Studio Tolvanen is the product design office of Mika & Julie Tolvanen.
Mika is a Finnish designer who started his own practice after graduating from Royal College of Art in 2001. Julie is an American designer who worked 10 years as a woodworker before moving to Finland in 2009 to get a master’s degree in furniture design.
Mika and Julie founded Studio Tolvanen in 2015. They design products for residential and contract use from their studio and workshop on Lauttasaari island in Helsinki. Their clients include Muuto, Design Within Reach, Woud, NakNak, FontanaArte, Frag, Zanotta, E&Y, Offecct, KFF, and BlåStation.
“We do not have a dogma or ism, ” Mika and Julie explain on their website. “We believe good design starts from function (because products are for use), but at the same time any new product we design should have its own individual character. An object might be complex in its variety of functions, but it shouldn't be complicated looking. We aim to make our designs fresh and beautiful, but also self-explanatory, understandable, and quiet (never shouting). That's the challenge we give ourselves. ”
In 2012, Mika received Bruno Mathsson Prize for his work.