Iittala winter campaign

I don´t do many styling jobs. For one, I don´t really have time for them and for two, I think there are lots of great PROFESSIONAL stylist out there who probably would do a better job then me. But once in a while comes up an opportunity that is too fun to pass. This shoot was done among friends and we all had a great time! Art directing by Verneri Leimu @ 358, food styling by Nikola Tomevski and photos by Mikko Ryhänen.

A little gem in Helsinki

The final week of construction of the Atelier Torbjörn Tillander jewelry store in Helsinki has started.
The concept of the new design is an old pharmacy or parfymerie, executed in a fresh and slightly feminine way. Functionality, customer service and respect for the rich history of the brand have also been important influences on the design. We were able to remodel and reuse some of the old furniture and hardware of the original store, which always makes me happy!
The interiors will be in line with the Atelier Torbjörn Tillander store in Oulu (which I designed 1.5 years ago), but will also have it´s own style and character, suitable for the prestigious Kluuvikatu address.
It is going to be a busy week for the construction and millwork crews, but the store WILL re-open next monday, January 30th.

big move

Almost a year long project of designing, overseeing the construction and moving the global advertising agency J. Walter Thompson´s Helsinki office into a new location is finally starting to be done! More pictures (and better then this iPhone shot) of the new space coming later.

Home remodel

We made quite an extensive remodel to our home about a year ago. Not only did we open many of the interior walls, strip down the dark wallpapers and paint everything white, but also changed the location of the old bathroom to create an extra room for our doughter Noa. All this required careful planning, building permits and lots of paperwork. The results can be seen in the latest issue of Glorian Koti magazine (12/2011). Photos by Mikko Ryhänen.

merci paris!

I was in Paris last week and allthough the visit was short, I feel so refreshed and inspired again!
The absolute highlight of the trip was a dinner at Inaki Aizpitarte´s (same chef/owner as the famous Le Chateaubriand next door) Le Dauphin. The interiors of this small gem is designed by Rem Koolhaas and Clement Blanchet. The next night we dined at Hotel Du Nord, which ambience and food were great as well. We also had yummu breakfast at the Rose Bakery (somehow my trips always revolve around food) and did some christmas shopping at Merci Merci. There was still some time left for wondering the streets of le Marais and some wine in an outdoor cafe by the Seine. That´s all I needed to heal my November blues. Merci Paris!

Finland Childrens rooms

édition PAUMES is a small family run Japanese publisher. In their own words they produce books “with a poetic and original approach, exploring the environments of those who stimulate the creative industries”. The publisher has previously made a set of books about Paris, Stockholm and London. Two books (Finish Family Style and Finnish Appartments) have also been made about Finland. The latest addition to the Finland series is Finland Chidren´s Rooms, which is out just now. It is a privilage that our home, starring our doughter Noa, is featured in this one since I am a big fan of the Paumes books. The book, which features total of 14 Finnish families, can be bought from well equipped bookstores or from the publisher´s web site.

featured in deko

During this past summer, Finnish interiors magazine Deko has featured two projects designed by me.
Mattolaituri in 7/11 and Tiger Sushi in 8/11.

workplace health

There is a lot to workplace health – the right lighting, air quality, desk hight, posture etc. I think an important factor is also visual appeal. I decided to tackle this fall´s workload by investing in a classic which will pass all the criteria I am personally looking for from a work chair. It was important for me to buy this Eames Soft Pad chair used, because you can´t beat the hand and patina of vintage leather. I was actually bummed I didn´t bring one with me during my move from LA, where there is plenty available. After some research, this one was found from German Ebay.

right shade of blue

Sometimes just choosing the right shade of color can be the most challenging task in a project. I was determined to find the shade of blue I had in my mind and seen in some inspirational pictures in. Finally I was able to match the color with Pantone´s Blue 072. And the doors turned out just the color I wanted!

before and after 2

Before and after images are always fun. These are from an advertising agency Euro RSCG I did recently. The first ones are from the entry lobby, the second two from their multi-function showroom/meeting space. Ok, I must admit this is a bit cheating since the before shots are quite lousy, taken by me with my Iphone and the after shots shot by a professional photographer Mikko Ryhänen. But you get the picture.. I will be updating my site with new project images in August so more pictures from this one, as well as some others, are on their way. But for now – I´m off on summer holiday!!