Palma & Hippa

Made to last

TEXT: SUNNIVA DAVIES-ROMMETVEIT | PHOTOS © PALMA & HIPPA

Palma & Hippa is a Finnish furniture business that effectively combines streamlined Scandinavian modernity with an outward, international view on sustainability in its design.

The company’s concept of being grounded in the present while looking to the future is well illustrated by the firm’s name, inspired by the Finnish words for grandchild (Hilma) and grandparent (Papa).

As business founder and owner Olli Hyvärinen explains, the furniture design captures both aspects: “A grandparent brings steadiness and life experience to a design,” he says, “but Hilma, a grandchild, brings the elements of play and innovation. The furniture is, therefore, durable and timeless while also being completely recyclable.”

From the very beginning, Hyvärinen was inspired by the timelessness and beauty of nature, and aims to bring nature into the furniture’s designs. “I have 30 years’ experience as an engineer, and have worked all over the world,” he explains. “But my true inspiration has come from Keuruu, in central Finland, where nature is beautiful and timeless, yet wild and untamed.”

The resulting furniture is sleek and functional, featuring waxed wood and bright, natural colours, while useful add-ons such as a built-in lamp in a side table maximise the furniture’s utility. “My aim is to create furniture that I myself would use in my own home, or that I know my friends would enjoy and get a lot of use out of,” says Hyvärinen. The result has a very Scandinavian feel: a clever mix of grounded functionality and forward-thinking innovation.


Web: palmahippa.fi

Instagram: @palmahippa