The new Saana ja Olli collection Rakkauden meri celebrates diving into the sea of love

Finnish design duo Saana ja Olli has launched a new home textile collection titled Rakkauden meri, “sea of love”. Made of natural hemp, the collection was inspired by the haphazard, unpredictable nature of love.

Saana ja Olli Rakkauden meri tea cozy
The Rakkauden meri collection by Saana ja Olli is an ode to the unpredictable nature of love.

FINNISH DESIGN DUO SAANA JA OLLI has double the reason to celebrate this fall! Not only did they release a new product line, but their home was also chosen as the most beautiful home in Finland on the latest season of the Finnish TV show Suomen kaunein koti. Based on the Danish format Danmarks skønneste hjem, the program showcases homes across the country in a bid to find the most beautiful of them all. Design Stories congratulates Saana ja Olli's Saana Sipilä and Olli Sallinen for the win!

Saana ja Olli Rakkauden meri cushion cover
The Rakkauden meri line consists of kitchen textiles and cushion covers, for example.
Saana ja Olli Rakkauden meri pot holder
The products are made from durable 100% hemp fabric.
Saana ja Olli Rakkauden meri oven mitten
The pattern's wavy lines form abstract shapes that almost look like human figures.

The other reason for celebration, the new collection, comprises home textiles from cushion covers to cosmetics bags and kitchen textiles, all decorated with a delicate, wavy print called Rakkauden meri, which translates to “sea of love”. As the name suggests, the collection was inspired by love and throwing oneself into it headfirst.

“At the beginning of the design process, when we were still brainstorming the theme, love came up so often that we just had to dive into its haphazardness,” says the duo’s Olli Sallinen.

Saana ja Olli
Saana ja Olli is a design company named after its founders Saana Sipilä and Olli Sallinen. The name is Finnish and literally translates to “Saana and Olli”.
Saana ja Olli Rakkauden meri cosmetic bag
The Rakkauden meri cosmetics bag is available in two sizes.
Saana ja Olli Rakkauden meri tea towel
The multifunctional tea towel doubles as a placemat and even a sustainable alternative to gift wrap.

Rakkauden meri is a typical Saana ja Olli design in that it is based on a simple line drawing. The pattern consists of undulating, slightly dashed lines that could be interpreted to represent waves of the sea of love. In addition, the print features human-like figures.

“We wanted to go back to our roots, to hand-drawn, continuous pattern designs,” says Sallinen.

“We tried to tap into our subconsciousness, and at some point, we realized that the lines had started to make up figures. The design had fallen into place.”

Saana ja Olli Rakkauden meri canvas bag
Saana ja Olli products are sustainably and transparently manufactured in Finland.
Saana ja Olli Rakkauden meri cushion cover
Hemps is an eco-friendly material whose cultivation requires less water, fertilizers, and pesticides than many other fibers.
Saana ja Olli Rakkauden meri cosmetic bag
Saana ja Olli's design philosophy is guided by three key elements: durability, sustainability, and local production.

Like other Saana ja Olli textiles, the Rakkauden meri products are sustainably and transparently made in Finland using hemp fabric sourced from Europe.

Hemp is an eco-friendly material, as it is fast-growing and rich in crops yet fairly modest in its needs: the cultivation of hemp requires less water, fertilizers, and pesticides than many other fibers.

Hemp cultivation also enhances soil health as it prevents erosion. In addition, the hemp used for Saana ja Olli products is cultivated in the EU using crop rotation, a practice in which different crops are planted sequentially on the same plot to improve soil health.

See also:

All designs by Saana ja Olli >

Edit: Emmi Ratilainen Images: Suvi Kesäläinen

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