Mixing it up

A few weeks ago, my mixing bowl broke. It was a white stoneware bowl by the German company Asa. I have had it since I was in uni (so yes, I have had it for a long time...), and it has served me well: I love to bake, so it was used as an actual mixing bowl, it functioned as a salad bowl, and every now and then as a crisps bowl.

I found myself at a certain Swedish retail giant, about to purchase a new bowl. Suddenly it struck me: as a vintage lover, and occasionally seller, it seems absurd to buy a new, uninteresting, generic bowl.

We all know consumerism is killing the planet, right? In very short it means we need to buy less new stuff. Buying vintage makes that  possible, as it gives items a second chance. I love that about vintage.

I walked out of the store without a bowl and decided I will hunt for a great vintage one.

A quick online search showed me there are so many beautiful examples, like this ceramic bowl by Figgjo Flint, this enamel bowl by Finel, l or even this glass nesting set by Pyrex! I was thinking about using the yellow Italian fish bowl in my shop, but have decided against it because of the grooves in the pattern. 

As vintage aficionados, my husband and I buy many things vintage or second hand, but this mostly translates to decor and some furniture (And books. So many books - sorry hun).  In addition we have been buying high quality new items, with a classic design that will last for a long time, such as high quality pots & pans and a good cutlery set. One of my favorite Christmas gifts from my husband was a baby blue Le Creuset casserole pan. We have been using it for years. It is an absolute joy to cook in, also thanks to the fun color.

While I am on the hunt for the perfect mixing bowl, I'm also looking at other areas where I can buy vintage. Kitchenware is an easy one, because there is a lot of it around, and it can be cleaned easily. I'm also looking at vintage and second hand clothes, and I can tell you that it takes some effort, but there are amazing bargains to be had (hello vintage Moschino blazer for less than 5 euros!).

Of course I realize that these are only small steps, but it is good to think about this. The older I get, the more I start to ponder these things. If you have any tips about other things that can easily be bought vintage or want to share some amazing finds, I would love to hear!

If you are looking for cool vintage items to use in YOUR home, have a look at what I currently have on sale.

My First Fair!

Do you life in the Netherlands, and would you like to browse our items offline? You'll be able to see all the items in my Etsy shop and more on the 2nd and 3rd of November at the Collectors Fair in Nieuwegein (near Utrecht).

Hou je van vintage items en West-Germany vazen en wil je mijn vintage spulletjes liever in het echt bekijken? Op 2 & 3 november sta ik met een grote collectie Duits keramiek uit de jaren zeventig, Mid Century glas en andere items uit de jaren 50, 60 en 70 op de Grote Verzamel- en Curiosabeurs van Verzamelend Nederland in de Home Boxx in Nieuwegein!

Mid Century Modern Times

Ever since I heard that some of the West-Germany pottery factories were involved in making clocks, I've been hoping to find one. During my 8+ years of collecting I had never been so lucky, although I saw on the internet forums that there were plenty of fellow collectors who managed to find lovely examples.

That was until a few weekends ago when I biked to one of the neighboring villages to visit a  fair. There were a lot of clothes  and some antiques on sale, but I couldn't see anything remotely resembling a piece of West-German ceramics. I was already starting to wonder why I biked the whole way down here (it was quite a windy day). And then I saw it! Tucked away behind some spice jars and oven dishes stood this beautiful slate gray seventies clock! Could it be that I was super lucky and this was not just a seventies clock, but a GERMAN seventies clock as well?

Kienzle Boutique clock, body made by Carstens Tönnieshof

The first thing I noticed after the vendor passed it to me was the name Kienzle Boutique, confirming that it must indeed be a German clock! Kienzle is one of the oldest clock and watch making factories in Germany, they started manufacturing in 1822, and are still in existence today. The Boutique line was launched in the seventies, and targeted young, hip buyers that loved design. This line included metal, plastic, and ceramic items. Most items in this boutique line were colorful, and typically seventies in design and décor.

  

So far, so good. But when looking for vintage items, there is always the question of condition. You sometimes encounter the most amazing pieces, and it is such a turn-off when you spot that large chip or crack three seconds later, after the initial shock of finding the item cooled down a bit. (I'm ashamed to admit that there have been occasions when I was SO happy about I find that I became blind for damages to items, and didn't notice them until unpacking the item at home.) But in this case the face of the clock is in perfect vintage condition! Obviously I couldn't leave it, so I purchased the item and happily took it home. For now it is happily ticking away the time in my kitchen.

There still was a bit of research left to do (my favorite part), as I would love to know who actually made the clock. I had read that both Herbolzheim Keramik - a company that also made kitchen ware and wall plates - and Carstens Tönnieshof  made ceramic bodies for Kienzle. Based on that info and comparable examples I figured this one was probably made by Carstens, but I wasn't sure. Luckily the lovely folks on the pottery and glassforum were able to confirm for me that this item is indeed made by Carstens Tönnieshof voor Kienzle.

So there you have it! My first West-Germany pottery wall clock. I love the Mid Century Modern look of this clock, with its simple square shape, nice clean lines and well placed red and blue color accents. The thick metal hanging chain gives it that characteristic seventies feel. Carstens and Kienzle have produced a great piece of art in this collaboration!

Serious Business

It was such a nice surprise this afternoon coming home to my beautiful, freshly printed business cards from the wonderful folks at moo.com! My husband has very kindly designed them for me with the versatile and easy tools available at Moo, and they came out wonderful. I love the clean design, and they are printed on pretty, thick, creamy paper

We've put a lot of hours and enthusiasm in the blog and Vase-o-mania shop during the last few weeks, so it is really cool that things starting to look slightly more professional, and thus more real.

I can't wait to be handing these out, it'll be a pleasure to do so. We've been treasure hunting for plenty more Fat Lava pieces and vintage gems to put in the store over the coming weeks, so make sure to check it out!