Tag: Flickr mosaic

Y is for… Yellow

Yellow – like orange – is another one of our favourite accent colours…

…a more gentle effect than the high impact of fiery orange, but perfect in some situations.

It has connotations of sunshine, freshness and spring. It was much used in 1950s design as countries emerged from the austere war years.

The mosaic at the top is made up of objects available from the H is for Home website.

Here’s a lovely little poem we came across recently… very fitting for today’s blog!

An omnibus across the bridge
Crawls like a yellow butterfly
And, here and there, a passer-by
Shows like a little restless midge.

Big barges full of yellow hay
Are moored against the shadowy wharf,
And, like a yellow silken scarf,
The thick fog hangs along the quay.

The yellow leaves begin to fade
And flutter from the Temple elms,

And at my feet the pale green Thames
Lies like a rod of rippled jade.

Symphony In Yellow, Oscar Wilde

J is for… Jens

'J is for...' blog post banner

Composite image of Flickr images of Jens Quistaard designs | H is for Home

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.

Vintage Jens Quistgaard teak ice bucket

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

Jens Quistgaard 'Fjord' cutlery set

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.

Orange Jens Quistgaard enamel 'Kobenstyle' casserole dish

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

Jens Quistgaard cast iron taper holder Jens Quistgaard cast iron taper holder

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.

pair of green glass Dansk tea light holders pair of green glass Dansk tea light holders

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