Wednesday 28 September 2011

Family Chairs by Design House Stockholm


Its not a chair, it is the family of chairs! Family Chairs from Design house Stockholm is actually four different chairs in three different colors. The chairs are like traditional Swedish wooden stickback chairs, typical for Scandinavian design, made from lacquered beech wood. But unlike their ancestors, these chairs have personal stickbacks and spundles between the chair legs.

The chairs can be used separately. As unique piece of design one chair refers to the traditional stickback chairs with a little modern twist. But placed together, they form a family: the chairs are being similar but having each one a distinctive character that comes out when they are grouped together.

The design of the chairs transforms something well-known and traditional into something unexpected. The designer Lina Nordqvist has told, that she is fascinated by objects. She is fond of giving the furniture their own special individuality that overcomes mere technical function. In her past Lina Nordqvist has pursued a career as a professional set designer in the Swedish film industry for several years, which might also explain the stage like character of the chair.

MoMA, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, picked up the first shipment of Family Chairs for it’s autumn collection. Family Chairs won the Accent on Design Award in New York August 2009, and was also awarded with Swedish Elle Decoration’s Design Award in 2010.

Different design from Scandinavia


Sokeva-käsityö products are genuine Scandinavian design, but with an human touch. These handmade products are made by visually impaired craftsmen and women.

Sokeva-käsity is the service unit of Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired (FFVI). It employs about 500 visually impaired craftsman and –women, who produce their handicrafts in their own domicile, often even in their own homes. These artists prepare different household and cleaning manes, brushes, braided baskets and furniture, various textiles, mats and other interior products. Some of these craftsmen and –women do these handiworks just for a hobby, whereas for some, this is their profession.

Sokeva has supported craftwork among visually impaired people since the 19th century. The professional training of craftwork for visually impaired started in Finland in the beginning of that century. The centralized service unit for these handicrafts has been ongoing for more than 50 years. The trademark of this work is Annansilmä-flower, which means that the person made this product is visually impaired or totally blind.

The aim of the unit is to find, develop and discover possibilities of handicrafts that could been made by visually impaired persons. The unit purchases and delivers the materials for art workers, advises and guides of preparing the products, does research and development related to the products, takes care of marketing and helps craftsperson in direct marketing of their products.

The most important goal for Sokeva-käsityöt is to employ visually impaired persons. Another important task in their agenda is to eliminate the barriers and prejudices related to the possibilities of visually impaired persons to work as craftsman or woman.

Some famous designers have made collaboration with Sokeva-käsityö. For example Sokeva-käsityö manufactures Eero Aarnio’s Mushroom stools that are made from hand-woven wicker. This Finnish design classic was originally designed the stool as a multi-purpose piece of furniture for TV rooms and bed rooms, but this stylish stool finds its place in any room. Thanks to the supportive structure built inside the stool, the Mushroom stool is stable and sturdy.

Where to place your art glass objects?



There has been a long tradition for the beautiful glass objects made in Finland. One of the biggest and most notorious manufacturers is Iittala, the company that has been specialised making everyday glassware and art glass.

One of the Iittala’s most popular art glass series is the Birds from Oiva Toikka. This extensive collection of different kind of glass birds is popular gift to give from farewells to weddings, and many Finns collect these beautiful birds.

Finding the right place in home for any beautiful glass object is challenging due the nature of the glass. The glass designer Oiva Toikka, the designer also behind the Birds, says that glass has its own will. The will is interpreted by the glassblowers.

Glass breaks down easily. According to Toikka, this ability underscores the will of the glass. When the glass object gets broken on the manufacturing process, it tells that something is not right. 

 

Glass object that gets broken after purchasing it is not treated right. As everyone know hard hits will break the glass, but sanding or direct sunlight can also affect the glass object and make it to blow up. Even it is tempting to keep glass objects next the window (as the light is reflected so nicely through them), glass objects should not be placed there. The sun does not only break the glass, it also affects to the color of the glass.

Another harmful for the glass is sound. Sound waves affect to the glass and may lead to sudden break of the glass object. The most harmful is to place the glassware on the top of the piano. In many families the piano is the most expensive, and therefore the most presentable piece of interior decoration, and the desire to place a beautiful glass object on top of it is tempting. That should be considered illegal in every case, since it ads the probability of the glass object to get broken.

The correct place for storing and presenting glassware is in the middle of the room or in shelves. Window sill might be used in some cases, but the plausible loss of glass art object should be then taken into account.

Iittala Kastehelmi


The Kastehelmi range of glassware (Kastehelmi translated from Finnish is “dew pearl”) is one of the most well know glassware from Iittala in Finland. The decoration of these glassware looks like there would be small, different sized pearls rhythmically receding from the center.

The designer of Kastehelmi is Oiva Toikka, very well know Finnish glass artist. The actual story of the design process is more practical than the fragile name and outlook gives to understand. The idea of using droplets of glass as decoration came to Toikka from the technical challenge: he was thinking of the ways of covering the joint marks left on the surface of pressed glass pieces by the production process. For the designer’s sake it must be said, that the manufacturing method would have needed only one pearl, but it was by aesthetic reasons the designer added full load of pearls to the mold.

This design was one of the first works Oiva Toikka did for the famous Nuutajärvi glass factory. Kastehelmi series was announced in 1964, and it was instantly a huge success. The series was in production constantly until 1988, but in 2010, Iittala started the Kastehelmi production again, bringing the most popular pieces again on the market.

Kastehelmi series includes plates, bowls, small mugs and coasters; plates in five different size and bowls in three. Additional to the transparent glass Kastehelmi has been made in grey, red, brown, turquoise, olive green and emerald. New colors introduced in 2010 are light blue and apple green.

During its production years Kastehelmi become so popular, that copies of it were introduced by other manufacturers. One factory in England developed the copy of Kastehelmi and tried to get a monopoly for selling this product in England. It was discover that their model was an exact match of the original Kastehelmi. There was a mistake in the original plate - two of the pearls were connected to each other – and the same was in the English copy. The English manufacturer was accused of the plagiarism and they had to withdraw their products from market.

Thursday 15 September 2011

Vattenblänk from Marimekko


 The first time I saw Vattenblänk fabric from Marimekko, I could not believe it was really part of the Marimekko’s collection. On a white background there are shapes of light blue, pink, green and indigo mixed around and on top of each other. It didn’t look at all like the stylish Marimekko patterns I was aware of. And that was the reason I wanted to know more about the fabric.

Vattenblänk is Swedish, meaning the shimmering of water. That has been the designer Astrid Sylwan’s inspiration when creating the pattern. It illustrates the movement of the water, but includes a powerful element and edgy shadows that is also present in the water movements.

The designer is the Belgian born Astrid Sylwan, who currently lives in Sweden. She is a visual artist, whose work is characterized by strong colors and a clear post-painting. Vattenblänk is actually a really typical piece of work from her – all her work produces the similar kind of patterns and reflections. In her interview by Marimekko she tells that she gets inspired by immense art experiences, but tries to find the inspiration for her works from within herself – and relaxes by doing garden work.

But how on Earth did Astrid Sylwan end up collaborating with Marimekko? It was Marimekko’s artistic director, Minna Kemell-Kutvonen, who saw her work in a Swedish interior design magazine and contacted the artist. Astrid Sylwan was interested straight away: in her interview with Marimekko she tells how she lived her childhood surrounded by Marimekko as her mother decorated her room with Marimekko fabrics (namely the Unikko design by Maija Isola).

It was actually challenging to create the shapes and the forms of Vattenbänk. Later the artist has said that putting nine different colors in industrially printed fabric was not an easy task, but in the end she was satisfied.

And now comes the punch line: Astrid Sylwan has said that her Marimekko design is similar to her paintings. Their design is balancing next to breakdown. Her artwork – and this is what she says – are pretty, but they do not try to please or charm. After reading this I respect her as an artist, making a bold movement into industrial design. But still, I do not like the fabric.

Marimekko Tasaraita Cups



Tasaraita, which is Finnish for equal stripes, is a Finnish design icon. The simplest pattern – two different colors of stripes is repeated – was designed by Annika Rimala in 1968 for Marimekko. Tasaraita is probably the most popular, well-known and widely used design pattern in Finland.

Today, Tasaraita can be seen in coffee cups as well. Tasaraita coffee cups are designed by Sami Ruotsalainen based on the original print of Annika Rimala. The cups come in two different shapes: one does not have a handle with a volume of 2 deciliters, and the other bigger one has a handle and a volume of 2,5 deciliters. The former comes in colors of white and red, or white and yellow, and the bigger one with stripes of white and red, or white and black.

The look of the Tasaraita cup is traditional, yet modern. The shape of the cup is from Marimekko’s Oiva cups, which are also designed by Sami Ruotsalainen. The look of the cup is direct, but some extra softness is provided by rounded edges and ends. Generally the smaller, handle-less cup looks more rounded or “soft” than its bigger brother.

If one puts these cups on the table in Finland, everyone knows the reference and the talk will turn to nostalgic memories related to the Tasaraita pattern. However, Tasaraita cups do not need to have this history to survive, as they look good without the reference points as well. The cups can be easily combined with any white tableware, specially with the Marimekko’s Oiva series, where the form is the same.

It has always been the idea of Marimekko to create something new and give an opportunity to young talented designers. This time they have taken something from their tradition and still have been able to create a new, fresh way to look at everyday objects.

Wednesday 14 September 2011

Scandinavian Morning in Athens


Not all Scandinavian design reflects the Scandinavian nature or climate, but it can still be genuinely Scandinavian. One good example of this is the Kaj Franck’s “Morning in Athens” sculpture designed for Iittala.

For this sculpture, the designer is told to have been inspired by the beauty of Greece. “Morning in Athens” is made of five transparent, hand-blown glass orbs attached together by a pendant. There are three different combinations, varying the size of the orbs and their positioning in the pendant. When the pendants move, the orbs make a sound that reminds one of the church bells in Athens on a clear Sunday morning.

Although the inspiration comes from Greece, the style and disposition follows the Scandinavian tradition. The sculpture is a minimalistic design produced with mass-production methods and therefore available for all. It was originally manufactured at the Nuutajärvi factory from 1954 to 1975, and reproduced for two years during 1992-1994 (nb: The Nuutajärvi factory is the oldest glass factory in Finland, and is well-known for its hand-blown glass). While celebrating Kaj Frank’s 100th birthday anniversary, Iittala brought “Morning in Athens” back to production again.

The length of the one pendant is 63 centimeters, so there are many variations of its use. It can be hung next to a window, when the beauty of the hand-blown glass comes out with light reflecting from the orbs; it can be use as singular design object or with many of the pendants together, as a screen or divider between spaces. The church bell noise comes out only when two or more pendants are hanging next to each other, so one should consider owning more than one of them!

The Flower Power Lamp



The Flower Pot lamp, designed by Verner Panton in 1969, is the lamp of its era and a good example of Scandinavian design.

In the era of the 60s, the flower power generation took over declaring love, peace and harmony for everyone; students revolted in France and Italy, and man was sent to the Moon. The design for that era was bright, colorful and extremely playful – exactly what Verner Panton knew best. He designed his lamp with the happenings of the era in mind – therefore the name, The Flower Pot lamp.

At the same time as being the voice of the hippie era, the design of The Flower Pot lamp is simple and minimalistic like Scandinavian design is thought to be. The lamp consists of two semi-circular, different sized spheres facing each other, and a simple stand for the table lamp models. The colors of the lamp are all bright but only one color is used throughout the whole lamp; this simple design and style makes the lamp an imposing design piece. That was probably also in Verner Panton’s mind when he designed this lamp: for him, the color was even more important than form as he believed that colors aroused feelings.

When offered to the market, The Flower Pot lamp became incredibly popular. The pendants hung in restaurants and exhibitions, and soon in everybody’s homes as well. When many of them with different colors were placed near each other, an almost psychedelic atmosphere was created.

Related to the Panton’s design it is often said, that Verner Panton successfully interpreted the times of the hippie movement and Moon landing. One good example can be seen in Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey, where one of the Verner Panton’s chairs is featured. And when this interpretation is added to the fact that Panton’s design is truly Scandinavian, one may understand that Panton was able to create undeniably unique pieces of design. Someone has said that “an object cannot become a design icon until it has stood the test of time and appears quite naturally in different settings, giving it a symbolic aura of its own.” We agree that The Flower Pot is just that.

Monday 29 August 2011

Cultural importance of Scandinavian design


In any given country and culture, design has great importance in both cultural and in economic terms. Finnish design’s cultural significance is in creating and maintaining the national identity as well as individual identity. Finnish design is also part of the Finns’ memory and history. The bright and happy fabrics of Marimekko in 1960s were part of many Finns’ youth and their parent’s generation has good memories of Kilta tableware. Finland is known around the world from, for example, Alvar Aalto, Jean Sibelius and a significant design of its own as part of the greater movement of Scandinavian design. 

Scandinavia refers to the countries of Northern Europe
 
Scandinavia refers to the countries of Northern Europe: Denmark, Sweden, Norway. However, when talking about Scandinavian design, Finland is also included. Designers of these countries have all developed their own distinctive style of design since the 1950s. Simple, sleek and functional – that is how Scandinavian design is often described. Natural materials like wood and minimalistic style are also connected to the Scandinavian design and derive largely from cultural influences. But what is the most distinctive feature for Scandinavian design is the manufacturing method: Scandinavian design is about low-cost mass production.

Background of Scandinavian design

The ideological background of Scandinavian design is from 1950s and it includes the emergence of a particular Scandinavian form of social democracy, increased availability of materials and the new methods of mass production. The wood that the designers used at the time was light coloured and the supporting structure was often exposed which added to the drama of the elegance of the designs. Because machine production was in vogue, the Scandinavians were adapting finished edges, curved corners as well as overall smoothness in their unique and artistic way of design.

Monday 22 August 2011

Industrial and Scandinavian design


Nordic design started to change after the World Wars. People wanted to change from crafts to high-quality production. In 1950s Europe and United States there were big exhibitions about designing and arts and crafts. Nordic designers took part in exhibitions and gained unbelievable popularity. Finland and Denmark were famous for their design and Sweden became known by its glassware and industrial design.

One of the best-known design companies in this area is the Finnish design company Iittala. The history of
Iittala dates back to 1881, in small Finnish village called Iittala, which is now part of the city of Hämeenlinna. The reason a factory was built there was typical for the time: all the materials – sand, water and wood – were found nearby the Iittala village. However, there was something that could not be found from nearby: the craftsmanship of glass blowing came from Sweden. At those times, there were no skilled glass blowers in Finland. So, the skill was brought over to Finland from Sweden from whom Finns learnt the skill and developed it into something of their own.

Eventually, functionalism and designers such as Aino and Alvar Aalto changed Iittala’s product catalog completely. These designers wanted to make design objects using mass production methods, and Iittala factory was more than suitable for this. Due to this the Iittala factory became the producer of artistic glass objects also. Later designers like Tapio Wirkkala, Timo Sarpaneva and Oiva Toikka became renowned designers for the company, all creating the fame for the
Scandinavian design of glassware coming from Iittala.

Know about Marimekko

Scandinavian design appeared in the 1950s in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. Scandinavian design is a design movement and its main features are simple and minimalistic design, and functionality.

A perfect example of a leading
Scandinavian design textile company is the Finnish design company Marimekkko which produces fabrics and readymade items for stores all around the world. Marimekko was established in 1951 by Finnish couple, Armi and Viljo Ratia. When Marimekko is translated literally it means “Mary-dress.” Because of Marimekko’s bold and uninhibited textiles and readymade products, it has become a respected name in the world of design. When the style-icon of her days Jackie Kennedy wore Marimekko, Marimekko became a synonym of all things that are modern, chic and sophisticated.

The Finnish industry also has become stronger over the years with the market becoming more diverse and demand having increased since the 1950s. Simultaneously new professional designers have been educated more and more. In 1960s, the Finnish design industry had the courage to start use bold designs because Finland’s textile and furniture exports were doing well and it had economic importance. Thanks for this development are due largely to the courageous design companies of that time such as Marimekko.


Thursday 18 August 2011

Story of Scandinavian Design And Scandinavian designers


Scandinavian design


Many Scandinavian countries have enjoyed the excellence within their designs for a very long time. Nevertheless the term “Scandinavian design” was widely popularized through exhibitions like “Design in Scandinavia” within the 1950s. As well as term “Scandinavian design” appeared in general in the 1950s. Every Scandinavian country has enjoyed long-established independence and robust identity. Additionally they have valued their historical Viking associations and myths which from Scandinavian designers have taken inspiration into their design. The main features for the Scandinavian designs are minimalistic and simple design and on eof the main feature is functionalism. Scandinavian design can be guided by the key principle of modernism and that is balance between function, material, texture, costs and durability.

Although Scandinavian many people many superficial differences, the people remain to be very alike. However, despite the similarities between Scandinavian countries there are strong stylistic differences concering design. Scandinavian designers’ aim in the Scandinavian design should be to make affordable, beautiful and functional everyday products. In design, Scandinavian designers finds balance between man-made and natural worlds. The Climate in the Scandinavian area includes nine months of dark, cold winter and three months of attractive and bright summer that happen to be and supply of inspiration to the Scandinavian designers.

Scandinavian designers are extremely skillful in terms of the handling of the material because they made use to have limited reasons for the substances so they needed to learn how to use them effectively. Scandinavian designers also have a desire to design and build naturally beautiful everyday objects.
In the 20th century, the craft skills of Scandinavian design were a big influence in the modern design development. Additionally it reflected the notion of “good design”. A typical belief in Scandinavia is the factthat the design of many product whether it is hand-made or machine-made still should bring a mental comfort. The reason for that is that in Scandinavian people don't see designed products as a status symbols but nonetheless rather like to check out them to be a enrichment of lifestyle. Scandinavian designers are well aware that by combining artistic forms and practical function it is so possible to create useful and beautiful everyday objects.

Wednesday 17 August 2011

Economic and cultural history of Scandinavian people


Scandinavian people share a same economic and cultural history and linguistic roots (excluding Finland). All have a unique character which reflects each country’s different geographic and environmental conditions. Greater than using other approaches on the earth, designers in Scandinavia have launched and cherished a democratic way to design which seeks the enhancement of many standard living with the help of decent and affordable designs and technology. Since Scandinavian design’s birth in 1920s the toy has been held by an ethical humanist ethos. That moral belief in social necessity has formed the philosophical base from which Scandinavian design has developed and succeeded.

Scandinavians are extremely talented and skilled with respect to design. They're well-known world wide by their inimitable and unique designs which are the bridge between crafts and industrial production. The close bond between beautiful, organic forms and everyday functionality are one of those main strengths in Scandinavian design and also one reason why Scandinavian designs are so liked world wide. 
 
Designers are guided by a belief that well-designed products can improve the overall quality of life with the help of their practical beauty. The long-held credo of “More Beautiful Everyday Objects” because of the Swedish design community says that everyday objects will get to be increasingly valid sooner or later along with the requirement for essential and functional designing solutions. Scandinavian design is known as a hodgepodge of Northern European nation states that forms a cultural and regional entity which is very different from the rest of the Europe.


In aftermath of your Second World War, designers from each area seem to answer the request of innovation and modernity which has a voice of their own. The post war Scandinavian movement adapted emerging technologies and materials inside a unique Northern European design.

The wood which is something designers used was light coloured and the supporting structure was often exposed which put onto the drama of many elegance of those designs. Because machine production was stylish, the Scandinavians were adapting finished edges, curved corners in addition to overall smoothness in unique and artistic method of design.

Wednesday 10 August 2011

Know about Scandinavian Design and its history.

Scandinavia geographically includes Denmark, Norway and Sweden but when talking about Scandinavian design Finland is also included as a part of it. Scandinavian design emerged in 1950s as a designing movement with its main lines being simplicity and minimalistic designs as well as functionality and mass production.

Scandinavian design of furniture and decorating are famous internationally for their modern, innovative and clean lined qualities. Typical to Scandinavian design is functionality and utility of the products. Use of modern technology with materials like teak wood and metal are also typical to Scandinavian design. Scandinavian glassware and pottery design uses naturalistic forms and in fabrics the main theme are clear and simple patterns.

Scandinavian design has also emerged in the 20th century. There are many examples of art for art’s sake with no functional purpose but life-enhancing beauty. There are also designers who design products for industrial manufacturing. Large glass works and ceramic factories such as Iittala are globally famous for their functional integrity, restrained aesthetics, good durability and excellent quality. It is the Scandinavian designers’ advancement of Organic Design, and that has had the biggest influence on the development of Modernism over the last fifty years.

Modernism

For most of the Scandinavian people, design is known not only as an essential part of everyday life but also as a means of efficient social change. There has been a historical quest to seek an optimum balance between handmade and natural worlds in their work. Scandinavian climate is nine months of dark winter and cold along with three nice months of bright and glamorous summer, which has also meant that designers have got their inspiration from the delightful natural world as well as from the concept of a warm and cheerful home.

The Scandinavian people have always relied on design insight for their survival and have become professionals at the skillful handling of limited material resources. And specifically the lack of material has made Scandinavian designers think about how to use their materials as efficiently as possible. This dependence on design as a way of to survive has led Scandinavian people to give attention to important element of their culture, social and economic welfare.

Scandinavian furniture design and decoration


Scandinavia covers Sweden, Norway and Denmark geographically but in design Finland is also part of it.

Scandinavian furniture design and decorating are renowned all over the world for their contemporary, innovative and streamlined qualities. Characteristic to Scandinavian design is focusing on function or utility of the products. Also continued commitment to modernist ideals and the use of modern technology as well as using materials like teak wood and metal are characteristic to Scandinavian design. In Scandinavian pottery and glassware design naturalistic forms are main themes and in fabrics Scandinavian design mainly uses clear, easy and simple patterns.

Scandinavian Furniture Design

The most dominant theme in Scandinavian furniture design is neoclassicism in its most advanced, exact and modern stage.

The Stockholm Exhibition in 1930 and also the World’s Fair in New York in 1939 introduced the world to the Scandinavian design style furniture and its characteristics. Scandinavian design is simple, clean, light-weight and it can be seen best in Danish and Swedish furniture. The main points of Scandinavian design are quality craftsmanship combined with mass production where it’s needed and suitable. Bent plywood is as frequently used material as metal in Scandinavian design.

In 1949 Chair by Hans Wegner set a good example; its subtly turned legs and lightly sloping backrest was made from teak and oak and it was combined with a woven seat as an attempt to create simple and sensual mass-production design. The Verner Panton Stacking Chair in 1960s was the first single-molded chair made of fibreglass which has sensitive references to the curves of the Art Nouveau period while mimicking the rhythm of Rietveld’s extremely geometric ZigZag Chair.

Over the years design became less “crafty”-looking and the designers from Denmark, Sweden and Finland managed harder-edged geometric trends with a flavour of modern Scandinavian design. They weren’t afraid of new plastics and adopted the designs and manufacturing possibilities unreservedly.

Some of the Scandinavian furniture remains popular today in stores including Scandinavian beds (often platform beds), bedroom furniture, office furniture and especially office chairs, leather armchairs, contemporary coffee tables and Scandinavian teak furniture.

Friday 5 August 2011

Introduction to Scandinavian Style

Scandinavian style of furniture and decorating are famous internationally for his or her fashionable, innovative and clean lined qualities. Typical Scandinavian style is functionality and utility of those product is very useful in day to day life. Utilization of contemporary technology with materials like teak wood and metal are typical to Scandinavian style. Scandinavian glassware and pottery style uses naturalistic forms as well as in materials essentially the most theme are clear and simple patterns.

Scandinavian style has emerged in 20th century. There are several samples of art for art’s sake with zero purposeful purpose however life-enhancing beauty. You can find designers who design product for industrial manufacture. giant glass works and ceramic factories like Iittala are globally famous to its purposeful integrity, restrained aesthetics, smart sturdiness and wonderful quality. it's the Scandinavian designers’ advancement of Organic style which has had crucial influence on the celebration of Modernism over the last half a century.


Scandinavian designers are guided using a belief that well-designed product will improve the standard of life with all the assistance with their sensible beauty. Long-held credo of “More stunning Everyday Objects” by the Swedish style community says that everyday objects can be increasingly valid in future moreover given that wish for essential and purposeful coming up with solutions. Scandinavian style might be a hodgepodge of Northern European nation states that forms a cultural and regional entity that may be incredibly totally different coming from the remainder of Europe.

Scandinavian style has long been your subject of scholarly debates, exhibitions and selling agendas across the last half a century and plenty of democratic making ideals that were the important thing theme of the movement have survived understanding that they are often found resonant in brand new style works by Scandinavian designers moreover as international designers. Few distinguished Scandinavian style and retail firms are for example Arabia and Marimekko from Finland, BoConcept and George Jensen from Denmark and Electrolux and IKEA from Sweden.

Scandinavian style has appeared since the Nineteen Fifties in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. Scandinavian style could be a style movement and main options are simple and minimalistic style, and functionality. Scandinavian Design has become world famous due to the Scandinavian style of making by the Scandinavian Designers.

The Scandinavian folks have perpetually relied on style insight for his or her survival turned out to become professionals for the skillful handling of the restricted material resources on the market. And specifically the shortage textile has created Scandinavian designers to work with their materials as efficiently as potential. This reliance on style as some way of to survive has led Scandinavian folks to relinquish attention to special portion of their culture, social and economic welfare.

Wednesday 27 July 2011

The intricate designs of Klaus Haapaniemi

If you have an image of Scandinavian design as minimalistic, pure, and simple, you might not be aware that designer Klaus Haapaniemi is from Finland. Born in 1970, Klaus Haapaniemi has been qualified as one of the most interesting new designers and illustrators.


Klaus Haapaniemi graduated from the Finnish design school called Lahti Institute of Design. After his graduation he moved to Italy, where he worked for Italian fashion house Bantam. Nowadays Klaus Haapaniemi lives in London and has designed print for fashion brands such as Diesel, Levis, Dolce & Gabbana and Cacharel. Apart from global trademarks, he has designed patterns for traditional Finnish companies also, like Marimekko and Iittala.


Klaus Haapaniemi’s style is strong and recognizable. He uses colours and patterns boldly, combining them with breathtaking, yet well-balanced forms. His works are full of detail to catch the viewer’s eye, and they never let you down: you may find new interesting aspects every time you look at them. Klaus Haapaniemi’s work is expressive, but it also leaves space for imagination.


Next to traditional design works, Klaus Haapaniemi has published a book together with the Finnish writer Rosa Liksom and produced illustrations for the Observer newspaper. In November 2010, he also launched a new home and fashion textiles brand called Klaus Haapaniemi.


Klaus Haapaniemi was awarded the title of Graphic Designer of the Year 2008. He definitely represents the era of new Scandinavian design and designers, who can use their history for creating something new.


Tuesday 26 July 2011

Your Favourite Things in Design

Who says Scandinavian design is boring? Favourite Things is a pendant lamp that gives you the possibility to exhibit your treasures. It works as an ordinary lamp too, but it can be used as a miniature vitrine with a light inside as well.

The Favourite Things lamp is made of transparent glass and shaped like a bowl. The bowl has an aperture in the side for placing your objects in it. After turning the lights on these objects are under the spotlight, giving them a look familiar from exhibition displays.

Favorite Things is designed by the Stockholm-based designer Chen Karlsson. The designer claims that the inspiration for the design came while visiting the Natural Sciences Museum in Stockholm. There he saw a polar bear spotlighted inside a glass cabinet and emphasized the accentuated light source that exposed the white creature dramatically. Chen Karlsson liked the effect and wanted to bring it to his household designing.

Favourite Things is a great example of new Scandinavian design. Still traditionally pure and minimalistic, it is also creative, leaving the space for the owner to choose the ways to present his design object. The designer didn’t want to place the replica of the polar bear he saw inside the cabin, but instead the lamp owners can choose what to put inside the lamp. What would you place under the spotlight of Favorite Things?