This is a shortened and translated post that originally appeared in the magazine Valo (2,2011), written and illustrated by Tiia-Maarit Loisa. Karl Hjalmar Idman was born on 11 December 1872 in Helsinki, and he died in the same city on 23 September 1924. Life took him to Pori, a smaller city in Finland. 25-year-old Hjalmar founded … Continue reading Idman – the complete story of a lighting company
Category: Design
Five lesser known lamp manufacturers from Finland – Itsu, Valinte, Sario, Lival and Aris
Ever so often I come across lamps by Itsu and Valinte at flea markets and I'm amazed that there is so little written about them. There is much information about larger companies such as Orno, Idman and Taito and it's fairly easy to identify lamps and light fixtures by them but when it comes to … Continue reading Five lesser known lamp manufacturers from Finland – Itsu, Valinte, Sario, Lival and Aris
Upcycling: old meets new in TV 3.0
A couple of months ago I spotted a funny looking TV at an obscure thrift store in Helsinki. It was old for sure and it seemed to be a high-end TV of its time. I haggled the price stating that it had little value in its current state and got a good price. I started … Continue reading Upcycling: old meets new in TV 3.0
Design and fashion – Everything must go
With a bit of extra time on my hands I've roamed through my vast collection of design objects and started selling some of it. I'm currently using Huuto.net but I'll probably move onto Etsy in the following months. If there's anything specific you're looking for, drop me a note and I'll see what I can … Continue reading Design and fashion – Everything must go
Things left behind
Over the years I've become picky about what I buy when thrifting. It's used to be that I picked up most things and just stored them or sold them for a small profit. These days I only buy things that I really want and find interesting, or things I can flip for five times the … Continue reading Things left behind
Ilmari Tapiovaara liked posing with his chairs
The Finnish designer Ilmari Tapiovaara is famous for his well made chairs and boy did he like posing with them. The other day I came across yet another one in the digital archives of our national newspaper and this is the third one I've found. Do you know of any others? If so, please comment … Continue reading Ilmari Tapiovaara liked posing with his chairs
10 flea market tips you didn’t know about and how they taught me business
A show of hands. Who loves treasure hunts? Who loves good deals? Most people know about the obvious flea market rules such as bring cash, come early and do your research. These are things that will raise the odds of you finding something, but they're not guarantees. The game has changed over the past ten … Continue reading 10 flea market tips you didn’t know about and how they taught me business
The Min Morgon sessions
During the first half of 2011, I will be presenting the decades 1950-2010 and its design on the Finnish morning show Min Morgon. I love these sessions and I hope people will get something out of it. The images and videos embedded here are of course the property of Cityportal and YLE but I hope … Continue reading The Min Morgon sessions
So what’s the next Big Thing?
I have been a scavenger all of my life, finding joy in picking up stuff from the street, dumpsters and flea markets. I started out as an all-eater but have since refined my taste to a bare minimum. Even though I can afford it, I have never had an urge to populate my home with … Continue reading So what’s the next Big Thing?
What are the objects of your life?
If you were to select five objects that have affected you in some way during your lifetime, what would they be? It could be a toy, car, household item, love letter or any object that has left a dent in your existence. 1. For me it would be my action figures acquired at age 8-12 … Continue reading What are the objects of your life?
Forthzine - Jonas Forth 