Behind the desk – young designer of the year, Laura Väre, is the new face in Design Studio RATIA

Thanks to her award, she can look forward to new, interesting projects with various partners. Väre cannot wait to get started.

"I want to design beautiful and carefully planned practical items that help ordinary people in their daily lives. I don't want to limit my work, because I'm interested in different size classes and am prepared to use a variety of materials, such as glass, wood and metal," says Väre, who graduated from Aalto University's Furniture Design degree programme in spring 2019.

The Design Forum jury presenting the award describes Väre as a fine example of a determined and creative young designer who has succeeded in bringing new ideas to traditional furniture design. This is an approach that Väre admires in other people, too.

"My burning desire can be seen in my strong belief in what I'm doing and having the courage to push forward, even if I don't always succeed. I think that it is also important to value other people's work and views in this sector. Mutual understanding of each others' work also creates an enjoyable atmosphere," she says.

Väre describes her style as graphic and simple. The simple Hide lamp, which is often seen in interior decoration magazines, is a case in point. Inspired by a similar lamp in her grandmother's home during Väre's childhood, Hide is a good example of her design philosophy – she values durable items that stand the test of time. Next year, she will be in charge of revamping the Archipelago series that has attained classic status.

"I'm a minimalist by nature, but I always try to find an interesting idea or form, a twist that will raise interest. I'm also interested in collection-based thinking and creating entire product families or larger wholes," she says.

She is inspired by day-to-day matters and the related memories. She likes to relax by visiting her holiday cabin in Lohja where she spent time as a child, but walking her dog in the park is just fine on weekdays.

"It's a boring and common answer for people to say that they are inspired by nature, but a walk in a natural setting or the local park clears my head and enables me to gather my thoughts. If you just walk with an open and inquisitive mind, you can be inspired by just about anything," she concludes.