Tapio Salmi

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

I have lived in Brighton for about 15 years. I used to come here for long weekends first and then fell in love with the city.

What does Finnish design mean to you?

Most of the Finnish people have grown up with it, because every home in Finland has some Finnish design at home. It is a part of my heritage and identity.

Does Finnish design play a part in your daily life in any way?

Yes it does. I usually start my day with a cup of coffee from an Arabia Arctica cup. I might open a tin of baked beans with a Finnish tin opener – a pair of Mickey Mouse-style ears attached to a steel slicer. I’d use my Fiskars scissors to cut a package of sausages open and eat my breakfast from an Arabia Harlekiini plate using Hackman’s cutlery, lovely breakfast! If the mood strikes, I might also light the candles in my Arabia Kartio candle holders whilst eating.

Which Finnish design object have you chosen to be photographed with and why?

I have chosen Heljä Liukko-Sundström’s ceramic tile. I have probably about 200 tiles of her work – it is my big passion, I absolutely love them! This particular tile I have chosen because it always reminds me of my grandmother who passed away.

Photo by Sirpa Kutilainen.