TEXT: RIIKKA VAKKURI / TIKKURILA
PHOTOS: HANNE MANELIUS
Architect Kari Leppänen’s favorite colours can be found in nature. His inspiration for the colours of the Saari villa collection also originates in the archipelago.
Architect Kari Leppänen, 56, runs his own office in Helsinki under the name Kari Leppänen Arkkitehdit Oy. During his long career, Leppänen has designed public buildings, offices and homes and completed urban planning projects, interior design projects and exhibitions.
Architect Kari Leppänen’s desktop background is a holiday photo from Thailand: turquoise sea under a blue sky. He seeks inspiration from the colors of nature, for example shades of blue.
The colors of the archipelago, such as shades of gray in rocks or the reddish tone of pine bark in the evening sun are stunning.
Dark graphite gray brings an edge and changes the character of a building.
Designed by Kari Leppänen, the exterior surfaces of the Saari collection draw inspiration from the rocks and pines of the plot and the peninsula on which it sits. Different shades of gray form part of nature in rocky surfaces, shoreline rocks and pine bark. The exterior surfaces of the villa collection are finished using Vinha opaque wood finish in shade 1900 of Tikkurila’s Deco Grey color card.
The facades of the villa collection are dark graphite gray, which is borrowed from the surrounding bedrock and pines. Indoor surfaces are light and large windows make the space feel even larger. The contrast between the dark exterior and light interior create an interesting, contemporary look.
The beautiful translucent matt surface of the indoor walls was created using white Supi Saunavaha (Sauna Wax) by Tikkurila, which leaves the rains and knots of the pine visible. The floors were finished with the shade 5062 Birchbark of Parketti-Ässä stain by Tikkurila in order to create a contrast with the light walls and ceiling.
Instead of bright colors, Leppänen’s color scale most often includes soft shades of cement, beige, off-white and gray.
People often joke that the architect makes a bold choice and goes for gray. Gray can be boring, but also elegant. For example the dark granite gray of the Saari collection adds edge and fundamentally changes the feel of each building.
On the other hand, he thinks that buildings can and should be visible. “When you look at a traditional rural landscape, for example, it is evident that people have not wanted to build a green house on a green field. They have chosen to set themselves apart from the colors of nature. “