Image: Design Soda
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I love the change of seasons, each one brings with it new rituals of change. Autumn is all about comfort, hibernation and warmth for many of us. It’s also a time when embracing the daily ritual of coffee again after a long summer is a welcome retreat into the season of solitude in nature, and so, today’s design crush is inspired a little by the Scandinavian concept of Fika. The Scandinavians take coffee breaks pretty seriously, Fika is a quasi-spiritual word that denotes the way that the Swedes see coffee as a moment to pause and recalibrate. I love so many of these Scandinavian terms, though simple, I think they speak succinctly to some of our very modern needs.
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Image: Design Soda
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I have always identified as a bit of a daydreamer, I really enjoy pausing on little things that are easily missed but which can really uplift when you take the time. These days, as I get older, these little joys can be as simple as the play of light coming in from the window in the afternoon. Beautiful design, when done exceptionally well, can also have this effect on me. Beautiful, well-made, design is at the heart of happiness in my home. I don’t necessarily mean spending swish amounts of money on a well polished renovation (though that would be nice, if anyone is offering!). What I’m thinking of is objects that elevate everyday commonplace items into something that’s pleasurable to touch and see. If they can be tactile and clever, and very smart to look at, they are a treasure, and you are less likely to take them for granted. Those are the things that I like to invest in. In our home this may be a hand loomed cushion, an artisan cup, or a lamp that you will have for years. Definitely within this category is the range of coffee making pieces from award-winning Danish design house Stelton. Step forward the Emma, the Theo and the Collar, you are all design heroes of mine.
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Images: Design Soda
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If you like stylish stuff about the house (what I believe is called room dressing in the commercial interiors trade) then this is the peak of dressing for kitchens, and the beauty of this set is that it’s aesthics are good enough to be transported around the house for coffee drinking rituals anywhere. The Emma kettle, designed by HolmbäckNordentoft Studio, is the end note in style for me. It seems completely natural now that it exists that an everyday object that you feel several times a day should be beautiful. But for some reason the design rule book had completely neglected the aesthetics of the kettle, until now. I feel quite strongly about it, in fact I started lusting after the Emma and tweeting about it a cool two years ago and I have been willing our ugly kettle to give up the ghost ever since! (by total coincidence just as this beauty was winging its way from Denmark our old kettle packed up for business, I wonder if it just couldn’t take the competition!). One of the ways that I know a design is special is when it passes the Dan test, if I show something I’m coveting to Dan, complete with price tag, and he still agrees that it’s beautiful, then it has to be a hall of fame item. This smart kettle, of course, passed the test. It comes in black, white, grey and blue and we’ve been having a hard time choosing which of these lovely colours to commit to for the best part of nearly a year. This stylish kettle is made of an entirely tactile material, it keeps the water hot for ages and yet it must be impossible to burn yourself on it. I’m not advising you try this at home but we all know the nasty twinge on your skin when you come into contact with a freshly boiled kettle, well I can keep my fingers on the jug for ages before I start to notice heat at all. There is no bling about the design of this kettle, it doesn’t wear its design credentials in big letters, but it’s the small details that show its class. The gorgeous natural wood handle which I find far more ergonomic than the traditional bucket handle of our old kettle, the resinous shine of the black jug, the simplicity of its shape, the way that the excess cord is handily hidden beneath the base and the toggle switch which feels just right, every element of this kettle makes it a classic in my eyes.
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Image: Design Soda
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If the Emma is the perfect, simple but beautiful, embodiment of a kettle, then her more decadent counterpart the beautiful Collar coffee grinder is perfectly designed for an indulgent Fika that you can transport around the house with you. The Swedish way is to make a ritual out of your coffee break, almost a self-care moment, where you can switch off and unwind from your surroundings for a short space of time. It can be meeting with friends, or if you work from home, as I do, perhaps a quiet corner of calm away from the buzz of emails and workloads, what counts is that this break is one which allows you to put busy thoughts on hold, to restore and recalibrate. This moment should feel indulgent, it is often accompanied by sweet pastries, and what better way to celebrate it than with a coffee grinder made for both the design lover and coffee conossieur.
Image: Design Soda
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I absolutely love this piece for its decadent aesthetic, it’s sturdy weighiness, it feels timeless, and as with the kettle, each element has been designed with purpose and beauty in mind. Created by Italian design duo, Daniel Debiasi and Fredrico Sandri, this beautifil minimalist piece is so well turned out. It has an incredibly well-heeled, smart look to it, the gorgeous brushed brass which is obviously expensive, the kind that will age gently over the years and produce its own soft patina to become a timeless treasure. It’s an heirloom piece, sturdy, beautiful, functional. I thoroughly intend for it to be handed down to my son when he’s old enough to appreciate aesthetics beyond brightly coloured plastic fire engines(!). I love the detachable Collar lid, it feels like a precious object, every element of this piece is a partnership of beauty and purpose. And it grinds coffee like a dream. It come with a detachable lid (picture below) in the same black steel material so it will hold its heat and can be transported around the house with you as your coffee brews to full strength.
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Image: Design Soda
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And last (but definitely not least) in my trio of new design pieces from Stelton, the Theo Core Thermal cups. They come from an award winning range of minimal coffee wares with a Japanese aesthetic, and though very simple in look they are entirely chic. They are also rather clever, as they can hold the heat on the inside whilst keeping the cups cool to the touch, eliminating finger burn. This creates the opportunity to dispense with handles and allows you to hold the cup with both hands. There is well known scientific research that tea tastes better in porcelain and I’m prepared to bet that as we eat with our eyes most people would find their coffee tastes better when prepared and served with this Stelton set. What do you think?
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Image: Design Soda
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I have borrowed from our French style cousins and used caneles for styling in this piece as I think they are the true perfect accompaniment to coffee, but if you are serious about getting your Fika on then cinnamon buns are the traditional go-to recipe, though I most love this recipe for Sticky Ginger Cake with Clementine Glaze by Signe Johansen which I made again and again last winter. Once the weather gets harsher, I will be making it again to enjoy with my beautiful new coffee set. What do you think of the Stelton range? Is it the perfect accompaniment to your Fika?
I would like to thank Stelton for kindly gifting the items that you see in this post, all opinions are honest and my own, thank you for supporting the brands that support me.
I’m a diehard coffee girl and this is all so beautiful! And beautifully shot too. Gorgeous! x
Ah thank you lovely, these would look very cool in your new kitchen ? they are such beautiful pieces xxx