Good riddance 2020 - a short overview before moving on to the fresh year

The year it could have been

I think we can all agree, 2020 wasn't a great year.

For House of Thol it all started out sunny enough: with a well received presentation at Passagen Cologne (<click>); The launch of our Wren & Kiwi Bamboo series for Ay Illuminate in Paris (<see all here>); being portrayed on video for ABN AMRO (<result here>); a once again great Object Rotterdam (<more here>); with us shortlisted for the MKB Export Award (<woohoo!>); and getting ready to participate at Masterly Milano during the Salone Del Mobile in Spring.

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And then...

Well, we all know what happened next: Covid hit.
We found ourselves more or less confined to the headquarters, with hardly any time to get things done due to two wild childs running around the house deserving love, attention and homeschooling.

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Catching a break in the sunshine

The year seemed to find its groove back for us by the end of spring.
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Kicked off with virtually receiving the MKB Export Award from Minister Kaag in a video-call (<read all about it here>); which got us in the newspaper (<see here>); an overwhelming interest in our new Patera Magnus bowls (<after this publication>); the taping of an episode about Artists and Corona in our community (<watch show here>); the placement of a new Evolution bathtub (<one of these>); our first printed catalogue (<more here>); and our participation in ShowUP at the Brabanthallen (<click>).
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But the good times didn't last: the second wave hit as we were disassembling our fair-stand in Den Bosch in late September, and we were back in uncertainty about what the rest of the year would bring and if any of the all-important fall fairs would be able to take place (Nope.).
We're back in the harshest lockdown we've had, with the hospitals drowning in patients and a drap Holiday season.

Neverending to-do lists & the lucky ones

This didn't turn out to be the year it promised to be in those happy months in the 'Before'.

It feels like we've been trying to squeeze in working hours ever since the first lock-down, with never quite enough time to finish any to-do list or produce enough terra-cotta bowls (<click>).

Yet in the midst of an extremely stressful year, we've very much been the lucky ones: thus far we have remained healthy, as have our loved ones. 
​We are fortunate to live and work in green and spacious surroundings that we don't necessarily need to leave, and have kids who are young enough to adapt to a changing situation.

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Moving on: a new spring is coming

All in all, this is not a year for overviews, and we're not going to prolong this any further.

This was it: 2020
​We've made it through.

Let's focus on 2021, the year that may start with a freezing winter, but will bring a new spring soon and plenty of hope to offer.

Stay healthy everyone.
See you soon in the sunshine of 2021! ​​​