Where you feel most at home | Mind, home and country

I am sure my eyes light up when I talk about home. There is no other place that can make me feel so warm, comforted and sheltered - it is a safe place, a loving place, a creative place. A place of connection, privacy, authenticity and contentment.

Some say that home is where the heart is. I agree, but sometimes my heart is somewhere else, maybe not even in the same country where I live in. But a sense of home is possible wherever you choose to stay - as the American essayist and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson once said:

“A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams.”

There is no formula for the perfect home, it is more a feeling in your heart - something that resonates with your inner life and makes you feel welcome.

When I first saw the traditional Swedish and Finnish wooden houses, a flame sparked within me and I knew that one day I would love to create a similarly beautiful, cosy home with lots of personality. Perhaps it's the combination of the rustic and the romantic, the simple and natural with the old and personal - these houses are pure treasures and radiate a harmonious atmosphere.

A good way to support your daydreaming is to make the most of what you already have by adapting your space to your habits and needs. Of course, nothing beats the real northern experience. Unfortunately, we cannot transfer a beautiful Nordic house or the great Scandinavian light or nature to our home, but I am very grateful that there are small studios and art spaces like KaisuMari that help to transport the Scandinavian and Finnish feeling by creating wonderful Nordic-inspired products for our homes - no matter where or how big or small they are.

Creating a beautiful Finnish inspired home with KaisuMari

There is comfort in taking a bath or enjoying a hot drink, being wrapped in a blanket or being held - and honestly, nothing beats a gentle hug! I love the idea of putting a basket of woollen socks next to the door so that everyone can slip their feet into a warm pair of socks when needed.

My main point is that you don't need thousands of euros' worth of Scandinavian design furniture to create your own cosy, Finnish-inspired dream home: loving people around you and carefully chosen items create a meaningful home. Whenever I am in the North, I love to get inspiration and ideas to bring back to Austria.

I can only imagine that it was the same for the sisters Sandra and Ulla of KaisuMari. Their Finnish mother, named Kaisu, moved to Germany in the seventies. They grew up in Germany but spend most of their holidays in Finland. Inspired by the Finnish lifestyle and nature, as well as their own family history, they decided to bring Finland to Hamburg by selling beautiful decoration and lifestyle items from well-known brands such as Hetkinen, Iittala, Lapuan Kankurit or Saana ja Olli.

There are a few Finland shops in Europe, but what I particularly liked about the former KaisuMari concept was that they had a high aesthetic standard, which they still maintain today. It was always a pleasure to watch how they presented and selected their products, packed their customers' orders and decorated their items in Ulla's summer house in Hamburg, showing a strong sense of connection to home, in their case Finland.

In November 2023, KaisuMari changed their product line: They swapped the store for an online shop and now only offer products they design themselves. Some products, like the Soulbirds, are handmade in their studio in Hamburg, other items are produced in Germany or Europe.

Sandra and Ulla offer Nordic artwork that conveys a subtle joyfulness. The products are connected to the Finnish circle of nature, northern culture, animals and traditions. Natural and/or recycled materials are used in their products.

Finnish Home | Wall Art and Soulbirds

For me, home should be a place that pleases the eye and soothes the senses in terms of scale, curves, colour, variety, pattern and texture. Wood is a perfect material for this as it is a living substance that invites us to touch and bring nature into our homes. There is a kind of sensitivity to raw materials.

What I really like about KaisuMari's new collection is that each piece is not just a wooden wall decoration or accessory, but also has a symbolic meaning connected to Finland, additionally representing our actions, goals, achievements or significant events in our lives.

The Soulbirds are small works of art that will bring happiness and lightness into your home. Each of the nine birds has a message of its own. Birds have always been special spirit animals for the peoples of the North: Their return in spring signified the end of winter, the awakening of nature, a new beginning.

I chose Tuulikki, a bright red bird that means "little wind" in Finnish and is also the name of a forest goddess. It is the bird that radiates a serene trust in life and takes on the wind that carries us through life. Being a freedom-loving person myself, I love the idea of trusting the timing and pace of life and taking things as they come.

You could also combine your Soulbird with other KaisuMari’s wall decorations that represent the seasons, such as a beautifully illustrated winter pine, a rowan branch or a spring blossom. It's the presence of nature that brings us back to the present moment and fills our homes with gratitude.

It is even possible to engrave a small personal message on the back of the Soulbird, making it a special gift for weddings, birthdays or just for yourself.

Stationery that Makes my Heart Smile

It was so hard to choose just one of KaisuMari's stationery products because they all resonate with me. There are decorative items like mobile sculptures or fanfolds, as well as cards or mini posters. I just had to pick the 'you make my heart smile' fanfold - because I hope everyone has a person in mind who is wonderful to be with and whose very presence makes you giggle and smile from within. That's the purpose of this lovely fanfold - to remind us of the people who bring joy into our lives. Best of all, you can even add a little handwritten note to show how much you care.

While you're browsing through this stationery section, be sure to check out the other fanfolds like "Breathing Dreams Like Air" (I love this one too!) or the fox mobile. Their illustrations are so lovely, each one is a joy to look at.

Nordic Good Luck Charms | Spirit Animals on the Road

Comfort doesn't have to end at home. You can never go wrong with a talisman that gives you strength wherever you go. KaisuMari has created wooden pins representing different Nordic animals. One of their pins was actually the reason I contacted them, as I bought one as a birthday present for a friend whose spirit animal is the owl.

For some reason I have a strong connection with bears, perhaps because the bear is a strong and courageous protector, giving the feeling of being safe and loved – which might be also a form of shelter.

There is even a snow grouse pin - again this animal has a greater meaning to me as I associate it with the photography competition I won which brought me to Lapland.

I am sure everyone has a favourite animal that somehow expresses their own identity and brings them comfort.

Every pin sold also supports forest projects in Germany - so maybe you can make yourself or someone else happy with these lovely pins and do some good at the same time.

Please check out KaisuMari's website - it's a beautifully curated space where you can also find great photo series like Summer in Finland or interesting blog posts about the Scandinavian lifestyle.

In case you wondered: All of their products will be shipped within the EU.

Thank you so much KaisuMari for the PR samples - this was one of my dream collaborations that I have been thinking about for years and I am so happy that it worked out!

Pictures taken with my Canon 5D Mark III
Products kindly gifted