Marimekko and beyond

So there I was admiring this Marimekko cushion, when I learnt I was going to be lucky enough to spend a weekend in Helsinki with my other half.  My designer-taste-buds started watering!

Here are a few of my visual highlights:

Graffiti Finnish style....

How great is this carved bear for a kids playground...

 

I had to sit on him

Here we go vintage Marimekko in the Design Museum

Fab Marimekko swatch books from the 60s

Wonderful Annika Rimala designs for Marimekko in 1963-4

Lovely bits of art deco

the station interior is fantastic with gems like these green tiles

I think these might be alvar aalto lamps...

These are definately Alvar Aalto lamps, as is the whole building 

in the Akateeminen Kirjakauppa bookshop cafe 

(which by the way has the best spinach quiche I've ever tasted!)

I also visited Tove Jansson's centenary exhibition 

What an incredible woman.  I have to admit I didn't love her early paintings which before the exhibition I didn't even know about. However, the exquisite pen and ink drawings for her illustrated books in the later half of the exhibition are absolutely stunning.