Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

Some things to look forward to:

+ January 22, Luca Nichetto exhibition and new product launch with Mjölk.

+ Exhibitions for:

Studio Prepa glassworks
Masanobu Ando
Ryuji Mitani
Renaud Sauvé (Ateliers des Cents Ans).

+ Mjölk Volume III (spring).

See you in 2014!

We’ve had an incredible amount of snowfall during the first few days of the week, but of course if you’re in Toronto today you can appreciate the irony of this blog post since it is raining. We can all agree that any city is much more beautiful with a sprinkling of snow so despite all the inconveniences it causes I would take the snow over the slushy winter rain any day.

During this snowfall, there were some really nice moments in our little courtyard. First being the snow falling on the delicate bamboo leaves, which remain a strong green colour.

There are so many paintings with snow on bamboo, it’s just cool to see it in real life.

Also on our bonsai.

The snow creeping up onto the window sill.

Kazumi Tsuji’s “Snow” bowl looking very appropriate.

Elodie’s first real snow experience.

Our view outside our bedroom to the parking lot behind, luckily with some bamboo making a small privacy screen. If you close the window just right, all you see is bamboo. Very Japanese.

It’s that time of the year! Our 4th anniversary is today! We’re celebrating by giving away cookies of Marten, Eero and Ola from Claesson Koivisto Rune, made by the ever talented Lindsey Gazel. Come on by today and say hello! Also we will have the inaugural production of the Ceremony set available for sale this week!

Thank you for all of your support during our first years. Now that we’re old news, we’ll be needing you now more than ever!

- John & Juli

I hope everyone is having a nice week! It’s been a busy month here, and we found a little bit of time to show you a few new things around the homestead that have been inspiring us lately. If you follow our instagram you have probably already seen photos of our mid century Danish piano. We finally got it all tuned up and it sounds pretty good for such a tiny pianette.

In the festive spirit we have our little Aarikka elves sitting on the ledge.

Our Rosemary bush and Bay leaf tree. The bay leaves come in handy for making soups this winter!

Studio Junction lent us their Danish coffee table to be used as Elodie’s play table. Little friends Miffy and Totoro sitting on Elodie’s African chair, a gift from Tomii Takashi (complete with red crayon).

Advent Calendar bought on our yearly pilgrimage to The Finnish Place. Marimekko with little pockets. Elodie loves discovering the treasures, though it seems that the pleasure in finding out surpasses the enjoyment of the object. Usually she just says More! More!

An antique Zulu beer fermenting pot in clay, such a nice shape and pattern.

A mid century Cleo Hartwig sculpture of a dove, next to a brass bowl by Luca Nichetto for Skultuna.

Left, we bought the most interesting looking tree on the lot (Georgian Bay Xmas Trees outside No Frills on Pacific – convenience!). All of the trees are full and perfect looking but they didn’t feel right. Then we saw this scraggly thing and well, home it came. Tree skirt by Marimekko, from The Finnish Place.

On the right is Elodie’s decorating.

Left, a Royal Copenhagen vase and to the right the only work of a Japanese National treasure that we will ever own, a unique tea bowl by Tatsuzo Shimaoka. The lines in the bowl are actually from ropes that were embedded into the clay, the bowl has a gold repair to the rim.

A vintage wood-mold Savoy vase by Alvar Aalto, along with a collection of 3 Tutsi baskets from Africa. Some of the tightest weaving I have ever seen, and such an incredible form and pattern.

Isha update: happy cat.