Beauty for a Moment

All images from: http://wasara.us/

I recently went to see a small exhibition in Axis Gallery in Tokyo. While there, I also had a look on the selection at Living Motif lifestyle shop. The shop carries many carefully selected goods for interiors and garden, and among them yet again, familiar Finnish products from Iittala and Artek.

My heart fluttered however when I came across this clever and beautiful product line of plates, mugs and cutlery: WASARA. Beautiful, timeless and practical design. With the kind of form and feel that makes you want to pick them up right away. The catch here is, that this collection of plates, mugs and cutlery is actually disposable, but they surely are hands down the coolest party plates I have ever seen.

Currently there are four different kinds of plates, two different kinds of bowls, four different kinds of drinking cups (a Japanese choko, tumbler, wine cup and coffee cup), and a set of cutlery in their selection. All have an ergonomically (and ahh so beautifully) designed shape – for example the cutlery feature a small carved vent, so they can be attached to the plates.

I didn’t fall in love with the plates and the cutlery only because of the way they look, but also because of how they feel in hand. Their texture reminds you of, say, Japanese washi paper. Warm and somehow rustic, yet refined. I reckon they are so beautiful, it will be actually painful – in a good way – to have to dispose of them after eating!

I was happy to learn that despite being disposable, WASARA products are however as environmentally friendly as disposable plates can be. They are manufactured from quickly renewable bamboo and bagasse, which is a by-product of sugar refining process. Bagasse is also often discarded, so I was happy to read they have discovered it can be used as the perfect base for paper making. The WASARA plates are also fully biodegradable.

I have to say though, that the first thing that surprised me with this brand was actually it’s name: ‘Vasara’ means ‘a hammer’ in Finnish. This is of course not where the name refers to however, but it is actually a clever combination of ‘WA’ ( the concept of harmony in Japanese aesthetics) and ‘SARA’ (plate or dish in Japanese).

WASARA has also teamed up with the popular Finnish Moomin Characters, and embossed them onto a selection of their plates and cups. Fun for the kids, but I have to say I personally prefer the original plates.

The WASARA concept incorporates Japanese traditions, aesthetics and knowledge from Japanese craftsmanship into their products – all facts that make me fall in love with the line even more. I feel like these plates *belong* in this house. We are thinking of hosting a small group of people for after-matsuri drinks and nibbles a couple of weeks later, and as we don’t have enough tableware to host a group of people,  these plates will most likely find their way onto our party table.

Clever little thing

 

I had a meeting yesterday in the cool, somewhat posh area of Daikanyama. I love the area, as there are lots of small but cool cafes, shops and boutiques, without the crazy hustle and bustle of the neighboring Shibuya, for example. There is also some greenery, which makes the area even more enjoyable.

On my way back, I decided to check this small, cute shop called Allegory Bureau. I’m glad I did, as I found a source for many little things that are both useful, but also stylish. The shop sells stationery, small items for home and jewellery. Their ‘sister’ shop is called Allegory Home Tools, where you can find also tableware and home textiles. Both shops are located in Daikanyama.

The clever little things that made my day this time, were small blocks of wood, in different sizes. There’s a small carved slot in each piece, so you can insert postcards, notes etc. in them, and pins behind each piece so it’s easy to to mount the pieces on to wall or a noteboard. I just love them. A simple idea, but makes the room look so much more fun, organised and also stylish. I decided that I *need* to go back and buy a pile of these in different sizes, as I realised they’re perfect for hanging my jewelry as well. Until now, I’ve had them hanging just from regular pins – which really don’t look that lovely.

I’m sure that a crafty person could make these at home easily, but as we don’t have the tools and these weren’t that expensive (prices range only between 108 and 324 yen!), I’ll just stock up from the cute Allegory shop. I was also glad to see they sell a variety of Finnish items: Fiskars scissors, Moomin stationery and Bliw soaps.