Hel Yes!

And so it begins… fashion may have already had its week, but now it’s my turn (mwah hah hah) as the interiors porn-fest that is the London Design Festival kicks off. I’m cramming most of my visits in over the weekend due to work commitments, but managed to pay a sneaky visit to Hel Yes, Finland’s offering to the London design community in the form of pop-up restaurant, exhibition and General Trendy Hangout.

Part earthy upcycle-fest, part whimsical fairy wonderland, the industrial depot setting provided the perfect foil for their simple Finnish dishes, served on mismatched vintage Iittala crockery specially donated for the event, on tables and stools ethically produced from the excess wood cleared during forest thinning.

Nomadic chill-out zones, if you will, edge the venue, draped with fabric illustrated by the wonderful Klaus Haapaniemi, whose work is inspired by nature and fairytales. I bow down to this outstanding tapestry – awesome. Klaus is imminently opening an online shop – fingers crossed this design makes its way onto a cushion cover, which can in turn make its way onto my sofa (OK, so we may already have borderline too many cushions to actually sit down on it, but needs must and all that).

So if foraged herb salad and salvaged Finnish tree trunks are your kinda thing, get thee to the Londonewcastle Depot in Islington before the end of the month!

[image credits: Hel Yes and Klaus Haapaniemi]