Sculpting Modernity: How Ola Kettunen Helped Shape Finnish and North American Design
Olavi Leo Aleksander "Ola" Kettunen was born on July 27, 1928, in Pitkäranta, Impilahti, to Johan Aleksander and Anastasia Kettunen. Known by the name "Ola" from an early age, his life was shaped by the upheavals of World War II, during which his family was forced to evacuate from their home in Karelia. Finland ceded Pitkäranta during the withdrawal phase of the Continuation War in July 1944. Ola’s son, Ari Kettunen, who resides in the United States, recalls that later in life, his father visited Pitkäranta with his sister. Ola observed that while the area had changed little over the decades, there was a noticeable lack of happiness among the people.
After leaving Karelia, the Kettunen family settled in Hyvinkää, where Johan, Ola’s father, worked as a carpenter. It was during this time that Ola experienced an accident in which he severely injured his right hand, losing several fingers. Although Ola rarely spoke about this traumatic event, it didn’t hinder his ability to draw and paint, activities that became essential to him. Despite the injury, he found his true calling in design and painting.
Ola’s journey into the world of design began at a painting vocational school, and in 1951, he continued his studies in Helsinki at the Central School of Art and Design. He graduated in 1953 from the department of decorative painting, which also prepared students for careers in industrial design, furniture design, and interior architecture. His first commercially produced furniture designs were the "Ulla" chair and stool, which were part of the product range of Merivaara Oy, a subsidiary of the Instrumentarium Corporation. These designs stood out immediately and were followed by the "Kulho" chair series, which was designed for more relaxed seating compared to the Ulla chairs. Kulho chairs featured slim metal frames and foam cushions for added comfort, reflecting the mid-century modern style.
Merivaara specialized in metal-frame hospital furniture but had been producing functionalist steel-tube furniture for private homes since the 1930s, such as pieces designed by architect Pauli E. Blomstedt. In the 1950s, Merivaara continued collaborating with notable designers of the era, including Ilmari Tapiovaara, Seppo Paatero, and Esko Pajamies, among others. These lightweight, modern furniture designs were primarily marketed for restaurants, cafes, and hotels, and they were sold in various outlets across Finland. Merivaara furniture was also exported under the Merva brand.
Ola Kettunen’s work gained attention outside of Finland as well. His Kulho chair series, in particular, caught the eye of international markets. A 1956 advertisement in Helsingin Sanomat announced that his designs had earned him a job offer from a prominent furniture manufacturer in Canada. This period marked a significant shift in post-war North American design, which sought to move away from the heavy, traditional styles and embrace fresher, more progressive aesthetics. Designers from Scandinavia, including Kettunen, were hired to help create this new vision.
Seeing a great opportunity, Ola moved to Montreal to take on the role, and his family followed shortly after. In Canada, he received a notable award from the National Industrial Design Council in recognition of his high-quality designs. However, the demand for modern design in the United States was even greater, and in 1958, Ola moved to New York City. There, he spent most of his career working as an interior architect for the American investment bank Irving Trust, which later became the Bank of New York. He was responsible for designing and furnishing the bank’s offices in the U.S. and internationally, including in Japan, Singapore, and South America.
Ola’s design work was highly regarded, but his name did not appear prominently in Finnish design history books, likely because he spent most of his career abroad. His designs for Merivaara in the 1950s were initially intended for public spaces, but today they are highly sought-after vintage pieces for private homes. His playful, sculptural style has contributed to the enduring popularity of his designs, such as the Ulla and Kulho series.
Later in life, Ola retired to a rural farm outside New York City, where he continued to stay active by caring for horses and renovating the farm’s historic buildings. He enjoyed blending modern materials like glass and wood with the colonial architecture of his farmhouse, combining the best of old and new design. As he aged, he eventually sold the farm and moved to Danville, California, where his son Ari was living. Ola passed away on November 23, 2015, at the age of 87. His ashes were later returned to Finland and laid to rest in the family grave at Hietaniemi Cemetery in Helsinki.
Today, Ola Kettunen’s furniture, particularly his designs for Merivaara, remain significant in the history of modern Finnish furniture design. His Ulla and Kulho chairs, with their distinctive shapes and lightweight structures, are considered iconic examples of mid-century Scandinavian design and continue to grow in value on the vintage market. Through his work, Ola Kettunen made an indelible mark on both Finnish and North American design, even though his name may not be as widely recognized as some of his contemporaries.
The stool is now once again available through Design in Scandinavia, in four different wood options. The stool seat is made in Finland with different upcycled sustainably sourced wood - manufactured teak, oak, European ash and ash stained black. The leg stand is made with recycled steel and powder coated with matt black paint. The stool leg inserts and shock mounts are made with recycled rubber. The stool is manufactured in Finland together with Backmanform.
