For designer couple Mika and Julie of Finnish brand Studio Tolvanen, sustainability is close to their hearts – both professionally and privately. We talked to them about their design brand and they also shared some helpful tips for sustainable living.
How would you describe your interior style?
We like a mix of all kinds of shapes, materials and strong colours. We spend much of our free time at flea markets and vintage shops, of which there are plenty here in Finland. That's where most of our furnishings come from too. Our golden rule: we both have to love a product before it's allowed into our home.
We can spot lots of wooden elements in your home…
Wood radiates warmth, especially in the cold, dark winter months – that's what we particularly like about it.
How connected to nature are you?
Our house and our office are on Lauttasaari, an island in Helsinki in Finland. So the sea plays a big part in our everyday lives. The way to the office is a footpath that runs through a beautiful pine forest right along the sea. Sometimes it's sunny and sometimes it snows in sub-zero temperatures – but that way, there's always variety.
How important is sustainability to you?
Very important. In fact, it's impossible not to think about it. Especially now that products can be made so well from recycled materials, it would be foolish not to use them. You always have to consider exactly how products are put together, too, so that parts can easily be replaced or recycled instead of the whole thing being thrown away.
What are your tips for sustainable living?
I'd say 80 per cent of the things we own are vintage glassware, tableware and furniture, mixed with a few new things. There are lots of flea markets in Finland. We do buy new things too, but when we do, it's because we really appreciate the design and know we'll keep them for a long time – which is also sustainable in its own way.
You're not just business partners but also husband and wife. How does that work?
Luckily, we have very similar taste. Of course, we don't always agree on everything during the design process, but we agree all the more on the end result. Our time together is a kind of ongoing discussion about design that we never get bored of. So we're a good fit.
How did you meet? And were you married first and then business partners, or the other way round?
We met at a mutual friend's birthday party in Helsinki, shortly after Julie moved there to study. After we got married, we first worked under our own names. Then in 2015 we started Studio Tolvanen together.
What makes your designs so special?
It's important to us to keep creating something new. And "new" can simply be a subtle change to a shape that improves the object.
What do you look for when choosing materials?
When choosing a material, what matters is how it shapes, how it feels and how it ages. For example, we like bent plywood because it looks warm and friendly. It's also robust and easy to shape.
Besides looks and functionality, what else is particularly important to you?
The life cycle of a material also plays an important role. Muuto's Restore storage basket, for example, is made from recycled plastic bottles. That's not only good for the environment but also pleasant to the touch and easy to shape. It's amazing that used plastic bottles or even fishing nets can be turned into completely new products.
What's your personal all-time favourite?
Probably the Restore storage basket by Muuto. We think it combines all the positive qualities in one product: a new take on storage ("soft storage" that's friendly and multifunctional), a shape with its own personality, a pleasant feel – and of course the storage basket is recyclable too.
Do you have a vision for your future designs?
We like working on lots of different things at once, and we'll carry on doing that. At the moment we're working on several furniture projects, including sofas, chairs, tables and shelving. We're also producing some unique glass pieces for an exhibition at Helsinki Design Week. And we're in the process of launching our own brand called Pidät.
That sounds exciting. What does "Pidät" mean to you?
Having our own small brand is an exciting new turn, as it lets us make some smaller accessories. We decided to call the brand Pidät because the word's three meanings in Finnish are "you have it, you like it, you keep it". It's a kind of guiding principle for all our designs.
Thank you both so much for these inspiring insights into your home and your work as designers!
Photos and copyright: Katri Kapanen
