when i was in helsinki a few weeks ago i was given the opportunity to hop aboard an eckerö line ferry for a day trip to tallinn, where i was given a whistlestop tour of the beautiful estonian capital as well as the nearby design house by the old fishing harbour.

the estonian design house is home to several design studios as well as the estonian association of designers, the office of the design night festival, a design gallery and the design café, klaus.

the aim of the initiative is to make estonian design more visible to both the local community and foreign tourists, as well as being a venue which connects designers from different fields in order to stimulate design conversations, creativity and collaborations.

i must say, i didn’t really know what to expect from “estonian design”  but was pleasantly surprised by the eclectic selection of fashion, home and accessory items on display in the store, all with a decidedly modern flavour, evidently influenced by their nordic neighbours across the water.

i found myself drawn to stylish wooden spectacles by karl annus, theraputic soy wax candles by valhalla, nordic minimalist textiles designed by monika järg (see 03. below) and organic woolen clothing manufactured by women in märjamaa parish, an estonian municipality located in rapla county (04.).

| 01. oot oot | 02. seos | 03. stuudio tekstiil ruumis | 04.  k00d |

upstairs we were given a sneak peek inside the design studio and workshop of aus design, whose upcycled clothing range has introduced the concept to mass-production at beximco in bangladesh, so that each garment in the ss14 collection carries a label with a unique calculation of the environmental impact of style. each garment in the new collection saves “on average 4,500 litres of water and creates 86% less co2 emission” than traditional clothing production methods, and the brand is proud to be the world’s first “industrial upcycler” in the fashion industry. the designs are pretty snazzy too, don’t you think?

alongside the store and design studios, cafe klaus offers a welcome space to retreat and reflect upon the hive of creativity on display, whilst serving up delicious food and drink in stylish surroundings.

if you ever find yourself in tallinn for the day, i would definitely recommend a visit!

estonian design house, kalasadama 8, 10145 tallinn