Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Christmas Gifts from Sweden – Our Top Picks
Cups of joy
By Kristine Olofsson | Photos: Johanna Fond
Passion for colours, shapes and the meeting that takes place when enjoying a cup of coffee with a loved one, are the driving forces behind Design Lena Larsson. “I have always loved cups and the feeling connected to them, ever since I was three years old and drinking coffee with my grandmother,” the artist recalls with a smile. The idea behind Larsson’s joyfully designed paintings and items sprung from happy childhood memories as well as positive feedback received in art school when painting cups in different shapes and colours. The creative expression expanded from the canvas to actual designs, and today her ceramic products are made at Nittsjö ceramics factory in Sweden. Characteristic for Larsson’s collection, I want more, are the round circles in bright colours placed on the inside or outside of her cups and bowls. “Sometimes we are introvert, and sometimes extrovert, a fact symbolised by the placement of the circles. A best-seller is the harmonic design with a circle both inside and outside, which is quite curious when you think about it,” Larsson reflects. “I want to mediate happi-
ness to people, and for my products to be used in many different ways. A cup can, for example, serve either as a breakfast bowl or as a mug for mulled wine.” The road to success has been long, but decisions based on listening to the heart have worked out well. “I often ask myself where I get the energy from, and the answer is simple: I love cups and the emotions they can hold.” Shop: Showroom: Södermannagatan 41 B, Stockholm, Sweden Liljevalchs Museum Shop, Djurgårdsvägen 60, Stockholm, Sweden Eskilstuna Art Museum, Portgatan 2, Eskilstuna, Sweden
Natural style for the whole family Who said that children’s bowls have to be gaudy and splattered with commercial prints? CINK’s bamboo-based dinnerware shows that the family dinner table can be both elegant and environmentally friendly. Frustrated by the array of garish tableware available for children, Elena Holmberg took matters into her own hands and created CINK, a range of hardwearing, genderneutral bowls, cups and cutlery. The brand’s name is a playful corruption of the French word ‘cinq’, meaning five, and is a reference to the five muted tones in which CINK products are available, each inspired by the beauty of the Österlen countryside and coast. Combined with the range’s elegantly simple design, its natural palette adds a touch of style to family mealtimes. CINK is about more than just aesthetics, however: made from organic bamboo that is recycled from the waste of chopstick production, blended with GMOfree corn starch and 100 per cent food grade melamine binder, and coloured with 68 | Issue 118 | November 2018
water-based pigments, CINK dinnerware is also an eco-friendly choice. The current product range includes mugs, bowls and baby gift boxes — which comprise a mug, a ‘sippy’ cup, a spoon and a bowl — and next year will see the addition of plates and cutlery for older children. In fact, Holmberg explains, CINK’s products are designed to appeal to all ages and are also
Cups from the I want more collection.
Be with you cup, bowl and tray.
Web: www.designlenalarsson.com Contact: lena@designlenalarsson.se Facebook: designlenalarsson Instagram: @lenalarsson_design
By Liz Longden | Photos: Ulrika Nihlén
perfect for picnics and travelling. “Instead of something that can only be used for very young children and then has to be got rid of when they get older, our aim is to create stylish, hardwearing dinnerware, which children love and the whole family can enjoy.”
Web: www.cinkshop.com