Finnish design duo Saana ja Olli has launched a new home textile collection titled Rakkauden meri, “sea of love”. Made of natural hemp, the collection was inspired by the haphazard, unpredictable nature of love.
FINNISH DESIGN DUO SAANA JA OLLI has double the reason to celebrate this fall! Not only did they release a new product line, but their home was also chosen as the most beautiful home in Finland on the latest season of the Finnish TV show Suomen kaunein koti. Based on the Danish format Danmarks skønneste hjem, the program showcases homes across the country in a bid to find the most beautiful of them all. Design Stories congratulates Saana ja Olli's Saana Sipilä and Olli Sallinen for the win!
The other reason for celebration, the new collection, comprises home textiles from cushion covers to cosmetics bags and kitchen textiles, all decorated with a delicate, wavy print called Rakkauden meri, which translates to “sea of love”. As the name suggests, the collection was inspired by love and throwing oneself into it headfirst.
“At the beginning of the design process, when we were still brainstorming the theme, love came up so often that we just had to dive into its haphazardness,” says the duo’s Olli Sallinen.
Rakkauden meri is a typical Saana ja Olli design in that it is based on a simple line drawing. The pattern consists of undulating, slightly dashed lines that could be interpreted to represent waves of the sea of love. In addition, the print features human-like figures.
“We wanted to go back to our roots, to hand-drawn, continuous pattern designs,” says Sallinen.
“We tried to tap into our subconsciousness, and at some point, we realized that the lines had started to make up figures. The design had fallen into place.”
Like other Saana ja Olli textiles, the Rakkauden meri products are sustainably and transparently made in Finland using hemp fabric sourced from Europe.
Hemp is an eco-friendly material, as it is fast-growing and rich in crops yet fairly modest in its needs: the cultivation of hemp requires less water, fertilizers, and pesticides than many other fibers.
Hemp cultivation also enhances soil health as it prevents erosion. In addition, the hemp used for Saana ja Olli products is cultivated in the EU using crop rotation, a practice in which different crops are planted sequentially on the same plot to improve soil health.
See also:
• All designs by Saana ja Olli >
Edit: Emmi Ratilainen Images: Suvi Kesäläinen