Finnish Design Blog

These cookie tins by Marimekko are great for more than just cookies. Use them as gift tins, candy tins, or just a decorative piece in your home. The Marimekko cookie tins are available in two sizes, small and large, and are sure to brighten up your room.

The Iittala glassworks is one of Finland’s oldest industrial enterprises in continuous operation. Iittala is also a company whose products largely laid the basis for Finland’s reputation as a leading country of design in the late 20th century. The company has a long list of renowned designers: Aino Aalto, Alvar Aalto, Göran Hongell, Erkki Vesanto, Tapio Wirkkala, Kaj Franck, Timo Sarpaneva, Valto Kokko, Jorma Vennola, Oiva Toikka, Markku Salo, Heikki Orvola, Kerttu Nurminen, Harri Koskinen, Annaleena Hakatie, Alfredo Häberli and many others.

The Iittala glassworks was founded in 1881 by the Swedish master-glassblower Peter Magnus Abrahamsson. It initially produced blown, pressed, polished, painted and etched glass. In the 1930s, as part of the Karhula-Iittala company, it held important glass design competitions, which result, among other products, in Iittala’s currently most widely known glass object, the Savoy vase designed by Alvar Aalto in 1936.

An epoch-making change took place at Iittala after the Second World War, when Tapio Wirkkala was appointed chief designer. Around the turn of the 1950s, he was joined by Timo Sarpaneva, and the company and Finnish glass design set out to conquer the world. Art glass designed by Wirkkala and Sarpaneva fascinated audiences at the Milan triennials and they were featured extensively in the international press. Design became an integral aspect of Iittala’s corporate image. At present, Iittala is a brand offering consumers everything necessary for preparing and enjoying food.

These beautifully crafted wood bowls by Showroom Finland are a great centerpiece for any coffee table. Designed by Petri Vainio, the award-winning Tuisku Wood Bowls are very popular among designers and architects alike. The Tuisku Wood Bowl is available in 3 finishes: Birch, Cherry and Walnut.

The i-mark, designed by Timo Sarpaneva and familiar to everyone at Iittala, turns 50 this year. Sarpaneva originally created the i-mark for the i-glass collection of objects and packages, which he designed. Both the i-glass collection and the i-mark were introduced to the public for the first time on 4 May 1956 at an event organized in Stockmann’s exhibition hall in Helsinki.

At first the red i-mark was used to identify the new glass collection. Then in the 1960s it became the trademark of Iittala’s entire product assortment. Over the years the trademark has slightly changed, but the original idea, the white i-letter on a red background, has remained the same. The little squared-off letter “i” with its rectangular dot was meant to symbolize the glassblower’s most important tool, the blowpipe, and the white-hot parison at its tip.

Great Kitchen Sets from iiittala - Perfect for this Summer’s party or as gift!

Entertain in style this summer with these stylish kitchen tool sets from iittala.

The award winning Collective Tools from iittala are sure to bring an extra element of design and class to your home. Manufactured by iittala in Finland, these modern kitchen tools are designed by Antonio Citterio and have been recognized for high design, technical innovation and functionality.

These sets are also are perfect wedding gifts. FinnishGifts.com can wrap your gift and send it directly to your recipient with a personal gift message included.

Available sets include: Wine and Cheese Set, Cheese Set, Celebration Set, and Tools Knife Set (not pictured).

Just in is this brilliant new bird designed by Oiva Toikka. The New York Bluebird is a limited edition, handcrafted piece of artwork created at iittala’s glassworks in Nuutajärvi, Finland. Especially spectacular are this bird’s colors. A rich blue is contrasted by a strong orange breast and white belly. We expect this bird to be extremely popular among bird-lovers and collectors alike. More information.

Pedestrian reflectors have been a successful safety measure in Finland for more than 30 years.

Research from the Central Organisation for Traffic Safety shows that children there using reflectors are eight times safer than those without.

Be safe and fashionable with these new Unikko Reflectors from Marimekko!

Unikko reflectors are a visible new addition to Marimekko’s product range. These charming safety accessories are available in five attractive colours: white, black, yellow, pink and turquoise.

Made in Finland, the Unikko reflectors are CE marked and meet the retroreflectivity and surface area requirements of the EN 13356 standard. A reflector, attached so that it is clearly visible, should be used after dark in built-up areas as well. If the reflector is scratched or damaged in any way, it should be replaced with a new one.

Just in from Finland, these stunning stainless steel pieces from Opa are an eye-catching addition to any home. The sauna sets are both durable and elegant and the highly polished serving pieces are sure to turn heads. Take a look at the Opa Stainless Steel Line.