Basel project July 22 2018

We have been working with our client over a period of time to supply custom furniture for their home in Basel, Switzerland. So far, the living and dining areas feature the Pietari table and credenza, with custom benches and dining chairs. 

The high polished finish and hand-crafted stainless steel detail by Lasse stand out as enduring features of our work.

Designed and manufactured by Helena and Lasse Kinnunen. 

Pietari table with custom bench and dining chair

Living room features the Pietari credenza

Pietari dining chair with its timber detail

Deka - Luxxbox collaboration November 10 2016

We are very excited to be joining the creative community at Luxxbox at their Eagle Farm workshop. Luxxbox and Deka Design have been collaborators for many years and see this as an opportunity to strengthen the bonds and continue to work together promoting the work of local designers and manufacturers.

In addition to exciting new collaborations, we are maintaining our normal production of our range of furniture, and will continue to custom design and manufacture high quality furniture for residential and commercial interiors.

To contact us please call on 07 3396 5850 or info@dekadesign.com.au . If you wish to visit, please contact us to make an appointment.

Luxxbox workshop
43 Kenyon Street 
Eagle Farm Qld 4009.

Talking craft and repair June 27 2016

It's been a busy week, Nora has been out and about talking about craft and repair.

Image: Artisan.

The Apprenticeship exhibition

To close The Apprenticeship exhibition, Nora joined Artisan's panel discussion about new learning pathways to craft skills. In an interesting dialogue with the panel and an engaged audience, the concensus was that the future is bright for craft given the renewed interest and developing momentum in craft and maker culture. However, it is only possible if craft is able to garner mass support from industry, government, patrons and the public. Given that some craft disciplines are facing skills shortages and many masters are approaching retirement, there is an urgency to formulate an understanding of what we need to sustain for the future viability of these practices. As was proposed on the night, perhaps it is time to introduce guilds in a re-imagined form that not only direct the development of the discipline but also provide support to the diverse ways that craft practitioners make a living out of what they do. At a time when government spending of the arts is decreasing, any long-term stability for craft will depend on grass-root actions that push the agenda of craft as a sustaining and sustainable mode of production and a significant contributor to local culture. Each of us share in that responsibility!  

Panelists: Roy Schack, Aaron Barton, Clare Kennedy and Nora Kinnunen, and chaired by Richard Stride.Thank you Artisan and all the artisans part of this valuable exhibition!

Furniture restoration demonstration
Nora's other interest is in cultures of repair, working towards ways of dealing with what we already have.

 
Work in progress.

Nora was joined by Rebecca Barnett at the Brisbane City Council's Acacia Ridge Tip Shop for a furniture restoration and upholstery demonstration. Onlookers asked about their own restoration projects and were given tips on how to do basic re-upholstery and restoration. There are many valuable pieces that make their way to the tip shops, and can be easily repaired, re-upholstered or restored. On Saturday 2 July, Nora and Rebecca will be at the Geebung Tip Shop working on completing this chair restoration. Come along to discuss restoration and browse the shop for your next little restoration project!

The Brisbane City Counci Tip Shops at Acacia Ridge and Geebung are the retail face of the Brisbane City Council's resource recovery initiatives, and are operated by the Endeavour Foundation to support their important work providing opportunities for people with a disability. More information about the tip shops here.

Artisan: The Apprenticeship panel discussion June 13 2016

The Apprenticeship exhibition at Artisan is an important look into the tradition of crafts skills which have been in steady decline due to external forces of mass production. Thirteen artisans tell a story of how they have pioneered their own pathways to gaining craft skills, and by doing so, asking us to re-imagine how we may be able to preserve them into the future. To close this exhibition, Nora will be joining a panel discussion that explores how new learning pathways may better serve craft practice in the future. The panel, chaired by Richard Stride, also includes woodworker Roy Schack, furniture maker Aaron Barton and brick maker Clare Kennedy.

The Apprenticeship panel discussion
At Artisan, 381 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley Qld 4006
Friday 24 June 2016, 6 - 7.30pm
More info on Artisan's website. 

Brisbane City Council Green Events 2016 June 13 2016

The Brisbane City Council's Recycling Art Competition is on again at the Judith Wright Centre. Ten finalists are showing their artwork that they created from found objects at the council's tip shops. As part of this, BCC has a range of events and workshops following the recycling theme. Deka Design is happy to be part of a few of these. 

Furniture Restoration Demonstrations:
Watch Nora Kinnunen and Rebecca Barnett working on furniture re-upholstery and speak to us about how to make the most of pre-loved furniture!
Saturday 25 June 2016, 10am-1pm, at the Acacia Ridge Tip Shop.
Saturday 2 July 2016, 10am-1pm, at the Geebung Tip Shop.

Recycling in the Creative Industries - Panel Discussion - THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL A LATER DATE
Join Nora, KT Doyle and Bec Peart as they discuss working with second-hand materials in the creative industries.
Wednesday 29 June 2016, 5.30-7pm, at Queensland College of Art, South Bank.

More info at the council's website.

Deka Studio in Fiskars Finland 2016 June 13 2016

Our studio in Fiskars, Finland is open for the European summer in 2016. We have a selection of our furniture and accessories on display and for sale. We also custom design and manufacture furniture and provide re-upholstery and restoration services. 

Address:
Järnvikintie 14, 10470 Fiskars.

Opening times:
10 - 30 June 2016 - by appointment 
1 - 31 July 2016 - open every day 11am - 5pm
1 - 31 August 2016 - by appointment

Please enquire to Helena and Lasse:
tel  +358 (0)465 456 339 (10 June - 10 September only)
email  dekastudiofinland@gmail.com

DIY lamp shades February 14 2016

An easy way to brighten up an existing lamp is to make a new lamp shade. We make these leather and wool felt shades for the Ikea Kvart wall lamp and the Flos May Day lamp. But if you want to make one at home, it is very easy!

Materials:
One piece of leather or wool felt approx 45 x 45cm (for Ikea lamp) or 80 x 80cm (for Flos May Day lamp).
One open ended zipper in a complementing or contrasting colour (23cm for the Ikea lamp).

When covering an existing lamp shade with a new one, care must be taken so that the lamp does not overheat. Use an LED bulb that does not cause the cover to overheat.

Instructions:
1. Make a pattern on paper from your lamp.
2. Use this to cut your material.
3. Position and mark the zipper.
4. Sew the zipper in place.
5. You can also make a cover for the Ikea lamp wall mount by cutting a circle the 1cm larger than the mount, and a border 1cm wider than the thickness of the mount. Length is the circumference of the mount plus 1cm. Simply sew the edges together to form a cover.

Ikea Kvart lamp with DIY felt cover.

Felt cover

Flos May Day lamp with DIY leather cover.

Fiskars Village awarded January 23 2016

Congratulations to the people of Fiskars Village for being awarded the Finnish Travel Destination of 2015 by the Finnish Guild of Travel Journalists!

The working artisan village was chosen by being one of the most diverse and interesting cultural destinations of southern Finland. Fiskars Village is renowned for its ironworks and industrial history spanning to 1649, and more recent profile as the centre of Finnish art and design with over one hundred creative professionals calling Fiskars home. The inclusion of a slow food festival, local beer and cheese production, performance art, music and many other cultural happenings all year round have made it a popular travel destination.  And all of this wrapped up in the beautiful, tranquil surrounds of pristine forests and lakes...

A must visit! Enquire about our custom itinerary travel service and our Designer-Maker Wood Experience Tour for 2016.

Fiskars Village, beautiful all year round...

Exhibitions and happenings...

We Love Woods 2016

Master blacksmith's Minun Kalevalani exhibition 2016

Slow Food 2016

Valo Light exhibition 2016

Kyllikki Salmenhaara anniversary exhibition 2016

Cultura Mobila show 2016

Enrolments open for summer 2016 courses January 18 2016

We have opened enrolments for the 2016 summer season. Courses include Introductory Furniture Restoration, Intermediate Upholstery, and extended 10 weeks Chair Making Course and Woodworker's Workbench Making Courses.

For more information visit the School of Furniture.

Fiskars 2015 August 11 2015

Fiskars Village is home and workplace to many artists, craftspeople and designers. The summer months are busy with many exhibitions and events featuring the work of the locals that attract visitors from around Finland and further abroad. This year's exhibition WE LOVE WOODS features local craftspeople and designers collaborating with timber to make beautiful furniture and objects. Fiskars also hosts other interesting happenings such as the recent British car gathering where about 300 cars made their pitstop at Fiskars for the day, with live music, markets and food bringing the locals together to enjoy the beautiful summer day. 

Fiskars summer store May 02 2015

Helena and Lasse will be opening our Fiskars summer store early May. Fiskars is a beautiful artisan village in southern Finland, a vibrant hub of creativity with many craftspeople, designers and artists. The summer store at the 'Toriliiteri' will include some pieces from our classic deka collection as well as a few newly launched pieces, including Lasse's new cabinet Oksa.

New Zamu chair and Lasse's Oksa cabinet.