What’s Kookn in Scandinavian Cookware, Tableware and Serving Ware
Recently, we spoke with Swedish interior designer Christina Richardson about Scandinavian interior design. During that interview, Christina explained to us that in Scandinavian design, home decor and accessories are often used to inject splashes of bold, bright colours, patterns, and fun into traditionally light, natural, functional Scandinavian interior designs.
While doing some additional research on Scandinavian home decor, I found the Instagram feed of Kookn and was struck by their reverence for Scandinavian cookware, serving ware, and tableware. I immediately DM’d them and begged them to help me write an article about vintage mid-century/Scandinavian cookware, tableware, and serving ware.
Kookn is the brainchild of Fenella Petrie & Laura Watts. Fenella & Laura are design curators and makers with a love of vintage cookware, tableware, and serving ware. I learned a lot during our chat…I hope you do too.
Douglas Robb - Interior Design Toronto: After checking out your Instagram feed and website, it’s obvious that you really, really like vintage cookware, tableware and serving ware...especially Scandinavian & Finnish designs. Can you explain why you’re such fans?
Kookn: We are designers. Fenella is a product designer who studied at Glasgow School of Art and Laura is a graphic designer who studied at Cooper Union in NYC. We’ve had long careers in product development, branding, advertising and design.
We came across this quote from Ruth Adler Schnee, a German born mid-century textile designer who really sums up why good design is timeless “Design must marry pattern, colour and texture within functionality, if that has been accomplished, it will never go out of style.”
We’re inspired by the designs of all the masters of this period, familiar names we know and love, like Jens Quistgaard, Tapio Wirkkala, Timo Saroenenva, Kaj Franck, and Herbert Krenchel created incredible pieces. As female designers, we are also thrilled that many of the notable pieces in our collection were created by trailblazers such as Vivianna Torun, Ulla Procopé, Raija Uosikkinen, Esteri Tomula, Unni Margrethe Johnsen, Helena Tynell, and Grete Prytz Kittelsen.
Scandinavian and Finnish designs are classics that have really stood the test of time, and we’re intrigued by those who used them over the years. We believe they have many stories to tell, and more stories to come. So often while we’re picking, we hear “I’m so glad this is going to someone who will appreciate it” and that’s because these pieces become part of our everyday lives. Special because they don’t simply sit there looking beautiful in your kitchen, they are amazing, functional, hard working and you become very attached to them like a good friend.
Douglas Robb - Interior Design Toronto: Even after our brief chat, it’s obvious that Kookn is more than just a business to both of you. Can you explain what Kookn means to you & what you would like it to become?
Kookn: We’re on a mission to find, curate and repurpose vintage design pieces used in the ceremony and celebration of cooking, eating and entertaining. To be a destination where Scandinavian/Finnish vintage design lovers can buy, consign or rent from us.
In addition to cookware, serveware, tableware and candleware, we plan to offer our own line of Kookn products. Currently, we have imported tiny tapers from Denmark that are sold with the tiny taper holders. Vintage tiny taper candles are often expensive and not in great shape so we decided to sell our own. We managed to find a candlemaker in Denmark who uses the same no drip, no soot formula and technique that Dansk used back in the early 1960’s.
Coming soon we’ll be launching a new product called Trae Balm. A line of handmade organic wood care that is easy to use, foodsafe and will extend the life of wood pieces. There is a Beewax and a Vegan formula, both of which can be used on all your wood items - from butcher blocks to rare teak Quistgaard pieces.
This summer, we’ll also be introducing limited edition kitchen textile products reusing vintage Scandinavian & Finnish fabrics. We love the idea of reusing what’s out there and letting the fabric tell us what it should be - a pot holder, a tea towel, apron or shopping bag.
Our long term vision for Kookn is to be a fun, accessible and engaging place where people can shop our ever-changing collection. And to find new homes for our much loved friends so the stories can go on.
Douglas Robb - Interior Design Toronto: Can you give us a general introduction to Scandinavian cookware, tableware, and serving ware...the history, why you love it, your favourite brands, your favourite pieces, etc
Kookn: Well, coming out of a very bleak Second World War, the period between 1950s and 1970s was an innovative and exciting time in general for design. Scandinavia and Finland were famously at the genesis of this modern design era - what we now call Mid-Century Modern. Iconic design brands Dansk, Copco, Finel Arabia, Iittala, Egersund, Holmegaard, and Cathrineholm emerged in the 1950s and began their journey of innovation and design. Although each company had its own distinctive design aesthetic, they all explored new uses of colours, materials, forms, and surface design.
New manufacturing techniques allowed designers to shift away from traditional black cast iron and explore enameled steel which had typically only been used for bedpans and washbins. An example of this is Dansk Kobenstyle Kitchenware introduced in 1955. Jens Quistgaard used enameled steel to design the brightly coloured iconic Kobenstyle line that is now in production again due to its success and popularity. He added naturally heat-resistant teak handles to the smaller pots and the cross-hatch lids can be lifted with a wooden spoon and used as a resting trivet. The kitchenware was lightweight, easy to use, with stylish handles. Giving them the ability to go from stove or oven to a spot at the dinner table.
Tableware and serving ware evolved from overly ornate designs that were dainty in fabrication and generally not used every day. Thinking at this time started to evolve and designers wanted to make beautiful and special everyday objects for everybody - not just the wealthy.
As for our favourite pieces, that's a hard question to answer as they are all amazing in their special way but there are a few that we hold a special fondness for.
COOKWARE
In cookware, I would say our Kobenstyle baker is a regular in our kitchens that we’ve both become very attached to and use all the time. It’s colourful (we have large personal collections), lightweight, yet its even heating capability is excellent, it's super versatile and can be used for roasting potatoes, baking pasta, roasting chicken, and also serving side dishes at the table. All of these make cooking fun and create special moments. We love to cook.
tableWARE
In tableware, we love vintage Arabia for both its wide array of stylish, timeless designs and amazing quality. In particular, we are in love with the Anemone and Valencia series by Ulla Procopé. The plates in the series are hand-painted on heavy stoneware, the cups, teapots and trivet have the most beautifully simple pattern of overlapping flowers using deep blue tones that are vibrant and completely gorgeous. There are a few of those pieces in our collection and we plan to keep expanding our Arabia offering because it's so fabulous. It's really hard to understand just how incredible these pieces are from photos, they’re not only beautiful but there is an instant physical experience to them which is “wow”.
serving WARE
In serving ware, we of course love Cathrineholm. I mean, the iconic Lotus pattern is so simple and perfect and the interchanging of colours in the line is spectacular. Saying that, the Krenit enamel steel bowls designed by Kerbert Krenchel are equally brilliant. They were originally designed to be used for salad, which in 1953 was an innovative choice of material considering most bowls at that time were made from wood. Krenchel designed a perfect geometric and generous form for the bowls, and then played with colour and surface textures. It’s the reason they have won so many design awards. It would be a real miss if we didn’t mention design master Jen Quistgaard's wide array of incredible teak serving ware. We could talk all day about his incredible understanding of wood and craftsmanship used to create thousands of amazing pieces. Recently, our hearts skipped a beat when a green Quistgaard Festival lacquer tray joined our collection on consignment. It just oozes 1960’s style and personality. You look at this tray and you can just imagine all the wild and colourful parties it has been to. If only they could talk!!
Douglas Robb - Interior Design Toronto: For the foodies out there, can you give us some examples of Scandinavian and/or Finnish cookware that is different from North American?
Kookn: North American cookware, tableware and servingware in the 1950’s was all about the atomic and automotive styling. Bakelite serving dishes looked fast like the cars cueing similar lines and visual language and details. Decorations applied to many of the cookware, for instance Pyrex tended to be small delicate artworks, linework depicting realistic delicate images of starbursts, flowers and foods. In contrast to Scadinavian and Finnish designers who were using bold abstract imagery. Aluminium was a very popular material used on cookware with bakelite handles. The materials were thin and the forms tended to be rounder, often with ribbed detailing nodding to earlier Victorian ornate decorations.
When it comes to cooking with the vintage North American cookware compared to the Scadinavian, the Scadinavian enameled steel was a better choice of materials and the enamel prevented chemicals from the metal leaching into foods. The enameled cast iron such as Copco and Le Creuset have the most even heating and the enamel acts as a non-stick coating while cooking making it a superior cooking partner around the kitchen.
Douglas Robb - Interior Design Toronto: How do vintage pieces compare to their modern counterparts - build quality, etc?
Kookn: There is, without a doubt, a big difference between vintage cookware, serving ware and tableware, and their modern counterparts. Back in the day, there was a strong, ingrained sense of quality and craftsmanship. Everything was made with the thought to last forever. Postwar consumers would never have imagined buying something only to be replaced a few years later. Europeans had just gone through immense loss, food rationing and bombed crumbling buildings, so a throw away mindset was just not there. There were definite trends among designers at that time. They were building their thoughts and creations on the previous Bauhaus movement that emerged just before the unrest and war. The trends tended to be more about using materials in different ways and applying existing and new manufacturing techniques to create these fresh new products for the masses.
Times are so different now with the focus being on achieving the lowest cost to produce and making products that are designed to yearly forecasted trends. Producers want you to keep buying goods, so they purposefully design in obesolence. Colours and finishes are changed every few years so they quickly become dated and out of fashion. I would say this is the case for the most part in cookware, tableware, and serving ware.
This is in essence why we have started Kookn. This Covid situation has forced us to pause and reflect on what is really truly important in our lives and what gives us joy. These pieces have lasted for 60+ years and can be used for many more, they will outlast us. We asked ourselves “why do we need to make more stuff”? Especially when there’s great stuff out there, built to last, looking beautiful forever and wanting to be used and loved.
About Kookn
In their own words:
We are design curators and makers with a love of vintage cookware, tableware and serving ware. It all started during a weekend antique outing when we found ourselves crossing a room to reach for the same yellow Dansk Enamelware Pot from the 70s. Beyond the stunning design aesthetics and impeccable condition, what drew us both was the fact that not only had it lasted for years, it also still had so much left to give!
And so, our idea for Kookn was born: a place where we could connect people to unique mid-century modern collectibles and sought-after rare finds—lovingly used pieces that bring joy to the celebration of cooking, eating and entertaining.
Our focus is on Scandinavian and Finnish design, although we keep our eyes open for vintage European items, too. Every piece has a history and a story to tell; we share these with you as well.
We invite you to join us in what we frankly call our obsession: to get these stunning pieces out of a dark cupboard or a box on a garage shelf and back into your hands, kitchen and table, to add to your enjoyment for many years to come.