KaisuMari – A Feeling of Northern Comfort

Where you feel most at home | Mind, home and country

I am sure my eyes light up when I talk about home. There is no other place that can make me feel so warm, comforted and sheltered - it is a safe place, a loving place, a creative place. A place of connection, privacy, authenticity and contentment.

Some say that home is where the heart is. I agree, but sometimes my heart is somewhere else, maybe not even in the same country where I live in. But a sense of home is possible wherever you choose to stay - as the American essayist and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson once said:

“A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams.”

There is no formula for the perfect home, it is more a feeling in your heart - something that resonates with your inner life and makes you feel welcome.

When I first saw the traditional Swedish and Finnish wooden houses, a flame sparked within me and I knew that one day I would love to create a similarly beautiful, cosy home with lots of personality. Perhaps it's the combination of the rustic and the romantic, the simple and natural with the old and personal - these houses are pure treasures and radiate a harmonious atmosphere.

A good way to support your daydreaming is to make the most of what you already have by adapting your space to your habits and needs. Of course, nothing beats the real northern experience. Unfortunately, we cannot transfer a beautiful Nordic house or the great Scandinavian light or nature to our home, but I am very grateful that there are small studios and art spaces like KaisuMari that help to transport the Scandinavian and Finnish feeling by creating wonderful Nordic-inspired products for our homes - no matter where or how big or small they are.

Creating a beautiful Finnish inspired home with KaisuMari

There is comfort in taking a bath or enjoying a hot drink, being wrapped in a blanket or being held - and honestly, nothing beats a gentle hug! I love the idea of putting a basket of woollen socks next to the door so that everyone can slip their feet into a warm pair of socks when needed.

My main point is that you don't need thousands of euros' worth of Scandinavian design furniture to create your own cosy, Finnish-inspired dream home: loving people around you and carefully chosen items create a meaningful home. Whenever I am in the North, I love to get inspiration and ideas to bring back to Austria.

I can only imagine that it was the same for the sisters Sandra and Ulla of KaisuMari. Their Finnish mother, named Kaisu, moved to Germany in the seventies. They grew up in Germany but spend most of their holidays in Finland. Inspired by the Finnish lifestyle and nature, as well as their own family history, they decided to bring Finland to Hamburg by selling beautiful decoration and lifestyle items from well-known brands such as Hetkinen, Iittala, Lapuan Kankurit or Saana ja Olli.

There are a few Finland shops in Europe, but what I particularly liked about the former KaisuMari concept was that they had a high aesthetic standard, which they still maintain today. It was always a pleasure to watch how they presented and selected their products, packed their customers' orders and decorated their items in Ulla's summer house in Hamburg, showing a strong sense of connection to home, in their case Finland.

In November 2023, KaisuMari changed their product line: They swapped the store for an online shop and now only offer products they design themselves. Some products, like the Soulbirds, are handmade in their studio in Hamburg, other items are produced in Germany or Europe.

Sandra and Ulla offer Nordic artwork that conveys a subtle joyfulness. The products are connected to the Finnish circle of nature, northern culture, animals and traditions. Natural and/or recycled materials are used in their products.

Finnish Home | Wall Art and Soulbirds

For me, home should be a place that pleases the eye and soothes the senses in terms of scale, curves, colour, variety, pattern and texture. Wood is a perfect material for this as it is a living substance that invites us to touch and bring nature into our homes. There is a kind of sensitivity to raw materials.

What I really like about KaisuMari's new collection is that each piece is not just a wooden wall decoration or accessory, but also has a symbolic meaning connected to Finland, additionally representing our actions, goals, achievements or significant events in our lives.

The Soulbirds are small works of art that will bring happiness and lightness into your home. Each of the nine birds has a message of its own. Birds have always been special spirit animals for the peoples of the North: Their return in spring signified the end of winter, the awakening of nature, a new beginning.

I chose Tuulikki, a bright red bird that means "little wind" in Finnish and is also the name of a forest goddess. It is the bird that radiates a serene trust in life and takes on the wind that carries us through life. Being a freedom-loving person myself, I love the idea of trusting the timing and pace of life and taking things as they come.

You could also combine your Soulbird with other KaisuMari’s wall decorations that represent the seasons, such as a beautifully illustrated winter pine, a rowan branch or a spring blossom. It's the presence of nature that brings us back to the present moment and fills our homes with gratitude.

It is even possible to engrave a small personal message on the back of the Soulbird, making it a special gift for weddings, birthdays or just for yourself.

Stationery that Makes my Heart Smile

It was so hard to choose just one of KaisuMari's stationery products because they all resonate with me. There are decorative items like mobile sculptures or fanfolds, as well as cards or mini posters. I just had to pick the 'you make my heart smile' fanfold - because I hope everyone has a person in mind who is wonderful to be with and whose very presence makes you giggle and smile from within. That's the purpose of this lovely fanfold - to remind us of the people who bring joy into our lives. Best of all, you can even add a little handwritten note to show how much you care.

While you're browsing through this stationery section, be sure to check out the other fanfolds like "Breathing Dreams Like Air" (I love this one too!) or the fox mobile. Their illustrations are so lovely, each one is a joy to look at.

Nordic Good Luck Charms | Spirit Animals on the Road

Comfort doesn't have to end at home. You can never go wrong with a talisman that gives you strength wherever you go. KaisuMari has created wooden pins representing different Nordic animals. One of their pins was actually the reason I contacted them, as I bought one as a birthday present for a friend whose spirit animal is the owl.

For some reason I have a strong connection with bears, perhaps because the bear is a strong and courageous protector, giving the feeling of being safe and loved – which might be also a form of shelter.

There is even a snow grouse pin - again this animal has a greater meaning to me as I associate it with the photography competition I won which brought me to Lapland.

I am sure everyone has a favourite animal that somehow expresses their own identity and brings them comfort.

Every pin sold also supports forest projects in Germany - so maybe you can make yourself or someone else happy with these lovely pins and do some good at the same time.

Please check out KaisuMari's website - it's a beautifully curated space where you can also find great photo series like Summer in Finland or interesting blog posts about the Scandinavian lifestyle.

In case you wondered: All of their products will be shipped within the EU.

Thank you so much KaisuMari for the PR samples - this was one of my dream collaborations that I have been thinking about for years and I am so happy that it worked out!

Pictures taken with my Canon 5D Mark III
Products kindly gifted

Hetkinen – A Finnish Forest Retreat in Every Product

Finland is known abroad for its nature, wideness, forests, lakes, its small population, tranquillity and creativity. There is one brand that sums up every great aspect of Finland: Hetkinen.

The Turku-based company produces innovative natural cosmetics and minimalist interior design products. Finnish forests and trees are the source of inspiration. The product line is made from 100% natural and responsible ingredients and is completely vegan. You can feel the richness of the forest in every product: they use the best of the forest in their ingredients, such as lichen, pine needles or vitamin-rich berries, and the packaging is mostly made of Finnish pine. The aesthetics, the great smell and the sustainability aspect make the products a must-have in every home.

Hetkinen's philosophy can be divided into two main sections: "Buy less but better" and "Take a moment for yourself". The first touches on the sustainability aspect: The products are long-lasting thanks to their cleverly designed consistency (speaking of cosmetics, most of them are waterless, which means they are very sufficient because a very small amount of the product is enough per use). Many of the interior products are also designed to last a lifetime.

I also like the second aspect very much: For me, Hetkinen products are a moment of self-care. I like to take a spa day every week and spoil myself with great products - life is short and there should be plenty of nice moments, and if you can make them for yourself, even better!

Product reviews

Over the past few months I have had the privilege of being a brand ambassador for Hetkinen for the third time and have received some product samples to try out. You can read my Hetkinen blog posts from 2021 and 2022 here:

Hetkinen candles

A scent is often connected to a story and is something you will always remember. I've been to Lapland once, in the depths of winter at -20 degrees. As we trudged through the snow, my sister and I noticed that someone had heated up a smoke sauna and, along with the cold, there was a wonderful smell in the air that I'd never smelled before. When I smell the Hetkinen Veggie Smoke Sauna Candle, it immediately takes me back to that moment. I would describe the scent of the candle as dark, woody, but also slightly sweet. This candle was actually the first product I ever bought from Hetkinen. It feels like the scent has evolved over time, the new candle smells a bit sweeter - it would also make a great men's scent if you ask me. It's a scent you can surround yourself with all day.
Also worth mentioning is the colour of the candle - it has such a beautiful creamy colour and even after lighting it, the texture reminds me of caffe latte when you pour in the milk and it combines with the coffee, so beautiful!

The Hetkinen DIY / Refill Candle Set is the perfect gift for any creative person. It comes with small vegetarian wax flakes, a wooden candle wick, a scent button, a label and short instructions in a paper box. All you need is an old jar and preferably a microwave to heat the wax flakes (a stove will do it too). In a few minutes you have created your own candle and the feeling of having made it yourself is incredibly rewarding! The process is very simple, the most difficult part is applying the label straight onto the jar. If you want to make the candle even more personal, you can add some special text, a little poem, some wishes or stickers to the label. It also makes a great gift if you want to give something personal or homemade.

The DIY kit is also a great Hetkinen starter product - it's an inexpensive alternative to the vegetable candles in the shop - if you want to try the brand, it's a great opportunity to get the same quality at a cheaper price.

Hetkinen cosmetics

If you take a look at my bathroom cabinet, you will see that I only have a few basic products for my daily routine. I like to keep it simple and use everyday essentials like soap, cream, shampoo and nothing fancy. At first I wasn't sure if I really needed a sense oil, but over the past few months it has become one of my favourite Hetkinen products. I really like the versatility of the oil, you can use it literally anywhere from your face, lips, legs, elbows, feet and/or hair. I have chosen the Hetkinen Spruce-Cranberry Sense Oil, which smells amazing and strengthens the skin. It brightens and protects against free radicals, UV rays and premature ageing. I love using it on my legs as a reward after using the exercise bike and I also use it on my hair - especially when it's looking a little dry or matt. It is such a nice extra treat that I can highly recommend it.

Hetkinen lip balms make my lips feel soft and silky. The secret of the Pine Lip Balm is a combination of cold-pressed vegetable oils that soften and nourish the lips, two different types of pine oil and Finnish pine needle oil extract. I have never seen another brand put so much effort into creating a sustainable packaging for a lip balm. I also like to call it a little pocket wonder because you can use it not only on your lips but also on any other dry area of your skin. My favourite Hetkinen lip balm is Coffee-Pine because I am a huge fan of the smell of coffee beans. It's one of my daily essentials that's always in my bag because I don't like the feeling of dry lips.

The Hetkinen Cranberry Cream is one of the products that will last a long time due to its more solid, waterless texture. You only need a pea-sized amount to apply. It is a face cream with a slightly pinkish and yellowish colour and a mild and sweet scent that reminds me a little of a subtle natural rose scent with a citrus note, but it is obviously cranberry, geranium essential oil and a few other key ingredients. The cream nourishes the skin and protects it from UV rays. As I already have a face cream from another brand, the Cranberry Cream is a product that I only use on special occasions. I probably won't buy it again because I've already found the perfect everyday cream. What definitely speaks for it is the natural formula, the amazing subtle scent and the moisturising and smoothing effect on the skin. It has also received some really great reviews on the website, so it is definitely worth a try.

Hetkinen Home

It's great to see the Hetkinen product line growing and I've been looking forward to the Pine Vessel Diffuser as an addition to the home fragrance section. The Hetkinen pine diffuser is designed to last a lifetime - the only thing that needs replacing are the fragrance bottles, which are currently available in three different scents. The diffuser is a useful everyday item that could also pass for a design object thanks to its great shape. I chose the Hiljaisuus fragrance (Hiljaisuus is Finnish and means 'silence') - a harmonious scent with notes of neroli, vanilla and plum - and the Metsä fragrance (also a Finnish word that can be translated as 'forest'), which reminds me of a walk in the forest with a pine-covered path.

Hetkinen also has a large selection of (round) soaps. Since our tiles and taps are grey, I chose Hetkinen's Crowberry-Spruce Salt Soap, which looks a bit like the moon. Crowberry is rich in vitamin C and contains many antioxidants and anthocyanins. The salt soap gently disinfects the skin, which we all know is very important to keep all kinds of bacteria away. I use one in the kitchen and one in the bathroom - it makes my hands feel smooth and clean.

Hetkinen collaborations

Hetkinen is also known for great collaborations, such as the one with Finnish natural cosmetics company Laponie. Together they have created a light facial spray that leaves the skin feeling hydrated, calm and comfortable. It is a skincare product for sensitive skin with no added fragrance. It reduces irritation and redness and comes in a beautiful wooden box that can also be used to store make-up or other items. Happiness Birch Mist is one of my sister's favourites - she likes to include it in her mourning routine.

One collaboration I was particularly looking forward to was with Aarikka, another Finnish company known abroad for the round (wooden) shapes in their jewellery. Aarikka and Hetkinen have created a mini diffuser in the shape of a tree, which comes with a small bottle of pine essential oil. It is such a beautiful and great item that you can also use as a scented tree in your car, as a diffuser on your desk or as a charm for your bag. I would recommend getting the pine tree in the natural colour as I had a few problems with the black one when letting the scent drop into the hole: It can happen that a little of the colour of the tree comes off due to the oil, which you can avoid by choosing the natural coloured one.

All in all, it has been a really great ambassador season and I can highly recommend all the products mentioned. Also keep an eye on Hetkinen's social media channels, they have recently launched Hetkinen Scent Labs where you can create your own personal summer scent - they are currently touring Finland visiting festivals where you can buy a bottle of your own summer scent. It looks like they will also be opening the first Hetkinen concept store in October 2024!

Thank you Hetkinen and all the other ambassadors for the great community and the chance to be part of this project!

Hetkinen – natural cosmetics and design items

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed that every now and then I take pictures of beautiful products with a minimalist design. Luckily, after a great collaboration in 2021, Hetkinen invited me back as a brand ambassador.

As I already use their products on a daily basis and have placed them in every room of our house including my office at work, it was a really joyful task to photograph new products and share them on my Instagram profile.

About the Finnish brand Hetkinen

Hetkinen is a small company from Turku, located on the southwest coast of Finland. Since 2018, founder Mona Isotupa and her team have been developing and producing natural cosmetics and design items. All products are natural and plastic-free, even the packaging of the products is mostly made of Finnish pine wood. Recently, Hetkinen was awarded with the Finnish key flag mark - which indicates that all products are designed and manufactured in Finland. In addition, a campaign was launched this year to show that Hetkinen strictly rejects animal testing and that they stand for cruelty-free and vegan products.

All of Hetkinen's products have a stunning design. Hetkinen often collaborates with artists and designers, such as Saana and Olli, an award-winning designer couple from Turku.

From last year to this year, many products have been added to the wide product range, which consists of 18 categories, and I was excited to try out the latest products.

Hetkinen Metsä collection – inspiration from the Finnish forest and trees

“Metsä” is a Finnish word and it means forest. The Hetkinen metsä series in one of my current favourites of Hetkinen. The series consists of 12 products from a spa collection to design products for your home. If you have ever been to Finland, you might know that the Finnish forest landscape is quite unique and filled with pure raw materials such as lichen, birches, cranberries which form the basis for the sauna and spa products.
With this series everyone can enjoy the forest - even when there is no possibility to actually visit it – and have a forest spa day at home.

The Hetkinen birch hand and foot bath helps your tired as well as swollen feet and hands feel refreshed again; birch leaves are amongst other things beneficial for circulation. The lichen mask has the same circulation effect on your face - it cleanses the face deeply and provides the skin with moisture and nutrients. The cranberry cream is a dream come true: it is made from cold-pressed cranberries and smells wonderful. The mild and sweet scent of the cream comes from the northern cranberries and the essential oil of geranium.

The spa day is complete with a lovely feeling at home: therefore you can use the veggie candle called metsä and the scent diffuser metsä. I love the needles in the natural candle made from rapeseed and soy wax and the fragrance diffuser with top notes of birch, heart notes of cypress and base notes of black spruce not only smells fantastic but also looks wonderful.

Hetkinen cosmetics

This year Hetkinen kindly gifted me the pine-coffee lip balm. To be honest, I already owned one – even though I don’t drink coffee, I love the smell of coffee beans. The lip balm – which became an essential product of my daily morning routine – reminds me of freshly brewed coffee and the Finnish forest. There is no better way to start the day than with this lip balm!

One product I was particularly excited about was the sense oil. I got to try the Hetkinen rowan berry-mountain ash sense oil, which makes your skin looks healthy. It can be used for many different areas - for super dry spots on the body like elbows or knees, for the face and lips, for dry hair and it can also be used as a massage oil.

Especially in summer, it is very important for me to feel good in my skin and a great deodorant contributes a lot to this. I've been avoiding aluminum-based deodorants for years and was very excited to try Hetkinen's aluminum-free and alcohol-free deodorant. It has a creamy texture and not only removes unpleasant odours, but also moisturizes the sensitive underarm skin. I would highly recommend storing the deodorant in the fridge from time to time - the cool temperature acts as a freshness booster, but also helps to maintain the original consistency of the natural product.

Hetkinen home

Hetkinen is already known for its great veggie candles, which are a special experience due to their wooden wick and the fire-place crackling sounds. In stores and online you can find about 5 to 6 different versions/natural scents – either in square or round shape.
The melted wax burns off in beautiful layers. It reminds me of the annual rings of trees that my father and I often counted together when we went for walks when I was young.

Another beautiful wooden object with a great function is the drop wood diffuser. I just add a few drops of essential oil into the groove of the lid from where the scent unfolds. The bottle with the essential oil (there are five different scents; I picked organic eucalyptus and pine oil) can be stored inside the wooden object. The drop wood diffuser comes in different sizes. I own a small one for my workspace and a wide one for my living room. There is also a tall diffuser available.

Hetkinen summer products

All seasons in Finland have their benefits, but the best, in my opinion, is Finnish summer with its bright nights and blossoming nature. I was very pleased to see that Hetkinen has also created two products inspired by the most significant aromas of Finnish summer.

The summer seizure fragrance is a lovely scent of a lively summer that smells sweet and fresh at the same time thanks to the top notes of Finnish white rose, rose pepper and lemon. It's always a bit difficult to order a perfume online because you can't smell it beforehand, but I'm so glad I chose this one. The scent is perfect for this season: it is a light and bright fragrance for hot summer days.

But not only you, also your room can smell fantastic with the Hetkinen other summer scent diffuser. To me, the natural room scent smells very similar to the summer seizure fragrance for your body. The perfect little extra for your room, not only in summer but also in any other season.

A big thank you to Hetkinen for the great ambassador program as well as the surprise gifts. It is always a pleasure and honour to work with you!

If you want to try some Hetkinen products, visit the Mangolds shop in Graz or have a look at the official online shop. There is also the possibility to buy Hetkinen products during your flight with Finnair!

Hetkinen - a moment for yourself

Imagine a morning on a warm summer day. The first rays of light hit the bedroom and you are excited what the new day will bring. You just put on some clothes, take your keys, walk out the door to cross the street, walk through that little park with the statue in golden sandals. Just a little uphill walk and you are there: in the middle of the forest. Silence welcomes you, the fresh nordic breeze and the rustling leaves are your companions. Here and there you can hear a bird chirping a lovely melody from afar. While you walk on this little path covered with needles, the sun gently shines through the trees on your face and a squirrel crosses your path, not too shy, wondering where you might go.
You walk to this wooden bench on the little rock where you have a wonderful view over the lake with the island. Once you reach this place you lay down on the bench and slowly the stress of the last weeks starts to fall off your shoulders. A big smile overcomes you because you are happy where you are right now: it’s just you and the Finnish forest and it feels amazing.

For weeks, ok to be honest for months, me and my heart are ready to depart. To Finland. It has been a long year and also this one seems to turn out not very promising to be able to leave soon. But little wonders can also happen at home: In March I was chosen to be an ambassador for the Finnish brand Hetkinen.
Hetkinen is a Turku based company that manufactures natural cosmetics and minimalist interiors. Most of their products look like the Finnish forest and also smell like it.
Hetkinen is a Finnish word, “hetki” means moment. The brand’s name should be interpreted in this way that you should take a moment for yourself, you should stop for a while and calm down - with the help of Hetkinen products. Similar to my holiday memories in the beginning of this post, the products create a feeling of a relaxing forest walk which suits body and soul – just that you are at home or in your office. Hetkinen’s mission is to bring people closer to nature in their busy everyday lives.

To me the forest has always been a place to escape. A place to recover. A place of joy.

It’s great to see that there is a brand that drives inspiration from the Finnish forests too and dedicates their time to mindfully develop natural products by using purest essential oils that both smell and do good.
Their product line is made of 100% natural ingredients – no artificial smells or substances like parabens or polyethylenes are used – and it’s fully vegan.
You can find essentials of pine in many of their products, a very common tree variety in Finland with a sustainable population; they use spruce resin which has been collected from Kuusamo, all kind of berries like rowan berry, crowberry, cranberry or juniper which can be found in the Finnish forest. Everything is made in harmony with nature.

Even the product packaging is worth mentioning: it is beautifully designed and plastic-free.
Most of their products come in wooden jars from Finnish pine heart wood. No chemicals are used in the process as the tree is naturally antibacterial. During a virtual company tour we found out that Kari, who is a carpenter, is creating these beautiful jars. Each jar is unique because no tree is like the other. Once the products are consumed, you can reuse the jars as little storage boxes or recycle them (e.g. compost them or take them to a wood recycling centre).

In the last three months I learned a lot about the forest – now I can distinguish all kind of tree species – about Hetkinen and their product line which is growing every time whenever I take a look at their website.

 The candles

Candles are the first things that come to my mind when thinking of creating a beautiful moment for myself.
I really like to use them all around the year, for example while eating dinner to make the moment a little bit more special and hygge.
Hetkinen offers a great selection of veggie candles. You can separate them in two sections: The traditional veggie candles and the happiness candles.
The traditional veggie candles smell for example like spruce resin or smoke sauna. If you don’t have a fireplace, use one of the candles because the wooden wick creates a crackling and relaxing sound. Hetkinen also offers a candle refill set: you get all components to create your own candle except of the jar which we all have plenty at home. It was really easy and fun to do; the active candle making process didn’t take longer than three minutes.
The happiness candles are the fancier candles for design lovers: they come in round or tree shapes, have a cotton wick and a pine root holder as a design element. The round/globe version is available in three different sizes.

The scents

Every day you can find me near the pine forest scent diffuser trying to inhale the great scent when leaving the room. My room already turned into a Finnish forest thanks to this beautifully looking and smelling diffuser. It has a neutral and most important natural scent of pine needles which calms me down and makes me feel relaxed. There are also a few other scent options: “Finnish sisu” which empowers your senses with menthol and black pepper, the spicy “shinrin yoku” which means “forest bathing” and the festive “happy holidays” scent with cinnamon for a cosy atmosphere.
If you want to take the forest everywhere you go, I can recommend checking out the perfume section where you can find two fragrances called “forest riot” and “bark bout”.

The creams (& the lip balms)

On my desk next to me you can find a staple of beautiful boxes of pine heart wood. I immediately think of trees and the forest while looking at them. What I love about the body butter, the resin salve and the hand balm is that these are solid products – they are waterless and very sufficient – you just need a very small amount of the product.
Buy less, but better is another aim of the brand which they want to state with their product line.
All Hetkinen products are manufactured in their own company in Turku. It’s amazing how a small team with less than ten persons can design products from pure and minimal ingredients, bearing in mind the safety of the product for the user and nature.

 If you would like to create a Hetkinen moment for yourself, please check out their website:

My top 3 Hetkinen interiors:

1. Pine forest scent diffuser
2. DIY/ refill candle
3. Happiness globe candle

My top 3 Hetkinen natural cosmetics:

1. Spruce resin salve
2. Pine lip balm
3. Pine peppermint salt soap

My top 3 songs:

1. “Time to Escape” by Idiomatic
2. “ASAP” by Milow
3. “Ready to Depart” by Idiomatic

From nature to urban living

I mostly get inspired by other artists. It’s wonderful to watch someone doing something creative; whether it is drawing, crafting, singing or manufacturing. There is nothing more beautiful than turning your own ideas into reality and bringing joy to others due to your pieces of art. I think it’s the passion of the creator that releases a powerful energy which makes you want to get creative too.

Last month I started to collaborate with Papurino, a design brand from Finland. Papurino is a small family business of three talented artists called Anna, Olli and Kaarlo who design and manufacture beautiful interior products using natural materials. It’s all in their hands: from sketching the idea to creating prototypes and finally releasing a fascinating visual product. It’s interesting to see how they work together as a collective, sharing their talents, bringing in their personal skills and helping each other to create beautiful products. Their passion of creating is part of their life: The whole family is involved in the business and not only the process of creating something new, but also how they incorporate all aspects of operating a business in their daily life feels inspiring to me.

I was really excited when Papurino asked me to become one of their brand representatives, because I already liked their products for a long time. The first thing I have ever spotted from Papurino was one of their city maps on Instragram. The city maps come in round or rectangular shape and are geometric minimal scenes from a city. They are available in black or natural wood, are lightweight and look like an abstract version of a city where you can spot your favourite streets, rivers and more. I guess everyone has a favourite city for various reasons and the map could be a beautiful reminder of your memories connected with this city. Maybe you met your love of your life on a street in this city, you found your dream job there, you bought your own home in this popular district, you like to travel there whenever possible, you just love the vibe of the city or maybe it reminds you of your lovely and carefree childhood and the great and funny times with your best friend. There are plenty of reasons to decide for a city map and there is also a huge variety of sizes available so it could always find a lovely place in your home.

As a photographer I also love their wooden magnetic poster hangers to showcase my photographs. They are light and stylish and make hanging up a picture or drawing very easy. Anna is also an illustrator and offers beautiful prints too – some of them are even printed on plywood.

Since I appreciate all things that are connected with nature I can also highly recommend their wooden ornaments which bring the spirit of nature to your home: Not only the animals of the forest, but also the more abstract shapes of nature like leaves or cones are a wonderful decoration all over the year. There are plenty of possibilities to use them and it’s nice to get creative with these pieces too.

Anna, Olli and Kaarlo not only offer wooden city maps, poster hangers or ornaments: From toys for children to clocks, textiles or jewellery you can find many unique and high quality products. It’s great to see how they develop their products and probably next time when you are visiting their store or webshop you will find another brand-new piece. If you want to make your home a little bit more beautiful, please check out Papurino!

PinjaPuu

The forest is a place for me where I can calm down and relax. I feel like I am surrounded by a magical atmosphere and all those beautiful natural colors and shapes make me happy and worry-free. I discovered PinjaPuu in a little eco design and vintage shop called Forget-Me-Not in the heart of Tampere, Finland. Those beautiful designs immediately caught my attention. Now I am able to take a little piece of Finland and the calming feeling of the forest with me every day and everywhere.   
Pinja Kärkkäinen is a young Finnish designer who makes nature-inspired jewelry and accessories. The jewelry line is called PinjaPuu which means “Pine tree” in English. The jewelry is made of Finnish birch plywood, it is light as a feather, produced ecofriendly and rich in detail. You can definitely see that Pinja puts a lot of effort in her handmade jewelry line and that she truly loves her job: Not only the jewelry, but also the packaging is designed and made with love.