Helsinki Design Week: Habitare 2025-The Neighbors / Naapurit

Every September, Helsinki becomes a stage for design. At the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre, Habitare, the country’s largest event dedicated to furniture, interiors, and decoration, unfolds as a highlight of Helsinki Design Week. It is a place where material exploration, craftsmanship, and sustainability meet imagination.

This year, my favorite part was The Neighbors [ =Naapurit.]

An exhibition that quickly became a beloved destination, and deservedly so.

This space layers serene neutrals with soft drapery and sculptural details, creating a tranquil and almost theatrical atmosphere. Textured curtains cascade against warm plaster walls, framing a marble shower and tiered platforms that feel both architectural and inviting. Wood, stone, and fabric blend seamlessly to form a calming, sensory-rich environment.

More than forty companies and designers came together to create a unique ensemble where Finnish design converses with international ideas. Conceived by the talented Laura Seppänen for Asun magazine, Naapurit explored how people’s lives and personalities are mirrored in their homes. Each room invited us to pause, to sense, and to feel Koskettaa / Touch, Habitare’s theme of the year.

A bold mix of materials defines this eclectic interior. A glass-block kitchen island pairs with blue cabinetry and veined stone, while deep red and walnut accents add warmth. Modern furnishings and vibrant splashes of color, like the orange sofa, contrast with natural textures, showcasing a fearless exploration of form, tone, and mood.

The exhibition was not about perfection, but about presence. About how emotions and personal stories are etched into our walls, our furniture, our objects. Spaces flowed into one another as though completing each other’s sentences. Laura Seppänen’s spatial design guided visitors from room to room, each opening a new chapter in the story of materials: the play of light, the rhythm of texture, the warmth of tone.

This gallery introduces vivid contrast and playful geometry. A striking green partition wall and shelving meet bold black-and-white patterns on floors and cabinetry. Pops of color from modern seating and sculptural arrangements bring the setting to life, blending mid-century influences with a contemporary artistic edge.

For me, one quiet detail became unforgettable: the sauna’s glass doors. Crafted with fabric-laminated glass, they did not shout for attention. Instead, they complemented. Like a soft backdrop, they added depth, allowing the tones of other materials to shine through. A reminder that design does not always need to dominate, it can also listen.

A serene sauna space lined in warm wood, blending tradition with modern refinement. The built-in bench seating is framed by softly illuminated niches, while a circular skylight overhead adds a gentle play of natural light. Fabric-laminated glass doors and subtle material details balance the strength of timber with elegance, creating a sanctuary of calm.

The Naapurit exhibition at Habitare was a masterclass in collaboration, materiality, and sensory design. With over 40 companies coming together under Laura Seppänen’s vision, it showed how Finnish design continues to set benchmarks in sustainability, storytelling, and global influence.

With warmth & wonder,

Heidi