Finnish design stars in home art, accessories

With a third of its mass sitting above the cold confines of the Arctic Circle and a population of only five million, Finland would seem an unlikely wellspring of world-renowned product design. Yet some of the finest creative talent and most enduring examples of 20th century craftwork came from the tiny Northern European country.

Names like Saarinen, Aalto, Wirkkala and Marimekko are synonymous with practical, simple yet elegant examples of architecture, furniture and table goods that have withstood the tides of time. And the love affair with Finnish design is undergoing a passionate resurgence.

Collectors and designers snap up Aalvar Alto’s iconic vases and bentwood chairs, Tapio Wirkkala’s leaf-patterned trays and icily beautiful glassware, Eero Aarnio’s white Ball chair, and Marimekko’s vibrant cotton prints. At the same time, new designers are getting a global audience.

Picture Right : "Mikko Laakkonen’s Latva Coattrack takes an innovative look at a centuries-old home staple."

At a recent exhibit in New York City’s meatpacking district, 25 up-and-coming Finn designers displayed their newest concepts, chosen by curator Ilkka Suppanen.

Industrial designer Janne Kyttanen showed the large yet airy Palm pendent fixture, comprising 38 individual palm lights and following the foliage pattern of a real palm tree. Her Freedom of Creation company in Helsinki pioneered the use of technology to create innovative 3-D designs, which were also shown in a leaf-print textile sculpture in crimson wool by Anne KyyrJo Quinn.

Picture Left : "The Palm Chandelier by Janne Kyttanen comprises 38 individual palm lights and follows the foliage pattern of a real palm tree."

Finnish style has "almost a split personality — but in a positive way," says Ben Horn of FinnStyle, an online (www.finnstyle.com) and bricks-and-mortar retailer of Finnish design work.

"Modern Finnish design of the mid to late 20th century is characterized by timeless, clean, simple designs often inspired by nature and using natural materials," he says. "On the other side of the spectrum, but equally Finnish, are the bold bright designs from Marimekko which have been popular for over 50 years."

The high-tech ideas seen in New York fit the blending of nature and modernity pioneered by their countrymen. YrjJo Kukkapuro and Henrik Enbom displayed their state-of-the-art LED and forged steel table lamp with a minimalist, industrial aesthetic suited to a contemporary home office. The Kinos ceramic sushi set from Tonfisk Design was an interesting cultural crossover; "kinos" means snowdrift in Finn, and the dish set was rendered in snowy white porcelain.

Picture Right : The Leaf Wall Panel by Anne Kyyro Quinn is textile sculpture in crimson wool.

And while unlikely to ever find their way into America’s average living room, Pentagon Design’s collection of life-sized pigs, cows and horses struck a whimsical, Alice-in-Finland note. Cloaked in some innovative new products from decorative paint maker Tikkurila, some had a rough tactile finish, while others could be sketched on with chalk or festooned with magnets.