People of Woodnotes: Johanna Vuorio
The CEO of Woodnotes, Johanna Vuorio, tells us about three things that connect her to Woodnotes.
Beauty captures my attention
"Ever since I was little, I often stopped to look at some beautiful detail. I deeply enjoy aesthetics, and I feel inspired by unexpectedly captivating sights, whether they are manmade or natural. Woodnotes products have a unique atmosphere, they radiate peace and harmony around them. For example the Open Sky fabric, or the hand-knitted, ethereal Veil room divider – the way sunlight filters through is an art experience in itself. Observing details like this means focusing on the moment, being fully present.”
The hand-knitted Veil curtain is made of paper yarn – the way sunlight filters through is an art experience in itself.
All Woodnotes products convey a strong sense of nature for example the light filtering through the foliage of a tree. Open Sky fabric is made by paper yarn and cotton.
“All Woodnotes products convey a strong sense of nature: the feeling of a breeze, the light filtering through the foliage of a tree, or a reminiscence of the winter’s first frost. When my own head is full of things, I enjoy calm surroundings. Objects made of synthetic materials do not give me a feeling of peace, for me their value is typically instrumental. If possible, I want to surround myself with natural materials. Maybe there is a familiarity that we can sense – after all, humans are part of nature."
Less, but high quality
"All Woodnotes paper yarn products are made in Lapua, Finland. The yarn is spun from food-grade kraft paper, which in turn is made from wood, a renewable material that is close to my heart. Paper yarn is fantastic. It is beautiful and durable, aristocratic. Woodnotes products are praised all over the world for their calmness and cleanness, and the meticulous attention to quality. For me less is more. When there are relatively few things, their beauty shines and is not overshadowed by the surrounding hassle. I want to choose the few things I bring into my home with care, to last a lifetime. A paper yarn rug fits into various surroundings, also a busy home with children, pets, and domestic life full of activities. If something is spilled on the rug, the yarn will slowly push the dirt out, as if cleaning itself. Over time, the colours fade a bit, but I think it's beautiful, graceful. After all, colours also fade in nature."
Johanna said: "If possible, I want to surround myself with natural materials." Handwoven Piccolo 4 col. grey-stone cotton paper yarn carpet.
In/Out rug Beach col. light sand-soft brown.
Saving energy for the essential
"I admire how the founders of Woodnotes, Mikko and Ritva Puotila, came up with this unique material and a way to use it. The products combine characteristics that I value: beauty, purity, high level of craftsmanship. The way they complement human environments - and the way they fit together with very different types of furniture. Both with minimalist Scandinavian and Japanese interiors as well as with more lavish Italian or American ones. It's fascinating to be exporting Finnish design to the world and I feel privileged learning something new about aesthetics, design, art, and product manufacturing every day. There is a lot of work, but I'm not very prone to stress. In life, you should save your energy for something other than being stressed."
Woodnotes products are praised all over the world for their calmness and cleanness, and the meticulous attention to quality.
