Familon Home – Designer Mailis Linnola has a broad vision
The designer of Familon Home home textiles views the world through a broader lens than most.
Mailis Linnola, who has worked for Familon for over 20 years in the world of pillows and duvets, set out to design the Familon Home collection with a deep understanding of sleep and the environment that supports it. The foundation of the collection lies in the world of sleep and a good sleeping environment – emphasizing the feel of materials, a calm atmosphere, durability, cleanliness, versatility, and above all overall wellbeing.
The Familon Home collection includes duvet covers, day textiles, and bath products with a timeless and fresh Scandinavian look. New trends are introduced twice a year, but the key principle is harmony and mixability – products from different seasons are designed to work beautifully together. Familon Home is born from strong intuition; Mailis has always trusted her ability to make quick design decisions that continue to feel right afterward. “The subconscious communicates with everything it has seen” she says, referring to the inspiration drawn from nature or international textile fairs. The main colors of next autumn’s collection – powder and blue-green – are shades drawn directly from the autumn sky.
Mailis’s interest in textiles began at a young age when she made her own clothes and weighed career options between interior and fashion design. After high school, she studied fashion design and spent 15 years designing clothing before being lured to the Familon brand in the 1990s. New sleep innovations, fascinating materials, and techniques captured her interest. Working with pillows and duvets, she found inspiration in truly functional products and high quality – and she has never compromised on quality.
When Mailis started at Familon, pillows came in only one height and duvets had little variation for different needs. Over the years, Familon has introduced many new products and innovations exclusively to the market. “It’s been fascinating to see what different fibers can achieve.” For Mailis, the pillows and duvets have become like her own children.
Product development remains a rewarding part of her work. “Many of our suppliers are long-term partners I’ve come to know and trust over the years. Knowing my quality criteria and style, they no longer present just anything to me. I also make factory visits, and I’m always pleased to see that quality standards are being met. Most recently, I was impressed by our down factory’s quality and origin documentation, as well as other ethical verification systems.”
The Next Big Question for the Textile Industry?
“Textile sustainability remains an unsolved issue. I’ve followed with great interest the discussions about renewable materials that could replace cotton, such as cellulose produced in Finland. Measurable, technical properties are here to stay. There’s a lot of talk right now about the importance of sleep quantity and quality. We’re at an important juncture, ready to develop products that improve these aspects – and can be measured, too.”
One of today’s major trends is naturalness, and from the start, the Familon Home collection has featured beautifully soft stonewashed linen products. Complementing these, the spring 2017 collection introduced luxurious and durable cotton percale with a cool feel and stylish matte sheen.
Mailis already has her sights set on 2018 and sends her greetings from the Heimtextil fair in Germany. Highlights included playful 3D textures, Aztec-inspired patterns, and the ongoing rise of soft powder tones.
Read also: The Story Behind Familon’s Bed Collection Design >
Published January 26, 2017
