Colourful Carl-Gustaf Hiort af Ornäs Välipala Modular Shelf Unit, HMN 1950s

Hiort af Ornäs designed this type shelf in the 1950s. It is called the `Välipala hylly’ in Finnish, and it has become a classic a long time ago. Actually, it has been taken again into production not so long ago.

This is a very simple, practical and elegant design. The shelves can be assembled any way you like. The possibilities are endless, and this shelf suits all rooms basically, living rooms, bedrooms, and even the children´s room.

The colors in this example are of a later date, as the shelves are usually in white. The shelves are original and stamped.

Carl-Gustaf “Nalle” Hiort af Ornäs (1911–1996) was a Finnish interior architect and designer, known especially for his Siesta armchair, which appeared in 1952. In 1945, Hiort af Ornäs founded Puunveisto Oy, for which he developed versatile techniques for processing plywood. Hiort af Ornäs spent his retirement years in Spain, where he designed several buildings in the Los Pacos neighborhood in Fuengirola, popular with Finns.