Publication date: May 2022 - Country: the Netherlands
Learning from nature
House of Thol interview Green Connector
Check out this interview in the Spring edition of Green Connector!
We had a lovely chat with Marie-Gon, who created these beautiful spreads for the online inspirational magazine for growers, green producers and related suppliers.
Find the spreads, and an English translation, below.
"We design products that age beautifully, made from materials that are used as efficiently as possible"
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Jana Flohr and Thomas Linssen met during their studies. They have been living and working together since 2005.
In 2013 they merged both their design studios together and created the design brand for eco-friendly products House of Thol.
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Our greatest source of inspirationEveryday life is the greatest source of inspiration of the creative couple. With their collection they aim o contribute to a sustainable lifestyle and the circular economy. They try to avoid smart and technology - the design should be logical and understandable.
It usually starts with a question: can it be easier, more convenient, more efficient? And what is already there?
From there, the design process starts, with nature as the source of inspiration.
Jana and Thomas had to completely rebuild their garden because of the road that ran through it. They still regularly move plants or change the layout. "We keep learning from nature, there are so many interesting things to find," -
That also applies to the materials we use. If at all possible, we choose sustainable and we like to work with the natural properties of a material.
Terracotta is a great example: because of the porous nature of the material, moisture slowly draws through it.
You can use that to water plants gradually, but also to naturally cool fruits and vegetables.".
Poma/Olera
With this knowledge in mind, Jana and Thomas researched how to store fruit and vegetables to stylishly keep them fresh for longer.
The result was the Poma/Olera fruit bowl concept. Poma and Olera is Latin for fruit and vegetables. Poma/Olera is a beautiful outer bowl with smaller inner compartments in which you can store your fruits and vegetables separately until they are perfectly ripe.
The concept is such a success, that they had to move the production from their own studio to another location.
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Flower Constellations
The House of Thol collection is very diverse.
Jana and Thomas are not interested in designing products that are already abundant, like vases.
But how can you use your existing flower vase more efficiently?
If there are still a few beautiful flowers left of last weeks bouquet, then a Flower Constellation is a smart and beautiful solution.
You place this brass disc with hole-pattern simply on the neck of your vase. Thanks to the pattern, you can always make a beautiful arrangement of your flowers.
Because of the 2d design, the Flower Constellations can expand downward to fit vases with different diameters..
Helios and Waterworks
Based on the same 2D design is the Helios, with which House of Thol responds to the top trend of making the roots of a plant visible.
This brass disc has a star-shaped opening through which plant roots can grow. -
Everyone knows the problem of watering houseplants. With the Waterworks you can easily keep your plants happy.
This natural watering system consists of a terracotta cone and glass reservoir, to make it easy to see when to refill the water..
Future Proof Material Library
House of Thol goes beyond design.
For example, they started an intensive research project into sustainable materials together with Atelier LvdW (Laura van de Wijdeven) that will result in a Future Proof Material Library.
Because sustainability remains the basis of future designs of House of Thol..
Text by Marie-Gon