Jyväskylä: Art to handle

Something catches my eye on the advertising stand in front of the Craft Museum of Finland, Kauppakatu street, Jyväskylä. On top of it, actually. Has someone dropped something? Apparently not; this little hand-made decoration is there on purpose: to attract the passers-by. Although I'm no fan of pink lacy things, it is still something sweet. I wonder if there's anything else that's small but still noticeable nearby?

Oh yes. The door handle to the Craft Museum itself - wearing a knit graffiti in burnt orange. If I remember right, the door handle has a new outfit; the last one before this was striped. So this is a spring costume.

Round the corner, on Kilpisenkatu street, the Craft Museum is showcasing stylish printed fabrics by a local designer, Kaisi Koivumäki who has created also some dioramas in the "Näytönpaikka" display window. Each of them tells its own fairytale story, with her fabrics in the background.

On the worn wood-covered door handle to the office of the Craft Museum there is a tiny pink crocheted flower. Let's see what else can be found in the door handles nearby.

There's a yarn shop up the same street. However, Titityy's door handle isn't wearing a knit graffiti (and I was already expecting to see one!)... But of course it's quite elegant in itself.

I walk down half a block and step into the first pedestrian street in Jyväskylä: Keskustie. This yarn shop is proud to present its name, Poppeli (Poplar) in the handmade felt cover of the wide, otherwise boring door handle.

Further down, on the corner of Kauppakatu and Gummeruksenkatu streets, there is a most stylish door handle decoration; the door now leads to an insurance company's premises but there was a Gummerus book shop until the early 1980's. Gummerus, founded in 1872, still continues as a publishing house.

Well, not all is as unique as that. Unfortunately the most common door handle type on Kauppakatu street is the boring aluminium one that has been attached to far too many doors, even in buildings that definitely are from a different, much earlier era.

I walk up Kauppakatu and turn back without meeting another good-looking door handle until I step on the other side of the street. This is sure to be an original one! Thank you for not upgrading to a newer model.

When I come to the bar Vihreä haltijatar / La fée verte there's a beautifully shaped wooden door handle, but it's had its share of the weather. Luckily, the next door in the same building is still in decent condition.

Kauppakatu 17 A door handle is also an original one, showing where exactly the inhabitants and visitors have taken hold of it over the years.

Walking on Kauppakatu street, I meet a couple more original wooden door handles. Only few steps to Kilpisenkatu, a neat round one still remains even if the door itself has been slightly vandalized by someone scribbling on it.

Back on Kauppakatu, Asuntogalleria estate agency's door handle is of a familiar type, just like the one that is decorated with a woollen flower.

Little things can indeed make a difference. Like a nice door handle, with or without decorations.