The honey-stained stool warms up its surroundings. The lounge chair 406 is courtesy of Artek Helsinki and was loaned for the shoot.

Stool 60 was designed by Alvar Aalto in 1933. On top of it sits a Riihitie flower pot designed by Aino Aalto for the couple’s home in Munkkiniemi in 1937.

9 / 12 / 20

One good chair

Stool 60 by Alvar Aalto was one of the first things I bought after moving away from home years ago, into a tiny rental apartment in Punavuori.

I think I got three stools in natural light birch back then. I would use them as nightstands, or as an occasional ottoman, side table or extra seat. Sometimes I would have the stools piled up – not a grandiose artwork like t his one, but even a stack of three stools looked beautiful.

Since the first stools, I have added to my collection. At one point, I painted two stools white to use as nightstands. Later I got bored of white and painted over it.

My current crush is the honey-stained version, honey referring to the shade of the stain, not the stain itself. Saku calls it the honey-marinated stool.

If you’ve seen original Aalto pieces from the 1930’s–40’s, the color is quite close to what they could look now. It feels a little warmer than light birch, a little more grounded and mature – the perfect antidote to the cold dull winter light.