drinking straws made from real straw!

Relatively new to Etsy, Golden Biscotti is a trim little shop featuring select items of pure and elemental charm. Simplicity reigns at this Swiss atelier, whose minimalists practices serve to enhance the intrinsic beauty of natural materials – paper, wood, and clay. Here ornamentation is sacrificed in favor of balance of form. Texture, rather than color, provides allure. As restrained as Ikebana, the results are like a quiet revelation. Serene and graceful, as precious and as intimate as solitude on a misty morning.

porcelain plates

hand folded paper garlands

maple boards

mat made from hemp cord

On a recent visit to San Francisco, Al surprised me with a trip to what turned out to be a culinary experience of a lifetime at State Bird Provisions. As reservations were not to be had on such short notice, we arrived at the early hour of 5pm seeking two of the coveted 16 bar seats granted on a first-come-first-served basis. The restaurant didn’t open until 5:30, so we had plenty of time to meet the other eager diners in line.

The young, sharply dressed man in front of us had come from LA. Polite conversation revealed that he had dined at many of the country’s best restaurants, so often that he referred to all the chefs by first name. “Oh, so you’re, like, a foodie,” I offered. He winced. “I hate that term,” he explained as patiently as possible given that I had just deeply offended him. “It implies that one is in it as much for the scene as for the food, that your interest is merely trendy, or trite.” I understood. “Oh, so you’re more like a pilgrim,” I stated. “Yes!” he agreed. And as he savored his new moniker, I went on. “I just made a pilgrimage to buy a wooden spoon.” He laughed. I could tell he could relate.

The grail that inspired my quest was one of Josh Vogel’s hand carved spoons, which I knew were available only at the Bay City’s MARCH. Thus Al and I trekked there on my first day, where I secured one of the last of Josh’s limited edition “sculptural cooking tools.” It was a lot to pay for a spoon, but it’s really more of a piece of art… that you use, and I like that. I love the combination of grace and wonkiness of Josh’s irregular carvings. The spoon is beautifully balanced in the hand and as smooth to the touch as baby’s skin. My Blackcreek Mercantile spoon has now earned a place over my new sink. There it brings me joy on a daily basis.

And now it has friends.

Arriving home, happy with new spoon in hand, I found waiting for me a mysterious package sent via Royale Mail. Inside were three exquisite bone spoons from Africa, a gift from Kirsten Hecktermann, another spoon guru that I worship. These, too, are graceful and lithe both in form and finish. The white faces are cool and pristine, but also warm to the touch. These cherished items now sit next to Josh’s spoon, propped in glass my husband gave me.

If you ever wonder why there is such a boom in design these days, you need look no further than objects like these lovely spoons, and be cognizant of the joy they inspire. Such simple things, possessed of the power to transcend. They are literally “full of grace.”

Geiko, 2009, inspired by objects from Japan

“Sensual” is the first word I would use to describe these graceful objects by Danish designer Line Depping. The second would be “slow.” Though traditionally utilitarian in nature, Line’s household objects blur the line between work and pleasure. Graced with extra soft bristles and exaggerated curves, her cleaning brushes and cooking spoons seem designed to invite the touch, to entice us to linger in our task, to prolong and deepen the experience. They remind me of Dutch designer Marijke Annema’s work “Dear House, May I Pet, Tickle, Rub, Sweep…You,” which I featured some time ago.

Line’s furniture exhibits a similarly sinuous quality – a breathtaking amalgamation of masculine simplicity and feminine form.

Stillife, 2010, Abstraction of Brush and Fans

Geiko, 2009

Stillife, 2010

Stillife, 2010

hooks made of precompressed ash wood

solid maple table made together with Jakob Jørgensen

I’m supposed to be vacuuming. I finished all my deadlines for the week, so now it’s time to banish the dust bunnies that have been multiplying under the bed.

Instead, while catching up on emails, I was distracted by a lovely gift that arrived in the mail yesterday: this beautiful calendar by Valerie at Pikku. Sitting at the edge of my desk, where one can clearly discern the grain of the wood and impressions of the letterpress, it’s even more striking in person. Love the playful bubble pattern and the warm gray (perfect for my New England-historic, Scandi-modern home). Really, who would resist playing with such an exquisite new toy?

Couldn’t help pairing works by two friends: Angela’s accordion books with Valerie’s calendar.

It fits right in with personal possessions like Oliver’s water buffalo, which he made for me two years ago.

light striations on the desk

Trying my new calendar out all over the house. This is the first time that I noticed Oliver’s drawing on the dining room wall. I can’t be mad; it’s too fabulous. I’m leaving it.

Speaking of thankful, have you ever been so grateful towards a shop just for existing? There are some stores that so channel my design aesthetic that it’s a joy every time I go in. I feel that way about ABC Carpet and Home, POD, and more recently Oen Shop in the UK.

Though I may not be able to personally browse their collection, Mark and Daniel write so vividly about the rare items in their online shop, that I almost feel I’m there witnessing the objects first-hand. Two of my new Oen favorites both hail from Japan: Misa Kumabuchi, who creates serene ceramics, and M. Saito, whose wood carvings are more visceral and raw.

From her studio in Nishinomiya, Japan, Misa hand forms from ceramic and porcelain all the pieces in her Mushimegane Books collection. Based on people and sounds—the rhythm and encounters of everyday life—her work has a personal quality. Like a secret whispered between friends, they are quiet, but nonetheless beg your attention. It is clear that Misa’s fluid forms are also heavily influenced by nature, their organic shapes and tactile surfaces designed to be touched.

Equally captivating, but intentionally less refined, are the wood carvings of M. Saito. In fact, Saito seems almost reluctant to alter his medium beyond what is minimally necessary to form a basic cup, bowl or spoon. Thus, baring the marks of their creation with pride, Saito’s rough-hewed pieces are enticingly tactile. Organic and elemental, they scream “I am wood!” in the quietest kind of way.

reindeer

Send a sculpture anywhere in the world for just the price of flat rate!

In 2011, industrial designer Nick Rübesamen got together with Henrike Mayer, a photographer and graphic designer, to form Formes Berlin. The very first product by this creative duo are clever postcards made from cedar veneer. In a “cross between pop-up surprise and origami,” each card features a laser-cut character, which can be popped out and quickly formed into your own mini sculpture.

evergreen

sheep (that bears a striking resemblance to my children’s favorite, Shaun the Sheep)

elephant

Just ran across these cocktail stirrers on Etsy and thought they’d make a jolly accent for summertime parties. Designed by Silver Pine Woodworks, each stirrer is hand carved from a single piece of wood (Alder or oak) and painted with sturdy neon enamel. Also available in many tropical hues, Silver Pine’s spreaders are pretty festive too.

Hot off the presses (via this morning’s email) comes the latest from Bakery Design. Conceived by Gilli Kuchik and Ran Amitai, Woodini is an innovative stool featuring a sleek plywood frame and jolly polymer seat. Just the latest in clever concepts to be cooked up be this talented Israeli firm.

I’m not the first blogger to feature SlowWood. In fact the sleek forms of this Dutch company have caught so many an eye, that I almost shelved this post in favor of something more original. But SlowWood’s tables are so fresh and lovely that they kept popping back into mind. Plus the styling of the images is inspiration in and of itself. Last night I discovered that when paired with these upside down photos from the company’s own site, SlowWood tables were perfect for spring. So “Uncle, uncle,” I’m featuring them. Who knows, maybe for some of you this is the first time you’ve seen them!

Hand made in Fryslân, SlowWood tables are low impact on the environment, but high in style. Local craftsman use only solid wood and natural finishes to create these serenely elegant forms. Then for a little pop of color, the legs can be customized with a variety of richly hued mineral paints. Simple, playful, and contemporary, SlowWood tables have all the makings of a modern classic.

one of a kind, hand turned cherry pedestal

The world of Herriott Grace is one I could get lost in. Not only are the creations by Lance and Nikole Herriott beautiful, but they are also so expertly styled and shot that I don’t just want to bring home each item, but the entire Herriott Grace vibe!

As is often the case with shops that are this special, there is a story behind it. Lance Herriott and his daughter, Nikole, live on opposite sides of the North American continent – he in British Columbia; she in Toronto, Ontario. To bridge the distance, Lance started sending little packages to Nikole, often including his rare and exquisite hand carved spoons. Recognizing their intrinsic grace, Nickole convinced her father to share his talents with the rest of the world. This he agreed to do, “but only with people that understood and cared about the time and effort spent on each piece.” Thus Nikole, though her lovely styling and photography, created the world of Herriott Grace.

For more of the Herriott’s life and times be sure to visit Nikole’s blog, Forty-six at Grace, featuring recipes, adventures, and inspirations, as well as the latest items to hit the shop.

hand formed, porcelain juicer, inclusively for Herriott Grace

handmade cake flags

an assortment of handmade wooden objects including, a yew serving spoon, an old growth fir bowl, and pastry cutters

part of the expanded collection: linen tea towels with flag illustrations by Shanna Murray; and HG porcelain pedestals made, in collaboration with Jaimie Robson of AM, from casts of HG’s wooden pedestals

oak breakfast plate

porcelain dessert plates