HUVILAKATU

Huvilakatu, inspired by the shapes of metal rooftops and the details in entrance gates, from this well-known street in Ullanlinna, Helsinki.

Huvilakatu is the name of a charming street near the sea in the district of Ullanlinna, in Helsinki, Finland. The area is well known for its colourful buildings from around 1910. Salonen often walked through Ullanlinna on her way from studio to sea… attracted to the colourful buildings, the shapes of the metal rooftops, the detailing in the entrance gates. This led her to design Huvilakatu for Vallila Interior, printed the same year Helsinki was selected World Design Capital.

Elizabeth Salonen’s 2012 print collection for Vallila highlights the beauty of the everyday in a bold series of prints inspired by her local surroundings: a view from her studio at Viiskulma, a morning walk down Huvilakatu to the sea, or a stroll through Punavuori. “I’m interested in bringing exterior architectural elements into interior spaces. Plus, I like to tie my designs to real memories, so they have a connection to a time or place.”

Huvilakatu curtains. Photo credit: Vallila Interior.