Elävä Finmar / Living Finmar (ATELIER TALLY)

A few weeks back I went along to the first screening of the short film ‘Living Finmar’ by Michael Krzyzanowski and Dan Fontanelli of Geswerk Films, part of the Geffrye Museum’s Mid-Century afternoon. I had already been introduced to the film by searching through Vimeo (as I regularly do) to find some great short films.

‘Living Finmar’ is the story of Finmar Ltd (circa 1948-1965), the first major importer of mid-century design into the UK. It’s the story of one man’s vision of a new way of life, Paul Von Stemann, and his personal relationships with some of the greatest designers of the twentieth century. Alvar Aalto, Hans Wegner, Borge Morgensen, Hans Schleger, to mention a few, were all close friends. The DVD will be available from Skandium in the near future.

Finmar was a company which moved us fully out of the doldrums of post-War life, casting aside the heavy, ornate furniture which we had been used to and introducing us to the world of Danish and Finnish design, with their light pieces, elegantly simple lines and practical proportions these designs shaped our homes, offices and public spaces over the coming years leading us to where we are today.

In a world of dark brown post-War utility, sombre veneers and rationing, the Finmar showrooms were an explosive revelation in modernism. An original and radical concept for contemporary living. A temple built for a new and sophisticated age in interior design. They instantly became the focal point of architects, artists and designers across the capital and beyond. Their fusion of Scandinavian furniture’s and Italian decorative arts a never before seen vision. The Kingley Street gallery (seen below) explored not only new design but also new and experimental ways of displaying it. Chairs hung from the walls, a sea of Le Klint pleated paper lanterns setting a backdrop for Jacobsen, Wegner and Mogensen.

Within the displays at the Geffrye museum, and hidden away in storage, are some great examples of Finmar pieces… the lounge chair with storage under the seating (seen below) and the TV chest, on wheels. There were many examples of Finmar pieces on the market and these often sell at auction for far more than their modern versions, so look out for the Finmar stamp and expect to pay more when picking something up on eBay.

Elävä Finmar / Living Finmar

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