Finnish Design Blog

As summer ends and fall approaches, most of us will be trading in those plastic cups at outdoor BBQs for elegant glassware at indoor dinner parties. There’s no better way to impressive your guests than with drinkware by Iittala.

The Essence Glassware Collection is very popular right now as its smoothly angled lines are ideal for enjoying your favorite wines at both casual and formal dining occasions. The collection includes white wine glasses, red wine glasses, champagne glasses, stemless tumblers, and a carafe. The glasses are sold in sets of two so it’s very easy to build a collection to supply your needs.

Essence was designed by Alfredo Häberli in 2001. Häberli wanted to create a sense of balance and did so by making each stemmed glass the same height regardless of capacity. Not only are these glasses a pleasure to see and handle, but Iittala correctly sums it up best by saying that, “Essence makes fine wines even more enjoyable.”

I came across an interesting article this morning in the Helsinki Times. The article is about how Finns are investing more time and money in their homes with focus on interior design. Some quick highlights:

• In 2008, one out of every three Finns is planning to use money sometime in the next six months on home.
• The interior design boom has come to Finland and the Finnish media has taken full advantage with new and popular TV shows and magazines.
• The increasing availability of affordable new houses in the suburbs means families can now concentrate on interior design and landscaping.
• The Scandinavian minimalist look of muted whites and light colored wood is on its way out, as colorful textiles and wallpapers with big, flashy patterns are making a comeback.
• Kitchens are losing walls and are now connected to other rooms of the house.
• Bathrooms are becoming spas now and bathtubs are back.

Read the full article from the Helsinki Times, My Home is My Castle.

The Finnair Silver Wings Lounge reopened its doors to a completely remodeled and modern look yesterday in the Helsinki Airport. Located in the Schengen area of airport, the lounge had been closed throughout the summer as it underwent an impressive redesign. The newly revamped lounge is now more spacious and possesses the core traits of Finnish interior design. The lounge was designed by Finnish design and architecture company, KOKO3. The décor was planned in cooperation with design house Iittala and Tulikivi, among others. You can read more about the lounge on Finnair’s website.

Images from the Boarding No. “News in motion” – http://www.boarding.no/

Fellas, if you’re looking to redesign your bedroom and are trying to keep it classy and masculine, Marimekko has an array of duvet covers in prints that aren’t just the ‘bright flower’ Unikko pattern.

The Karhunputki print carries neutral colors with a light yet sophisticated organic pattern. The Tuuli trees print is available in grey, black and brown color options. The Heinä print has a light and airy vibe to it as long tangled grasses are arranged in bundles, and is available in a subtle blue and green option.

Not only will you be dressing up your room up with a classy name, but you’ll still maintain the masculine design you’re looking for. Get bold, let your imagination go and see what you can come up with as a Marimekko bedding set is a great way to start out!

Iittala is sponsoring a “Recipes for rewarding moments” competition during the month of September. Recipes can be as simple as a blend of tea to a full blown meal for a banquet. Contestants can submit their recipes on Iittala’s website for a chance to win its popular and ergonomically designed Neo Cookware casserole dish.

Neo Cookware is a part of Iittala’s Dahlström Cookware Collection which is made up of professional cookware lines: Dahlström Tools, All Steel Cookware, Cast Iron Pots, Neo Cookware and Nesting Stainless Steel Bowls.

For more details about the contest, please visit Iittala’s website and be sure to check out all of their professional Iittala Dahlström Cookware products.

Bored of seeing more of the same when it comes to tableware? A simple and unique collection by Tonfisk Design helps combat that question. Tony Alfström and Brian Keaney founded Tonfisk Design in 1999, in Helsinki, Finland. The company came about in response to what Tony and Brian believed was “a lack of creative and functional design in the tableware sector.” Their desire to “bring forward an ideology of creating new ideas without sacrificing clarity, functionality and personality” is still present almost 10 years later. Their dedication to produce eye-catching and functional designs produced by excellent handmade quality are widely popular and include products like the famous Tonfisk Tea Pots and Cups, CJFORM Serving Trays, and Tonfisk Waped Vases.

In July, Finnishgifts, introduced you to Finnish designer, Anu Penttinen, and her new collection of Iittala glass birds (Birds by Penttinen). I thought that I would revisit the designer and urge you to check out some of her other designs. She’s recently released various unique lines that include vases, dishes and lighting pieces. Anu Penttinen is indeed a shinning up and coming designer. Stay tuned for more.

Finnish design brands Artek and Marimekko are featured in a special exhibition in the Spiral Garden in Tokoyo, Japan, in several days. This exhibition, entitled “Be Honest! – Timeless Design for the Next Generation by Artek and Marimekko”, features past, present and future products by these two brands.

“Stool 60″, designed by Alvar Aalto, one of the founders of Artek, has been around for 75 years and loved by people from all over the world even today. Using revolutionary techniques for the time were employed in order to create the stool, a perfect example of timeless design. At this exhibition, the dynamic installation of Aalto’s stools which was highly acclaimed at the Milano International Furniture Fair (see pictures from a previous post) and also at an exposition in New York to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the stool, is recreated above using a new approach.

The Marimekko designs exhibited include a mix of classic and new prints.

For more information about the exhibition that starts on September 9th and runs through September 23rd, read here.

Photo from YLE News

Fashion designer Riitta Immonen, who is best known as the co-founder of Marimekko, died at the age of 90 on August 24th at a Helsinki hospital.

In 1951, Immonen co-founded Marimekko with her friend Armi Ratia. To read more about Riitta Immonen, click here.