally did, I found her work amazing and said yes immediately. Now she continues to evolve and expand her collection.

I am also very grateful that some of Iceland’s top design companies have chosen to sell their products here, such as Feldur, Farmers Market, Kormákur & Skjöldur and As We Grow. Given that we are the only shop selling this type of high-quality goods in this large region, we feel a great sense of responsibility towards locals, as well as our foreign guests. The vast space that we have here allows us to create a beautiful atmosphere, display craft in the way it deserves to be, and invite people to experience this space of joy, beauty, and connection.”

Rebekka emphasises that Una is very much a community project. Every time something fun is happening in the village they try to actively take part; for example with live music, food tasting and a variety of events. “At Christmas time we have a huge tree that the local children help decorate” she explains and tells us about her dream of adding a café next door that might come true soon enough. “We wish to turn the space into an even more of a meeting place where people can drink coffee, enjoy crafts and simply exist for a little while. We are now working with architects on designs for the café and an expansion of the house with a patio where guests can sit outside with refreshments and enjoy these scenic surroundings. I think this center really deserves a warm, lively café.”

“I often feel as if I’m carrying on a thread that women before me have woven through the centuries.”

Rebekka says that her roots lie deep in the region’s cultural history. “My family has a connection with the area in which the Icelandic Saga Njála originates. And the woman in the foreground of the Njála tapestry that hangs in the shop’s ceiling features Unnur, my grandmother, twenty-eight times removed. I often feel as if I’m carrying on a thread that women before me have woven through the centuries — women like Unnur and other strong role models in my family. It gives the business a deeper meaning; it is not just a store but a part of a longer history. Icelandic culture is incredibly important to me. I find it so precious and want to uphold and honor it in any way I can. We play Icelandic music, sell Icelandic craft, and if the café becomes a reality, I want to connect it even more to history and art — with references to the old times with pictures, books and works by Icelandic artists such as Nína Sæmundsson who was born in Fljótshlíð.”

How it all began

Born and raised in Hafnarfjörður, in the greater capital area, Rebekka’s world was suddenly uprooted when her parents brought her to live here in Hvolsvöllur. At the tender age of twelve, this was naturally a major transition. “To me, it felt like the end of the world! I returned to Reykjavík as soon as I could and started high school, and at 17, I met my now-husband. After living in Sweden for about a year, where we had a son, we came back to Iceland, a bit unsure about our next step. One day, my mother called my husband up and announced that she had found work for him at Hvolsvöllur. She cleverly lured us back by procuring a job and housing for us and her grandchild, and so we made a fresh start” she explains lightheartedly and not regretting it for a minute.

“Covid-19 turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the business.”

Tell us about your journey towards owning Una Local Product? 

“Our families have always been entrepreneurs, and for my husband and myself, the dream of running something of our own had always bubbled under the surface. One day, as we were standing in the grocery store parking lot overlooking the area, we said to each other, “Wouldn’t it be awesome to create our own business here — some kind of a center for creativity?” Then we just giggled and went on our way. A week later, I’m back at the store and Una’s owner for two years approaches me and tells me out of the blue: “We are about to sell, are you interested?” Something clicked right away inside me. We went for a meeting and I instantly fell in love with the space and decided to jump at the chance. And now we’re in our ninth year of business” she says, beaming with pride.

Rebekka and her husband considered changing the shop’s name and diving into rebranding, but quickly realised that it would be wrong to throw two years of marketing out the window. “People already knew Una, which had originally been named after an Icelandic mythological figure by that name. And when I started to see the name as an old Icelandic word for loving, I was able to accept it completely. Una is an establishment brimming with love; a love for craft, art, people, and connection.”

After a successful few years, the pandemic hit. “Covid-19 turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the business, and indeed a welcome rest. We had to close our doors, which was difficult, but it also gave us some time off for the first time in many years. I had never taken an entire weekend off — we had been open every day of the year apart from holidays, and I was always on duty. Instead of giving up, we decided to reboot the business and use the time to examine and reevaluate suppliers, deals, mark-up and so on. We asked ourselves what we could do better and looked for ways to improve the flow and the customer experience. Then, when all had passed, we opened again stronger than before, with clearer focus and more confidence.”

What have you learned since founding Una Local Product?

“The last few years have taught me a lot about balance. In the beginning, I was doing practically everything on my own; my driving force was boundless passion and joy, but the breaks seemed to be missing. Now I ask myself more often: ‘How do I want to run this long term? How will the operation be sustainable for me, my family, and my well-being?’ I want to run this in a way that life follows along, not centering everything on work” she declares.

“Moreover, this is a family business. I could not do this without my husband — he carries many hats! He’s the executive manager and the head of the practical things, changing light bulbs, fixing, painting, and helping me do things — and my mother is always present, assisting any way she can — we even sell her paintings, postcards and woollen sweaters here. Being able to incorporate family into the business in such a way is priceless. Also, I’m incredibly blessed with a great team of employees, which means that I’m not taking every single shift at the store anymore. I think the most beautiful thing is how all this — the history, the people, the craft, the music, the dream of a café — merges into a whole. Not just a store; this is a vibrant scene for Icelandic culture, personal stories, and good energy enjoyed both by locals and guests.”