It’s time for my last ‘On My Radar’ post of the year – rounding up favourite interior finds and minimalist design launches from the past month or so. This time we have a beautifully considered collection of ceramics, a limited edition candle that will transport you to the wilds of Iceland, a modular bookcase system for all your organisation needs, plus a stunning design monograph that deserves a place on your coffee table.
New ceramics and glassware from Singaporean designer Gabriel Tan
Singaporean designer Gabriel Tan has created a new collection of contemporary ceramics and glassware for Porto-based collectible design and craft company Origin. After visiting the workshops of Portuguese artisans and being suitably impressed, Tan founded Origin in 2014 with the aim of creating a line of handmade works that could foster a greater sense of closeness between the maker and the owner of the object.
‘There is an invisible kinship shared between the person who made the product, and the person who uses it. We interviewed several of our makers and asked if they have ever thought about this, if they have ever wondered who would be using the products they have shaped with their hands, or with what kind of family and in which country will this object end up, and the answer is often yes – as much as the user has thought about this, so too has the maker, hence the invisible thread that exists between them,’ Tan says.
The new collection features a set of wooden serving trays with Scandinavian and Japanese influences, a series of charred vases, buried and fired in an underground pit, and some organic shaped, blown glass vases. Shop here. Simply stunning, I’m sure you’ll agree.
All images courtesy Gabriel Tan and Origin
homework x Graen release limited edition candle
East London-based lifestyle store homework has collaborated with Graen Studios to create a limited edition scented candle. The smokey scent is inspired by the coastline of Iceland and the country’s tradition of smoking to preserve goods. The wild, natural elements and fresh, winter air are captured with notes of pine, cedar, sea mist and fennel to give a crisp green blend. Hand poured in small batches at homework’s East London workshop, each candle is made using a blend of coconut and soy wax, alongside natural essential oils and toxin free fragrance oils. Ticking all the eco-friendly boxes, the tins the candles come in are also made using solar power in London and can be infinitely recycled. Bravo!
Priced at £25, buy here
Carl Hansen & Son releases flexible and timeless bookcase system
Danish company Carl Hansen & Son has launched the flexible FK Bookcase System, designed by Danish design duo Preben Fabricius and Jørgen Kastholm in 1963. Made of solid oak, the bookcase features beautiful mortise joints that show off Carl Hansen & Son’s reputation for timeless craftsmanship.
The modular system comprises square modules in two depths that can be wall mounted or supported by minimalist legs on the floor. Additional shelves, drawers and doors offer endless opportunities for customisation. Carl Hansen & Son even has an online configurator where you can design your own FK Bookcase System.
‘We had the bookcase system in my childhood home, and I loved the sound that the doors made when my parents opened them. The discreetly mounted ball catches produce a gentle clicking sound which I loved – the effect was similar to that of the sound of a door closing on a luxury car,’ remembers Thomas Kastholm, son of designer Jørgen Kastholm.
Available from February 2021.
Images courtesy of Carl Hansen & Son
The Reinvention of Forms by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen
Danish photographer and Norm Architects’ founding partner, Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen has released his first monograph, The Reinvention of Forms. I received a sample last week and have enjoyed flicking through the stunning pages of elegant black and white photos. Bjerre-Poulsen’s photography transports the viewers eye into a series of intimate details, from natural motifs to close ups of bodily forms. His images are all about shape and outline, lifting the form off the page in their stark black and white tonality.
‘I have a strong vocation for creating thoughtful projects that stand out in an understated, refined manner. For me it is all about balance. Balance between richness and restraint, between order and complexity. Minimalism that acquires softness and visual matter that assumes haptic qualities,’ says Bjerre-Poulsen.
The book comes presented in a beautiful cloth-bound Italian linen cover, in a limited first edition of 1,400 copies.
Available to buy internationally through New Mags, find out more at etuieditions.com. A series of limited edition prints are also available for purchase from Alium.
All images courtesy Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen
