I stumbled across the designer and architect Carl Gustaf Hiort af Ornäs many years ago when I saw his lounge chair and sofa combination at a local flea market. This is more than 10 years ago and I could probably had them for nothing, but I didn't pick them up. They were well made and had a certain … Continue reading Carl Gustaf Hiort af Ornäs – a designer unknown
Category: Design
Finel – beautiful colorful enamel products from Finland
Finel is a trademark under which Wärtsilä and Järvenpää Emali sold enamel metal items such as bowls and pots starting in the early 1950s. At first the designs had to be bought from abroad but soon Wärtsilä's subsidiary company Arabia assigned well known designers to make new models. Designers such as Seppo Mallat (pots and … Continue reading Finel – beautiful colorful enamel products from Finland
5 Finnish design companies that sort of just vanished
There's been a number of legendary design companies in Finland and some of them are even still around - companies like Artek, Orno, Vivero, Arabia, Taito, Martela and Skanno to only name a few. But then there are those who made epic stuff just to quietly fade away and never be heard of again. Here are five … Continue reading 5 Finnish design companies that sort of just vanished
Designers hanging out together
MemphisThe Memphis Group was an Italian design and architecture group founded in Milan by Ettore Sottsass in 1981 that designed Post Modern furniture, fabrics, ceramics, glass and metal objects from 1981-1987. Here they are hanging out in the Tawaraya boxing ring bed by Masanori Umeda, a Japanese architect collaborating with Memphis at the time. and … Continue reading Designers hanging out together
Photos of designers sculpting prototypes
I admire designers who back in the day got down and dirty with their designs. When they needed to make a prototype they made it out of plaster, wire, wood, cardboard or anything that would hold up. These are images of designers hard at work at future classics, without a computer in sight. Respect. Eero … Continue reading Photos of designers sculpting prototypes
Eero Rislakki – a pioneer in industrial design
Designer, artist and teacher Eero Rislakki is seldom mentioned in Finnish design history in spite of his wide body of work and many awards. This is the story of Finland's first industrial designer. Rislakki (1924-2017) long resided in Helsingborg, Sweden but he was born in Helsinki, Finland. As a little boy he liked creating and carving things … Continue reading Eero Rislakki – a pioneer in industrial design
25 surprising stories about Finnish design
Finnish design is appreciated around the world for its minimalistic appearance, playful ruggedness and strict functionalism. There are a couple of cliches that most often get tossed around though, like Timo Sarpaneva's Orchid vase was voted the most beautiful object in the world by House Beautiful in 1954 as was Tapio Wirkkala's leaf shaped wood … Continue reading 25 surprising stories about Finnish design
One hit wonders in design history
Designers who do one thing and then call it quits fascinate me. Some of them decided to become interior designers or architects and some simply decided to do something completely different. Here's to the one hit wonders of the design world. Pekka Perjo - Pohjola chair Pekka Perjo designed the "Pohjola" chair in 1965 for insurance … Continue reading One hit wonders in design history
Teak artists and manufacturers in Finland
Little has been written about the use of teak and other hardwood materials in industrial design in Finland. Denmark and Sweden have made a bigger mark and they did also have a much larger production. In this post I'm focusing on smaller object although some Finnish manufacturers made furniture in both solid teak and veneer. … Continue reading Teak artists and manufacturers in Finland
Veljekset / Bröderna Backman – a company carved in wood
I'm passionate about what you would call hardwood, teak and rosewood being some of the most known ones. Back in the 50's and 60's they were easy to find because of deforestation in Southeast Asia which in turn partly was due to the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam. Essentially the Americans and French were selling … Continue reading Veljekset / Bröderna Backman – a company carved in wood
Forthzine - Jonas Forth 