Seldomly have i been longing for spring as much as i do this year.
Then again: don't we all?!
Well, the season of bright green is around the corner, and although we have yet to round the bend on Covid, we can at least spot a brighter day on the horizon.

Since spring is the perfect time to sow wildflower seeds and create a haven for both your own eyes as well as your local pollinators, we're adding 'Seeds of Love' wildflower labels to each order of at least €15,- for the next month!

Each Seeds of Love labels has a seed pack containing about 2-3 grams of wildflower seeds, more than enough for 1 square meter of wildflowers.

We order our seeds in bulk at a bee-loving company in the Netherlands and created a personal mix with an assortment of local wildflowers.

When you place an order for at least €15,- in our webshop this coming month (until April 21st), you'll receive one Seeds of Love gift tag for absolutely free!* 

No need to click on anything or fill out a discount code, simply place your order and we'll make sure to add a wildflower label to the package when we ship it! 

It's our way of saying thank you for supporting our small sustainable business. <3 
​
Also, we love to spread colorful patches of nature across Europe to create a more bio-diverse environment and help our most important allies in nature: pollinating insects.
Because sadly, our flying friends need all the help they can get (click).

We designed the labels to double as a gift-tag, adding an extra bright floral touch to any present. 

Would like to receive more seed-pack labels?
We've just added the Seeds of Love labels to our webshop as well, so order away!

*​(Please note: EU only, due to regulations about shipping seeds)

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

Interested in learning more about starting a sustainable design business? Join us in the Creascope 'Sustainability in Practice' seminar this Friday to learn all about it.

The sessions include presentations by a.o. Carissa ten Tije (Studio CTT), Daryna Antonenko, co-founder of Re:ban (click),  Dasha Tsapenko (via Jan van Eyck) and (drumroll) Jana Flohr of House of Thol.
It's quite a mix of brands and designers, each working on sustainable and/or circular design in their own way. 

I'll be directing my talk towards our aim to create an independent sustainable brand focussed on designing durable products to make your everyday greener and easier.
​
Expect to hear more about our crowdfunding campaigns, the puzzle to make products that are sustainable as well as affordable and durable, and the entrepreneurial challenges we've faced thus far. 

Spend your Friday learning about running a sustainable design business, all from the comfort of your own home (you won't even have to wear smart pants).

Best part: it's totally free! 
So register now, and i'll be looking forward to 'seeing' you this Friday.

Note: the conference is in English and is set in Ukraine, so the hours are Kyiv time (or EET <click>) in other words: one hour ahead of Amsterdam (CET) and two hours ahead of London (GMT). 

Sustainability in Practice // DAY 2
Friday January 29th
10:30 - 15:30 EET (House of Thol 14:00-14:45)
by Creascope, Kyiv

Made possible by European Bank for Reconstruction and Development & EU for Business  

<Free registration here>

GL8 is a local TV station catering to Heumen, Mook & Middelaar, together home to about 25.000 people (+ the House of Thol Headquarters).
The municipality of Heumen (Overasselt, Nederasselt, Malden & Heumen) is located in the Dutch province of Gelderland (G), whereas neighbouring Mook & Middelaar (Mook. Molenhoek, Middelaar & Plasmolen) is part of the province of Limburg (L), 8 villages in total on the border of Gelderland and Limburg: GL8.  

Taped in only a few hours, the full episode is almost 25 (!) minutes long. 
Got half an hour to spare? <click here> to see the full video.
​
For those of us with a little less ability to focus on something that long, i cut out a few snippets of the interview, each addressing a different topic.
There's still loads to see in the video that didn't make it to these cuts. So if you like to know more about the way we work, definitely check out the full episode when you have a chance.

About House of Thol

About Wren & Kiwi

About the Flower Constellations

About Waterworks

About winning the MKB Export Award

About ReCabinet

About the Poma/Olera series

About corona

Back in the Before, we shot this video for ABN AMRO with Freek Zonderland and his team. 
​We wrote this post about the 'making of', remember?
Oh what a different time it was: the middle of winter and no clue about Corona coming our way.
​
Some of the shots were already incorporated in this ABN AMRO promo that was launched halfway February.

After that Everything Changed, and ABN AMRO understandably waited for better times to launch the personal video's.
​
Although the current Corona mayhem is far from over, we're all looking forward fresh starts and positivity, which is why ABN AMRO released this video Today!

We hadn't seen the final cut before this either, and we're very happy with the way our sustainable House of Thol story comes across even in this short clip.
Also, the kids are super excited they're in this.

Many things changed since shooting the video.
In the world, obviously, but also at the House of Thol headquarters.
Out of necessity we upgraded the computer station to a full office (with a door), the workshop isn't nearly as organized as it was, and Thomas' hair grew to his shoulders.

We can't wait to be able to get to full working weeks again and steam on.
​This film coming out now, is a perfect boost for that.
Thank you ABN AMRO and everyone involved!

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

Anthurium are lovely flowering plants with an exotic origin that are grown in all types and varieties in greenhouses across the Netherlands.
The plant is a great air purifier, with long lasting flowers coming in a large variety of shapes and colors.

Anthurium.info was created to showcase the many beautiful Anthurium species cultivated by Dutch breeders.
The website doesn't only offer information about all kinds of Anthurium in 4 (FOUR) languages, it also aims to inspire with original content about anything that has to do with caring for and styling with Anthurium.
Read about the sustainability of Anthuriums, how to best care for the plants or learn how to create an Anthurium Kokedama. 
​A visit to Anthurium.info is definitely worth your time!

We're super happy floral designer Bob wrote a lovely piece about our Flower Constellations and how to use them.
Check it out here in <English> / <Dutch> / <German> / <French>

We happily ship our packages and letters with Dutch Postal service PostNL, which is usually pretty reliable (unless sometimes during the Holiday-period).
​PostNL updates its prices every once in a while, and January is the time to do that.

That means we're updating our shipping costs as well.
Find out below what that means for you. 
Please note: within the Netherlands we offer free shipment for orders from €75,-, order for more than €125,- for free shipping within the EU, and for more than €250,- for free shipping in the rest of Europe.

Up to 100 grams (letter): €2,73
​100 - 350 grams (letter): €3,64

350 - 600 grams (mailbox-parcel): 4,75
600 grams and up (parcel): 7,25

Belgium, Germany: €10,-
United Kingdom, France, Austria, Denmark, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden : €13,50
Rest of Europe: €18,50
Australia, Canada, Japan, Russia, USA (Rest of the World): €25,-

Dutch online platform Milledoni is all about gifts.
Gifts for anyone, for any occasion and any budget.

We're super happy one of their scouts spotted our Helios and added it to their guide of gifts!

Remember this website: The next time you have no idea what to get your friend or colleague, visit Milledoni for the best ideas.
Good to know: all featured products link back to the original webshops where you can make your purchase

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.

Summer might not even be officially over yet, With the fall tradefairs all taking place this month, the Holiday Season already started in retail-land!

Because we're very familiar with the challenges involved with designing and marketing your own products, we created a 'Get it at the Creatives' gift guide filled with affordable Dutch Design.

Check it out, because all these creatives are still out there making beautiful things that you should definitely add to your wishlist!

We're super excited that only one year after we launched them, the Flower Constellations are now available in the United States of America!!! Yeah!!

Uncommon Goods, webshop for unique gifts, home decor and more, picked up on our design a while ago, and after we sent over a few samples, the sales team gave their go and we shipped the first batch to the US right before our summer break.

So for all of you lovely people living in the US who can use a stylish tool for stellar flower arrangements or are looking for a flowery gift for a loved one , head over to UncommonGoods.com and order Flower Constellations now!

Not living in the US?
Our products are now being sold in 13 different countries around the world, so with a bit of luck there might be a store near you!
Check out our Store Locator for more information.

We sent out two newsletters today!
One in Dutch and one in English, of course about our new Flower Constellation XL: Ophiuchus.

Didn't receive anything? Don't worry, read them here!
Also, don't want to miss anything in the future?
​Sign up now!