Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.09.2017, Page 42

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Best of Reykjavík 2017
42
www.knifemaker.is
www.kitchenknives.is
Álafossvegur 29, 270 Mosfellsbær. Tel: +354 899 6903, +354 895 7654
“SCINTILLA can best be described as colorful
elegance, with everything from bright bedsheets
to luxurious Rococo-esque towels.”
DESIGN
Rams, Light
Sculptures,
And So Much
More
Real Icelandic design
—not some sh*tty puffin store
Words Hannah Jane Cohen & John Rogers
Photos Art Bicnick
The perfect souvenir can be
difficult to find, especially in a
city covered with stuffed puf-
fin stores. That said, Icelandic
design is booming and there are
many standout products and
stores to give your house or body
an elegant Scandinavian touch.
The hallmarks
One of the most famous speci-
mens of Icelandic design is Rag-
nheiður Ösp Sigurðardóttir’s
Umemi Knot Cushion. You’ll
find the simple interweaved pil-
low adorning tasteful Reykjavík
homes as well as the boutique
hotels peppered throughout the
city. If the elegant pattern wets
your palette, you might also like
her Kot Blankets, which have a
knitted design inspired by the
tiled roofs of Icelandic farms,
and her Hearth mix-and-match
tea candle holders. You can pick
up her products at most design
stores in Reykjavík.
Speaking of blankets, there’s
nothing more Icelandic than a
pure wool Geysir blanket, which
you can buy at one of their two
stores in downtown Reykjavík.
Available in a large variety of siz-
es, shapes, and colours, the cosy
hand-knitted covers will both
add a stylish pop to your sofa as
well as keep you toasty as you
cuddle up on it. While they are
around the same price as one of
their wool sweaters, the blanket
will give you much more real es-
tate for your buck.
Dig for design gold
If you’re more interested in
browsing a variety of unique
Icelandic design objects though,
drop by the brand new YPSI-
LON store on the upper tier of
Aðalstræti 2. Run by a collective
of emerging designers who are
just spreading their wings, there
you’ll find clothing with max-
imalist prints by Tanja Levy,
scents by Maya Njie, And Anti
Matter’s unusual light sculp-
tures, eco-conscious wares by
KOLBRÚN, copies of design-fo-
cused Neptún Magazine, and
‘upcycled rave-wear’ from the
USEE studio. It’s the ideal place
to dig for design gold.
Another Icelandic design
hallmark is Kraum, which is
located on Laugavegur 18b. The
store offers an exclusive range
of Icelandic homewares, dec-
orations, clothing, jewelry, and
knick-knacks. Always redefin-
ing the cutting edge of Icelandic
design, the iconic store presents
over 100 local artists. Favourites
include Undur’s nature-inspired
silk scarfs, rain capes by Guðrún
Kvaran, and HEYTHA’s mini-
malist drawings.
Kraum also features Icelandic
houseware and accessory brand
SCINTILLA. The brand can best
be described as colorful elegance,
with everything from bright bed-
sheets to luxurious Rococo-esque
towels. SCINTILLA is also well-
known for its Westfjords-in-
spired scented candles, with the
wild thyme and blueberry flavour
being a particular standout.
An Icelandic kitchen
For more Icelandic-style home-
wares, check out Hrím at Lau-
gavegur 25, Laugavegur 32, and
Kringlan. It’s the must-visit
place for fancy kitchen objects.
While they offer a variety of
Scandinavian products, there’s a
strong representation of Icelan-
dic brands. There you can find
whimsical Tulipop dishes, min-
imalist sheets and duvet covers
by Ihanna Home, and the nature
inspired illustrations of Pastel-
paper. The overall presentation
of the store is so colourful and
positive that you’ll easily find
yourself planning recipes in your
head—whether you know your
way around a spatula or not.
Last, but certainly not least is
the chain design store Rammag-
erðin. Their current window
display features handmade wool
and birch ram sculptures by apt-
ly-named brand Birch & Wool.
They are definite conversation
pieces—the best sophisticated
upgrade to a mass produced puf-
fin statue. If you’re for something
with a little less cheese on your
coffee table display though, there
are also gorgeous hand-blown
ceramic bases by Postulína. Buy
some flowers, which, uh, are not
made in Iceland, and go to town.
Umemi Knot Cushion