A house only truly becomes a home when it evolves with those who inhabit it — accompanying changes, telling stories, and reflecting personalities. More than pursuing a fixed aesthetic ideal, decoration should be a living process, made of conscious choices over time. This is the philosophy that guides Artek, the historic Finnish design brand, and which Marianne Goebl, its managing director, firmly defends in this interview with idealista/news. For her, it is this sensitive and human approach that makes a space meaningful — and that helps explain why certain products of the brand were so disruptive that they forever changed the way the world sees furniture.

This principle has guided Artek since its founding in Helsinki in 1935 by four young idealists — Alvar and Aino Aalto, Maire Gullichsen, and Nils-Gustav Hahl — with a mission as ambitious as it was avant-garde: “to sell furniture and promote a new culture of living through exhibitions and other educational means.” Almost a century later, Artek remains faithful to that radical spirit, combining design, architecture, and art in an approach deeply rooted in functionality, formal clarity, and poetic simplicity.

Artek
90 years of Artek commemorative image

As it celebrates 90 years in 2025, Artek reinforces its role as a reference in the world of modern design. More than looking nostalgically to the past, the brand continues to create new proposals that dialogue with the classics of Alvar and Aino Aalto. The collection, which today also includes collaborations with international names, remains faithful to a refined language and to natural materials, such as Finnish birch — a symbol of durability and closeness to nature.

This ability to remain relevant without betraying its original identity is one of Artek’s most notable achievements. Balancing respect for heritage with openness to innovation, the brand keeps alive the dream of its founders: improving everyday life through well-designed objects that age with dignity and accompany the lives of their users. And if today a chair created 80 years ago is still produced and desired, it is because, like a true home, it carries with it a story that never stops evolving.

Looking at 90 years of history, what do you consider to have been the key to maintaining the brand’s relevance? Artek faces the same challenge as all brands with a strong historical heritage: reinventing itself without losing identity. How do you approach this balance?

Artek was founded with a clear mission that went beyond purely commercial goals and continues to accompany us: “to sell furniture and promote a new culture of living through exhibitions and other educational means.” The designs of Alvar and Aino Aalto remain at the core of Artek, but over the decades other products and designers have enriched our offer and activities.

To remain relevant without losing identity, it is essential to understand Artek’s essence and adapt it to the needs of the present, always respecting the integrity of the products. Artek products are clear, functional, and possess a poetic simplicity. Made with natural materials, they are durable and age elegantly, remaining in use for decades. This applies both to the Aalto classics and other Finnish masters, as well as to the new products we develop with contemporary designers.

Artek products are clear, functional, and possess a poetic simplicity. Made with natural materials, they are durable and age elegantly, remaining in use for decades.

For Artek, the continuous improvement of Aalto’s classics is as important as creating new pieces. This includes functional changes (for example, increasing the height of furniture), technical changes (such as transitioning to water-based varnishes), and aesthetic updates (new colors and fabrics). We also regularly engage in creative collaborations that offer us new perspectives on our products.

To mark Artek’s 90th anniversary, we had the pleasure of collaborating with Finnish partners with similar values, such as the Moomins and Marimekko, on special editions of Aalto furniture. These collaborations led us to explore woodworking techniques such as laser engraving, for example.

Artek

Artek’s designs are timeless, but each era brings new challenges. How do you ensure that past, present, and future coexist in your creations?

Only time will tell if a product will become a “classic,” in the sense of being a piece from another era that has transcended decades without losing attractiveness. Some products were so radical at the moment of their creation that they forever changed the way people looked at furniture. These products — and many of Aalto’s designs are among them — have the power to transcend time and remain always current. Others lost relevance over time and are replaced by new solutions.

Some products were so radical at the moment of their creation that they forever changed the way people looked at furniture.

If Artek’s founders could see the brand today, what would they be most proud of?

Artek’s founders believed in the power of art, design, and architecture as much as in industry and technological progress, to improve daily life. They carefully reflected on how to respond to real human needs through the furniture and interiors they created at Artek. Moreover, they were true citizens of the world, with a vast network of creative friends across continents, who embraced and actively spread Artek’s ideas.

Artek
Artek + Moomin Collection

I therefore believe that the founders of Artek would be proud to see that, 90 years later, their company is more active than ever, and that the very products they designed so many decades ago continue to enrich private homes as well as restaurants, offices, libraries, schools, shops, and public buildings all over the world — as if they had been created today.

Sustainability is now at the center of conversations about design. How does Artek interpret its legacy in a world where responsible production is increasingly important?

Conscious consumers today seek products with essence and soul, that use limited resources thoughtfully. Environmentally responsible products, which also bring beauty and joy to everyday life, will become increasingly relevant.

The Aaltos gave Artek an excellent starting point: the furniture is mostly produced with a single natural material — Finnish birch — sourced regionally and processed at Artek’s factory in southern Finland. To have the greatest possible impact, Artek’s environmental mission therefore focuses on improving all wood-based products, especially those manufactured internally.

To have the greatest possible impact, Artek’s environmental mission therefore focuses on improving all wood-based products, especially those manufactured internally.

Artek
Artek + Moomin Collection

This includes:

  • Minimizing the ecological footprint, with a focus on CO2 emissions and biodiversity. Beyond the transition to a broader selection of wood, we are progressively replacing fossil-based components with bio-based alternatives across the collection.

  • Monitoring the life cycle of products, considering aspects such as repairability and the dignified aging of Artek products — as seen in Artek 2nd Cycle, our platform for pre-owned furniture with history.

  • Giving customers full transparency about where and how products are made, so they can make informed decisions about the impact of their purchases. We communicate, for example, the country of origin or the carbon footprint of our products.

One concrete outcome is our collaboration with the Milan-based research-driven design studio Formafantasma. Their deep analysis of the historical, political, social, and environmental dimensions of the forest helped Artek to better understand the unique context of its own production.

Together, we developed a broader wood selection — called wild birch — to make better use of the entire birch tree in the production of Artek’s durable products. With this, we aim to promote a new aesthetic of sustainability and, ultimately, make smarter use of natural resources. Wild birch has been introduced into a variety of Artek products, forming the so-called Forest Collection.

What advice would you, as an Artek specialist, give to someone furnishing their home? Where to start? What mistakes to avoid?

A house only truly becomes a home when it reflects the personality of its inhabitants and evolves with their needs. Therefore, I advise not trying to create “the perfect home” or to complete it all at once or through a single brand.

Artek
Artek + Moomin Collection

Just like in a good movie, you need the protagonists (table, chair, sofa, armchair, bed, storage) and the supporting actors (small pieces, lighting, textiles, art, decorative objects, plants) to create an interesting living narrative.

I advise not trying to create “the perfect home” or to complete it all at once or through a single brand.

The ideal is to start by identifying the main areas of activity (eating, relaxing, playing, working/learning, cooking, sleeping, …) and the essential furniture pieces that respond to those functions. The other layers should then grow gradually, reflecting the tastes and lives of the residents.

Artek