" I compose appealing design and brand experiences for companies building the better future"

My Design Philosophy

 Modern consumerism is problematic in many ways and the world is filled with things that have been manufactured in an unsustainable manner.

Following several years of reflection, I concluded that people would continue to adorn their homes and themselves with beautiful things, but perhaps they just need gentle guidance to make their consumer choices more sustainable.

As a designer and producer of consumer goods, I am in a privileged position whereby I can help both private customers and corporate clients to make ethical, environmentally friendly choices without ever compromising on beauty or functionality.

 I have found that my creativity truly blossoms when I create something that makes it easy, even attractive, for customers to challenge their ideas about consumption and ownership.

Products that are innovative, beautiful, made of high-quality materials and produced as close to the customer as possible are climate-friendly and stand the test of time.

I have found my calling as a designer, while the challenge of finding the most sustainable, environmentally friendly and ethical ways to do my job has proven to be a great source of inspiration that keeps me going day after day. 

Social and Environmental Accountability

When it comes to ownership, the most sustainable choice is holding on to the things you already have. However, if something is beyond repair and you need to replace it, then this can be done either by buying a second-hand product or something new that has been produced with people and the planet in mind. You can rest assured in the knowledge that everything in the Katriina Nuutinen collection has been ethically produced. 

 I really hope that every one of us would rethink our existing patterns of consumption and learn to appreciate the things we already have, look after our possessions well, and, when new needs arise, invest in quality rather than quantity.

 I am proud to offer a range of sustainable products and services that are made with love and care, so they can be enjoyed and cherished by you, as well as future generations.

My Values

My core values can be summed up in four words: kindness, beauty, durability and functionality. Caring for and looking after the natural world, other human beings, animals, as well as the things we own, underpins everything I do. I also believe in creating beautiful, practical and ecological products that make everyday life easier. 

By putting my values into action, I can provide my customers with sustainable and ecological alternatives to mass-produced goods without ever compromising on beauty or quality.

My Vision

As an entrepreneur I aspire to play a part in the fight against climate change. I believe that everyone can make a difference and small actions can significantly benefit the environment, as well as the lives of other human beings.

My Mission

My mission is to create products and provide services that genuinely bring joy to people in their everyday lives and make ethical and ecological consumption easy and attractive.

My products are minimalist by design, but due to their versatile and functional nature, they are also compatible with varying styles and add a touch of luxury to any space. Studies suggest that surrounding yourself with beautiful things is beneficial to your health and well-being.

Work Methods and Practices

Katriina's dedication, enthusiasm and perseverance bring her unique designs to life. She is fascinated by nuanced, sophisticated technical details, eclectic material combinations, as well as the process of forming harmonious compositions from an array of colours and shapes.

With her great attention to detail, Katriina is able to create designs that are effortless, yet strikingly beautiful in a way that makes you want to stop and study each piece more closely.

It has been said that Katriina has a gift for being able to design functional, timeless pieces that could have been created ten years ago, today or ten years from now – design classics that will stand the test of time. 

 Katriina’s work process is very disciplined and goal-oriented: what begins with detailed sketches and prototypes turns into a meticulously perfected, finished product relatively quickly.

Katriina’s approach to each project is characterised by her strong work ethic and ability to focus on the task at hand, without wasting any time or entertaining unnecessary distractions. She enjoys teamwork and has received praise for her gentle manner when leading a design project of any kind.

Glass   

Glass, one of her favorite materials, has excellent properties for reflecting light and colour, as well as creating optical illusions. Katriina is passionate about safeguarding the Finnish glassblowing tradition, a method that can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

Together with talented glassblowers, Katriina works to utilise this age-old glass forming technique into exquisite products that will bring joy to their owners well into the future. By combining glass with wood, it is possible to highlight the beautiful features and characteristics of both materials: when put side by side, glass and wood really come to life. 

In 2018 Katriina launched the Vieno glass collection including five different products that have all been made using the same mould. Vieno bottles, vases, bowls, lamps and clocks are made using the same mould, whereby the glass is cut in a different way for each product.

Making several products with one mould is not only economical but also ecological, while using one piece of mouth-blown glass to create several items also helps to reduce material waste. If a piece of glass cannot be put to use entirely due to a flaw or imperfection, at least parts of it can be utilised in another product.

The wood that is used in Katriina’s designs comes from certified Finnish forests and goes through a meticulous selection process before it is carved into finished products by artisan woodworkers, mainly in the North Karelia region of Finland. Katriina loves working together with talented artisans, as these co-operations are professionally very rewarding and act as inspirational learning opportunities for everyone involved. 

 Cork  

An incredibly versatile natural material, cork is harvested from living cork oak trees in a way that the trees themselves are unharmed during the process. The Portuguese have worked with cork for centuries and, through the combination of old methods together with new innovations, their cork products have become a success leading to high demand across the world. 

When Katriina, who grew up among the Northern European pine and birch trees, first learned about Portuguese cork fabric, something about the material seemed very familiar. It was sometime later when she realised that cork resembles birch bark that was used by her Finnish ancestors to make bags when other types of fabric were in short supply.

After experimenting with numerous cork bag designs and testing them in everyday use for years, Katriina decided to create a new collection utilising cork fabric, allowing her to spread the good news to her customers as well. Durable, ecological and beautiful, this fantastic material only seems to get better with age. 

The cork products in the Katriina Nuutinen collection are produced in the part of Portugal where the trees are grown, which means the local artisans get the most value from the products, as the raw material is not transported across Europe to be sewn in Finland. Read more about the Thinkers&Makers collection here.

Awards and Achievements

Katriina Nuutinen has won several international awards ia. the Talents à la Carte Award at Maison&Objet in Paris in 2016. One of Katriina’s most well-known designs in Finland, the Candeo bright light lamp that is manufactured by Innolux, won the Interior Innovation Award in 2015. In 2014, the Oma floor lamp was selected as one of the TOP25 homeware products by Monocle magazine, while in 2017, the Perho mirror was selected among the 12 best Finnish products of the year at the Habitare Design Fair. In 2011, Katriina was awarded Finnish Talent of the Year at the Muoto2011 Design Gala in Helsinki. In 2009 Hely jewel lighting was selected as the most beautiful product in Stockholm Furniture Fair.

In 2019 Katriina was awarded a three-year working grant by the Finnish Cultural Foundation for the Wonders of the World art project. Glow worm cave art piece from the WOW project is now part of the Finnish State Art Deposit Collection. The artworks acquired by Finnish State Art Commission from 1956 onward constitute the State Art Deposit Collection, which is currently one of the largest art collections in Finland. The State Art Commission is part of the Finnish National Gallery. The collection is part of Finland’s national heritage and is owned by the State. The Finnish National Gallery is responsible for the care, maintenance and development of the collection.