Contributors
KOTI was built with the contributions of artists, designers and craftsmen from all over the country to give you a glimpse of Finnish creativity
Linda Bergroth
The creative engine behind KOTI, Linda Bergroth is our multi-talented lead designer.
Originally hailing from Finland, Linda lives and works between Helsinki and Paris. She brings her signature style – a Nordic love of pragmatism and natural materials, coupled with her unique zest for bold colour – to the conceptualisation and curation of KOTI. Inspired by the simple pleasures of holiday stays in a Finnish countryside cottage, Linda hopes to share the delights of an aitta with guests to the Finnish Institute in Paris.
With her charming cottage designs and a hand-picked selection of collaborators, Linda invites guests from all over the world to experience the warmth, tranquility and communal hospitality of a shared Finnish sleepover.
lindabergroth.com
Nathalie Lahdenmäki
Working in ceramic, Nathalie Lahdenmäki draws on her dual French and Finnish nationality to highlight the beauty of everyday life. Each of her pieces is handmade in simple forms to showcase delicately coloured glazes.
KOTI guests will no doubt find that breakfast tastes more delicious when eaten from tableware created by Nathalie.
nathalielahdenmaki.fi
Innolux
While light is essential to all living things, it has a special significance in the Northern hemisphere where the seasons twist and turn between periods of extreme darkness and light.
After Jukka Jokiniemi was diagnosed with an incurable eye condition which would ultimately leave him blind, he founded Innolux with a mission to bring good light to all.
Thanks to an Innolux bright-light lamp, developed to compensate for the lack of natural light in Nordic winters, each KOTI guest will awake in their aitta as if by the light of the morning sun.
innolux.fi
Linda Linko
Linda Linko is the creative talent behind KOTI’s beautiful illustrations. Linda takes a back-to-basics approach to design, preferring to work mainly with traditional techniques such as painting, drawing and cutting instead of digital software.
Rather than chase after perfection, Linda prefers to leave her designs imperfectly incomplete in the hope that space remains to capture the viewer’s imagination.
lindalinko.com
KOTI Kino
KOTI Kino is a carefully curated audiovisual content designed to entertain our guest during their staying.
You can access KOTI Kino with your own connected device via our wifi connection and explore Finnish culture: documentaries, short movies, animations, as well as Visit Finland travel guides and videos.
KOTI Kino content is provided by Visit Finland, AV-Arkki, the Finnish Film Foundation and YLE.
Lapuan Kankurit
For the last 100 years, Lapuan Kankurit have played a key part in keeping alive traditional weaving in the north west of Finland. Today, Esko Hjelt and his wife Jaana are the fourth generation of weavers helping to maintain this Finnish handicraft in Ostrobotnia.
While the company has largely concentrated on the production of bath towels and kitchen textiles, they have recently produced a special edition bed linen especially for KOTI. Our guests will feel right at home, cozying up in their cabin beds with limited-edition blankets by Lapuan Kankurit.
lapuankankurit.fi
Studio Kaksikko
Helsinki-based homeware designers Salla Luhtasela and Wesley Walters share a love of hand-crafted production processes and understated forms.
Salla’s sensitivity comes from her previous profession as a pastry chef, while Wesley’s aesthetic minimalism was shaped by his many years living in Japan.
Traditionally, Finnish aittas are sparsely furnished with only basic necessities. For KOTI, Studio Kaksikko has designed three essential pieces for each guest: a candle holder, hand mirror and a coffee pot.
studiokaksikko.com
Mattila & Merz for Nikari
Originally founded in the 1960s by respected carpenter Kari Virtanen to produce high-quality wooden furniture, today Nikari is evolving in a new, internationally-focused direction under the leadership of CEO Johanna Vuorio.
Architects Laura Mattila and Mikko Merz, with a backround in carpentery and restauration of woooden buildings, have a talent for sensitive use of wood – evident in everything from the wooden furniture they bring to KOTI to compellingly crafted interiors, such as café Kahvila Siili and Restaurants Palema and Werner in Helsinki.
mattilamerz.fi
Food from Finland
Finland is renowned for its pristine natural environment, so it’s hardly surprising that Finnish food is also pure and clean. Today, people of all ages visit their local forest to pick blueberries in summer and wild mushrooms in autumn, keeping centuries-old traditions alive year after year.
Food from Finland, the official government-funded programme to promote Finnish food brings a delicious, natural taste to the KOTI breakfast table.
Guests enjoy rye bread, Finnish berries in a variety of forms and, of course, strong coffee – one indulgence Finns can’t live without!
foodfromfinland.fi
Mobile Home 2017
Mobile Home 2017 is a joint project of the Finnish Institutes of Paris, Benelux countries, Berlin and London. Mobile Home 2017 explores and interprets the different meanings of home in 2017 through architecture, art, design, and society. Mobile Home 2017 is part of the programme for the centenary of Finland’s independence in 2017 and is supported by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture and the Arts and the Arts Promotion Centre Finland. Mobile Home 2017 collaborates with Habitare and Showroom.