Monocle magazine | May 2016 | en

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Inventory No93 Preface May is here and we’re showing off the best in homeware and bathroom essentials to keep your homes in tip-top condition, including a clever toaster and some comely ceramics.

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Editors Josh Fehnert & Chiara Rimella Photographer David Sykes 01 Lamp Le Klint Swedish designer Markus Johansson’s first project for Copenhagen lighting firm Le Klint yielded four cannon-shaped lamps.

With an American-walnut base, brass details and a swivelling black steel body, this Carronade model can also be wall mounted. — ni leklint.com 02 Beer Iwatekura Founded in 1918 in Japan’s Iwate prefecture, saké brewery Sekinoichi has branched into craft beer with a pale ale, dark pilsner and stout.

For its packaging the company’s president Wataru Sato called on Nendo’s Oki Sato to create these graphic gems adorned with Chinese kanji characters. — jt sekinoichi.co.jp 03 Toothpaste Oralpeace Made from plant extracts including plum, hakka mint and corn, this soothing toothpaste is suitable for children and adults alike. The recipe spent a decade in development, in collaboration with Japan’s top dental universities. — jt oralpeace.com

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06 Salt and pepper grinders Tylko Warsaw-based Krystian Kowalski dreamt up these cheeky salt and pepper mills while playing with wooden blocks with his threeyear-old son – and so the Totem collection was born. Produced in collaboration with Polish furniture firm Tylko, the grinders are sculpted from beech and are equipped with a ceramic milling mechanism. Each piece can be tailored by mixing and matching shapes and colours. — jwa tylko.com

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04 Camera Olympus Olympus first released its PEN-F camera in the early 1960s and the smart 2016 reissue has a heft that hints it will survive for another 50 years. The handsome aluminium and magnesium body has been sealed without any visible screws but the real progress has been made inside: image stabilisation technology and a few filter settings make for modishly retro compositions. — jaf olympus.com

07 Deodorant spray Noqare When flight times don’t allow for a trip to the dry-cleaners we turn to Japanese clothing spray Noqare for an efficient refresh. The fabric cleaner is portable and perfect for shirts and suits that have lingered too long in the Rimowa. Using botanical extracts, green tea and persimmon, the unscented mist dissolves fusty odours rather than simply concealing them. — jt noqare.jp

05 Spirits Finest Roots In the midst of Greece’s financial crisis Manos Smyrlakis quit his job in pharmaceuticals to carry on the legacy of his family’s 166-year-old distillery in the Peloponnese. “We grew up among traditional copper stills and anise,” says Smyrlakis, who launched Finest Roots three years ago with his brother Nikolas. The all-natural spirits draw from their homeland with ingredients such as Cretan shrubs and mastic sourced from Chios Island. — mss finestroots.com

08 Toaster Balmuda Japanese entrepreneur Gen Terao had his lightbulb moment during a rainy barbecue. Rather than dampening the mood, the air’s moisture kept the bread on the charcoal grill crunchy on the outside and fluffy within. The toaster replicates the texture by misting each slice as it’s toasted and features five settings that make for gooey cheese on toast, flaky croissants and crisp baguettes, gratins or cookies. — jt balmuda.com

09 Shoes Octaevo x Maians Barcelona-based shoemaker Maians and stationery and homeware brand Octaevo have teamed up to create this lively pair of summer kicks. Octaevo’s creative director Marcel Baer brought his trademark pattern – inspired by Spain’s deep blue sea and ever-shining sun – to a classic Maians model. Handmade in Rioja by Spanish zapateros, these lace-ups provide the perfect dash of colour to a seaside jaunt. — mch maians.es; octaevo.com

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10 Desktop organiser Nestor Campos Inspired by the Fibonacci spiral – a geometric figure based on the mathematician’s work – Spanish designer Nestor Campos created a set of desk trays that can be configured in different ways. Named Astro to evoke the universe’s oscillations between order and chaos, the organisers come in five shapes and sizes and each is made from a single board of smooth oak. — yo nestorcampos.com

12 Hair products Mr Smith Melbourne-based haircare brand Mr Smith is following up its shampoos and conditioners with a range of styling products.

With ingredients such as jojoba, acai berries and papaya, these sprays, pastes and serums guarantee preened hair. “We have been overexposed to artificial ingredients so we’re creating products that do not contain preservatives,” says founder David Justin. — sz mr-smith.com.au

11 Toothbrushes Jordan Designer Andreas Engesvik has built a solid reputation for sturdy furniture; smaller in scale is this welcome collaboration with Norwegian toothbrush firm Jordan. With two-tone bristles available in soft or medium strengths, these cheerful creations have a lightweight body and recessed thumb grip.

“I wanted an adult toothbrush that is more like an interior item,” says Engesvik. — amc jordan.no

13 Ceramics Hokolo Having lived in Hong Kong and London, Jen Taylor combined influences from both cities in her brand’s aesthetics and name.

For the first time since starting in 2012, Taylor is experimenting with ceramics for this set of stackable cups, mugs and bowls. Englishbreakfast ingredients such as fried eggs, tomatoes and blueberries form the inspiration for the shapes and colours of this set of bowls, mugs and cups. — chr hokolo.com

14 Perfume Frédéric Malle Parisian powerhouse Frédéric Malle’s prolific Editions de Parfums range (first launched in 2000) continues with this earthy men’s fragrance. The concoction comes courtesy of rising star Bruno Jovanovic. Monsieur is patchoulibased with top notes of mandarin mingled with rum and cedar. — jaf fredericmalle.com

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