Ready to switch from winter wonderland to summer wonderland? Maybe not just yet, but we still do love the summery feel of Marimekko’s spring/summer 2023 homeware collection inspired by optimism and joie de vivre. Design Stories got a sneak peek of what Marimekko has up its sleeves for the upcoming spring and summer – see our picks and get ready to fall in love!
HOPE AND JOY – could there be a better theme for a spring/summer collection? Marimekko’s prints are always the epitomes of happiness, of course, but in the brand's first homeware range of 2023, these characteristics have been elevated to become an overall theme conveyed both by the collection's pattern motifs and its varied color palette.
The season’s table settings are all about a relaxed atmosphere and carefree everyday life, and the patterns feature new interpretations of familiar favorites, but also completely new patterns from the likes of Maija Louekari and Antti Kekki.
Some of the new arrivals have already been added to Finnish Design Shop and there are plenty more goodies coming in the course of spring and summer. We can’t wait!
It’s a colorful life
The new collection’s color palette has something for everybody: it ranges from soft pastels to muted natural tones, like sand and sky blue, and all the way to bright contrasting colors.
An example of the latter is a vivid yellow seen in Maija Isola’s Auringonkukka (“sunflower”) print. Although the print was originally designed in the 1950’s, the yellow color gives it a nice 1970’s vibe.
Humming through the days
The Oiva tableware is due to be dressed in a brand-new pattern called Hyräily, “humming”. Designed by Maija Louekari, the print is composed of asymmetrical stripes that nods to, as the pattern’s name suggests, the varied rhythm of humming. The wabi-sabi-style pattern is inspired by the carefree beauty of the everyday, so it only makes sense that Louekari created it by hand-painting strokes with a wide brush.
Fans of classic Marimekko prints, fear not: the collection also includes beloved designs in new colorways. How about a bright yellow Unikko or a sky blue Räsymatto, for example?
Kekki’s new groove
The new collection features several designs from Antti Kekki, but our favorite is the Korkeuksissa print with its delightfully topsy-turvy checkers. The pastel-hued pattern is made up of squares of pink and green, with the pink motifs representing cherry blossoms flowing in the wind and the green squares are like the windows of a skyscraper glistening in the sun.
Ocean views
Of course, Marimekko’s beloved vases are also included in the spring home collection. The hugely popular Flower and the 2021 release Umpu are dressed for spring in fresh hues of mint green and beige shades, instantly evoking images of summer and days by the water: the mint green is like the blue-green of the ocean while the beige is like a sandy beach. The single-flower vase Flower in mint green looks especially lovely even without flowers!
• Marimekko vases >
Laundry day has come
Jenni Tuominen has created two similar prints for the collection: Pyykki and Pyykkipäivä (“laundry” and “laundry day”). Both print designs are inspired by summer memories of hanging laundry and creating random yet surprisingly aesthetic compilations of textiles on the clothesline.
Although the abstract prints are seemingly simple, the design process actually contained several steps. First, Tuominen drew the shapes on a sheet of paper, then cut them out and painted them with opaque paints, and lastly arranged them into rhythmic designs. If you look closely, you'll notice that the brushstrokes are visible, echoing the rest of the collection's laid-back feel.
See also:
• All products by Marimekko >
• Newest arrivals at Finnish Design Shop >
Edit: Emmi Ratilainen Images: Marimekko