Finnish Design Blog

A quick note to let you know that we are currently auctioning off the remainder of our Artek furniture on eBay. We only have several of the world renowned stools designed by legendary designer & architect, Alvar Aalto, in stock and posted on eBay at 50% below the manufactured suggested retail price!

• 1 - Artek Model 64 Black Alvar Aalto 4-Leg Tall Bar Stool
• 2 - Artek Model K65 Natural Aalto Tall Kitchen Bar Stools
• 2 - Artek Model 60E Natural Alvar Aalto 4-Legged Stools

All stools are 50% off MSRP! Hurry and take advantage of these steep discounts before they’re all gone! (…and don’t forget that FinnishGifts.com is offering FREE shipping on orders of $100 or more for the next two days.)

Alvar Aalto actually made his international breakthrough as a furniture designer. Aalto wished to learn ‘the language of wood fibres’ and he believed that there is a positive effect when our skin comes into contact with natural materials.

In 1935, Aino and Alvar Aalto founded the Finnish company Artek to manufacture their designs. Today, Artek remains faithful to the Aaltos’ basic values as their master craftspeople continue to produce Aalto designs in Finland with high quality natural materials.

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.

I came across this spectacular image of a wall created out of Aalto stools. I was trying to figure out if it was some kind of artistic display but found that it was actually Artek’s booth at the Milan International Furniture Fair back in April.

Architect Stefano Tagliacarne designed Artek’s booth using 750 of the company’s stools stacked and formed into two large “C” shaped walls. Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto (also notably known for his famous glass vases), designed the Stool 60 used to create the booth.

Alvar Aalto has graced the world with his original architecture, his world renowned savoy vase, and spectacular furniture pieces — all which have won countless industry awards and gained world recognition. Alvar Aalto can add to his accolades as he has received yet another honor as a university is to be named after the great architect beginning next year. Preparations are currently underway for Aalto University to open a year from today. Aalto University will be comprised of three current Helsinki schools - the Helsinki University of Technology, the Helsinki School of Economics and the University of Art and Design Helsinki. The mission of the university is to become one of the leading research institutions in the world by 2020. Read more.

For over 70 years, the Alvar Aalto Savoy vase has withstood the test of time and continues to be a shinning icon in the world of modern design. Alvar Aalto’s famous vase has recently inspired Czech designer, Jan Ctvrtnik. Ctvrtnik recently won the Climate Competition put on by Dutch design company, Droog.

The competition was open to anyone with interesting and challenging design ideas. The design could take on any form but had to incorporate some type of climate theme.

The original influence behind Aalto’s classic Savoy shape has always been under speculation but many people believe that he modeled it after an outline of a lake in Finland. The word ‘droog’ is a Dutch word that means ‘dry’ and Ctvrtnik’s Aalto inspired vase literally incorporated ‘dry’ into the climate theme. Ctvrtnik’s simple modification suggests how the lake’s shape could change due to global warming. For more pictures of the Aalto inspired vase, visit Droog’s website.

Black is back for 2008! This striking midnight black Aalto Vase is a beautiful display piece. The Aalto Black Vase is in Alvar Aalto’s famed wavy design - Introduced in 1937 - and still modern today.