Design Stories
In the spotlight
Colorful furniture brings joy to Maiju’s home
Interior architect Maiju Kianta’s home in Kauniainen, Finland, which she shares with her children, is a joyful play of color, where design furniture and bold hues play off each other beautifully. The renovation of this 1960s row house apartment was carefully planned and beautifully executed.
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Nani Marquina: The art of the everyday rug
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Julia’s home is full of sustainable design choices: “I only buy furniture that will suit my style for decades to come”
Julia Ruuskanen’s home in Helsinki is a serene mix of timeless design, coveted design classics and a relaxed approach to decorating.
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Done differently – the most inspiring new products of the month
In August, things are made to work differently: some with a slight shift, some with a full rewrite. Meet this month's five new arrivals, each with a mind of its own and a bit of mischief to match.
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Our picks for Habitare and Helsinki Design Week 2026
Mark the first week of September in your calendar: Helsinki Design Week and Habitare are filling the city with exhibitions, talks, and gathering spots for anyone who loves design and interiors. Here’s what the Design Stories team recommends!
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A house built slowly: Cecilia Renard's home in Mallorca came together corner by corner
Photographer Cecilia Renard shoots on analogue, and she has furnished her house in the hills of Andratx the same way: slowly, and only with things she has a reason for.
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Introducing: Reboco
What do a grandmother's embroidered sheets have to do with a Stockholm design brand? Our new brand Reboco makes bed linen and towels that make the bedroom and the bathroom worth lingering in.
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Sunila: The forest suburb that Aalto fans have discovered, too
On the southeastern coast of Finland, in the port town of Kotka, lies Sunila – the country’s first modern forest suburb, designed by Alvar and Aino Aalto. Built between the 1930s and 1950s, its homes originally housed workers from the nearby pulp mill. Today, they’ve also found a new kind of resident: architecture and design lovers with a soft spot for the Aaltos. Join us for a peek inside two design-minded Aalto homes!
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Peter Erlandsson’s house in southern Sweden is the home of the reborn String Furniture
The home of Peter Erlandsson, co-founder of String Furniture, on the Falsterbo peninsula in Sweden reflects the residents’ love of nature, architecture, design and – naturally – String shelves. Design Stories visited this unique house (also featured on TV!) that the architect designed to blend in with the surroundings.
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Spicy pumpkin pasta – the best pasta for a fall weekend
Nothing beats a hearty bowl of pasta on a chilly fall evening. Try these quick and easy recipes to bring restaurant-quality flavor to your home kitchen – savory sausage pasta for meat lovers and spicy pumpkin pasta for veggie fans, a trusted favorite of our editorial team.
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The Aalto House in Helsinki surprises with its timelessness
The Helsinki home of Alvar and Aino Aalto, and later Elissa Aalto, remains as modern today as it was nearly a hundred years ago. Discover the charming home of the Aaltos in Helsinki with Design Stories!
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Erik Bryggman's Resurrection Chapel is a gem of Finnish architecture
Amidst the tumult of the Second World War, architect Erik Bryggman designed a peaceful cemetery chapel in Turku, in which death is encountered with respect and gentleness. It has become a landmark of Finnish architecture.
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From paper to plate: Fish “en papillote” and lemon aioli are the perfect easy weekend lunch
Fish “en papillote” is as easy as the fishy business gets. Simply wrap fish in parchment, whip up some lemon aioli, and you’ve got an easy, effortless, and tasty weekend lunch. Catch these fresh spring recipes and treat yourself – bon appétit!
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Ilmari Tapiovaara – life, oblivion and rediscovery
For Ilmari Tapiovaara, work was his whole life, and at times, his family was also left in its shadow. The Finnish designer died an almost forgotten great, but then the retro boom began.
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Home tour
A summer house in the Finnish archipelago built on nature’s terms
This waterfront retreat blends seamlessly into its surroundings. Robert Holmström designed it as an uncompromising, deeply personal family escape.
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In focus
Interview
Introducing JOY OBJECTS – Welcome to Fredrik Paulsen's World of Joy
What do you get when you combine aluminium, a love of subculture, and a designer who grew up on a skateboard? The answer is JOY OBJECTS – a Swedish brand on a mission to make design fun again.
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Inside the world of Alberto Alessi
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Introducing: Reboco
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Design Stories – Exploring contemporary Nordic design
Design Stories is an online magazine published by Finnish Design Shop, focusing on Finnish and Scandinavian design, interiors, and architecture. We cover the latest design releases, explore timeless classics, and step inside inspiring homes in Finland and around the world.
Design Stories brings together stories on design and interiors, interviews with designers, and design-minded travel and culture tips. The content is created by Finnish Design Shop’s editorial team in collaboration with an international network of contributors, with selected articles produced in partnership with Asun, Mondo, and Avotakka magazines. The editor-in-chief of Design Stories is Mikko Vaija.
Best design finds!
Summer Shop
Sunny days, light-filled evenings, and nowhere in a hurry to be – are you dreaming of a perfect summer day? Finnish Design Shop’s Summer Shop has every dreamer covered. Whether your daydreams drift towards new furniture for the summer house or a laid-back lounger for basking in the sun, here you’ll find everything you need to create your own perfect summer oasis.
Design Stories is the online magazine of Finnish Design Shop, created to inspire and delight design lovers everywhere. We hope you enjoy exploring with us! Have a story tip or thoughts on our content? We’d love to hear from you.
