Sunday mood

 

Hello from my Sunday corner. Here's a glimpse of my new blue and yellow Svenskt Tenn cushion bringing me a happy mood. I love the pattern and it is also quite unusual and not seen everywhere.
 

I ordered this book by Leila Lindholm recently, "Sweet Christmas", and was not disappointed. I love the recipes by Leila because you can be sure that everything is good. I hope to have some time to test something well in time before the Christmas rush.

 

I have renewed this library book four times now...Longing for a slow day....😊

 

 

Already starting with those typical Christmas candies...

 

 

I found a few cool spoons at the flea market some time ago.

 

Wishing you a nice Sunday!

 

Marimekko spring summer 2017

 

  

I know it is soon Christmas, the first snow came yesterday and I should be blogging about Christmas stuff, candelabras and assorted chocolates, but then I saw Marimekko's spring summer news for 2017 and I just had to show you. I  also know that Marimekko recently showed their Christmas press pictures in red, but I am not so much into red Christmases, more neutral ones, so let's take a jump one season ahead for a while. I think the spring summer collection is so delightful with all the green shades of the vases by Carina Seth Andersson. Some new black and white tableware in the Oiva series is also coming. Enjoy!

I think Marimekko has experienced an upswing in interesting collaborations lately. Next year it is rumoured that Liselotte Watkins will be doing a fabric pattern for Marimekko!

Press pictures Marimekko

Styling Lotta Agaton

Photo Petra Bindel
 

Arabia celebrating Finland's 100th birthday

Arabia announced this week that they are launching 10 different mugs in honour of Finland's 100th birthday, one from each decade of Finland's independence and they are all telling a story of their own time. The pattern is showing the history of the Finnish homes and illustrating the design of that time period.

Finland's 100th birthday is on 6th December, but the cups will be available as of January 2017 as a limited edition collection, only sold during 2017.

What I fell for? Definitely the mugs with Esteri Tomula's illustrations (the Pastoraali and Esteri mugs: the ones with the girl and the biggest blue flower)! I have always admired her illustrations on old retro tableware and vases, but there are no way finding these on the flea markets nowadays. If you find them on well-organized happenings they are exclusive pieces and very high-priced. I wrote about Esteri earlier as I love the playfulness in her motifs and these mugs would finally be some pieces that you could come over to a decent price. Now it is also very popular with blue kitchenware again so also for that reason I fell for them. Pieces you look for unconsciously but never find! I also must say that the brown flower pattern (Myrna, 1937, on the 2nd row in the collage) I have seen before. On my grandma's porcelain (different looking, though, as those were graceful, thin coffee cups with golden edge).

 

Brilliant idea Arabia, to bring back some old treasures! I hope there will be more comebacks of Esteri Tomula's patterns in the future, as these cool retro patterns are what we are looking for! ;)
 

 

Collage of Arabia's press pictures

Black summerhouse in the Finnish archipelago

Summer inspiration while waiting for warmer days...

Is there something more beautiful than black summerhouses with windswept, worn-looking grey terraces, sea view, and pine trees? This summerhouse belongs to the blogger Jonna Kivilahti, Mrs Jones, and it is located in Ingå, Finland.

I spotted a lot of nice details inside and also the black outdoor chairs by Kartell suit perfectly on the terrace! I picked those for my summer collage last year and I still like them.

Photos | Krista Keltanen for interior magazine Glorian Koti 9/2015
 

Issey Miyake x Iittala | From runway to tabletop

 

Issey Miyake, the Japanese fashion designer with fanciful creations on the runway, and Iittala, the Finnish design company specializing in design objects for the home, have today launched a unique collaboration with details for the home. There have been a lot of rumours and secret hints about this in social media lately and it seems to be the most hyped homeware collaboration this far during 2016.

 

The collection is already out on the market and is also exclusively sold at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) Design Store during the whole spring. The collection includes, among other things, pillows, place mats, napkins, cups and plates. All pieces are either in soft pastel or neutral tones. I was thinking that the pale pink colour refers to the famous Japanese cherry blossoms, and actually, it was true! :) 

 

Iittala’s creative director Jeremiah Tesolin says:

 

"The colors and shapes we’ve used are reflections of nature. Rich greens recall Scandinavia’s forests, while the shades of pale pink and gray reference the Sakura, the blossoming of Japanese cherry trees. The napkins carry a lovely detail from Japan: When folded, each is the shape of Mount Fuji."

 

I think it is an interesting collaboration. Some details are clearly inspired by the art of origami, which is an old Japanese paper-folding tradition.

Moodboard by me | Pictures Iittala | Pinterest

Reference| The Wall Street Journal

 

Home decoration spring 2016

I know we are heading towards Christmas right now and my biggest concern at the moment is only which paper stars, plain or perforated, I should hang in the windows for Little Christmas this year (that is what we call the last Saturday before the 1st of Advent up here), but nevertheless all companies are pouring out beautiful spring news from all angels about what is to come. So let's pause Christmas for a while and look at some spring news that will soon be entering the thresholds of the stores.

 

The mood board above is made of press pictures of the spring news 2016 from Iittala and H&M Home. And yes, correct, I sneaked in also some other items as well just for the balance of the picture...

 

One of my favourites series by Iittala is Kastehelmi, and I have a collection of pieces in clear glass myself. I could, however, think of adding a few accent colours to it this spring. The small bowls, e.g., now come in emerald green and yellow.

 

Iittala also relaunches the cutlery with grooved handles. I think these look exactly as those I remember from what we used during my childhood.

 

When speaking of cutlery. Still dreaming of a complete set of golden pieces...

 

Then about interior fruit. As soon as the golden apple is available in H&M stores I will order it. Still suffering from the after-effects of my lost flea find (see here). This apple must be mine! Refreshing that the interior world finally has noticed that there are more fruit in the range than just pineapples in all possible shapes.
 

 

Apple | Green jar | Elephant | Press pictures H&M Home

Tray | Cutlery | Yellow and green bowls | Press pictures Iittala

Golden cutlery | Ilva

Kastehelmi news

 

Press pictures Iittala / collage by me

 

One of my favourite Iittala series is Kastehelmi by Oiva Toikka. I always choose the clear Kastehelmi bowl when I have some candies or something small in size to serve. The pattern with the dewdrops looks so luxurious and stylistically pure. I can tell you I died a bit when I saw the Iittala news for autumn 2015. Glasses and jars are coming, which have not been available before in this series. Glasses are exactly the thing that is missing from the series. So beautiful! As if I did not have enough glasses already I immediately feel that possessive instinct awakening again...The jars are also fresh and cool newcomers. These can be decorative anywhere!
 

Esteri Tomula | Pastoraali pattern

I bought some white porcelain plates in different shapes some time ago. Still wondering what do with them and what to paint. Lately I have tried to learn from the best by doodling details and imitating illustrations from the 50s and 60s. I know that I will not be able to do anything advanced first time on porcelain but at least it is fun to play with the ideas. Above are some drawings by the pottery artist Esteri Tomula for Arabia (1965-69). Love them! Would definitely by any pieces on the flea market if I would come across.

Well, I probably end up doing some dots instead. But at least I have imitated all single details above on paper. Maybe I am able to turn it into something new and own later.

Would like to do so much more creative stuff, but you know. Then you have to sleep, eat and work, too! :)

 

Arabia giveaway | KoKo series 10 years

 

 

Welcome spring!

 

I recently got the opportunity to do a table setting with the newcomers in Arabia's KoKo series. The new colours of the cups, bowls and plates this spring are beautifully yellow and green and are suitably called Sahrami (saffron) and Niitty (meadow). I immediately came to think of spring and nature and wanted to bring this feeling inside, as we still have to wait a while for the real spring.

I mixed Arabia's KoKo series with a collection of Iittala products and also my own tableware by Iittala. The good thing with these brands is that everything matches! KoKo is plain and of one single colour, which makes it easy to mix with other series. Just according to your mood.

After using these I was at least very willing to adopt some more accent colours after this black, dark and semi-cold winter. And do you see? The sun beams are finally finding their way inside my home again!

  

KoKo is turning 10 this year. Happy birthday KoKo!

 

And now, wow, to the best...!

  

Arabia is giving you the possibility to win KoKo products of your own choice, in any wished colour (including white), to a total value of 150 €!

All you have to do is to check the products behind this link and tell which is (are) your favourite colour(s) in the KoKo series? Please add your answer in the comment field below!

The competition ends on Sunday 8th March 11.59 p.m EET. The winner will be annonunced on the blog.

 

Good luck!

 

 

 

The competition has ended. Congratulations Mari V! You are the lucky winner of an own set of KoKo products! Please email me your contact details.