latest

Habitek Furniture Design & Craftsmanship at Artek Helsinki

FEBRUARY 2018

Habitek is pleased to announce that next week a furniture exhibition will open at Artek Helsinki, showcasing hand-picked items from the collection. For the first time, a series of Samarkand bookcases in ash, Oregon pine and oak will be on view. “Ljugarbänk” (chatterer’s bench), a three meter long sturdy bench made of a raw plank in oak, continues the tradition of Nordic storytelling and reflects the untamed beauty of nature. Morris coffee table series - already identified as a new Finnish design classic - is rightfully a part of the set-up. Morris dinner table is accompanied by the HAL chair designed by Jasper Morrison for Vitra; these two pieces of furniture make a perfect match. Morris tables are featured in new, super smooth nanolaminate surface. A wall installation of the simple Shaker-style inspired coat racks in ash complements the exhibition. 

We warmly invite you to visit the Habitek corner and experience our way of working with wood. 

Location: Artek Helsinki Store, Keskuskatu 1B
Time: 26th of February - 24th of March
Opening hours: Monday- Friday 10 am - 7 pm, Saturday 10 am – 6 pm 

The summer is almost here - GET READY!

APRIL 2017
Espskär is a simple, somewhat Shaker-style wooden wall- mounted coat rack. It was originally designed by Architect Kristian Gullichsen for his own summer cottage in the Finnish archipelago; a simple and modest house with Japanese influences that represents the tradition of reduced Finnish summer dwelling at its most beautiful. We are happy to offer a limited edition of Espskär coat racks in solid ash for deliviery by the beginning of June. Feel free to contact *habitek staff for more information!

Happy New Year 2017!

JANUARY 2017

One of the best things in January is starting the year clean and fresh! That's why we love the Stripe cabinet so much: it's perfect for keeping all things -big and small- neat and organized!

A present for our friends

DECEMBER 2016

We have prepared a small giveaway to help out all last minute gift wrappers! Just pick your favorite color and download the file for a Morris-table inspired wrapping sheet from our website until the end of December.

Happy Holidays!

New website open!

NOVEMBER 2016
We are super happy that you are here, browsing our brand new website! Feel free to give us feedback in the contact section!

Fresh out the oven!

SEPTEMBER 2016
We are happy to announce that all the Morris Coffee- and Dining table models are now available with a DIVINE super smooth and matte Nano surface. Black as coal or as white as snow, the Nano Morris is perfect for a crispy winter feeling. You can see the Nano Morris live at Artek or World of TRE Helsinki. Please feel free to contact us regarding any questions you might have. We are super excited about this newcomer and love to talk about it!

Design market 2016

SEPTEMBER 2016
Once again the Finnish autumn got a design fulfilled kick-off in the form of many fantastic events during the Helsinki Design Week. This year Design Market was bigger than ever before and we were delighted to see so many design lovers and friends of Morris there!

Design helps

30.9.2014

Habitek will take part in charity auction held by Tikau Share and the Finnish NGO. This is our second time around.
Helping is important to us, as we believe it is to all you Morris friends as well. We do it way we know best, with design. For the auction, we donate our products. Previously we have also participated in furnishing the Finnish PLAN’s offices in Helsinki.
This upcoming Friday night you can bid for one beautiful beige (glossy) Morris table among many other design items.
This charity auction will take place on Friday 3.10.2014 in Design Forum Showroom, Erottajankatu 9 (courtyard) 7-9 pm. For more information and registration for the event, see Design Helps- auction.

Something For the future

28.5.2014
Spring is time of changes, a period when something in one’s life ends and new begins. Students work has come to an end and will be rewarded. Roots for the personal and professional growth have been given, time will tell strength of them. It is time to celebrate the send-off to something unknown!
It is great to take things with you, to that new period in life, which holds emotional and monetary value. Design is a great investment, and especially Finnish kind. What else does young graduate need than a bed (preferable one that makes itself)? A table, a chair? We have one timeless, functional and durable table in mind to send your dear one in to the world with. Morris, Finnish design and craftsmanship from head to toe. Its handy size makes it a great companion even in a smallest apartment. Because of its size, it is even on a perfect level to dine while sitting on the floor, in case no chair made it to the gift table.
Morris can be order straight from habitek original works’s website or bought from our retailers listed on the contacts page. If you order it from us it will be sent in the post straight to your door.
Gift should hold a memory from that special day it was given and received. It should support and courage in the events future brings along.
We wish all the best for everyone celebrating their achievements this weekend!

What is behind Morris... or perhaps under it?

22.3.2014
Sitting here in a busy café in Helsinki, my coffee and croissant placed steadily on acquainted, small, black lacquered table. What is the inspiration behind such a unique piece of furniture? Even though this table is sturdy, not stillness but rather seamless and fast movement is the source of inspiration for the table called Morris. Here is a hint; four little legs as well, a lovely smooth surface to stroke, playful nature. Now you think that does sound a lot like Morris itself. But it is just not the one you are already familiar with.
There is a special someone, a dog, dear dachshund called Mr. Morris. Playful Mr. Morris created lovely organic shapes while moving around in his energetic way. These shapes found their way on a paper and into drawings that now represent the five models of Morris that differ slightly from each other.
Looking at this table beside me, image of a dachshund curled up in a little bundle comes into my mind. It soothes and cheers me up. Morris table has amazingly been able to capture this sympathetic nature of the dear pet and family member. Morris is anyone’s long lasting friend and luckily there is a version with less fur for the ones that appreciate all the other qualities he has.

From the source

06.03.2014
Some time back one of the leading local design magazines raised the issue of the copy vs. the original and why authentic design furniture has a higher price tag than cheap copies. For anybody engaged in the business the answer is crystal clear: good professional work in controlled and safe environment comes with a cost. This goes for design as well as the manufacturing processes at every step of the way.
So before you choose a copy over the original – and for Morris and many other Finnish design pieces there are thirteen copies in a dozen readily available on the market – think about who and what type of processes and structures you are supporting by doing so. We advocate and sustain good design and craftsmanship and would like to think that the knowledgeable habitek customers value our effort. When you choose an * original habitek works furniture, you are acquiring an authentic piece designed and made in Finland.

Morris in the box

04.03.2014
From the very beginning our thinking was that since Morris table is manufactured in a small remote country on the edge of Europe, but will hopefully catch the eye of persons who value good design in everyday life, be they in Europe or overseas, Morris table should travel with as much ease as possible, yet the table should be easy to assemble. That is how we designed the sturdy Morris box in bulk cardboard with white silkscreen prints. The Morris box is now in its 3rd edition, the first box was designed back in 2005. Collector’s items- why not ?

Waiting for spring

27.2.2014
… and thinking about tulips, the first indication that the winter is slowly giving way to longer days with more light. While we are waiting for things to start to blossom here, these lovely Morris tables in flower inspired colours are now available to you at a Swedish webshop Confident Living!

Coffee anyone?

25.2.2014
Did you know that Finns are right up there in the top, when it comes to coffee consumption? We try to stay perky through the year and especially through the dark long winter days by consuming a total of more than 50 tons of coffee every year! On average that would make about 10 kg per every Finn, including toddlers. Well, statistics is one thing, but we are not quite that fanatic about coffee and don't serve espresso to babies (only lattes), but it is obvious that we are pretty serious coffee drinkers here in the north.
And that’s just swell, since Morris coffee table was designed by one, to bring pleasure and joy to the everyday life of all coffee drinkers. So brew yourself a great cup of java and enjoy the perfect coffee break with Morris.

Helsinkidesign Zurich

20.2.2014
We are beginning a new collaboration with Helsinki Design in Switzerland. They started up last year and will first only do business via their web shop at www.helsinki-design.ch. The common nominator for CH and FIN is of course quality! In the Helsinki Design webshop you will find a nice selection of Morris tables accompanied by many other Finnish classics.

Helsinki Design Open

Thank you Design Market and congratulations to all new Morris owners!
This week its new tricks : the much anticipated Helsinki Design Open kicks off in Rautatalo. The event will be open to the public from Wednesday daily between 10 am to 5 pm and Saturday 9 am till 2pm. During the event you get to admire and purchase products from various designers *original habitek works included. Also the café is open and serves delicious lunch 11-14 and brunch on Saturday morning. Lunch talks with interesting people and topics are in the program from Wednesday to Friday during lunch time. Space with such a design presentation is a must see!

Habitek is re-launching a 1960’s classic, the Vanikka series, designed by Kristian Gullichsen.

Furnishing in Finnish at Habitare : Morris in creative space this week

17.9.2013
Interior design is another topic of Design Forum Shop's autumn along with the project Furnishing in Finnish (Sisusta Suomeksi). The project was launched last spring with Nikolai's Garden as the flagship and pilot project, made in cooperation with Finnish interior architects, renovation companies and furniture manufacturers. The aim of Furnishing in Finnish is to enhance Finnish furniture industry and other related activities. A new showroom for furniture has opened in the basement of Design Forum Shop. Furnishing in Finnish will also be on show at the Habitare design fair (18–22 September) in Creative Space in the Ahead area. Creative Space is to be a meeting place for creative thinking and ideas. Companies participating in Furnishing Finnish, among them *original habitek works, will be presented there among other companies. Come over and get inspired!

Here we go...

12.9.2013
Stock Sale this weekend at Design Market! You will have only two days to get Morris, but remember first come first serve! See you there on Saturday and Sunday, we are looking forward to it!

Morris Market 14-15.9.2013

7.9.2013
Autumn is here with great design events to lighten up the darkening evenings! Helsinki Design Week is just about to kick off with a wide selection to offer. Habitek will of course be part of all of this and firstly you will find us at the Design Market, the wildly popular design stock sale, which takes place at Kaapelitehdas, the Cable Factory. This is a handsome industrial building and inside a real market feeling is bustling for the entire weekend. This is the event that many look forward to eagerly as one can make great finds with design companies from furniture to fashion! So no doubt we are there ! At *original habitek works stall you will find a selection of special priced Morris tables and one or two other pieces as well. We hope to see you there – we’ll be really glad, if you find your own Morris there!

Design Market 14-15.9.2013 Kaapelitehdas Tallberginkatu 1 C 15
Sat–Sun 11am–5pm Free admission
 

Furniture taking form

23.3.2013
When you touch a piece of furniture, run your hand along its surface, you will be able to feel if someone has spent time to design it and effort to bring those forms to live. Softness of polished wood, smoothness of laminated surface and the unique colours communicate emotion. It is important therefore that the person who works with the pieces of our furniture feel pride and joy. Our aim is not to compromise on anything and to be able to make something enduring. All our furniture is made in Finland by skilful craftsmen. It is important for us to support and appreciate things that have other than monetary value. Hands of these men and women make something for us now but also for the future, keeping these skills alive and passing them on. Because of these things pieces of *original habitek works furniture carry feeling within them, they have soul.

Wood is hot in Chile!

09.01.2013
Wood as a material for everyday objects has a long history in the land of forests and lakes. Morris and other *original habitek work’s furniture has sprung to life from passion towards the softness and warmth of wood. One of the main events of Design Biennial in Chile is Light | Wood exhibition which shows furniture and lighting fixtures from eighteen Finnish designers and crafts persons, *original habitek works being one of them. The exhibition opened last Friday and many visitors have already seen Morris and Pumpa among a selection of clever furniture, light fixtures and other items made of wood.
The exhibition is curated by Kirsi Gullichsen and produced by Design Forum Finland.
Go and see it if you happen to be in Santiago, rare opportunity!

New year, new tricks!

06.01.2013
What will 2013 bring along, here in the north we are excited to find out about it! Looking back in the year 2012 we had a chance to take our products around the world from Stockholm to Shanghai. The year of the dragon included adventures alone and together with other Finnish designers and design companies. We also initiated and collaborated a new design event in Helsinki, the Helsinki Design Open, which surpassed all expectations and lured more than 4000 visitors during 4 days into the famous Rautatalo building by Alvar Aalto. We hope to repeat this fabulous drill in 2013. We supported the activities of Plan Finland and were engaged in many other projects, of which you will no doubt hear during the coming year… One new feature for 2013 is that you can find (and like us ..:) in Facebook where you can follow our doings and stay updated easier. We are also preparing the launch of a Morris web store. So stay tuned !

Morris Christmas Special

09.12.2012
Dear Morris fans –and we know you are many… We have a ginger bread smelling Christmas offer in store for you! During the next two weeks we offer a limited number of Morris coffee tables from out stock for the special price of 420,00 €, inclusive VAT 23% and shipping (Finland, Scandinavia, Europe).

The Morris coffee table models available during Christmas special are:

Model 1 White Glossy, Pink Glossy Mdf plain, oilwax finish
Model 2 Beige Ardenne Glossy, Mdf plain, oilwax finish
Model 5 Pink Glossy, Orange Glossy Mdf plain, oilwax finish

The drill:
1.send us email at info (at) habitek.fi
2.we send you an invoice
3.we receive your payment on our account or a copy of a receipt of the payment from you
4.we send you the table and the tracking number

We use Finnish postal service Itella Express Business Day delivery service. Lead times vary between 1-5 working days. The Morris Christmas Special is available until December 20th, or as long as the supply lasts. Customer is responsible for possible customs charges and procedures in their home country.

Fashionable Morris

24.10.2012
In September, Paris based Finnish fashion designer Anna Ruohonen opened a new concept store in the Design District Punavuori in Helsinki. Anna chose two white Morris tables to be part of the décor of the store. With fashion and clothes anything surrounding them should not take the attention from them but enhance their virtues. Ecological and sustainable approach to design is one of the things that Morris and Anna Ruohonen have in common. Anna’s clothes are sculptural and beautifully made to last time and passing trends. Morris holds up to the same values. Morris and Anna’s clothes fit in to the same space with their timeless and functional and highly aesthetical design. Go to see Morris and admire the store and Anna’s creations!

Anna Ruohonen Concept store, Punavuorenkatu 1, 00120 Helsinki
Open: mon-fri 12-18 sat 11-15
http://annaruohonen.com

Morris supports Plan

16,10,2012
For 75 years Plan, children's development organisation, has improved the quality of life of deprived children in developing countries, through a process that unites people across cultures and adds meaning and value to their lives. Anyone can support children in need by being a god parent to one. Support will help them to reach education, clean water and generally improve the quality of their life as well as their families. Personal contact with a child can be reassuring for child and give you feeling of concretely helping someone. Habitek was proudly part of a charity project to design the interior of Plan’s offices. We gave three Morris tables for Plan’s offices and they can be found in entrance area. By accident the shape of Morris is a bit of a lookalike with shapes found in Plan’s logo.

Colourful Morris

11.10.2012
Morris has recently found a place in family home, featured in Deko interior design magazine, full of contemporary art, new and old design objects. This home is not shy, blasts of colour is everywhere. In the living room there are three Morris tables all in different colours, hues picked from a rug underneath them - the beauty of Morris is that you can get it in such wide range of colours. Old sofa next to them is newly upholstered with retro fabric designed by Josef Frank – and Morris sits seamlessly with 40s and fifties classics. The delicious Morris colour palette makes it fun to play with and create combinations that look like you. Morris likes to think it fits in to any surroundings!

Morris goes Design Market

06.09.2012
For the first time, Morris and co clear out the stock at Design Market, the highly popular shopping frenzy for friends of Finnish design!
We have about 30 tables for sale during the weekend: discontinued colours, showroom items and II-quality with tiny little flaws you would not even notice in everyday use. So if you ever wanted a Morris table, now is the time to take it home! Come and check out also some surprises from our stock.
Design Market is open 11am-5pm, 8-9.9.2012 at Kaapelitehdas and is part of the Helsinki Design Week.
WELCOME!

Habitek on tänävuonna ensimmäistä kertaa mukana Helsinki Design Weekin järjestämässä ostostapahtumassa, Design Marketissa. Mukana on suomalaisen suunnittelun kerma tuotteineen.
Meillä on viikonlopun yli myynnissä 30 pöytää. Myynnissä olevat Morrikset ovat näyttelykappaleita, poistuneita värejä tai kakkoslaatuisia, joiden virheitä tuskin huomaa jokapäiväisessä elämässä. Joten jos olet koskaan haaveillut omasta Morriksesta, tule noutamaan omasi! Myynnissä myös pikku yllätyksiä varastostamme.
Design Market on auki Kaapelitehtaalla klo 11-17, 8-9.9.2012
TERVETULOA!

Morris is back in town

August 2012
Summer holidays are over, but the nice summer weather continues to spoil us ! Morris & co are back in town from the summer pastures and gearing up for the busy urban autumn in the world design capital 2012, Helsinki. This week Morris and friends are showcasing in the very heart of the city, on the Marble Court of the Alvar Aalto’s legendary Rautatalo building.
The exhibition brings together finest Finnish design and craftmanship. This is a rare opportunity to also visit the Rautatalo building that has been closed from the public for so long. Contemporary design sits in harmony with 50's architecture.
You can also get Morris for yourself as it is possible to purchase products which are on show!

Leading Beacons

August 2012
The source of aesthetic inspiration is more often than not something seen in a different context than the object at hand. This was very much the case for the Stripe cabinet series, which form a geometric system of alternating colour and white surfaces, not unlike the ones of the robust maritime leading beacons marking the passages in the coastal waterways on the Baltic. Utilitarian design provides the foundation for aesthetic design- and the result is striking!

Stripe cabinet series is available in combinations of white-green, white-red, white- yellow, white-light blue- and of course white-white for those of you who are only interested in the graphic line.

Summer is here!

July 2012
Morris & co are retiring to summer holidays for some weeks. We will be back to serve you in August with new energy and lots of vitamin D. Until then, please turn to our retailers for your habitek needs.

HEL->YOW

April 2012
The Modern Shop in Ottawa was opened in the summer of 2010 to address a need for a fine modern lighting & furniture store in the area. Besides serving the local clientele, The Modern Shop has developed through the online operations to a nation wide modern furniture, lighting, and home accessories store in Canada- and North America. The shop prides itself on selling quality designs from some of the best brands in the world - and original habitek works from Finland is now joining the gang... So now we Finns have even more things to share with the Canadians besides passion for ice-hockey!

Scoops, anyone?

SPAIN

MARCH 2012
diMA-siTE is a new agent and prescriptor for Nordic furniture in Spain and we have now entered into collaboration with the company. Since habitek participated in HELSINKIMADRID exhibition at the Matadero Design Centre in Madrid some years back, we have received good feeb back from Spain. So now, thanks to Rosa Herrero and her company, we can proudly announce our arrival on the Iberian peninsula! Rosa will help architects and interior designers, who would like to choose, for example, the Morris tables for their project. Rosa can be reached at rosa@dima-site.com

Antwerpen here we come!

March 2012
Dries Brys is a young and energetic Belgian guy, who is running the espoo shop in Antwerpen. This shop, started in 2009, is the first one in Belgium, that is completely devoted to Nordic Design and sells the best scandinavian brands. So we are of course delighted that Dries got in touch with us and is now bringing the Morris tables to his shop - which actually is really more like a beautiful gallery; simple design with warm and natural feeling. So if you are on your way to Antwerpen, check it out!

CHECK OUT WE HEART / Thank you, Stockholm!

FEBRUARY 2012
Once again the SFF proved to be the most important furniture fair here in the north! We had great fun and had the opportunity to meet with all the great Morris and habitek friends- and they are many ! We have promised to be back next year, so see you in STO 2013... But meanwhile there is a lot going on, and Helsinki is the World Design Capital for the entire year, so stay tuned at our website, we will keep you posted. N.B. CHECK OUT STOCKHOLM DESIGN WEEK 2012 MOP OUT AT WE HEART http://weheart.co.uk/2012/02/24/stockholm-design-week-mop-up/

Morris is back in town!

FEBRUARY 2012
MORRIS, the cheery coffee table from *habitek, is back in town at SFF2012.
At our stand 15:04 in hall A, we are showing the table in new material, plain MDF, treated with a natural oil wood wax. Come and feel it! We are also presenting MORRIS DINNER table in combination of glossy white and natural oak.
New for Stockholm is the versatile cabinet system Stripe, which we are showing in all white as well as in combination of apple green and white. The striking, free-standing cabinet system has a pedestal in massive oak, finishing treatment with natural oil wood wax.

Morris goes London!

JANUARY 2012
Since last spring, the traditional furniture merchant Heal & Sons on Tottenhamn Court Road has carried a small selection of black and white Morris tables. HEAL’S was established in 1810 and has been designing and making quality furniture ever since – and in their own words they love it and are good at it! When Sir Ambrose Heal joined the firm in 1893, he had the vision to work with the most skilled designers and craftspeople of the day to create furniture that is comfortable, beautiful and affordable, reflecting the ideals of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Our Morris table, named after a beautiful dog, who in turn was named after a certain William Morris, could not be more at home that at Heal’s. Let’s keep the tradition of the beautiful everyday alive!

Morris in brilliant company in Paris

JANUARY 2012
*habitek is pleased to announce, that Morris table is now sold at La Boutique Danoise on Boulevard St. Germain in Paris. This stronghold of modern Nordic and particularly Danish design was founded in 1954 by Peter Holme, and is currently led by Alain and Benjamin Chapuis.  The shop offers a selection of timeless furniture by such icons as Hans Wegner, Boerge Mogensen, Arne Jacobsen, Fabricius and Kastholm, Bruno Mathsson, Alvar Aalto and many more. No doubt, we are happy to be in this company.

Scandinavian Modernism at Jacksons in Berlin

JANUARY 2012
Last November Morris tables were part of the Scandinavian modernism exhibition titled URSA MAJOR in the Jackson Design gallery on Lindenstrasse. The exhibition focused on mid century modernist designs, which represented functionalism and innovation in design.
Paul Jackson, the owner of the gallery and curator of the show, was particularly inspired by the correspondance of the painting Paul Gaadegard by 1949 and the forms and colours of the Morris tables. And they are kindred souls, aren't they?