Jonas Forth's surprising facts about Finnish design

While tooling around the Interwebs the other day, I ran across a list called 20 Surprising Facts about Finnish Design Icons, written by Jonas Forth. To be more accurate, there are 24 surprising facts, because Jonas was apparently feeling generous the day he compiled the list.

I'm only going to tease you with a few of them, because I want you to go to his site and let him tell the rest of the stories.

From jonasforth.com


The iconic Fiskars scissors by Olof Bäckström were meant to be red, green or black but due to the production manager using what was left in the moulding machine from making plastic juice pressers, some of them turned out orange. They took a vote and orange won 9-7.

The metal holder that surrounds the glass in Timo Sarpaneva’s Tsaikka series was made from recycled zipper waste. His brother Pentti, who made jewellery, experimented with similar ideas.

The best way to identify a real Aalto 60 stool is by how the screws are attached to the bottom of the base. They’ve basically been made the same way since 1933.

In the store: Aalto, Eames and Anybody's Guess

We've added some great tables to our inventory recently, some that have history and some that are a mystery. First are a pair of fan-legged bentwood tables by Alvar Aalto for Artek. Their beautiful detail is somewhat different from the simplicity most of us expect from the designer.

Alvar Aalto fan-legged side tables

Close-up of Aalto table leg

More great tables in the store are the two Eames LTR (Low Table Rod). They're as angular and spare as the Aalto tables are curvy, offering a different take on modern design.

Eames LTR tables

Finally, we have an unmarked Danish table in rosewood, so who the designer is for this piece is anybody's guess right now. If you know, fill us in. Still, it has great legs and sleek styling, and I'm quite taken with it.  My coffee table has begun to take a bit of a beating from active grandsons, and this might be a suitable replacement, as it's very similar to the one I have.

Danish rosewood coffee table

New take on an old design

Artek has come out with a Special Edition of the #401 chair by Alvar Aalto, originally designed in 1932. Hella Jongerius provides a new take in bright colors and new finishes.

New special edition by Hella Jongerius of the #401 chair by Alvar Aalto for Artek
azuremagazine.com

artek.fi

designapplause.cm

jongeriuslab.com

jongeriuslab.com

Here is one of the original raffia-covered versions, which we have in our store. Except for a minor amount of wear to the front corners of the seat, this pieces is in amazingly good condition. Although I like the new colors on the Jongerius chairs, I can't help but have a special place in my heart for the uniqueness of this vintage piece's raffia upholstery.

mid2mod.com

Artek Stool 60

Artek, the company founded in 1935 by Alvar Aalto and his wife Aino, along with Maire Gulichsen and Nils-Gustav Hahl, is celebrating the 80th anniversary of Stool 60. The stackable stool was designed in 1933 by Alvar Aalto and features three bent legs and a round seat.

The design, which has been available in birch veneer, white laminate and black linoleum, is now also available in orange, green, yellow, turquoise, black and white lacquer, inspired by the colors used in Alto's Paimio Sanatorium.

If you have ever been involved in the debate over whether or not it's a sacrilege to paint vintage furniture, you might be interested in the concept store launched in 2011 called Artek 2nd Cycle, which showcases the company's own reclaimed vintage pieces. Juhani Lemmetti, the founder of Artek 2nd Cycle, said, "Finns often repaint several times over that most popular Arted item--Stool 60--in the latest trendy hues, thereby extending its life cycle."

From artek.fi, midcenturymagazine.com, sharedesign.com

80th Anniversary Stool 60
artek.fi

design-milk.com

artek.fi

artek.fi

Room screens

I love room screens. I've never been able to figure out why I'm so fascinated by them, but I've worked them into my decorating scheme on and off...sometimes successfully, other times a little clumsily...ever since I had my first apartment.

Screens require the right type of space, as well as the right amount of space, in order to fit seamlessly into a room. Otherwise, the look seems contrived. But when they're well designed and placed in just the right spot, they're magical.

Screen by Greta Magnusson Grossman for Glenn of California, in situ
r20thcentury.com

Greta Magnusson Grossman screen
wright20.com

Eileen Gray in her rue de Bonaparte apartment with a Block Screen
designmuseum.org

Eileen Gray Block Screen
pedrosilman.com

Eileen Gray Block screen in white
1stdibs.com

Eames folding plywood screen
designquest.biz

Eames folding plywood screen
1stdibs.com

Alvar Aalto room screen
bonluxat.com

Alvar Aalto screen
1stdibs.com

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Let the good times roll

Why worry about your party venue when you can roll the party wherever you go? I love mid-century bar carts, and these are some of the most beautiful I've seen.

Franco Albini and Franca Helg for Poggi
1stdibs.com

Vintage Argentine bar trolley
1stdibs.com

Hans Wegner bar trolley for Andreas Tuck
denmobler.com

Illums Bolighus bar cart
etsy.com - ReviverLabs

Alvar Aalto bar cart
1stdibs.com

Remember when we had one like this in the store? I would have loved to have it, but it was swooped up quickly. No surprise, since its small closed size was so handy to put anywhere, and it's expanded size was so impressive.

Glasdam Jensen bar cart (closed)
1stdibs.com

Glasdam Jensen bar cart (open)
1stdibs.com

I've got my eye on you

One of my favorite films is Exit Through the Gift Shop by the British street artist who goes by the pseudonym Banksy. It is a hilarious look at shopkeeper Thierry Guetta, a French immigrant in Los Angeles, whose obsession with street art results in his own tongue-in-cheek transformation into Mr. Brainwash. 

I'm not sure who our street artist is, but I love this view of his ever-watchful eye stenciled on a column outside the store.

Alvar Aalto chair and biomorphic Italian onyx and brass coffee table...with The Eye on the column outdoors

In the store: Eames, Saarinen and more

The store has so many new and beautiful things that it's hard to know where to start. Wherever you look, there's another iconic shape to amaze and delight...designs by Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, Eero Saarinen, Alvar Aalto and Paul McCobb abound. Here's a look.

1957 Eames RAR

Large brutalist wall sculpture

C. Jere' brass lamp

Carrara marble tulip tables by Eero Saarinen for Knoll

Coffee table by Alvar Aalto

Drop-leaf desk by George Nelson for Herman Miller

Slate top La Fonda table by Charles and Ray Eames

Winchendon coffee table by Paul McCobb

Red marble tulip table by Eero Saarinen for Knoll

Long teak credenza attributed to Rosengren Hansen

In the store: Case goods and seating

As usual, my SIL has scored some exceptional pieces for the store. He dropped a long credenza and a large Danish wall unit off to be refinished, but here are the pieces he's put on the floor.

First, the 401 highback wing chair by Alvar Aalto finally arrived. It still has its original raffia upholstery and wooden buttons, and it's amazingly beautiful. We've been eagerly waiting for this piece, and it didn't disappoint.

401 highback wing chair by Alvar Aalto

He also got a beautiful daybed by Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen, which is a beautiful blue with a lovely frame.

Daybed by Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen

This rosewood sideboard is massive. Look at the way it dwarfs the Sarpaneva Festivo candleholders on top of it!

Rosewood sideboard

I think this Italian bookcase is an exciting piece too. I love the glass doors and splayed legs. It's attributed to Osvaldo Borsani.

Italian bookcase attributed to Osvaldo Borsani

Alvar Aalto display case

My SIL won this wonderful glass-topped Alvar Aalto display case yesterday at auction, and we all think it's cool, but we haven't decided exactly what we'd put in it. It's fairly large...43 1/2 x 22 1/2 inches...and we estimate that it is about 6-8 inches deep. We've kicked around the idea of a collection of Rimini Blu pottery or a collection of small Oiva Toikka birds. (Guess whose idea that was!) With any collection, the smaller items could be displayed inside, and a grouping of taller items could be placed on the tabletop.

Alvar Aalto display case

Rimini Blu miniatures by Aldo Londi for Bitossi
(distributed in the U.S. by Raymor)
designonline.co.nz

Collection of Oiva Toikka birds
scope.ne.jp

The contents wouldn't necessarily have to be mid-century collectibles. The case would nicely display coin or stamp collections or even the seashells from a memorable family trip to the beach.

richellestreasures.blogspot.com

If you had a case like this, what would you display in it? Do you have any collections that would fit perfectly in this piece?