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An old house with an old soul – visiting Marie Michielssen and Axel Van Den Bossche
Step inside a 16th-century castle in Antwerp, home to designer Marie Michielssen and Serax co-founder Axel Van Den Bossche, where art fills every room.
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Emma Ranne and Iida Laiho’s Kuore brings food creatives together under one roof
Kuore Kitchen is a new coworking space for Helsinki’s food creatives – a place to cook, shoot, brainstorm and hang out together. Read the interview with Emma and Iida, and save their fall recipe for plum and bay jam!
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An old house with an old soul – visiting Marie Michielssen and Axel Van Den Bossche
Step inside a 16th-century castle in Antwerp, home to designer Marie Michielssen and Serax co-founder Axel Van Den Bossche, where art fills every room.
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Kuusijärvi smoke saunas win Finlandia Prize for Architecture
A public smoke sauna development at the Lake Kuusijärvi recreation area in Vantaa has been chosen by Dr Timo Miettinen as the winner of Finlandia Prize for Architecture 2026 – the most prestigious architecture award in Finland.
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How to light your home for fall – tips for cozy layered lighting
As the evenings grow darker, there’s nothing quite like lamps glowing softly around the home. But how do you create lighting for the darker months that feels both practical and well balanced? Discover Design Stories’ tips for layered lighting, from ambient light to accent and mood lighting.
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Vitra Home Stories: Sebastian Soukup mixes eras in his Berlin home
Production designer and film architect Sebastian Soukup builds entire worlds for the screen. At home in his 19th-century apartment in Berlin, he takes a similar approach, layering light, color and pieces from different eras. With Vitra classics in a starring role, the result is an interior rich in character and individuality.
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Bright ideas for dark days – the most inspiring new products of the month
Not to alarm anyone, but the nights are drawing in again. No need to fear, though: our five new arrivals are each doing their bit to help you make the most of the darkening evenings.
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At home with Dima & Guy: A Berlin apartment built on contrast
Dima and Guy are the creative duo behind The Berlin Chapters, the Instagram account documenting their hands-on renovation of a Kreuzberg apartment. Their home is built on contrast, and Vaarnii’s pine furniture fit right into that mix.
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Inside Achille Castiglioni’s studio, where design still feels like play
We visited Achille Castiglioni’s studio in Milan, where prototypes, sketches, and everyday objects still sit exactly where he left them. His daughter, Giovanna Castiglioni, told us what it’s like to keep that space, and his legacy, alive.
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The Nordic House: Alvar Aalto’s quiet masterpiece in Reykjavik
Tucked on a wetland at the edge of Reykjavik stands one of Alvar Aalto’s most overlooked works – and one of his most politically charged. Commissioned to anchor Iceland firmly within the Nordic fold during the Cold War, the Nordic House is a masterclass in quiet diplomacy through architecture.
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What’s new: Vitra’s Bascule lounge chair
Vitra’s new Bascule lounge chair settles around you like a favourite jacket, adjusting to your weight and your every move on its own. Read the story behind Bascule and fall for the most laid-back new arrival of the season!
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At home with Isabelle and Barabbas: Nothing was searched for, but everything was found
Isabelle Kaiser and Bari Chyba live by the river near Frankfurt, in an apartment put together from flea market finds, travels, and things that turned up along the way. Welcome to step inside!
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This fall’s interior trends bring shades of brown, natural materials and beautiful layers
The big megatrends in interior design don’t shift overnight, but every season adds its own new nuances. Finnish Design Shop’s interior designers have rounded up the season’s most current shapes, colors and materials. Take a look at these tips for an easy seasonal refresh at home!
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Finnish Design Shop’s Design Disco 2026: Vitra, visuals and a very good party
Vitra classics, animated visuals and a packed dance floor – Finnish Design Shop’s Design Disco brought Helsinki’s design crowd together for a night that’s fast becoming a tradition.
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How to clean a wool rug – best tips for care, spot cleaning and washing
A wool rug is one of the easiest rugs to look after, since the fiber naturally repels dirt. But how do you care for a wool area rug in everyday use, and what should you do when it needs more than a vacuum? Read our tips on how to clean a wool rug at home.
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What’s new: Artek’s Zebra in a new brown shade
The Zebra pattern has travelled through time and across Europe, finding its place at the centre of countless homes. Read on for the story of the classic stripes, and see them in a new brown shade.
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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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8 reading nook ideas for a cozy Scandinavian retreat
A few carefully chosen pieces of furniture, good reading light, and a touch of softness can turn even the smallest corner into a cozy Scandinavian reading nook where the pages seem to turn themselves. Discover the best reading nook ideas for styling a comfortable spot to read at home.
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Take a seat at Klara’s Table, set with Louis Poulsen
Klara’s Table is a Copenhagen-based studio working between food and design, run by Klara Marie Jespersen. What started as a creative experiment and outlet gradually evolved into a business, and over time, Klara’s Table grew from a small online project into the studio it is today.
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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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Settling back in – the most inspiring new products of the month
Though July is still high summer, our thoughts are already turning towards autumn and the rhythms of everyday life. This month’s five new arrivals bring stylish additions to your desk for the months ahead!
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Alvar Aalto’s architecture joins the UNESCO World Heritage List
The Aalto Works series, comprising 13 sites designed by Alvar, Aino and Elissa Aalto, is Finland’s eighth addition to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Discover the newly inscribed World Heritage sites on Design Stories!
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Vauhtikisat 2026: Welcome to the joy of speed
Skateboards flew, crowds cheered, and the July sun turned Sinebrychoff Park into a glowing arena for one of Europe’s most thrilling downhill races. Our photo report from Vauhtikisat 2026 takes you right to the edge of the track – from the first daring runs to the nail-biting final and the moment the custom Vauhtikisat Chair One found its champion.
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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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Guardian of light – Inside the Frederiksberg home of Nuura's Nadia Lassen
Nadia Lassen spends her days thinking about light as the CEO of the lighting brand Nuura. At home in her Frederiksberg villa, that same thinking shapes a house she shares with her husband, four children, and one very photogenic dog.
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A studio in the archipelago: “Here it’s just us, the forest and the sea”
Built over three summers from raw timber and nails, this studio in the Turku archipelago gives Copenhagen based artist Linn Henrichson and art director Staffan Sundström a place for creative work, quiet thinking and the Finnish summer.
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At home with Ida Lauga: A Stockholm rowhouse full of life
Just a small 1960s brick rowhouse in Stockholm, yet somehow enough room for three kids, two pets, a French husband and an ever-evolving interior. Stylist and designer Ida Lauga has made it her mission to create a home that works hard and looks good doing it – with Vaarnii's enduring pieces at the center.
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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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Keep your summer simple – the most inspiring new products of the month
Summer life is easy and carefree, and our interiors should be, too! We've gathered June's new arrivals to make those warm days simpler, whether you're at home, at the cabin, or out enjoying the great outdoors.
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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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Snøhetta plans a hotel and spa for the Aaltos’ Paimio Sanatorium
Paimio Sanatorium, one of the most iconic buildings in modern architecture, is set for a new future. Renowned Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta has developed a Masterplan for the sanatorium, completed in 1933 and located in Paimio, southwestern Finland – and the vision is as ambitious as the building itself.
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New life in a historic house
Few law firms can claim a home quite like this. Dittmar & Indrenius is headquartered in Helsinki's historic Grönqvist Building, and after a year-long renovation, the staff spaces have been given entirely new life. Come and take a look.
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How to set a summer tablescape – 7 ideas for an inspiring outdoor table setting
Set a summer tablescape with ease, and let the outdoors guide the mood. The secret to a beautiful outdoor table setting is not perfection, but atmosphere: hand-picked flowers, natural materials and layers of time come together to create an inviting scene, whether for a garden party or a weekday breakfast.
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Jordan and Matthew’s guide to 3 Days of Design 2026
Three days are never quite enough. Content creators Jordan Bunker and Matthew Spade explored Copenhagen's 3 Days of Design as Finnish Design Shop's eyes and ears. Here are the highlights from the festival that made the cut.
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A new cabin in a familiar spot: Inside the Puotila family’s summer retreat on Lake Saimaa
The Puotila family has been spending summers on the shores of Lake Saimaa since the 1950s. When their old log cabin finally called for a major overhaul, the family arrived at an unusual solution: tear down the original and build a new one in exactly the same spot. Everything that had worked well was recreated – only better.
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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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The Danish Karstad family enjoys cabin life between the sea and the forest
At Mikkel and Camilla Karstad’s cabin just outside Copenhagen, outdoor cooking and year-round sea swims are part of everyday life. At the heart of their forest-surrounded retreat are Muuto’s outdoor furniture pieces, which set the scene for a relaxed outdoor lifestyle.
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Onni Alanko’s paintings bring color to summer at Finnish Design Shop
Once again, Finnish Design Shop’s showroom & shop has shifted into summer mode. Alongside fresh design and delicious food, visitors can immerse themselves in the paintings of visual artist Onni Alanko – read the artist’s interview on Design Stories!
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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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Greta Magnusson Grossman paved the way for female designers
Greta Magnusson Grossman is best known for her Gräshoppa and Cobra lamps, designed in the late 1940s and now part of GUBI’s collection. The Swedish designer, who built her career in California, also created houses and interiors for Hollywood’s elite alongside her iconic lighting designs.
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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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Home tour
Vitra Home Stories: Sebastian Soukup mixes eras in his Berlin home
Production designer and film architect Sebastian Soukup builds entire worlds for the screen. At home in his 19th-century apartment in Berlin, he takes a similar approach, layering light, color and pieces from different eras. With Vitra classics in a starring role, the result is an interior rich in character and individuality.
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In focus
Interview
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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Inside the world of Alberto Alessi
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What's new
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What’s new: Vitra’s Bascule lounge chair
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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.
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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.
