Founded in 2004, Finnish Design Shop has transformed over two decades from a humble small business into one of the world’s leading online stores for Nordic design. To celebrate the 20th anniversary, we’re taking a look back at the key milestones along the journey.
BACK IN 2004, the world of design looked quite different than today. HAY’s Hee chair, Iittala’s Essence glass series, and Kartell’s Louis Ghost chair were still fresh newcomers, not yet the design icons they are now. As for classics like the Marimekko Räsymatto or the relaunched String Pocket shelf? They hadn’t even made their debut. Instead, the coolest interior trends of the early 2000s brought us beaded curtains, furry cushions, lava lamps, lime-green accents, and inflatable essentials like armchairs and mobile phone stands.
Online shopping for design was still somewhat uncharted territory. Computers had only just settled into homes quite recently, and while you could jazz up your Nokia 3310 with a catchy ringtone or a snazzy wallpaper, it certainly wasn’t built for e-commerce. Yet, a few bold young visionaries from Turku, Finland, thought differently. They had a plan: to create a smooth virtual gateway to the world of Finnish design.
The aptly named Finnish Design Shop was officially born on October 10, 2004, exactly 20 years ago. To mark the occasion, let’s explore how the company evolved from a modest startup into a global ambassador of Nordic happiness.
Timeless from the start
A lot has changed in the past 20 years, but surprisingly, quite a bit has stayed the same. For objects that have achieved the status of design classics, two decades is hardly a long time. The very first product listed on Finnish Design Shop’s website, the Aino Aalto tumbler from 1932, is still available today, as is the first item ever sold, the Essence red wine glass from 2001. Furniture icons like Eero Aarnio’s Ball Chair, Yrjö Kukkapuro’s Karuselli chair, and Harri Koskinen’s K chair were also among the store’s early offerings.
The selection initially revolved around Finnish design, but as interest grew, it expanded to include Scandinavian design at large. Soon enough, brands from beyond the Nordics that fit the ethos of timeless design joined the mix. Today, Finnish Design Shop offers products from over 300 brands, with some of the earliest additions being Finnish brands Iittala, Arabia, Marimekko, Tonfisk Design, and Verso Design, as well as Scandinavian brands Design House Stockholm, Fatboy, Louis Poulsen, Muuto, and Normann Copenhagen.
• Discover: Evergreen design favorites – the first items from our collection >
From local to global
It all began in a small space the size of a studio apartment, where products were packed and shipped out. As operations grew, so did the warehouse space, moving from one location to the next until Finnish Design Shop’s new logistics center was completed in Turku in the autumn of 2021. A second office is located in Helsinki within the premises of A-lehdet, a Finnish media company that acquired a majority stake in Finnish Design Shop in 2014.
From the beginning, Finnish Design Shop has embraced its identity as a global online store. Early on, products were shipped across Finland and Europe, and by 2009, dedicated websites for the US and Italian markets were launched. In 2016, global shipping took off, and nowadays, most sales come from international customers.
• Read the story: Architecture on a human scale – join us on a tour of Finnish Design Shop’s facilities in Turku >
Ambassadors of Nordic happiness
Today, Finnish Design Shop employs over 130 people, with various teams driving the operations. The largest teams include the warehouse crew in Turku, who send packages worldwide, and the customer service team, who ensure every customer is well taken care of. The leadership team saw some changes earlier this year when Noora Tirkkonen started as the Managing Director, joining founder Teemu Kiiski, who continues in his role as CEO.
Our slogan, Pieces of Nordic Happiness, sums up the essential: our goal is to deliver high-quality Nordic design that brings joy for years to come. To amplify this joy, we recently launched the Friends of Nordic Happiness loyalty program, offering exclusive benefits for all fans of Nordic design. Are you already part of the club?
• Read the story: Let’s be friends! Finnish Design Shop’s customer loyalty program offers exclusive benefits for design enthusiasts >
Inspirational Design Stories
Inspiring customers and sharing our own content have been part of Finnish Design Shop’s DNA since day one, with our first in-house magazine released as early as 2006. Design Stories, the publication you’re reading now, first saw the light of day as a print magazine around Finnish Design Shop’s 10th anniversary in 2014.
Since 2017, Design Stories has been an online publication, and to date, over 1,500 articles have been published in English, with just as many available in Finnish.
• Explore the latest Design Stories articles >
Contract projects around the globe
In 2015, Finnish Design Shop expanded its services to cater to businesses and interior design professionals through the launch of the Trade and Contract Sales.
Over the years, the stellar Contract Sales team has had the opportunity to supply furniture to hundreds of exciting destinations worldwide – including the new Finnair lounge at Helsinki Airport, the Los Angeles headquarters of tech company The Sandbox, and the renovated patient rooms at Alvar Aalto’s Paimio Sanatorium, now repurposed for accommodation.
• Read the story: Finnish Design Shop’s Contract Sales supplies design for projects worldwide – whether it be Milwaukee or the Maledives >
Vintage finds at Franckly
Developed and curated by Finnish Design Shop, the online marketplace for pre-loved design, Franckly, is also celebrating an anniversary this year – our little sister has reached the five-year mark. Since 2019, Franckly has established itself as a hub for vintage treasure hunters and sellers, with deals happening not only in Finland but across Europe.
Currently, three sought-after classics top Franckly’s most-wanted list: Artek’s iconic Beehive and Golden Bell luminaires, as well as Carl Hansen & Søn’s Wishbone chair.
FDS Award calls for fresh ideas
The FDS Award is Finnish Design Shop’s own design competition, seeking new products that suit the online store – perhaps even future classics and design icons. So far, the FDS Award has been held three times, with several successful designs making it all the way to production.
FDS Award winners:
• 2016: Perch stool by Salla Luhtasela and Wesley Walters
• 2017: Pine lip balm concept by Mona Isotupa
• 2019: Kakadu pendant light by Elina Ulvio
• Read the story: Three success stories of the FDS Award design competition >
Design and dining at the Showroom
In autumn 2021, the Finnish Design Shop showroom & shop opened in the new logistics center in Turku, featuring a seasonally rotating selection of furniture, lighting, and home accessories spread over two floors. The space also hosts Finnish Design Shop Studio, offering interior design services for private homes, from individual furniture choices to comprehensive interior plans.
And right next door, you’ll find the Finnish Design Shop restaurant, serving fresh, nourishing, and beautifully presented lunches that we can wholeheartedly – and with full bellies – recommend!
• Finnish Design Shop showroom & shop >
Pioneering in sustainable design
Our most ambitious recent initiative in sustainability has been the Product Sustainability Framework, launched in autumn 2023. The framework provides reliable and transparent information about the sustainability of design products, with the goal of guiding the entire industry toward more sustainable practices. To receive a sustainability rating displayed on their product page, all products undergo a thorough assessment.
Finnish Design Shop’s sustainability strategy also includes offsetting our carbon footprint by conserving Finnish forests. In 2022, we established our first conservation area, a nearly 10-hectare forest in Pälkäne, permanently protected due to its valuable biodiversity. We’re already on the hunt for the next forest to be conserved – stay tuned!
Equality is one of Finnish Design Shop’s core values, which is why we’ve committed to promoting diversity and inclusion around us: we have been an official partner of Helsinki Pride for several years, and our International Women’s Day campaigns have raised funds for UN Women Finland’s work for equality.
• Read the story: The Product Sustainability Framework is here – say hello to your new sustainability tool! >
Time to celebrate – and play!
Launched to mark the 20th anniversary, PELATA pieces is Finnish Design Shop’s very first signature collection, and it’s all about letting loose and having fun. We invited leading Nordic designers – our friends from Anderssen & Voll, TAF Studio, Kaksikko, and Studio Tolvanen – to create a range of wooden games and musical instruments that encourage laid-back moments and plenty of shared laughs. Fittingly named after the Finnish word for ’play’, PELATA invites you to jump in and enjoy the good times.
• Read the story: PELATA pieces is the first signature collection by Finnish Design Shop >
See also:
• Latest arrivals at Finnish Design Shop >
Text: Nora Uotila and Mikko Vaija