Five from Finland
Design for the home with Habitare
If home is where the heart is, Finnish homes also house a hearty dose of design.
Julia BushuevaFinland has a reputation for design excellence both globally and at home.
Finland’s largest furniture, design and interior decoration event, Habitare, has come and gone for another year. The cavalcade of quality on display was a reminder that whilst we may have produced industry stalwarts such as Pentik and Marimekko, there are many, many more globally relevant companies on offer here in Finland.
This got us thinking about the many interior design-orientated companies we have written about in the past. Here are five that caught our eye when going through the archive.
History is littered with tales of companies pivoting to explore a new business sector. This Finnish firm is one of them, yet its focus these days is on reducing litter as well. Its stylish modular recycling bin is a direct response to the need for reducing plastic waste.
“I figured it’d be great to make a piece of design furniture that makes recycling as easy as possible,” Enni Karikoski explained.
“We want to create products that last for as long as possible, so that there’s never a need to buy a new one,” she continued.
This Finnish family company aspires to produce household items that are long-lasting in terms of style, quality and sustainability. However, the focus is not on creating mere decorations; instead, all items serve a purpose. The firm’s slogan is, tellingly, “functional beauty inspired by life”.
“We want our products to make everyday life easier, prettier and more pleasant,” Tuuli Burman added.
Reasons to avoid exercising are seemingly always at hand: too tired, too busy or the workout equipment is such an eyesore or so cumbersome that it’s stashed away deep in the closet. This company has developed workout products with that will always be in arm’s reach, forming a stylish part of your home decor.
“If the equipment was in plain view [and ready to use] all the time, it would support a more active lifestyle,” Matias Kukkonen pointed out a couple of years ago. “We started to question why design thinking has not been applied to fitness equipment, when it is part of everything else in our homes.”
High-quality craftsmanship, contemporary design and sustainability come together in this wood furniture manufacturer, which celebrated its fifth decade in existence a couple of years ago. Durability, functionality and serenity are three words that summarise its design philosophy.
“We value timeless design and combine proven, traditional wooden joints with contemporary forms,” said CEO Johanna Vuorio. “Sustainability is very important to us. We mostly work with public premises, but our furniture is increasingly bought for private homes around the world.”
Finnish lifestyle design products represent inherent Nordic values, such as equality, functionality and simplicity. This online shop picks the best from brands big and small and spreads them across the globe. To over 180 countries, to be exact.
“Nordic values, like equality and closeness to nature, resonate everywhere,” CEO Teemu Kiiski told us last year. “The Nordic nations are famously some of the happiest in the world, so our mission is to share pieces of this happiness.”