Yesterday was my birthday and I got these beautiful lillies. Today I am working on a color palette for a new project.

When everybody else went to Milan, I traveled to Stockholm. This time it was just a quick hop, but I got a change to visit the brand new Mood Stockholm shopping center. I must say it is pretty cool. All the top floor restaurants looked great, both interiors and food wise.
Some other thigs that cought my eye were the lace details on the metal ceiling panels and the copper piping against the grey wall. Love when an ugly building standart is turned into a beautiful detail in a clever way. Funny also how things work – I am using copper (in sheets) also against a grey stucco wall on a project that is about to finish in few weeks.
On the top floor you can also find these small “bird houses” that you can book for private meetings. How fun is that?!!

I was interviewed by Aromi, a magazine for professionals in the food and drink industry, about how to design a restaurant that will last more then a few years, which seems to be a current trend.
The answer is to skip the newest tricks and trends and go for a more classic look, ecological and durable materials and quality fixtures. Cafe Bar Mattolaituri is a good example of that – it has been designed to be in business at least the next 50 years!

Right now I am very inspired by these childlike images “The Camel and the Ostrich” and “The Elephants”, by the great Finnish glass designer Oiva Toikka. Originally they were drawn for his childrens book but now furniture manufacturer Magis has made serigraphies of them called Moments of Ingenuity .

A while ago I was given an opportunity to meet mr. Toikka and discuss with him about design process . His message was that designing should be fun and that most cool things happen by accident! He also stressed the importance of making things with our hands. What a great reminder!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.