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.

Busy Susan

During the holidays there wasn't a lot of time to go thrifting, but I was still able to go to one market nearby. There were a few nice things, so I just wanted to show you the last finds of 2013. From left to right we found a vase from the Dutch designer Max Verboeket for Maastricht Unie, with a very pretty purple swirl, a plastic orange Busy Susan spice rack by the Danish company Digsmed DK, a very kitsch 1970s or 1980s cat brooch, with creepy little red eyes, and last but not least a Riihimaki vase by Tamara Alladin, which will be added to my Riihimaki collection.

Digsmed were a Danish company, there isn't a lot of information available about them. It looks like they made mostly kitchen and table ware, mainly in teak. There is a report that the company was located in Roskilde and closed in 1975, although this information is not verified.

The spice rack I found is called a Busy Susan, they are named on the original box (that sadly didn't come with my purchase). These also came in teak, which are very cool as well. There is even a teak version available with an amazing 18 bottles. They can be mounted on the wall, and the wheel they are on turns. What I love about the item is it's functionality, this could easily be used in a modern kitchen, or even to store little knick-knacks in.

If you have any more information on Digsmed, please leave a comment, as I would love to know! I'm sure there must be more sources about this factory in Danish, maybe we'll find out more in the future!