The Northern Lights bar/restaurant

Name and occupation

Pauliina Talvensaari, company director/restaurant manager at the Northern Lights.

How long have you lived in Brighton? What made you move here?

Nearly twelve years. We lived in London for a year before that, but after two months there we made a decision to move to Brighton as soon as was practical. We had friends living in Brighton and had spent a summer in Brighton a couple of years before; we basically loved the town and its relaxed vibe. Originally we moved to the UK to work here for a year or two, when Finland had no jobs to offer and there was plenty of work here.

What does Finnish design mean to you personally?

I like the fact that I can trust it is good quality. Items are made to last, they are practical to use and if I want to add to my collection or need a replacement I can find the same design years later. I like Finnish design style in its simplicity, they are sleek and modern. The materials are natural and nowadays designers also think about their sustainability. There are many very recognizable designs – Fiskars scissors, Aalto chairs – and when I see one, it makes me feel “a bit more of a proud Finn” for a while.

How did the idea for Northern Lights come about? When was the bar/restaurant opened and why?

Northern Lights opened 4 years ago. It started as a joke about having to own a venue to see ice-hockey in the UK and evolved into a discussion about why there were no Scandinavian places in Brighton, despite its large Scandinavian community. As a result we now have Northern Lights. We wanted to offer an alternative to the Brighton pub and restaurant scene. Nordic food is a fresh and healthy option and our choices of drinks offer something new to locals. All in all the “relaxed but high quality” attitude of Nordic countries is appealing to Brightonians. I think Nordic lifestyle, culture and design comes along with all that.

How have you used Finnish design in the interior design of the bar and why?

We have used lots of wood in the interior, I think it is the natural material for Finns.
The bar desk is tailor-made by our friend Ed Murphy, who is a guitar maker – hence the highly skilled details! The wood used is from the big storm that hit Brighton in 1988 when lots of trees fell down. A local land-owner has kept that wood and that’s what we have been using. Yew tree and Wellingtonia (a type of giant redwood) are the trees used. We also used recycled copper plates on the bar panels. In my mind I associate copper with Kalevala jewellery and that is why it felt right and in a way, Nordic.

We also have a pair of old wooden skis on the wall. They are originally from the 1930’s. Our friend, who lives in Oulu, was planning to bring us a pair of skis as a present and was wondering aloud where to find a nice pair. An elderly man was listening and said he’d get him some skis – there was a nice pair leaning towards a tree in the forest! The old man jumped on his snowmobile, drove 13 kilometres into the forest to get the skis, put new tar on them and that’s how they ended up here. They were a bit puzzled in Heathrow airport when our friend turned up with skis in May in the middle of a 30 degree heat wave!

On the benches we have used a Marimekko fabric called “Tuuli”, which is one of Maija Isola’s designs. I chose it because the material has to be practical, last well, look good and be replaceable if needed. We also have a wall feature of the same design, but in a different colour. It is a double functional, usually just a decorative element on the wall, but can easily be removed to reveal a screen (for films or ice-hockey) behind and can also be used as a curtain to cover the window.

Although not all the design we used is Finnish, I think we still share the same values: practical, sustainable, functional and natural, using local sources when possible. The building itself is an old fisherman’s cottage from the 1850’s. It would not be right to use too modern a style like white clean lines and sleek modern shapes, qualities often linked with Nordic design. I think it is important to appreciate the original feel of the space and mix the Nordic elements in a functional, complimentary way.