Planetveien 12 FOR SALE!

Here I was, thinking this was going to be just an ordinary Friday. I'm very happy to have been wrong on that one; I think this is my longest blog post yet...

In the afternoon I got a mail from a friend with the news that THIS house is up for grabs: Grete Prytz Kittelsen’s modernist gem in Oslo. It was designed in 1955 by her then husband architect Arne Korsmo. Grete Prytz Kittelsen lived and worked there until her death last year.

I was kind of hoping the house would be turned into a museum as it is a very important building in Norwegian architectural history as well as holding Grete Prytz Kittelsen's workshop (the oven she used to make some of her enameled pieces is still in there). The good news is that it will be made a protected building. It will be interesting to see who buys it and for what price... (It’s estimated at 7 to 8 million Norwegian kroners, which is surprisingly modest for what it is and what it contains.)

Here are a bunch of photos borrowed from finn.no and DN, for you to enjoy and (like me) drool over. (Click on them for lager versions).

Have a fantastic weekend!

























Of all the lovely interior photos, I think this one moved me the most. It’s a bit like the holy grail...

Grete Prytz Kittelsen posing for Vogue (no less) in her workshop, 1961.

Still not had enough? Click here for more fantastic photos...

Related posts: Here, here and here.

Arabia cup update: FIESTA is the name

So, my hunch seemed to be right after all; the pattern on this cup is not called 'Valencia' (contrary to popular belief) – it is Fiesta. In case you're as much of a pottery nerd as me, you might find this piece of information interesting ;-) I also discovered that it is a cup for serving hot chocolate. Extra yummy!

PS! The designer of this cup is Ulla Procopé who worked for Arabia between 1948-1968. She also designed 'Ruska' – the best selling coffee set in the history of Arabia.

If you are looking for Arabia stuff, this web store in Finland (click on link) seem to carry a lot of the stuff. This is where I found the name... while looking for something else, of course.

New items in my Etsy shop

I've just listed some new items in my Etsy shop. Keep checking in, as I will be listing more vintage items in the next few days.

Blog break over

After a two month absence my old blogging nerve has started to twitch again. It's great to be back. Here is some of what I've been up to while not blogging:

...drinking lots of coffee from my favorite vintage mug of the moment - a Figgjoflint design,

bought this lovely tea towel at Etsy,

thrifted another huge Bitossi lamp at Fretex (the Salvation Army shop) last week, and today found a shade for it,

been thinking I need to get some Biri natural wallpaper on a wall in the dining area,

purchased three Marcel Breuer 'Cesca' chairs with WHITE wooden frames (no armrests) for the mere sum of $40. Now I just need a place to put them,

made a costume for my son's kindergarten carnival party. Theme: Fairytale forest. The end result includes Ikea hacking, velcro and bandages.

I purchased an enormous (soup?) cup online. Later on I also found a lid in the same design and hoped that it would fit. It didn't.

And today, my latest thrift gem: a large tea cup from Arabia of Finland.
I've wasted hours online trying to find out what it's called, but I think I need YOUR help, my dear clued up readers. All similar items on ebay are listed as 'Valencia', but I don't think that's the correct name. (As far as the colour go and to some extend also the pattern, I think it is close but no cigar.) Can anyone help clear up this conundrum for me?

So there you have it. I hope to be back with some more (shorter) posts soon.

Happy new year – I'm off on a blog break

My dear readers and followers, the time has come for me to take a little blog break. I will be back at some point when I have more time, energy and inspiration to share with you all. Before I go, I'd like to wish you all a very happy new year and thanks for all your comments in the year that's passed.

I'll leave you for now with this decorative Turi design wall plaque from Figgjoflint in the "Folklore" series, which I was given for Christmas. The caption reads: Mat og make vil alle ha (Everyone wants food and a mate).

So long!

Janne

The Pølse & Lompe experience

Pølse & Lompe* is the name of my latest project where I'm collaborating with my good friend Maggie. We launched this project last weekend at the Designers' Christmas fair here in Oslo, after having worked on it since early summer. The result we presented at the fair was an "alternative" pin-up wall calendar for 2011 and a collection of 18 greeting cards. It was received very well, and we're excited to continue on designing and writing for more cards in the new year.

For an enlarged and more legible version, click on the image.
(Apologies to my non-Norwegian readers...)

Maggie pushing our merchandise at the fair.

During last week we also got two great shops in Oslo selling our goods: Ruth 66 and Los Lobos.

A Pølse & Lompe web shop is in the pipeline. I will of course let you know when you can shop our merchandise online :-) Meanwhile, we have a contact page on the web (click here).

* If you wonder about the name, pølse and lompe is a traditional Norwegian hot dog dish. It's a long story...

Winter window

This was yesterday. Today it was all foggy. Tomorrow I will tell you about my latest project.

Designers Christmas Fair in Oslo this weekend

If you are in Oslo this weekend, make sure to visit the Designers Christmas Fair at DogA (Centre for Design and Architecture). It's open 10-18 both days.

I will be there selling a new line of products - this time in collaboration with my friend Maggie. (More on this in a later post.)

Getting everything ready in time has prevented me from spending much time blogging recently. I have some 394 blog posts to catch up on in my RSS feed at the moment too...

PS! The absolutely stunning poster (above) for the Christmas fair is designed by top Norwegian illustrator and designer Cecillie Ellefsen.

What it was all about (or: breakfast conference follow-up)

Going for a spin in a rubber stamp carousel. (Or maybe they have been captured by some evil aliens?) One of the guys in white has been replaced by Chewbacca... something's going on here.