Wish list 4 by Tova

We love gifts that can be used every day; beautiful objects that also serve a purpose, while transforming daily rituals.

Georg Jensen's lovely Helena Tea Egg, designed by Spanish jewelry designer Helena Rohner, is graceful and really does feel like jewelry in the hand.  its the perfect gift for the tea lover in your life. 

Helena Tea Egg $50

Alvar Aalto's iconic series of glass vases from 1936 was inspired by the waves in water, its Scandinavian origin makes it feel at home in the Pacific Northwest.  The Salmon pink adds a nice touch of color to our sometimes gray winters.  

Aalto Vase from ittala, $175.

The oiled walnut Antipasti tongs by Side-by-Side are not only the perfect hostess gift, but they have a humanitarian edge; they are produced in German workshops employing the disabled. 

Side-by-Side tongs, walnut, $25.

Wish List #2

I love the Twist Family cutlery set from Alfredo Häberli for Georg Jensen. The adorable family is based on sketches from Häberli and includes little Lily Twist, Emma Twist, Jack Knife, and Oli Twist. I find these delightful and perfect for the little eaters in your life.

$95 for set of 4/ Stainless Steel, dishwasher safe

Winters are dark in the Northwest and this lovely lantern from Juniper Design will light your way through the dark. Inspired by miners' lamps of the 19th Century England, the M Lamp from designer David Irwin, are fully of the 21st Century. The LED light is rechargeable and has a 360 degree rotating head. Get your limited edition hand polished copper while supplies last.

$500, limited edition copper

Patricia Urquiola's talent knows no bounds. The elegant collection, Urkiola, for Georg Jensen proves her worth once again. The candleholder is made from several blades of steel joined together. For this collection Georg Jensen experimented with a new finish, a rose gold-colored element with silver.

$190, Rose gold and silver finish available

It's been almost 20 years since Antonio Citterio designed the Tools Collective for Iittala. However, the pieces are still timeless in their design and comfortable in the hand. This is a gift for any cake maker or pie baker or simply a fan of eating these treats.

$60, Stainless Steel, dishwasher safe

 Also thinking about the chef in your life, the HAY Rhom Trivet by Shane Schneck is a must have. It's made from silicone and is indestructible and stylish all at the same time. Available in many colors that will pop in any kitchen. It's a trivet that might compete with the dish you'll be serving it with.

$20, many colors available

Wish List # 1

Cookware from iittalla $225-$450This iittalla cookware is what I most want to find under my tree this holiday season. Function and form are perfectly combined with an inner ball blasted steel surface and a satin steel finish that is non-stick, without coating. The inner aluminum core between the steel layers ensure food is heated evenly and rapidly. Suitable for inversion, gas and electric stoves and ovens. Frying pans, casseroles, saucepans and oven pans available.

Carrie Lamp by Norm Architects $149.95
Lightweight and portable with a USB charger, the possibilities of the Carrie lamp by Menu are endless – use it on your bedside table, light a nursery, hang it from a tree or light your way to a beach bonfire. Suitable for indoor and outdoor use.

Tom Dixon Chop Long $110A chopping board milled from solid oak with a soft curved edge.The longer shape can be used for bread or as a decorative charcuterie board. Who wouldn’t be delighted to receive this as a host gift?  

The Tear Drop Mini $580

An orb of light floats within the transparent hard glass globe of the Tear Drop. Scaled to the size of a human heart, it is not a lighting fixture, but a design of light, itself. With soft, warm halogen light, this lamp is perfect resting on the corner of your desk or shelf.

Hang Around cook set by Muuto $40

The simple genius of this design makes these a perfect gift for the aspiring chef or design enthusiast. Serve salad or stir a sauce and then rest them securely on the edge of your pot or bowl to preserve the integrity of the wood utensil and keep your space clean and tidy.

Ruutu Vase from iittala

Simplicity in shape. Complexity in skill and craftsmanship. Ruutu,  “diamond” in Finnish, 

is the award winning creation of Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. 

Available in five sizes and seven colors. They are striking individually but, 

when clustered together, create an ethereal sculpture of color, light and form. $95-$295 

Holiday Gift Ideas: Let's Have a Drink

In 1862, Jerry Thomas published How to Mix Drinks or The Bon Vivant’s Companion. Not content with two titles, Thomas clarifies his unusual – and what would become recognized as ground-breaking - project further with the subtitle, “containing clear and reliable directions for mixing all the beverages used in the United States, together with the most popular British, French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish recipes, embracing punches, juleps, cobblers, etc., etc., etc., in endless variety.” Think of the following items as being clear and reliable in their design direction for your most prized holiday wines and drinks from around the world.

Iittala Essence Glassware
Designer Alfredo Häberli has fashioned ingeniously proportioned wine glasses. Inspired by his own family’s history in restaurants and hotels, Häberli strikes a mean between ballroom and bar, high and low. Adore the technical mastery of the stem’s merge with the absolutely flat bottom plate. $40 - $115

Tom Dixon Low Glasses
The heavy glass is blown and then hand-detailed with copper. Suitable for cocktails or simply a straight shot of bourbon, whisky – or as Thomas might say – etc., etc., etc. Every time you drink, you reverse the process of manufacture from their mouths and hands to your hand and mouth. $65 set of 2 glasses

Tom Dixon Tank Decanter
Use this mouth-blown, hand-finished decanter as mates for Tom Dixon Low Glasses or mix with others in your collection. The decanter’s walls aerate your wines expertly and display the liquid’s beauty. Can also be used to store and pour your pre-holiday party punch, julep, or cobbler. $125 

Holiday Gift Ideas: Metal

Metal fascinates. Sometimes the fascination leads to dead ends. For instance, the European alchemists misguidedly attempted to turn a base to a noble metal. Other times the fascination with metal’s malleability, elasticity and plasticity yields beautiful objects. We submit some objects now in the shop as exhibits A, B, and C of successful metallic fascination.

Tom Dixon Bash Bowls

Each Tom Dixon Bash Bowl is hammered by hand so that no two are alike. The bowl has been – wait for it - bashed to a thin metallic delicacy. Surprisingly strong, place other precious items inside. Or simply let the hammer-dimpled surface shift shape as a solo sculptural work on your table. $350 & $280

Seth Andersson Bowls

These Seth Andersson stainless steel bowls, commissioned through Iittala, are designed and fabricated to be incredibly functional. Purchase one and, like magic, you have an instant heirloom to use every day. $175 & $195

Björn Dahlström Pots and Pans

Swedish industrial designer Björn Dahlström’s cookware line for Iittala is informed by the Finnish company’s focus on simplicity, functionality, and quality. Spell your Sarpaneva cast iron pot and let one of these stainless steel pieces into your kitchen’s cooking tools rotation. $265 - $395

Holiday Gift Idea: Alvar Aalto vase from Iittala

The Aalto vase dates back to 1936 - first presented at the Paris World Fair the following year.  Its fluid, organic form is still mouth blown today at the Iittala factory.  It takes a team of seven skilled craftsmen working as one to creat one Aalto vase - an icon of modern design.  Alvar Aalto is undoubtedly one of the greatest names in modern architecture and Scandinavian design.  
$175 for the clear 6.25" version

Holiday Gifting from Inform: Staff Picks

Holiday Gifting from Inform: Staff Picks

Matthew's Picks

For my gift list this year LIGHT is the operative word- we all need a little more light in our life whether in the form of light and airy glassware, light for reading or the light of a candle’s glow. 

Tom Dixon scent gift set, $120. Also available and sold individually in larger sizes, these unique candles are reminiscent of worldly scents, and come wonderfully packaged in nickel, copper and brass vessels.

Tom Dixon Gift set of 3 candles, $120

From Flos, the D'E' Light, $395. This LED table lamp also has an integrated phone charger and discrete on-off touch button. Light and practical for a coworker or friend's desktop.

Flos D'E'Light, $395

From Iittala, the Ultima Thule collection of barware and tabletop items has always been a favorite, and this fantastic centerpiece ($140) in molded glass is quite dramatic. Beautifully faceted, it looks like it is made of ice.

Ultima Thule centerpiece, $140

From the Vitra miniatures collection, this light Knotted chair ($310) made of carbon fibre dipped and cast in resin is perfect for the small apartment and the friend who has everything!

Vitra Miniatures Knotted Chair, $310

Another great lamp at a great price, the M lamp from Juniper Designs in New York is an LED design based on the classic miner's lamp. Battery operated and rechargeable. $220.

Juniper Designs, M Lamp $220