Focus of Nordic Design for Helsinki Design Week

Image courtesy Helsinki Design Week

Helsinki Design Week is the largest design festival in the Nordic countries, and for those of you who have been lucky enough to have visited Helsinki will know that it is a perfect location for design events. The way the light reflects off the sea on a sunny day when the sun is low in the sky casts an amazing and unique light over the city which really accentuates design and inspires art.

This year due to Covid-19 restrictions the event will have a slightly different structure, the main event in Glasshouse Helsinki has been shelved but over 80 exhibits will take place throughout the city, many of which are open to the public in person or online. Events include workshops including some from Aalto University’s Designs for a Cooler Planet, where the theme is resource wisdom, and an exhibition showing works by the legendary sculptor and artist Björn Weckström, which features sculptures in acrylic, bronze, stone and glass as well as some of his oil paintings on sailcloths. You can access many of the events and workshops online, in the meantime why not take inspiration from our favourite Nordic and Scandi style fabrics and wallpapers. 

One other feature of Helsinki Design Week, the Design Market is being held in vendor's stores and online, meaning everyone can enjoy having access to the fantastic products.

Image courtesy Helsinki Design Week

Boråstapeter

Borastapeter, Sweden's oldest and best loved wallpaper company, continues to lead the way in Scandinavian design with collections featuring classic designs from famous Scandinavian designers past and present including fairytale inspired designs from Stig Lindberg, polarbears from Helene Ekblom, geometric designs from Arne Jacobsen, classic, flowery patterns from the Jobs sisters’ and the sketched foliage of Viola Gråsten and more. If you are new to Scandinavian design Boråstapeter is a good starting point for your interior design project.

 

Stig Lindberg Herbarium 1978 Wallpaper

Iliv - Scandi Collection

Luxury textile brand Iliv's Scandi fabric collection is a stylish collection of prints inspired by Scandinavian imagery and design with a retro feel and sympathetically retro colour palette.

Scandi Birds Kiwi by Iliv Fabric

 

Scion - Japandi

If you are looking for a stylish new take on classic Scandinavian style then the Scandi Japanese fusion collection from Scion shoud be your starting point. Japandi is a fabulous collection of wallpapers and fabrics inspired by Japanese prints and culture but interpreted with a distinctly Scandi style. Even though these styles have their own distinct look there are some similarities in the form, the result of this fusion is striking and the collection really must be seen to be appreciated. The fabric collection includes a dyed and embroidered geometric design, Shinku as well as an ikat design Uteki which is a chunky textured fabric with a printed warp which is then woven. 

 

Japandi Wallpaper Scion

Childrens Design Week

There are lots of things we love about Helsinki Design Week, but one of our favourites is the Childrens Design Week innovation which is showcasing the works of famous designers and other creatives with a series of installations throughout the city. Children will be able to see the installations taking place as well as the end results. If you want to inspire your children and involve them in the design process, Boråstapeter have a fantastic wallpaper simulator app which uses augmented reality to project their wallpapers into your room. The App is called 'Wonderwall AR by Boråstapeter' and is available from both the App Store and Google Play, but before you head over to download it why not browse the Boråstapeter wallpapers on our website and make a shortlist (just don't forget to come back to our website to place your order so you can take advantage of our fantastic offers). 

Scandinavian Designers Mini is a collection of three children’s wallpapers from some of Sweden’s foremost children’s artists and playtime inspirations: Stig Lindberg and Boråstapeter’s own designer Amanda Nordblad. The first wallpaper in the collection is Charlie, a hand-drawn wallpaper designed by Amanda and featuring a lively pattern filled to the brim with squirrels swinging, hanging upside down and gathering acorns. 

Charlie Boråstapeter

The second wallpaper in the Scandinavian Designers Mini collection is Berså II, a reimagining of Stig Lindberg’s classic Berså motif which features the growing leaf in a larger scale in a choice of one of five pastels.

Berså II Boråstapeter

The final wallpaper in the Scandinavian Designers Mini collection is Polarn, a design by Helene Ekblom for Boråstapeter’s Design Studio, featuring frolicking and swimming polar bears amongst gentle bubbles and set against a mint-green base. 

Polarn Boråstapeter

Another fantastic children's bedroom wallpapers from Boråstapeter is Newbie which takes its name from the Swedish lifestyle brand Newbie who worked with Boråstapeter on the collection. This is a stunning collection of 32 wallpaper designs including magic woods, woodland creatures, Swedish wildlife, pirate ships, magnificent ocean creatures, travel and the magic of flight and more. These stunning wallpapers are sure to fire off imagination in young minds and make a beautiful backdrop to any child's bedroom or nursery.

Magic Forest Mural Boråstapeter

Recent Nordic Inspired Collections

For even more Scandinavian style why not take a look at the following collections: