Minestrone Workshop is designing the Habitare 2026 theme exhibition

The Habitare 2026 theme exhibition is being designed by the Helsinki-based design collective Minestrone Workshop. The studio, consisting of nine designers, is known for its experimental, material-driven approach and culture of hands-on craftsmanship.  

Habitare, the leading Nordic furniture, design, and interior design event, will be held at the Helsinki Exhibition and Convention Center from September 2–6, 2026. Habitare’s 2026 theme, Plot Twists, seeks out small shifts, joyful surprises, and welcome changes of direction. The theme examines design and living as a story in which ideas, objects, and spaces can take a new direction at an unexpected moment.

The thematic exhibition designed by Minestrone Workshop is structured as a conceptual workshop environment that offers a glimpse into the everyday reality of creative work and the unfinished nature of the design process. The installation is situated between the exhibition and the lounge area and draws on the aesthetics of a workshop—a space where ideas are born, evolve, and sometimes take surprising turns.

“We wanted to bring a space to the fair that shows design before it becomes finished. We are interested in the process, experimentation, and incompleteness—that stage where ideas are still in motion and can change,” say the designers at Minestrone Workshop.

In the themed exhibition, wood serves as the central material. The structures evoke tools, temporary structures, and unfinished experiments. The installation also examines the polished exhibition architecture of the fair environment and asks whether an exhibition can be simultaneously striking, temporary, and material conscious. The unfinished highlights the twists and turns of creative work: moments when the plan changes, the material dictates the form, or the process leads to an unexpected outcome.

“Often, it is precisely a coincidence, a mistake, or an insight that brings about the most important turning point in a project. We wanted to create a space where these moments are visible and allowed,” the designers explain.

Minestrone Workshop is a woodworking studio in Helsinki with nine designers. It originally emerged from a shared need to build a workspace where designers could share tools, space, and expertise. This shared environment has also fostered a new kind of work culture, where independent work does not mean working alone.

Minestrone Workshop’s designers

Paul Flanders is a designer based in Helsinki whose research-driven work combines materials, history, and storytelling. @studiopaulflanders

Eevi Hautanen is an interior architect and furniture designer whose work combines minimalist forms and strong contrasts with a slow, exploratory design process. @eeviorvokki

Hemmo Honkonen is a designer and woodworker who creates wooden furniture at the intersection of practicality and sculptural artistry. His work is characterized by surprise, humour, and experimental solutions. @hemmohonkonen

Noora Katajalaakso is an interior architect and furniture designer whose work focuses particularly on old buildings and the layered nature of materials and architecture. @noorakatajalaakso

Tatu Laakso is a designer and interior architect who works with furniture and object design. His work emphasizes the discerning use of materials, fluid forms, and craftsmanship. @tatu.laakso

Emilia Lonka is a spatial and furniture designer who specializes in exhibition architecture. She is inspired by observations of everyday environments and an intuitive, hands-on approach to her work. @emilialonka

Anton Mikkonen is a designer whose work balances the line between design and sculptural expression. His process-driven approach highlights the natural properties of materials. @antonmtmikkonen

Didi Ng Wing Yin is a wood artist originally from Hong Kong who works in Helsinki, whose work straddles the boundaries of sculpture, design, and craftsmanship. In his work, the properties of wood and sculptural techniques guide the creation of form. @dd_ng

Carlo Raymann is a Helsinki-based interior architect and sculptor who creates sculptural functional objects and artworks from wood. His work draws inspiration from nature, the built environment, and craft traditions. @carloraymann

minestrone_workshop | @minestrone_workshop

Further information:

Päivi Helander, Creative Lead, Habitare, puh. +358 40 588 4211, studio@paivihelander.fi

minestrone.workshop@gmail

Photo: Justus Hirvi

Habitare, the leading furniture, design and interior event in the Nordics, will next be held at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre from 2 to 6 September 2026. | habitare.fi | @habitarefair | #habitare2026