Finland

While in Helsinki, at a planning conference, Scharlie and I were on a mission to explore Scandinavian design and architecture, particularly the works of Alvar Aalto. Alvar Aalto, and his wife Aino, were revolutionary Finnish architects and designers, renowned for their human-centric approach, seamlessly integrating architecture, furniture, and nature in their designs. The Aaltos has had a huge influence on contemporary architecture and design, from Conran and Habitat in the 60s to architects today. They also had a a big impact on our own life and we have incorporated their thinking in the renovation of our own wooden house, Leveret Croft and in the design of our furniture and fittings. Apart from the marvellous Aalto buildings we visited, including the family home and Savoy Restaurant, Helsinki was interesting and exciting for ideas about incorporating nature into urban planning, and for the surviving districts of traditional wooden houses. We stayed in the fabulous Hotel Torni, designed by Finnish architects Bertel and Valter Jung in 1928 and walked the pants off ourselves taking in as much of the city as we could in a few days. On our final day we had a day trip to Tallin, capital of Estonia, just 2 hours away by ferry.