{ Posts Tagged ‘illums bolighus’ }

flensted’s marvellous mobiles

horses11 flensteds marvellous mobiles

Prowling through Copenhagen’s legendary Illums Bolighus last summer, I fell deeply in love with this mobile from Flensted. Not only did the gorgeous grown-up silhouette offer a slice of Danish design on a dime (I snagged it for a mere $25 CAD), but it made the perfect souvenir, as mobiles are a traditional Danish craft. It was Christian Flensted, back in 1954, who conceived the mobile as a moving work of art for the home (and not just something to hang above the crib), and his legacy of perfectly balanced and sophisticated hanging sculptures is now carried on by his wife and son.

Flensted launched his collection over 55 years ago with “Lucky Storks” - a design that’s just as popular today. Now that’s staying power!

storks1 flensteds marvellous mobiles

This design, “Flowing Rhythm”, featured prominently in the bedroom of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in the film “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?”. Very midcentury modern!

rhythm1 flensteds marvellous mobiles

I love “Andersen’s Ballet” - a nod to famed Dane Hans Christian Andersen.

f nutcracker flensteds marvellous mobiles

But it’s the swirling, twirling animal mobiles that first got me hooked…

“Feline Mobile”

f buddy flensteds marvellous mobiles

“Seahorse Mobile”

f seahorses flensteds marvellous mobiles

“Swallow”

f swallows flensteds marvellous mobiles

“Swans”

f swans flensteds marvellous mobiles

And no, you don’t have to catch the next flight to Copenhagen to get your hands on these graceful works of art – they’re now available at retailers across Canada from about $27 each. Call Euro Design Canada at 866-932-0261 for your closest dealer.

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rikke jakobsen fine bone china

When I was browsing the aisles of Copenhagen’s Illums Bolighus — hands-down the most impressive store I’ve ever been in…EVER — I came across these impossibly pretty little fine bone china bowls. I was running low on Danish Krone at the time (it tends to happen in the land of the $6 coffee), and I couldn’t put my finger on where, but I was sure I’d seen them somewhere much closer to home…

golddots rikke jakobsen fine bone chinaOnly about 3.5″ high, “Gold Dots” designed by great Dane Rikke Jakobsen, stood out from the rest of the amazing offerings at Illums as a super-sweet “small”.

Check out the pretty “Silver Abstract” design, too… Stunning!

silverabstract rikke jakobsen fine bone chinaSo dainty, but such captivating detail in the metallic designs… You can understand my dilemma – to buy, or to wait until I got home to find out if it is indeed available in my home and native land?

Luckily, Rikke Jakobsen fine bone china is indeed available right here in the Big Smoke — just pop down to the 7,000 square-foot Shop at the Art Gallery of Ontario for a dose of these Danish delights!

Art Gallery of Ontario, 877-225-4246; Toronto, 416-979-6660