
04.14.17
Up and Coming
A Studio Aiming to Bring More Curves and Coziness to Finnish Design
In the U.S., we look at the rich, enduring design history of Scandinavian countries like Finland and feel nothing but blind envy. But those who have grown up amidst it often have a more nuanced view, like Anni Pitkäjärvi and Hanna-Kaarina Heikkilä of the emerging Helsinki outfit Studio Finna: “The Finnish design world is very much masculine,” they say. “The key aspect is functionality. The design language is edgy and square. The colors used are black, white, and grey.” Their work, on the other hand — which we first encountered last week at the Salone Satellite show in Milan — has a “female touch,” they say, driven by influences such as the Finnish painter and self-portraitist Helene Schjerfbeck. Pitkäjärvi and Heikkilä “use a lot of bold colors and more organic forms, and take an artistic approach to the products. We want to create something that gives a very cozy feeling, a place where you would like to spend time and always go back.”
Despite their wish to deviate from the norms of their native country, their work still celebrates its local resources: The pair invited students from Helsinki’s Aalto University to create custom-made textiles “with haptic and tactile dimensions” for the new collection’s daybed and pillow, and collaborated with artisans from the Nuutajärvi glassblowing village two hours north of Helsinki on its vases and pendant lamps. Check out the full series — shot in a color palette we certainly wouldn’t mind spending time in — below.