Anna Pirkola is an interior stylist, designer and blogger from Helsinki, Finland. As you’ll see from the selected pictures below, her work is quite varied – She plays with both light and dark tones, and her style is always clean, simple, minimalist and inspiring. She carefully curates her accessories and props, and she creates lovely concepts -I’m a fan!
We’ve featured her lovely home on Nordic Design a while back, you must check it out! She also has a beautiful IG account worth following.
Here, she agreed to answer a few of my questions.
1. Tell us more about yourself. Where/How did it all started?
A: When I was a kid, I used to walk around our home and tell my mom what furniture or flower should be moved and where about. I bet it has been quite a job to watch and to listen! I graduated as a textile designer focusing on decoration, and my 7 years studies included a lot of interior design. During those years I also played in a band and we had lots of tours all over the world so I started my career as a freelancer journalist for interior magazines. Quite soon it all expanded to commercial and branding styling, too. From that on I´v be working as a stylist.
2. Best thing about being a stylist:
A: I can create purely aesthetically pleasing worlds, they don’t have to be really functional unless the assignment requires it. I realize the surrounding world isn’t fair at the moment, but because of that we do need something beautiful to escape from reality.
3. What inspires you?
A: All the things that are surrounding me. It´s really hard to pick just one or few things, it can be my friends, music, the world itself, kids, nature, good restaurant or even a floor of a hardware store, you name it.
4. Complete the sentence: “When I feel uninspired, I…”
A: Just try to relax on the best possible way, go jogging or a ballet lesson, a really good gig helps too. Sometimes the only thing you need is a good night sleep.
5. Best styling tip:
A: Trust yourself.
6. Any special projects at the moment?
A: Really busy with everything, but after many years I´m so into weaving and wallhangings again.
7. You, in three words:
A: Happy, creative, emotional.
8. What advice would you tell your younger self if you could?
A: Trust yourself and be honest to yourself!
9. Dream subject/assignment/collaboration?
A: The best thing for the stylist is when the client trusts you completely and you get almost free hands to design the shoot, do something different and original. There is so many interesting brands in the world. I really love Menu’s pure and simple aesthetic, but wouldn´t mind working with Vitra, Muuto or Artek either.
10. What can’t you live without?
A: My family
11. If you could invite somebody for dinner, famous, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
A: Spent quite a while with this question and ended up saying my sister. She lives in Australia with her family and I really miss her and our crazy humour.
12. Best Scandinavian city and why:
A: I guess the grass is always greener on the other side, so I have to say Stockholm. If I want just a little getaway from work routines or a little holiday with the family it´s really easy to travel there. Love to sit in a cafe and just watch the city and people walking by. Stockholm is also full of lovely shops and restaurants.
13. Something on your bucket list:
A: Explore the world as much as possible, and to learn how to do a double pirouette in ballet.
14. What is your all-time favourite design piece(s)?
A: Like many other people, I have a thing for chairs. I have always loved the Diamond chair, but as a Finn I have to pick up Artek´s 60 stool. It is just so simple yet functional, it´s stackable and you can sit on it or use it as a board. Just beautiful and pretty much everlasting.
See more of Anna’s beautiful work here.
For more interviews with talented designers, photographers, stylists and entrepreneurs from Scandinavia and beyond, visit our “Inspiring People” section.
Photos: All from Anna’s portfolio; portrait by Katri Kapanen
hi where could i find that moss looking rug in the picture by question 9?