Time to get cozy together! Fundamental items for hosting guests this fall and winter

Our friends from abroad find it hard to miss: we Finns love to entertain in the comfort of our homes and often choose to snuggle up rather than head downtown. To warm up the chillier seasons, may we present 9 products made for comfy gatherings.

Feast with squirrel friends

Pets begging for belly rubs are not the only fauna adept at gathering people together. May we present exhibit A, Marimekko's endearing Kurre bowl! Aino-Maija Metsola's precious squirrel pattern adds extra appeal to the small bowl, perfect for mixing and matching with other dishware from the evergreen Oiva series.

• Marimekko's Kurre bowl >
• All designer tableware >

Coziness calls for candles

As days grow shorter, candles are an instant moodsetter when hosting guests. The Danish brand HAY ensures that gently flickering candlelight is not the only thing worth gazing at. Certified with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, the Column candle is even more exquisite when paired with the collection's candleholder.

• HAY's Column candle >
• All candles and candleholders >

Coats in excellent company

A fall home's inviting ambiance can already be felt at the entrance! Thanks to Anna Pirkola and Joel Sipilä, decorating the hallway is sublimely simple – as a cherry on top, the blue-hued clothes rack suits smaller spaces as it can be turned flat against the wall.

• Fólk Reykjavík's Turnaround rack >
• All coat racks and hangers >

Made for entertaining

Finnish master cabinetmaker Antrei Hartikainen has designed the Swiss Army knife equivalent of a coffee table: the practical wooden base is just the ticket for storing board games and other leisure-time essentials. With a shape derived from water lily leaves, Maze's Parasol coffee table also allows for resting your guest's tea mug or wine glass.

• Maze's Parasol coffee table >
• All designer coffee tables >

Feeling chilly? Not for long!

A gracious host always has a warm woolen throw to offer invitees who are feeling nippy. Manufactured at the Lapuan Kankurit weaving mill in Finland, the Metsikkö blanket invites guests to curl up when the shindig turns into an impromptu movie night.

• Metsikkö blanket by Lapuan Kankurit >
• All throws and bed covers >

Bon voyage, luminaire

When candles no longer do the trick on their own, it's time to bring out the big guns. Reminiscent of a leaf, the portable Arum table lamp is a mood-boosting jack-of-all-trades, eager to travel from the dining table to the living room's loveliest lounging spot.

• Ferm LIVING's Arum table lamp >
• All designer lighting >

This fall's most inviting nook

After a candlelit dinner, the soirée is all set to continue on softer seating – the Develius Mellow modular sofa is your new best friend for those moments. Its soft and serene shapes are by Edward van Vliet, who runs his namesake studio in Amsterdam.

• &Tradition's Develius Mellow sofa >
• All sofas and daybeds >

Equal parts stylish and spellbinding

This habit is surely shared by more than mere bookworms – when visiting a friend, it feels only natural to inspect their bookshelf for clues of literary preferences. Eeva Sivula has created a cover worthy of Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice, which will no doubt kick off conversations about everyone's most beloved books.

• Aatos Editions' Pride and Prejudice >
• All books and magazines >

Game night, tea break or both?

Made from solid wood, Prikka is a playful partner at any dinner party – it can be used either as a whimsical backgammon set or a sophisticated tray. Included in Finnish Design Shop's 20th-anniversary signature collection, the game board is designed by TAF Studio, known for Artek's Atelier chairs and String Furniture's Museum series, among other gems.

• PELATA pieces' Prikka backgammon >
• All products for leisure-time activities >

See also:

• New arrivals at Finnish Design Shop >

Text: Eero Nurmi Images: Manufacturers