Adapting to an infinite number of spaces has been a priority for Skanno from its early days; originally conceived as an office furniture supplier by Per Olof Wahlberg, Skanno first became known for the versatile Libri shelf that remains a popular part of its collection today. The company began to shift its focus toward furniture for private homes in the mid-1950s, when Per Olof’s wife Susanne Wahlberg took over its ownership. The 1960’s saw the birth of Talli Skanno, a space that showcased the work of bold, up-and coming designers and quirky interior decorating concepts. Ten years later, Skanno began collaborating with top names in international design, and ever since then has been Finland’s exclusive supplier of several high-end brands from around the world.
In 1986 Susanne Wahlberg transitioned the position of CEO to her daughter Barbara Roos, who has further established the company as an active, creative voice in the Finnish design community. Barbara’s son Joel Roos, hailing from the University of Chicago Law School and its optimistic and driven “Obama school of thought”, joined the Skanno team in 2008 and now functions as an active member of the board.
For three generations, this family business has made innovative design trends part of it’s customers’ daily lives. The ability to re-invent itself has earned Skanno the nickname of “chameleon.” Skanno’s products merge timelessness, top-notch quality, radical ideas, and courage to combine vastly different influences for individual needs the same values that have driven our operations for more than 60 years. Furniture that lasts a lifetime doesn’t have to be uninteresting in its design, while experimental or playful interior design ideas don’t have to be impractical. Skanno’s goal is to inspire our customers to freely combine the new with the old, and offer them products whose look and feel only improve with age.