FALLING IN LOVE WITH FINNISH DESIGN


The Origins of Scandinavian Design

Having been a prominent part of design across large swathes of Europe for many years now, the superiority and style of Scandinavian Design is some of the most impressive that you will find in the world.

With a real eye for quality as well as craft technique and skills, the prominence of design in Scandinavia has been on the up for a long time – whilst in the past many of these designs were built for natives,

today they have spread across the rest of Europe and indeed the world.

At the moment, the Forum AID Award is presented to the best designers in Scandinavia and this helps to sum up the design origins of the region; it’s competitive, and your use your competition as motivation to make sure that your products maintain their position at the top of the food table, so to speak.

This is a fantastic idea and can be just what you need if you want to see progressive, developing change all the time in the way that your property is set up – functionality and modernism reign supreme in all aspects here.

Design in Finland

However, Finnish design is a little different to what you might have considered – it takes on a new route in comparison to Danish, Norwegian and Swedish design ideas. Some of the main people involved with design in Finland include Alvar and Aino Aalto, as well as Simo Heikkila and Oliva Toikka.

Many more names play a huge role in the positive development of Finnish design culture and it has helped to play a considerable part in the overall development and growth of design and fashion in Finland.

The actual origins and examples of Finnish design vary massively, taking inspiration from many different cultures and eras. Everything from their vases to their furniture take on rather unique looks and styles, giving you all the help that you need to get started and ensure that you have a style that actually fits with your own philosophy and beliefs in terms of design.
The fashion industry is similarly unique in Finland, too, with the likes of Marimekko being the biggest name within the fashion industry. They’ve created some truly unique looks and styles over the years, acting as a prominent part of the Finnish fashion and culture scene, providing alternative looks and designs.

Design culture

As you might imagine, the design culture here in Finland is very different to what you might be used to or even expect if you were just getting involved in something like this for the first time.

One of the main big examples of how Finnish design comes together is the fact that they combine natural looks and feels with high-end, modern designs to create a unique contrast throughout fashion, engineering and design.

Given the fact that Finland has some of the most beautiful scenery to visit in the whole region, it’s no surprise that this plays a huge role within the country.

The main thing that you can notice – with relative ease – is the fact that the nation itself loves to invent something new and unique to use, always trying to create a new design style that differs from the European standards that you will find everywhere else.

They love to be seen as individuals and using their own artistic license instead of just going with the flow.

It’s a nation with a rather crazy culture with things like mobile phone reigning supreme as a sport so it’s not really much of a surprise that the eccentric Finns enjoy mixing it up a bit!

Finnish Art Prints

Are you looking for Finnish/Scandinavian art prints? A creative studio that you should be keeping your eye on is The Art of Pics. Creating inspiring on-trend photography and vintage prints, they are now making their unique artworks available to everyone, so their Etsy store is definitely the place to get started if you need something a little bit more “out there” than you may be used to.

Check their webstore, and you will find their artworks that are unique and fit the general style and performance of Finnish art.

What do Kivi & Meri words mean?

Words kivi and meri have been translated from Finnish as Stone and Sea.
Stones and sea are the typical Scandinavian landscape.
Imagine sea breeze and rocks and seagulls everywhere… But it’s also freedom and dreams and inspiration.

Key Brands

Given that so many of the brands in Finland combine the beauty of nature with the madness of modern technology, the designs that you get here seem to be something akin to the modern equivalent of a “steam punk” design. They mix both the natural world and the industrial one we have forged to create some truly amazing clothing and household equipment to use. To get started with this kind of project, though, you really need to consider some of the key brands out there in Finnish design and fashion which include names like:

• Arabia – Furniture
Iittala – Furniture and design
• Marimekko – Overall design in various sectors, including fashion
• Magisso – Kitchen products and appliances
• Rento – Creating stunning leisure products including bathroom objects
• Lapuan Kankurit- With close to a century in business they are one of the most prominent names within the fashion industry here in Finland
• Artek – Modern furniture
• FoC – Rapid manufacturing that create light fixtures en masse
• Tonfisk – Table designs and table equipment to fill up those surfaces in your property

Shop Finnish Design Online

Choose from the wide range of digital prints in our Etsy store, pay by PayPal or credit card, and get a link for an instant download. Then print from home or your local print lab.


wooden-bowtie-pattern-tweed-knit-grey-lookbook

Three Unique Benefits of Wooden BowTies Let’s face it, fashion in general, is constantly changing, literally on a month by month basis in some instances. When people think of the 70’s for instance, they think of flare bottomed jeans and trousers, yet now that type of look is literally unheard […]

Wooden Bow Ties


jewelry trends 2015

Photos by KiviMeri, House of Holland, Net-a-Porter No one likes to feel that they are missing out on a trend, but some trends are incredibly difficult to predict. Jewelry trends in particular are notorious for being kept very secret, and designers are very careful, trying to make sure that absolutely […]

Jewelry Trends 2015


Wedding inspiration

Rustic weddings are becoming more and more popular – but what are they? Rustic themed weddings are all about the outdoors, and natural materials.

Rustic Wedding Ideas



 

Useful Resources:

 

LounasMenu – Lunch places in Finland

Brunssit.fi best brunch menus in Finland

Aamiaiset.fi breakfast cafes in Finland