Interviews
Inga Sempé finds beauty in the everyday – and turns it into something extraordinary
From her Paris studio, French designer Inga Sempé creates objects that are witty, precise, and utterly her own: lamps, sofas, and everyday things that don’t take themselves too seriously. We sat down with her to talk about daily life, long processes, and why good design should always be worth fighting for.
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Marimekko’s beloved prints come to life at its own textile printing factory
“About one million metres of fabric are printed at Marimekko’s textile printing factory in Helsinki each year,” says Minna Kemell-Kutvonen, Marimekko’s Design Director, Home & Print Design. In her interview with Design Stories, Kemell-Kutvonen shares why the company’s own printing factory remains at the heart of Marimekko’s print design – and what happens before the brand’s bold colours and expressive prints become fabrics, clothing and home textiles.
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Shirley Villavicencio Pizango’s colorful world comes to life with Serax
In Shirley Villavicencio Pizango’s work, people and objects exist side by side in richly layered interiors. Now, her imagined ceramics have become real in a collaboration with Serax. We visited the artist in her Ghent studio.
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Gustav Winsth reshapes steel with Muuto’s Pleat Mirror
Stockholm-based designer Gustav Winsth’s Pleat Mirror for Muuto transforms a rigid material into something unexpectedly fluid. Crafted from folded stainless steel, the mirror balances precision and experimentation, reflecting both Winsth’s engineering background and his intuitive, hands-on approach to making.
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Inside Fredrik Bull’s Oslo home: A space made to be lived in
Interior architect Fredrik Bull doesn’t believe in fitting into one box – neither in his work nor at home. In his Oslo apartment, design, art, and everyday life come together in a space shaped by curiosity and constant change.
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In the studio with designer Maria Bruun
With its gently asymmetrical shape, Maria Bruun’s Re-Norm table reconsiders long-held ideas about how we sit together. Together with Muuto, we visited the Danish designer’s studio in Copenhagen to hear how the concept evolved into a table shaped by today’s ways of gathering.
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Inside the world of Alberto Alessi
Few companies have shaped the world of design quite like Alessi. For more than a century, the Italian “design factory” has transformed everyday objects into cultural icons through collaborations with some of the world’s most celebrated designers. Design Stories had the rare opportunity to meet Alberto Alessi at the company headquarters in Omegna – and to visit his home and vineyard overlooking Lake Orta.
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“Fiskars LAB is our playground for creativity,” says Chief Design Officer Petteri Masalin
Within Fiskars – the brand known for its iconic orange-handled scissors, cookware, and gardening tools – operates a kind of experimental design lab: Fiskars LAB. It’s a passion project for Chief Design Officer Petteri Masalin, a place where the team can explore and test new, even unconventional, ideas.
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Pizza, pine, and the power of making: A day with Fredrik Paulsen
In this exclusive interview, designer Fredrik Paulsen invites us into his creative life in Stockholm – from hands-on work at his spacious Årsta studio to catching up with friends over pizza. Known for his fearless approach to color and craft, Fredrik talks about finding inspiration in the everyday.
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Muller Van Severen: “What matters is to focus on what truly interests us”
From visual artists to superstars of Belgian design, Fien Muller and Hannes Van Severen have forged a bold and unmistakable design language that is easy to fall in love with. In an interview with Design Stories, the couple reveals how their daring mix of art, colour, and form grew into a recipe for international acclaim.
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Nani Marquina: The art of the everyday rug
Spanish designer Nani Marquina set out to reinvent the rug, and ended up building one of the most distinctive textile brands in the world. In this exclusive interview, she talks creativity, craftsmanship and what drives her after almost 40 years.
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Ronan Bouroullec: “Finnish pine is a marvellous material”
Designer Ronan Bouroullec moves between mediums, materials and scales with ease. To each new project he brings a philosophy of thoughtful, empathetic design. We asked Ronan – in conversation with writer Laura Houseley – how the Maasto family of furniture for Vaarnii reflects his design ethos, and how he got away with introducing plywood to the Vaarnii range.
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Design Interviews on Design Stories
These stories bring you into conversation with the designers, architects, and makers behind the objects we love. We explore their creative processes, inspirations, and the thinking that shapes their work – from early sketches to finished pieces that stand the test of time.
In the Interviews category, you’ll find in-depth conversations with both legendary figures and emerging voices in the world of design. We’ve spoken with designers such as Alberto Alessi, Ronan Bouroullec, Rolf Hay, Ritva Puotila, and Inga Sempé, whose ideas and work continue to influence the way we think about beautiful, functional objects. Their products can be explored and purchased through Finnish Design Shop.
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.
