Shop macabre in Helsinki

The most weird shop you can imagine is Götan maailma – Omituista antiikkia (Göta´s world – weird antiques).

The owner Thomas Hamberg is an artist-actor and a passionate collector of weird things. When his home became too crowded, he opened this shop in May 2011.

Now the shop is also crowded and getting more and more crowded with old things, medical objects and death masks, skeletons and skulls, dioramas and animals from Victorian era, fossils, all kind of death memorablia and religious antiques.

There are also workshops, for example how to make a bit different Christmas decorations or how to stuff animals.

Here a stuffed rabbit means something else you normally think. It is not a meal.

Götan maailma, Tarkkampujankatu 9, Helsinki. Open Mon-Fri 10am to 6pm, Sat 10 am to 2pm. Check the news of the shop also in FB/Götan Maailma.

Photos©Paula Hietaranta

A tiny Marimekko shop for tiny people

Muksula, a special Marimekko shop for kids only, was opened in February in Helsinki. Now the baby is decorated for it´s first Christmas.

There you find a nice selection of children´s clothes and toys. Especially the night rompers, striped one pieces and bath towels are charming.

But why the grown-ups are always asking when they see clothes for children: - They are so sweet, but why don´t you have them in my size?

Marimekko Muksula, Mikonkatu 2, Helsinki. Open Mon-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-5pm.

Photo©PaulaHietaranta

Harri Koskinen knows how to win

The winner of Kaj Franck Design Prize 2014 was announced today: he is Harri Koskinen.

Congratulations and a big hug!

Good design is not always shouting – sometimes it is whispering.

And sometimes the work of a designer is like a work by a detective: to find a solution to a problem. To make something lighter, more wearable, more efficient, even cheaper. And perhaps more beautiful.

I think that Harri Koskinen, one of our most famous designers, knows all sides of designing and it´s challenges: along with his own company Friends of Industry Ltd he is since 2012 also the design director of the Finnish design brand Iittala.

The exhibition of his works in Design Museum, Korkeavuorenkatu 23, Helsinki, is open until January 11th 2015.

www.designmuseum.fi/fi

To see the versatile selection of Harri´s works and clients go to www.harrikoskinen.com

(By the way - this guy may always look austere in photos, but he has a nice sense of humour and a wonderful smile!)