9 questions with Anna Pirkola
Styling by Anna Pirkola, Photography by Juho Huttunen
Working on the latest Bloesem Gazette Volume 5 reminds us that we're so honoured to be able to get to know and collaborate with so many creative minds from all over the globe.. If you have read the Gazette, you would have seen that we have gotten the golden opportunity to gather wise words from the movers and shakers across all different mediums. In the styling category we invited Anna Pirkola to shed some light on some interior styling related questions.. it's always fun to hear what the pros have to say, don't you agree?
A designer and interior stylist, Anna Pirkola's style is simple and clean, but welcoming. She uses lots of white and light colours to bring out certain statement pieces, but at the same time she isn't afraid to stray and make use of dark tones too.
For us to all get to know her a bit better, we're sharing a little Q&A we did with the lovely Anna..
Photography by Juho Huttunen
Styling by Anna Pirkola, Photography by Katri Kapanen
Tell us about your most interesting piece of furniture in your living room.
The old Skanno arm chair that we got from my mother in law. I upholstered it with the paper fabric I found from Artek. I found three layers of old fabrics that really told their story of the different decades. You know crazy 90's prints with bright colours and blueish fabric with really really small flowers printed on it?
Totally. So which would you say is your favourite furniture decade?
1950’s and 1960’s. Lots of design classics were made in those decades.
Styling by Anna Pirkola, Photography by Juho Huttunen
Which is your favourite corner in your home? Describe it and tell us why you love it!
I have to say our kitchen. I almost hated it when we moved in and it didn't take that long before my friend and I started to rip it down. It was one of the best decisions I've made. There's no walls between our kitchen and living room, so I could see the old and ugly kitchen even when I was sitting on the living room sofa. One thing I really like about our new kitchen is that we did it with a very low budget and because of that we used more imagination and thought through every option. With more money I guess we wouldn't have had the plywood level. That would have been such a shame.
Agreed! Do you have any tips for decorating on a budget then?
The most important thing is to give it some time. The first solution could be quite expensive and if you think it through, you can find something else that is more wallet-friendly. The easy and cheap way is to paint a wall, or just a part of it. It can really change the whole atmosphere of the room even if you leave everything else as they were. What I really loved when I was a kid, was juts to reorganise furniture, shift things around and collect flowers from the backyard.
What would you say is your go-to colour scheme for your home?
There’s so much going on all the time, so I like to keep my home very simple, very calm, and in other words, pretty Scandinavian. Monochromatic colours like white and grey create the perfect canvas for furniture, bookshelves and everything else with more colours.. You can easily change the whole look and vibe by just making some changes to the furniture or even items on the bookshelves, but I like to keep the background simple.
Gotta agree on the white walls! They just go with everything. Now how about your dream home? Tell us some attributes of how it would be like.
High ceilings, big windows, lots of light, use of pure natural materials, be close to the sea and a beautiful view to look at when I'm having a breakfast.
Styling by Anna Pirkola, Photography by Katri Kapanen
That sounds absolutely lovely.. What are some of your favourite decor magazines to get inspiration from?
Asun - it's a new Finnish magazine, Kinfolk- just so beautiful, Open House magazine, Apartemento, Milk-home.
And your favourite furniture brand?
Artek - I think it has special place in every Finn's heart. Simple and modern designs that never go out of style.
Styling by Anna Pirkola, Photography by Katri Kapanen
What interior trends do you foresee in the coming 2016?
White is not going anywhere, but there's going to be more shades of it. Lifestyle is coming more and more into focus. So the slow life is something to to think about. That means more arts, handcrafts, DIY, and environmental solutions..
Thanks so much for your time Anna, and for your amazing contribution to our latest Bloesem Gazette yet!
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