It took until crossing the Italian border for me to finally believe it would actually happen: House of Thol at The Dutch pavilion / Masterly Milano during this special Super Salone in September.

Setting foot in Palazzo Turati with our work situated in the most exquisitely decorated 'Sale Nobili' of the palace was amazing, even with two boisterous boys to keep in check and needing time to get used to the mandatory facemask again.

We quickly got accustomed to the decor and facemasks and as soon as Thomas and i finished the set-up, i jumped straight into exhibition mode. For over a week, i was part of the boardrooms' furniture from 11:00 till 20:00, presenting our products to design-lovers from Italy and the rest of the world.​  

In their 5th year at the Salone, the Masterly organization managed to attract attention of almost every large media outlet. ​During the week, Nicole Uniquole, 'Ms Masterly', would whirlwind through the exhibition to make sure everything would remain top-notch for her many high-end contacts. And tireless press tiger Giuseppina Flor was impressively fast and thorough with her press tours.

​There were times i felt like a broken record, telling the same story behind our Patera Magna to a gazillion different people. But with nothing but positive responses it was easy to keep the energy up and tell an enthusiastic story each and every time.

Luckily i got to spend my days in the palazzo in the great company of Fransje Gimbrère, Selma Hamstra, Geir Nustad and (for a couple of days only, unfortunately) Rive Roshan.
What also kept my spirit up tremendously, was the amazing weather we experienced the whole week: nothing but blue skies and a lovely 28 degrees celsius. 

The presence of our new French friend Judith, tasked to keep an eye on the room, made an enormous difference.
​With her ability to speak French and Italian (next to English), she often translated my story for Italian or French visitors who found it a lot easier to be spoken to in their native language.

​As always, it was a lot of fun to connect with other designers and creative entrepreneurs showcasing their work, and we were super happy with the lovely floral facemasks we received as a gift from the sweet Twan & Cole of MondiArt.

While i was in the Palazzo, Thomas spent his days with the boys, homeschooling them and exploring the city or visiting Lake Como. He even took them to the Mediterranean beach for two days and treated me to pictures of palm trees and sunshine.

I worried our boys, being used to space and nature, would not be suited for life in a big city. But they handled themselves admirably, never complained about the facemasks and even almost managed to stick to the middle of the sidewalk next to the busy roads.
They developed a love for city parks and spent many hours there, seeking treasures and blowing off steam in the playgrounds.

With the kids in tow, we did not get to visit parties or hang out in the bar after exhibition hours. But with the long hours in the Palazzo, i don't think i would have survived the week if it hadn't been for our early family nights.

​Although the exhibition was still tainted by Covid, with mandatory facemasks, green passes to enter + a cap on the number of people allowed in the palace, everybody was mostly happy we were there and the design world was opening up again.

Looking forward to the next show....
See you at Piet Hein Eek during the DDW!
(this time we will be allowed to sell during the fair ;-))​  

The Patera Magna made it onto Wonen360!

Check out the full feature <here>

On this dreary summers' day, we are over the moon to be able to announce that the Patera Magna made it to the longlist of the 2021 Dezeen Awards in the category of Sustainable design!

From the Dezeen e-mail we received: "From over 4,700 entries from 87 countries to Dezeen Awards this year, your project is one of the 308 design projects that is in the running for awards in the 12 different design project categories."

A panel of leading industry figures with big names like Petra Blaisse,  Richard Hutten, Karim Rashid, Jasper Conran, Karin Fong and many, many others (click here), will now review all designs and create a shortlist for each category.
The shorlists will be revealed from 6 to 10 September (during the Salone del Mobile), which will be followed by the Dezeen Awards 2021 Public vote. Winners will be anounced in November.

Patera Magna is on the longlist for Sustainable Design next to amazing projects from all over the world (check out the full longlist).
Right now we are just super happy to have made it to the top 7% of all entries. Fingers crossed for more!

<Check out our official Dezeen longlist page here>

Object Rotterdam is always one of my favorite fairs to take part in, and in the first leg of new post-Covid possibilities, the athmosphere was absolutely radiant.

The work at show in the gorgeous HAKA building was all bright colors and positive attitude.
And with designers and artists excited to showcase their projects again, visitors were treated to the best cultural day trip in more than a year.

As always, Object Rotterdam was organized incredibly well and staffed with the sweetest hosts.
​Even though they had to be strict about walking routes this edition, everybody remained friendly at all times.

With a few remaining Covid rules in place, the flow of visitors was well regulated and people came up to our second floor in constant waves. 

We spent the whole fair on our feet talking about our House of Thol collection and easy green living, and were happy to notice that people remembered us from previous editions.

Visitors responded enthusiastically to our established collection with Helios and Flower Constellations. We even sold out our Waterworks-sets on Saturday, and people learning about the 95% circular ReCabinet were amazed by the heritage of our contemporary cupboard.
​
But the Poma/Olera series with both the Patera Magna and Patera Media (fresh out of the kiln ;-)) were front and centre, and the absolute showstopper of our presentation.
We explained our throats away about storing your fruits and vegetables in a better way and keeping them fresh for longer.

​Not surprisingly, we are both quite exhausted at this moment.
But boy, did we have a blast!

With a love for Italian dishes and two little boys constantly hungry for snacks, tomatoes are pretty much essential in our household. 

Did you know tomatoes are not actually a vegetable? At least, botanically speaking they aren't: Since tomatoes are the edible berries of the tomato plant (Solanum Lycopersicum), they are botanically classified as a fruit.
That said, due to its umami or savory flavor and low sugar content, in the culinary world the tomato is considered a vegetable.
Well, from now on, i'll be calling tomatoes 'fruigetables'.

Another fun fact: 'Pomodori' may be considered a pillar of Italian food nowadays, it took until the late 17th century for the tomato to be incorporated into Italian cooking.
Considering tomatoes are a staple in virtually every dish Italy is known for today, I still find it difficult to imagine the ancient Romans had no idea what a tomato was.

Best practice to store your tomatoes for a longer period of time is to pick them green and store in a cool and dark place like a cellar to slowly let them ripen to red perfection.
That's how it was done for centuries.

However... nowadays very few people have a house with a functioning storage cellar. 
Leading to the question: fridge or counter top?

Important to know: when tomatoes are stored at temperatures below 8°C it can negatively effect their flavor and cell structure.
In other words: Do not store your tomatoes in the fridge unless you prefer them washy and soft.
​
Storing tomatoes at temperatures above 20°C will speed up the ripening process, which might be a problem if you are not planning on eating them Today or Tomorrow. 

The best way to keep your tomatoes fresh and tasty in the absence of a storage cellar, is by storing them at (or slightly below) room temperature and in the dark or out of direct sunlight.

When you bring home a fresh batch of tomatoes from the store, or -even better- if you pick them and bring them indoors from your garden, remove the stem and leaves, make sure they're dry and undamaged (eat damaged ones straight away) and softly place the tomatoes upside down one by one with as little touching as possible.
Hold off washing the tomatoes until you are ready to eat them.

Tomatoes should not be mixed with other fruit and vegetables because of the ethylene they emit during the ripening process (and lots of it).
Ethylene is known to speed up the ripening of everything exposed to it, which can result in prematurely rotting food and bitter tasting bell peppers. The ripening gas is even known to make flowers wilt faster.
​
So definitively no storing tomatoes in the fridge?
Well, it's not thát black and white. 
First of all: Once cut, fruit and vegetables should always be kept in the fridge (and best eaten within a day).

Also, if your tomatoes are in danger of going bad and you're not ready to eat them yet, keep them in your fridge for a maximum of one or two days to stop the ripening process. Allow your tomatoes ample time to get back to room temperature before eating them.
Your tomatoes wíll lose flavor and structure, but at least no food will go to waste. 

1. Store at room temperature (or slightly below) and out of direct sunlight
2. Remove stems and leaves and make sure each tomato is dry and umdamaged (only wash right before use)
3. Handle your tomatoes with care and place one by one upside down with as little touching as possible

4. Keep shielded from other fruit and vegetables (and flowers) to prevent the negative impact of ethylene 
and
​5. Do NOT keep tomatoes in the fridge UNLESS the alternative is to throw them out

We always store our tomatoes under a lid in one of the compartments of the Patera Magna, the 'large bowl' of the Poma/Olera series.

We remove all foliage and check each tomato before carefully placing them one by one, stacked in two layers if needed.
When stacked, best practice would be to use a piece of paper to keep the layers apart. But honestly, i usually don't bother, since we normally finish the tomatoes of the top layer within a day or two.

During hot days we fill the Patera Magna with water that will evaporate through the outer wall, creating a slight cooling effect that is perfect to keep your tomatoes fresh and tasty.

We only take the lid off when needed, keeping the ethylene emitted by the tomato away from the other fruit and vegetables stored in the Patera Magna.

< Read more about the Patera Magna and Poma/Olera series here >

We were super happy with this blogpost by 'Huize Chaos', one of the first happy users of our Patera Magnus.

Since we make each Patera Magnus by hand (quite an extensive proces), and the high demand means we're still producing orders from last year, the Patera Magnus in use is still quite a rare sight.
(We're working on it!!)
 
In this Dutch blogpost, user Marieska describes how she uses the special fruit bowl and how it indeed helps her to eat more fruit and vegetables while less food ends up in the bin. 

Read the full Dutch post <here>, and read all about our Patera Magnus and the Poma/Olera series <here>.

All photographs in this post by Huize Chaos

While researching for our Gamechangers design last year, we found out that about a third of the worldwide food production will not make it to your plate. 
About a third of all produce is wasted! 

Although a large part of this waste is early in the chain due to unfavorable harvest circumstances or less than great storage and distribution facilities, there's still a lot that's down to us consumers.

And food being wasted at the end of the chain, when so much energy has been used to get it transported, sorted, cleaned, packaged and in your house, is even more unfortunate.  

In the Netherlands we throw out approximately 34 kilo's of food per person each year. (source: Voedingscentrum)
34 kilograms!
What a waste! 
​Not only because this is costing us about €120,- a person every year, but also because of the loss of valuable resources and energy.

We designed the Poma/Olera (Fruit/Green) series: a series of products (vessels) that help store fruits and vegetables in a better way and avoid food waste.

During the design process we extensively researched how to store fresh fruits and vegetables after bringing them home.
Which fruits and veggies should be kept in a fridge, and which should definitely not? What kinds of fruits need a dry space, and which types should you keep slightly damp?
We touched on all the kinds of fruits and vegetables we normally use in our own household, and collected a ton of knowledge.

Everything we learned is incorporated in our Poma/Olera designs, but to use them correctly, it is valuable to know more about the best way to store the types of fruits and vegetables you usually buy.

Below you'll find a preview of what we discovered during our research.
In the coming months we'll extensively share what we found out about storing your fruits and vegetables in a better way and keeping them fresh for longer, with or without the Poma/Olera series. 

Patera Magnus is a large terra-cotta fruit and vegetable vessel, consisting of 9 separate ceramic parts.
Did you know that right now we produce all Patera Magnus bowls by hand in our studio in Overasselt (near Nijmegen)?

We are planning on finding a manufacturer for the Patera Magnus soon.
Yet as demand for the design is so high, we did not want to keep you waiting and started production in our workshop. 

Let me take you with me into the process of making the molds and producing the Patera Magnus bowls, starting all the way from sketch and computer drawing to the finishing touches of the final product.

Just to have all the steps to this process, let me take you with me to the very beginning of the Poma/Olera series: the ABN AMRO pitch to design a sustainable solution for an everyday situation. 
​
We noticed that we often throw out fruits and vegetables because they turned, and found out that throwing out fresh food is a widespread problem. 

We thoroughly researched the ideal way of storing different kinds of fruits and vegetables, and looked into food storing methods in history and other cultures.

Amongst other things, we came across the idea of a 'zeer pot': a way of keeping vegetables fresh in hot conditions by storing them in a large double-walled terracotta pot filled with wet sand between the walls, making use of evaprative cooling.

The zeer pot idea in hand, we added another thing we discovered research: it's better to store different kinds of fruits and vegetables separate from one another, so ethylene gas from ripening fruits wouldn't negatively impact other fresh produce.

After preliminary sketches by hand, we made computer drawings of the design, and after many, many, many small adjustments, made 3D prints of all the components.

After finishing and preparing the printed components by hand, we used them to make plaster molds.

These molds can be used to slipcast liquid clay: after pouring the clay into the mold, the plaster walls extract moisture from the mixture, creating a thickening layer of clay 'slip' against them.

After a set amount of time, the mold is emptied of the remaining liquid clay, leaving behind a perfect cast of the inside of the mold.  

The slipcasting might not be a difficult process, you have to stay focused throughout working with the liquid clay: too long in the mold and the walls become too thick, which can cause problems while drying.
Not enough time, or a mold that was still wet from a last cast, and the walls are too thin, with a large chance the bowl will crack or warp.

After pouring out the remaining clay, the bowls are set to dry upside down: first within their cast, and later with the plaster mold removed.

After carefully finishing each bowl by hand, everything is fired in the kiln for the first time.

This is the moment the clay is at its most fragile. Especially the large outer bowl is a challenge to dry and finish without creating cracks or bumps.
Once the terracotta is fired for the first time, it is a lot easier to handle.

A layer of glaze is added, and all components go back into the kiln for a second slightly higher firing.

When all components are finished and fired twice, the Patera Magnus is ready to be assembled.
We start with the right fit: double checking to see if none of the components warped or bended during the finishing and firing process.

If everything fits snugly, we make the laminated oak handles and attach them with the brass book screws.
After adding the rubber strips and elastic bands, the Patera Magnus is good to go!

Obviously, with so many steps going into the production of the Patera Magnus vessels, things go wrong occasionally. 
​
After a rought start in February and March, we developed a feeling for the process, and things started to run more smoothly.

​However... when Covid hit, we found time slipping through our fingers and hardly an opportunity to work on the Patera Magnus production with the focus and attention it needs.

Luckily we're back in the workshop now, and working towards finishing every Patera Magnus with the love and dedication it deserves.

With new orders coming in regularly, we will keep production running throughout summer -save for a little two week break in July-.

Waiting for the Patera Magnus you ordered?
We're delivering everything according to order date.
Feel free to get in touch if you want to know more! 

<Read more about the Poma/Olera series>
or
<Order your hand made Patera Magnus now>

You see that? >>>
That's the inside of our kiln.
The kiln we got for prototyping and producing small products like the Waterworks cones.
Not for a full-fledged production of large interior products.

The sweet kiln has been firing our terracotta and porcelain projects without problems for 6 years, until it didn't...

Large bowls started to crack by the end of August. We figured it had to do with the insane heatwave we were experiencing: the slipcast clay drying out too fast.

Or maybe it was the mold that was the problem? We started up production for a new mold.

After a few weeks and losing 7 large bowls in either the first or second firing, we found out the problem was with the kiln: one of the heating spirals had broken, resulting in an uneven heat distribution throughout the kiln and breaking large bowls.

Well... it's fixed now and we're back into production, so hopefully we'll be on the delivery track again soon.

​Get in touch for questions!

Did you spot us in the FD Persoonlijk of June 6th?
FD Persoonlijk is the weekend magazine of the FD, the Dutch Financial Newspaper.
We're very happy with the lovely story Elsbeth Grievink wrote about our Poma/Olera series!

Read the full (Dutch) piece on the photograph.
We cleaned it up a bit to make it easier to read.
​
Thank you for sharing FD Persoonlijk and Elsbeth Grievink!

Last year we were part of the ABN AMRO Gamechanger experience. 
With the help of ABN AMRO we developed the Poma/Olera series, which we got to showcase at the central Ketelhuisplein during the Dutch Design Week.

A few months later ABN AMRO got in touch again to see if we would be willing to be part of a short video about the banks' sponsorship approach.

We had an exciting day of filming back in January (click), and we're super happy to be able to show the first results!

Film made by Freek Zonderland together with wirtzfilm

This film is also made with passion by:
Composer Mark Pütz
VO Sharon Harman
Sound Design & Mix Freek Philippi
Editor Kees Riphagen
Light, Grip & additional camera Stijn Jonkhart
Sound Sam Huisman
1st AC Jk Dibbets
2nd AC Joost Kelderman

It's there!
Patera Magnus can now be ordered via our webshop.

After launching the prototypes late last year, we received so many requests from you about when the Poma/Olera series would be for sale.

And we listened! The Patera Magnus can be ordered on our webshop now.

We're currently producing the Poma/Olera series by hand in our studio in Overasselt (near Nijmegen), so take a lead time of 3-4 weeks into account when placing your order.

Other pieces of the series will be added in due time.
The Poma/Olera series will not be available for wholesale (yet).

Read all about it here 
and
order here!

When launching our Poma/Olera series during the last Dutch Design Week (read all about it here) we had a lovely chat with journalist Jasmijn Missler of Dutch newspaper Trouw. 
Although this hasn't boiled down to a 'real' article in the newspaper yet, we're happy to get a little mention in this piece about food waste. 
Check it out here:

In the article the Poma/Olera is mentioned briefly and described as a fruit bowl making it possible to keep different kinds of fruit and vegetables in separate compartments to avoid them being subject to the ethylene gas emitted by ripening fruits like apples and bananas.
Which is, of course, very true.
​
But the Poma/Olera series has more dimensions than just separating different fruits.

The fruitbowl also has multiple presentation platters for fruits that should be eaten first, while also serving as a lid  keeping the stock below in a dark and slightly cooler (due to evaporation cooling) space.

Also part of the series is ripening bowl Patera Maturus which uses ethylene gas emitted by certain fruits to speed up the ripening process of other varieties like avocado or mango.

The reason we're expanding a little on the subject, is because later on the article mentions a couple of things you can do to keep fruit and vegetables fresh for longer and Poma/Olera pretty much covers them all.

Happy to know our extensive homework during the research phase paid off ;-).

<Read all about Poma/Olera>

A month ago Today, Eindhoven was the worlds' epicenter of design, and slap bang in the main square of all Dutch Design Week festivities was a large white box stating "Design bepaalt de koers", Dutch for "Design sets the course".

​The box was a temporary building designed to represent a blank sheet ready for a the first draft of a new design, and was commissioned by Dutch bank ABN AMRO.
​For 9 days this pavilion was the home of 4 Game Changers: designs that can help us live more sustainably daily lives.

​One of those Game Changers: our Poma/Olera series.
Brandbase and ABN AMRO gave us the opportunity to come up with a solution for everyday fruit and vegetable storage. 
(More about the origins of Poma/Olera can be found here)

Our design was accompanied by the Transformer table (getting better with age), a candle using fat from a water sanitation plant and a filter that takes out the micro-plastics from your washing machine waste water.  

The ABN AMRO Game Changers exhibition was set up as an experience: up to 15 visitors accompanied by a host would be guided along the 4 different Game Changers with a professional voice-over and well timed lighting schedule.

This meant that as a visitor of the Game Changers Pavilion you really experienced design, rather than simply looking at it. Something very different to most other exhibitions and very professionaly executed.

Because of the voice-over directing the pace of the little tour, people didn't really have the time to linger around our work and take photographs to share online.
That's why we snuck in before the show started to get a few pics of the Poma/Olera presentation.

Having ABN AMRO backing our project meant that we reached audiences we probably would have missed otherwise.

We were very happy we got to tell about House of Thol to a professional audience during a Sustainable investment event and expanded our network tremendously.
​
Apart from an interview with a journalist from a national newspaper that will hopefully be published in a few months, we had a lovely chat with Francis of Sublime radio, which let into our 60 seconds of radio fame that you can listen to here.

Not being able to stand next to our designs was new to us, and made for a refreshingly laid back Dutch Design Week.

It also meant we missed out on a lot of direct response to our Poma/Olera series, and that's kind of a shame.
We love getting into conversation about our designs, to clarify the decisions we made and brainstorm about future possibilities.
​Luckily a lot of people still managed to reach out to us and tell us what they thought about Poma/Olera via e-mail and social media

Most heard response was: "When will the series be for sale?" and "Where can i get a Poma/Olera fruit bowl?".

​With so many specific requests, we're happy to get a move on: We'll be producing a small Poma/Olera series in house meant for direct sales on the short term, while at the same time diving deeper into terracotta production possibilities as close to home as possible.
We're not in this alone: Fonds Kwadraat is helping us with the next step.

We've currently set the price of a large Poma/Olera bowl (Patera Magnus) at €195,-. 
Production will take approximately 4-6 weeks.

Interested in keeping your fresh food fresh?
Get in touch!​

Sublime is a Dutch radio station all about soul, funk and jazz. Aside from music, they feature a super cool side step into sustainable and social progress every hour called 'Nieuws van de vooruitgang' (news of progress).

Listen to the (Dutch) piece here >
Sander and Francis zoom in on the Dutch Design Week fairly quick, and the Poma Olera series is the first project  discussed.

More can be found on Sublimes website.

For more information about the Poma/Olera, click here.

It all started with a phonecall in June: ABN AMRO was looking for designers to come up with a sustainable solution for everyday situations, and if we could pitch an idea in July?

Since our House of Thol slogan is 'Durable products for easy green living' of course we had to participate!
We had a few ideas up our sleeve that could perhaps impact a marker like Earth Overshoot Day.

We took a close look at our own day-to-day and found plenty of things that we still can do better.
​One of the things that's a real problem, is food waste: with two young kids with fluctuating appetites in the house, we can't help but throw out food ever so often.
Such a waste! Not only because of the money, but also because of the resources we waste.

And this goes beyond our household: in the Netherlands we throw out 34 kilograms of food each per year, and globally one third of the food produced is wasted.
That's about 1.3 billion tons!
​
If we could save only a quarter of that amount, we could feed every hungry mouth in the world (source). 

Bringing it back to our own small household: what can we do to avoid food waste in our daily lives?
We noticed we often have trouble with fruits and vegetables: what is the best way to store them, so they stay fresh for longest and we don't have to throw out wrinkled bell peppers?

Turns out not every fruit and vegetable plays nice with others, so keeping them all together in one large fruit bowl might not be such a great idea: the ethylene coming from fruits like apples can negatively impact the taste or ripeness of other fruits in the bowl.
Anyway, learning about the best way to store fresh food involved a whole lot of research (spreadsheets, seriously) that deserves its own blog post soon.

Back to the process: We presented our plans in Amsterdam in July and the day after our meeting with the jurors we drove off to the Schwarzwald in a 42°c heat and two eager little boys in a car without airconditioning.

We spent two blissful weeks of summer break, and got the phonecall with the final go for our Poma/Olera project while en route.

These past months, ever since returning home from our break, have been all about Poma/Olera. 

The design changed somewhat from the first drafts and we created a series of round vessels specifically designed to store fruits and vegetables in a better way.

The making process involved a lot of sketching,computer drawing, 3d printing, mold making, clay casting, finishing, failing, doing it again, changing the molds, recasting, firing the kiln, glazing tests, new glazing tests, production, production, production.
​
Well, your typical design process, really.

We're super happy and proud to be able to showcase the first prototypes of our Poma/Olera series at the Game Changers Pavilion on the Ketelhuisplein during this Dutch Design Week.
We'd love to see you there!