Weekly Favorite

One of my projects in college was to design a convention center for a major corporation of our choice. My professor choose an old factory in Athens, Ga as our building footprint to renovate. It was a very old building with exposed brick and wood floors with the nails still imbedded from the factory. I have long been a fan of Marimekko the Finnish clothing and textile design company. Marimekko produces fabulous large scale patterned prints that are very colorful and dynamic.




Bottna Green - Anna Daniellson







The company was established in 1951 with a long history of textile, toy, clothing, and bag design. Marimekko products are a bit tricky to find, but Crate and Barrel & CB2 sells products as well as one of my favorite websites http://www.txtlart.com/ . My friend Hannah (who also has a wonderful blog (http://covetdesign.tumblr.com/) & Internet searching ability) introduced me to this website when I was working on my school project. It has been a go to for me from that point.

Unikko - Maija Isola

Kavivo - Maija Isola

Interior from CB2

City Garden apron with food graphics

Hetkia Shower curtainMy roommate lived in Buenos Aires for a year and my friend and I went to visit her. While we were visiting we went to the neighborhood La Boca. This design is inspired after Boca and captured the city perfectly! Dogs were everywhere, the people were dancing in the streets, music was playing and the overall atmosphere was a bit stimulating. I bought this as a kitchen towel, matted and framed it for her birthday. It turned out very nice and was different than a traditional photograph or art piece.
Textile Arts gives you the opportunity to buy large scale fabrics and wall hanging kits. Hanging large scale Marimekko prints is a great addition to any home. My roommate, Monica, bought a gorgeous black and white abstract floral design to hang above her bed. If you are feeling crafty you can run on over to Home Depot and buy the wood to stretch the fabric yourself. All you need is wood, nails, hammer, and staple. Any large space such as a foyer or entryway, large hallway, or room would be ideal for these large scale pieces. HGTV room design by Kristi Yamaguchi & Matthew Finlason


This is a view of Kone's lobby when you exit the elevator.

Wall Covering by Harri Koshinen

Wall Covering by Maija Isola

A fun table setting with new glassware and tableware from Marimekko. Anu Penttinen & Sami Ruotsalainen. Photo from Milanice.com.

My friend Sheenum's friend Jacquelyn, is a Fullbright Scholar, studying Finnish Textile design at the Aalto University in Hellsinki (very impressive!). She is a very talented artist (http://www.jacquelyngleisner.com/) and has a super cool blog. Marimekko is referenced in her blog with a first hand account of it's influence in Hellsinki and internationally. Check it out!

*image source Marimekko & Textile Arts