O is for… Orange

This week’s blog is a small homage to a glorious colour. O just had to be for orange.

We are big fans, and judging by our popular photos on Flickr and items that always sell well on H is for Home, so are a lot of you out there.

Orange has the wonderful ability to look warm & cosy in the winter or lively & fresh in the summer.

Orange objects really catch the eye. It enables them to shout loudly in a collection of other brightly coloured pieces.

Alternatively, it’s perfect as a highlight colour within a muted décor or against natural materials.

We’ve given a few different chairs the orange treatment!

We did a G is for… Garden blog post a couple of months ago having just planted out some annuals. Our French marigolds are doing well with all the sunshine & showers we’ve been having.

Till next week! x

J is for… Jens

_{1. collection of pepper grinders, 2. vintage Scandinavian enamelware, 3. Dansk pot, 4. paella pan, 5. Dansk grinders & shakers, 6. mostly vintage Finel , 7. my collection of vintage enamel pots from Scandinavia, 8. Dansk – Kobenstyle – Quistgaard, 9. Quistgaard pepper mill, 10. Kobenstyle Pot, 11. untitled, 12. Vintage pots, 13. Jens Quistgaard bead candleholders, 14. salt & pepper grinders 15. grandmother’s dansk, 16. vintage Dansk Ltd IHQ QUISTGAARD Danish Modern mid century modernism candle tiny taper holder, 17. Danish pitcher, 18. pepper grinder, 19. red Dansk Kobenstyle stock pot, 20. Kobenstyle score}

Danish-born Jens Quistgaard was one of Scandinavia’s leading designers with a vast product range that included furniture, kitchen equipment, tableware and more. He is most closely associated with Dansk International Designs, a company which he co-founded with American entrepreneur Ted Nierenberg.

Their partnership lasted for 30 years, Quistgaard being responsible for the majority of designs produced.

He worked in a variety of materials including iron, steel, ceramic and wood. It is wood, and in particular teak, which most often springs to mind when Jens Quistgaard is mentioned. Classic pieces such as his teak ice bucket, designed in 1960.

Also, the Fjord cutlery range designed in 1953, this time teak combined with stainless steel.

There are plenty of pieces in other materials that are worth looking out for.

We love these vibrantly coloured, cast iron enamel cooking pots from the Kobenstyle range of 1954.

His cast iron candle holders from 1955 combine sculptural shapes with a distinctive industrial quality.

Sadly, he passed away this January at the age of 88. However, he left a wonderful legacy which lives on in his designs.

We often have Quistgaard pieces available in the H is for Home web shop.

For more information about Jens Quistgaard and Dansk Designs, try some of the following books & websites:

Scandinavian Design by Charlotte & Peter Fiell (Amazon UK)
Architonic – Feature of a selection of Jens Quistgaard products
DesignAddict – Feature of a selection of Jens Quistgaard products
New York Times – Jens Quistgaard obituary

I is for… Ice

You’ve got your wine, your beer, your mineral water…
…or if you’re lucky, a bit of fizz.
You’ve got your ice to keep it cool.
Now all you need is something stylish to put it in.
Step forward ICE BUCKET!

Made from all kinds of materials including glass, wood, plastic, stainless steel & silver – with shapes & designs too numerous to mention. Some are big enough to plunge your whole bottle in – like this fantastic, 1960s yellow Cathrineholm number…

…others hold just enough cubes to keep that G&T at the optimum temperature.

_{Vintage teak & stainless steel ice bucket by Viners of Sheffield}

_{left to right: Lundtofte, Crayonne & Stelton}

We always have a few designs in stock, so if your cubes need a good home, check out the selection at H is for Home

E is for… Enamel

We’re big fans of vintage enamel homewares. The process involves paint actually being baked onto metal, glass or ceramics. Used in all manner of household items, it’s practical, hard wearing and incorporates some fantastic colours & patterns.

Also, a bit of wear and tear is no bad thing – a few small chips and dents create a lovely, homely, lived-in patina – not usually the case with other materials such as pottery and glass.

H is for Home Harbinger

Tag: enamelware

O is for… Orange

J is for… Jens

I is for… Ice

E is for… Enamel