Finnish Design

I have been home almost a week now after traveling for about a month. It has been a while since I blogged as I decided to take time off at the end of my trip, and then when returning home life caught up with me. I finally have some time to sit down and relive my favorite things from my travels. What a wonderful perk of blogging, it is the perfect way to extend a trip!

Something I have been dying to blog about is Finnish design. Needless to say, I am obsessed. Marimekko, Iittala, Finlayson and countless other independent and smaller designers. I just can’t get enough of the clean simple designs. Sometimes less is more.

Another thing I love about Finnish design is the inspiration from nature that’s easily spotted in many items. Wether it’s bright bold poppies on a Marimekko dress, or the green leaf pattern on pillows, bed spreads and towels in Finlayson, a hint at nature usually pops up in many designs. With long dark days that dominate Finland’s winters, it makes sense that designers would bring some color and the outdoors into their designs. It’s like a reminder that spring is never too far away. 

Other everyday items that I came across showed off simple, creative and effective design. My favorite of these was simple but just so smart. The Teravainens had curved spoons for tall jars. It kept the spoon handle from getting lost in the depths of jam jar, keeping it from getting sticky, genius! Luckily we found these in a shop in Porvoo and scooped up a few to bring home.

 In the kitchen I discovered a typical Finnish design that I wish I could bring home with my spoons. Over the sink there was a cabinet. What I assumed was storage, turned out to be a drying rack. It was situated so that as dishes dried they would simply drip down into the sink. No need for bulky drying racks or mounds of drying dishes on the counter. Such a smart and simple kitchen design. When I asked Marjo if most Finns have this in their house, she assured me that yes indeed they do. How do I get this in my house?

And then there was pretty much everything Eero Aarnio ever created that I saw at the design museum. The Bubble Chair, Puppy, Poni, and the famous Ball Chair. The man was brilliant. He may have been most popular in the 60s and 70s, but his designs live on today. Now if only I could get a couple Puppy and Poni chairs for my classroom…

After my visit to Finland I am a true believer in all things Finnish design. I feel so lucky to have had the chance to spend some time exploring the country where my great grandparents came from and where I have relatives living today. Getting to experience and see Finnish design was just an added perk. It has inspired me to incorporate some Finnish design into my classroom this year, but that’s for another post.

What do you think? Are you a fan of Finnish design?

Katy