Muuto is undoubtedly one of my absolute favourite Scandinavian brands. It’s name is inspired by the Finnish word muutos, which means new perspective. It handpicks the brightest up-and-coming young designers and creates beautiful everyday objects. Its Autumn/Winter 2014 collection, to be debuted at Maison & Objet, features a range of furniture and homeware by Nordic designers. Here, I pick my favourites:
The Push Coffee Maker, designed by Mette Duedahl, is my favourite; it just looks so tactile with its bulbous handle. It has a brown-grey stoneware body with a transparent lid and beech wood grip. And you don’t have to use it for coffee alone, it would make a stylish water jug too. Mette Duedahl says:
Push puts a new perspective on coffee making – pushing coffee drinking to a higher level. The soft and pleasant feel of the stoneware is reflected in the rounded, smooth shape of the jug. I wanted to make a coffee press, which is both soft to look at and soft to hold. The friendly shape goes hand in hand with the warm and cosy atmosphere that a good cup of coffee provides. Push is a characteristic coffee maker with a contemporary Nordic design.
The Closely Separated Vase by Michael Geertsen is an unusual porcelain vase for flowers that looks a bit like a Tony Cragg sculpture. It comes in yellow and white and is delicately hand polished. He says:
Abstract bowls, plates and cups are merged in an intuitive way. Reminding us of the beauty in disharmony and how old things can lead to new, if we change our perspective. The object works on its own, but is given a function if flowers are added.
The Grip candlestick, designed by Jens Fager, is a small yet confident design. It’s made of aluminium and comes in four different colours; light green, sand, anthracite and dusty red. Fager says:
The idea behind Grip was to create an honest and aesthetic candlestick that through its simple design perfectly unites two basic functions – bringing light and the ease of moving it. When everything is so much reduced to the essence of the function – all the details, proportions and finish really need to be in place, which I believe we succeed in. The name Grip was chosen to underline these functions, as the shape allows you to perfectly grip the candlestick and move it from the dining table, to the coffee table, the bedside or to another cosy spot.
The Groove trivets are designed by Norwegian designer Hallgeir Homstvedt. The trivets come in two different sizes and are made of raw marble in either white, grey or green. She says:
Trivets are normally stowed away when not in use, yet I wanted to create a beautiful object, which can add to the atmosphere and bear being displayed. The linear grooves in the marble give the trivets a graphic expression and serves as a nice contrast to the natural structures and patterns in the marble. Leave the Groove trivets on the table even when not in use and let them add character to your interior.
The Balance vase set shown above is designed by Hallgeir Homstvedt. The clay vases come in three different sizes with a tray in steel. Keeping the vases and trays together is a hidden magnet, which locks them in an upright position while at the same time allowing the vases to be moved around on the tray. Homstvedt says:
I wanted to play with the concept of visual balance when designing the Balance vase set, and offer a new perspective on a vase. My idea was to create an object that naturally engages the observer’s curiosity and creativity. Most vases look empty without flowers, but the Balance vases are almost like sculptural silhouettes that you can personalise and arrange the way you desire, with or without flowers.
