Window washing

We love the huge windows in our apartment. Considering the function of a window, however, we would preferably also like to see through them. It is not only the pollen, dirt and rain which reduce the transparency of the windows, but for some reason the windows seem to get heavily decorated by some sticky fingerprints.

Leaving my mark

It is, however, unbelievable how sometimes it is just impossible to get things done. We had been postponing washing the windows for quite some time, and it was not until the weekend before a certain magazine focusing on interior decoration was coming over to take a few photos of our apartment, we were forced to tackle challenge of the super-dirty, nearly grey glass. The windows around the atrium were easily reachable, and thus quickly in pristine condition.

Professional at work

Tiny observer

The windows on the back of the apartment were a different story. Fortunately, we received a great tip where to get really good quality window washing tools with an extendable arm. If anyone living in Finland has a similar need, we warmly recommend to check out Pemic!

Aspiring higher

While Pekka was washing the windows outside, the rest of the team found it quite entertaining to observe the progress from inside the apartment. The investment in cleaning equipment was proven to be worth every cent. Seeing the difference was just amazing, and even if not perhaps the most interesting topic to write about, a few shots to record the difference between before and after were in order. Ah, the sun is shining in again!

Appearing from thin air?

Close up: after and before, side by side

Rocking chair

A very special piece we have not discussed yet is a wooden rocking chair Pekka found at a local antique fair almost two years ago, some months before Sofi was born. It was in a pretty good condition just in need of a through cleaning and some surface treatment, but otherwise ready for use. For quite some time, however, Sofi was way too little to enjoy her special toy. But now, at the age of 1.5 years, she finds the rocking chair quite intriguing.

Rocking and playing

She does not only love sitting in it and playing with her plastic horses, but she also loves rocking. And to be more precise, rocking in a serious way, as fast and far as possible, and preferably so that the top is left open. Knocking on wood - she has not fallen of her ride so far!

From the 1940's

We think the rocking chair dates back to 1940's due to how it looks like and based on Pekka's discussion with the seller. Of course we can't be certain, but it is clearly old and unique, we have not ran across a similar item in any of the live auctions or the internet sites. The wood work is beautiful, it has some very appealing shapes and details.

Back rest

Child proof (?) locks to lock up the top

Urho and Sofi have a very interesting relationship at the moment. When we were for example taking these pictures, Urho had to know that by positioning himself close to Sofi in swing action, he is risking his well being a bit. Mysteriously, however, despite of the inevitable risk he often prefers being in the centre of all action. And equally miraculously, between him and Sofi, there has been no major incidents of any kind, which has a lot to do with Urho's calm and easy character. Instead, a couple of times we have even observed a form of interaction between those two which could be called "playing together".

No need to react

Neither marble nor laminate

Back to our constantly changing and evolving dining set.

For a long time, our shared object of desire has been a Tulip table by one of the most famous Finnish designers Eero Saarinen (1910 - 1961). Introduced in 1958 by the manufacturer Knoll, the Tulip was part of the Pedestal collection, which consisted of several different sized tables and chairs.

Our dilemma has been that this beautiful table is available in various top materials, and we have had very divergent views on which one should we choose. Since the very beginning, Pekka has been insisting on marble, which Minna simply refuses even to consider preferring laminate instead. Finally after circling around the decision for months, the solution finally presented itself - once again in the form of an internet auction. Instead of marble OR laminate, it would be a Tulip with a teak top and black base.

Tulip, Cherners, Artichoke and yes - a dachshund.

The Dining Room Trio - the Tulip, the Cherners and the PH Artichoke really seem like a perfect match. First, it is remarkable that all three items date back to 1957 - 1958. Second, the black/wood color palette of the table and chairs complement each other in a very appealing way. Also, the oval shape of the table works really well with the shape of the Cherners. And the Artichoke is just simply fantastic. The only thing missing is a carpet underneath (we'll get back to that in due time).

The key design driver for the whole pedestal collection is the single base construction. In Saarinen's opinion under any table there usually was an ugly, confusing and unrestful world - the so called "slum of legs". With this notion he naturally referred to the conventional "four legs per item" construction which is very typical for furniture.

It took Saarinen and the product development team at Knoll five long years to finalize the revolutionary design. The single base construction creates an impression of a top loating in the air. It is actually quite amazing how a single, narrow base can steadily support such a large top as in the table we recently acquired. Measuring 245 x 137 cm our Tulip can easily accommodate 8 - 10 guests.

Single supporting base

It is actually funny that during all this time of intense collection of vintage furniture we have actually never owned an item by Saarinen or Knoll, which is one of the classic US manufacturers of design items for home, workplace and textiles. Founded in 1938 by Hans Knoll the company has produced several award winning designs by the top designers of the world.

For the 50th anniversary of the pedestal collection Knoll reintroduced rosewood (Santos Palisader) and teak table tops and subsequently made these line additions permanent. Items manufactured during the anniversary year (2007 - 2008) carry a special commemorative medallion. Ours seems to be one of these as indicated by the medallion underneath.

Anniversary label

Not only is the base construction remarkable visually, but its ingenuity becomes truly evident when the table is used by diners. The single base allows everyone to sit comfortably around the table without being distracted by table legs. Chairs can thus be added to any side or position around the ellipse whenever required.

There is, however, an (unfortunate) downside to all this. Ideally a table of this size is meant for eight guests, but we only have six Cherners. A chair hunt ahead, perhaps?

Sideways

The Tulip has another curiosity we have noticed. The elliptical table top creates an interesting visual phenomena. If you look at it on the side, the oval shape "narrows" the table down making it visually very light. Subsequently, the 137 cm wide table looks smaller than it really is. However, when you move and look at the table directly from the narrow end of the ellipse, you can see how wide it actually is and how much space there is between the opposite diners to lay dishes or any other necessities.

Slim oval

Oval edge

The overall condition of the table is good, but based on little (spoon?) marks here and there, the table has been hosting some younger generation diners also in the past. Pekka already has a plan to treat the table, but it is very likely that no matter how successful he will be now, the marks will miraculously return, sooner or later.

And what happened to our old dining table? Well, as some of you might remember the table top was actually a DIY, whereas the legs are genuine parts from a table called the Super Ellipse, manufactured by Fritz Hansen. The legs have now been disassembled and are for sale. So if you are interested in a set of genuine Super Ellipse legs, with or without a table top please let us know!

Super Ellipse legs

Super Ellipse legs looking for a new home

Flower box NOT for sale

Remember our philosophy - not all pieces are meant to stay forever, occasionally you also need to be able to let go of something. This flower box made of solid teak and located in the corner of the living room will not be on that list. Ever.

Home of greens

Originally, it belonged to Minna's grandparents who also lived in a beautiful mid century modern style home next to the sea, quite close to our apartment. Then it travelled some 400 km north to Minna's mother's home and stayed there for some time. Eventually, it returned to the capital area and found a new home with us. Due to the family history, it has a significant sentimental value especially for Minna and is thus also carrying a non visible label of "not tradable".

Made of solid teak

The box is beautiful and just perfect in terms of size for our living room greens. Fortunately, Sofi's interest in plants (and especially in dirt) has somewhat reduced from its highest peak and the plants have remained relatively healthy and undestroyed. The box, however, is quite of a nice hiding place for some of the smaller toys. So in case of lost keys, the box is one of the obvious places to check. 

Temporary support

Project Downstairs is progressing, slowly. For once, the word "slowly" does not have a negative connotation, when referring to the pace of a renovation project. This time, there is absolutely no reason, need or budget to hurry.

On good days, the pace of progression is fine. However, there are occasional moments when especially Minna let's her mind wonder to times when we no longer need to wear shoes (or helmet) for downstairs excursions. The classical way to put it is: "before Christmas" - just leaving the year unspecified.

Temporary beam support structure

Most of the demolition work has been completed. The storage room walls are gone, as well as the reminders of the long gone arch. The ceiling is currently supported by temporary wooden beams, while waiting for the steel beams to arrive.

Holding up

Unlike the rest of us, Urho does not wear shoes when he goes exploring downstairs. He has recently discovered the undeniable benefit of an inside underground space. As you may remember, he is not too fond of rain and cold weather. But even in the changing and often unpleasant autumn weather conditions, the bones need to be hid in a place no one else would ever think of looking. So in to the basement he goes...

Caught (almost) red handed

PH Artichoke

Let us start this one with a piece of history.

Undoubtably, Danish Poul Henningsen (1894-1967) is one of the legendary names when it comes to MCM lightning design. Henningsen (PH) started his career in developing modern lighting solutions when such technologies as an incandescent bulb was a relatively new innovation. According to his design philosophy, the beauty of an object must rise from the connection between its purpose and shape. Any practical challenges, such as e.g. the glare associated with the use of incandescent bulbs, had to be solved before the question of the light fixture's beauty could be addressed.

PH aimed to develop totally glare free lighting solutions by optimally fitting of the incandescent bulb and designing the light fixture to reflect diffuse light. He also wanted to be able to concentrate the light in a preferred direction, usually downwards, which was naturally achieved by reflecting the light by the shades indirectly. The colour of a given light was always chosen to match the function in the most cost-effective way possible to give each light the exact level of warmth desired.

See no glare?

The PH Artichoke (Originally named PH Kogle) was introduced in 1958 in the Langelinie Pavilion in Copenhagen, Denmark. Only a year earlier the demanding task of Pavilion lighting design was passed to Henningsen by the architects Eva and Nils Koppel, who were responsible for designing the space.

As only very rough sketches exist from the time before installation of PH Artichoke in the Pavilion, it is believed the light was developed extremely quickly. This is different from the other PH lights, demonstrated by the numerous archived sketches still available. The surprisingly fast development time of the light was indeed enabled by the fact that the PH Artichoke is actually believed to be based on an other PH light designed 30 years earlier, the PH Septima. During the development of the Septima, Henningsen had in fact designed also a metallic version of this light, but the concept never reached production. These drawings later on formed the basis of the PH Artichoke, launched some 30 years later.

PH Artichoke

Since it's launch, the Artichoke has expanded to include a series of four lights in different sizes: 84, 72, 60 and 48cm diameters. The largest Artichoke requires a stunning 500W bulb and it is used in spacious public or corporations settings, whereas smaller models, suited for a residential set up, use a 300W bulb with a dimmer. Originally in the Langelinie Pavilion a 1000W bulb was installed in each Artichoke to ensure the right warm atmosphere. It has been said that once the lights were installed, PH found the light to be too strong and realized weaker bulbs could have been used.

In the original Artichoke, the shades were lacquered brushed copper on the outside and coated with weak pink (same than in Pink Septima) in the insides. In the mid-70's, an optional new leaf material, stainless steel was introduced, and in early 1980's the completely white Artichoke became available to the public.

And why are we suddenly so interested in the PH Artichoke?

The Olive Green Window has been a host for quite a few PH lights, some of which have already found a new owner on their journey. Without a doubt, however, the above introduced Artichoke is one of our all time favourites. This particular piece was a recent find from an internet auction and arrived to our home from Denmark. It is an early, 60 diameter model made of copper...and upon its arrival, was in horrid condition, stinky and covered with tar, nicotine and dead insects. Exactly something you want hanging above your dining room table.

Desperately needing a face lift

We are not sure about the exact date of manufacturing of this piece. Inside the light we found a label with some sort of numbering, perhaps a specific product code in the Poulsen product portfolio.

Type 17080?

Pekka stripped the filthy Artichoke down to the bone in order to update it properly so it would be safe to use in every day life. Regarding the functional dimension of this light, one of the focus areas was clearly the electrical components such as sockets and wiring. All these were either throughly cleaned or changed during the process to allow safe use.

Wired out electrics

With a vintage Artichoke, one has to be aware of the existence of sulfur spots, also known as the flyspecs in the numismatic society. These dark brown or black spots appear on copper leafs and are formed when copper is exposed to the sulfur from the environment. Actually, it is quite normal for a vintage light to have some spots on it. In our case, however, they were all over and something needed to be done, desperately.

Sulfur spots on copper leaves

There are several different ways one can clean the copper leafs of a PH Artichoke. The chosen method depends on how dirty the item is. We were looking at the dirtiest end of the spectrum, basically everything from dust to tar, and nicotine to sulfur spots. The first three are really not a problem, whereas the sulfur spots change the game completely.

These anomalies on the surface finish are an outcome of the process called sulphatation and require a bit more intrusive method than just wiping to get rid of them. To remove the spots, Pekka first removed the clear coat finish. Once treated and cleaned, the difference between before and after was dramatic. A word of warning: if you choose to clean one, it is a one way road - to have an uniform look you have 71 more to go, regardless of them being in need of cleaning or not.

A piece of advice: work the leaves only in the direction of the brushed surface finish, and the end result will be fine. The observed down side was that by treating the leaves you also wipe off the years of patina. Unfortunately, in the case of the copper Artichoke is a major thing, but a compromise we needed, and wanted to make.

Old and new

When disassembling a structurally rather complex item such as the PH Artichoke, it was essential to do it in a systematic manner. There are 72 leaves of copper in 12 rows, all of which are different in size. After taking all the copper leaves off, all that was left was a bare steel structure.

Piles of copper

Steel structure

The steel skeletal was also disassembled down to single components enabling a more effective cleaning. For these elements a wash with warm water and soap was sufficient to rid the nicotine and tar accumulated over the years.

Clean steel skeleton

The painted components were first washed and dried. Afterwards, they all received a new layer of fresh white paint.

Warm bath

Once everything had been cleaned and re-treated, the big moment was finally there. Pekka was able to start the assembly, the moment everybody had been waiting for.

Installation of the copper leaves

After two and half months of intensive restoration this stunningly beautiful MCM light finally hangs above our dining table. It is unbelievably beautiful. Just gorgeous. And we are completely in love with it!

Finally, the Artichoke has found its place

And last but not least - what are Urho's thoughts on this? Well, as so many times before, he could not care less. In Urho's opinion, the best thing about the Artichoke is that the 300W bulb creates some additional heat to the chilly autumn days. We are nearing the time of the year Urho starts cuddling closer and closer to warm human bodies, or when there is no warm body around, he simply digs his way between the couch pillows. So any extra heat, even a fraction of a degree, is warmly welcomed by our heat-seeking sausage.

Between the pillow and a hard place

Winner announcement!

Finally, it is time to announce the winners of the Anniversary Competition! There were two ways to participate: either by leaving a comment at the blog or sharing the story link in Facebook. Now the two lucky winners to receive a set of Porche knives have been randomly selected.

However, before announcing the names, we really would like to take the opportunity to thank you all for the encouraging and kind comments. Receiving such positive feedback from our approach and style, hearing that we have been able to inspire others in their projects, and receiving several good suggestions for future posts (e.g. tour around the apartment, DIY-projects) from so many readers is extremely delightful and motivational. Hopefully you will keep sharing your thoughts with us also in the future!

Our project here in the Olive Green Window continues, on many different levels. For example, the downstairs is moving forward, and Pekka has been working on a few interesting restoration pieces. So, there are many stories to be told and photos to be shared - hope you will keep on reading and enjoying!

But now, it is time to announce the two winners (who will be contacted by email tomorrow):

CONGRATULATIONS 

Tyler@BackToTheTrees (via the blog) and Pia Tötterman (via Facebook)

Porsche knive set for Tyler and Pia!