Beyond the Instagram image: Hannah Krutmann’s homeware staples

We looked beyond the Instagram image at some of Hannah Krutmann homeware staples in this week’s Blue Chip post

Who lives in a sunlit palace like this? Hannah Krutmann does. Going by the Instagram handle @hannah_lagom (inspired by her favourite Swedish word that means gentle or just right) Hannah is the founder and leading storyteller at Almost Magazine, a publication that encapsulates the true essence of togetherness. Based in Berlin with a nod to the sweet 70s, Almost Magazine supports up and coming creatives all over the world. “We want to show the diversity and present each contribution with its personal layout,” Hannah noted online before adding, “Almost is a community for those who want to go their own way together,” she finished.

Last week, an image of Hannah’s heavenly loft living room sparked craze over on Instagram. With so many interiors investors drooling over the greenhouse-esque layout brimming with colour, texture and shape, we thought we’d take a closer look at exactly what makes Hannah’s home so dazzling. We looked beyond the Instagram to unpick some of Hannah’s home staples. We chose some of her commonly captured items, including the meditation pillow, disco ball and Togo chair. Check out the feature to see the home that captured so many hearts, and learn the unique history of some items held here.

The Togo Chair

The trendy Togo chair has made an unrivalled comeback in the past year. Probably due to the foreseeable future of lazy lockdowns and our new-found need to revel in relaxation; often laying in all sorts of contorted positions in front of the TV or with our favourite book in hand. 

The Togo chair actually celebrated its 40th birthday in 2013, making it almost 50. What’s deemed a caterpillar-esque design by Design-Milk’s Jaime Derringer, emerged into the homeware scene in 1973 when designer Michel Ducaroy crafted the luxury lounge item for Ligne Roset. Having met Jean Roset in 1960, Michel is very well the reason for the brand’s uncompromised success. It’s thanks to the fresh mind of Ducaroy that over 1.2 million Togo items were welcomed into the homes of people across 72 countries as of 2013.

But you won’t be seeing one of these Togo’s in my home any time soon - no matter how tempting. These Togo’s are definitely an indulgent purchase for the well-to-do of today, costing over a thousand for any one of Ducaroy’s designs, ouch. Togo’s are so expensive that Ligne Roset doesn’t even feature prices on their site. Sneaky.

But, a lot of craftsmanship and time (six hours at least) goes into these puggish designs, with each and every item made by hand by experienced, talented craftsmen. Oh, and as pointed out by Azure Magazine, over half of all waste from Ligne Roset’s furniture is recycled, with smaller scraps recycled in a giant oven to heat their Briord premise during the winter.

The Modern Mobile

In many of Hannah’s photos, she captures a beautiful wire mobile with stars and moons dangling from its lengths; casting speckles of light across the room. But mobiles aren’t just for newborn lullaby lovers. Hanging mobiles can be the perfect addition to a room that’s missing that little something.

The modern mobile, a kinetic sculpture, has been around since 1930 when American artist, sculptor and mechanical engineer Alexander Calder hung abstract shapes from a wire branch very similar to the design of our windscreen wipers today. Alexander had been fiddling around with wire designs for years and took to using shapes rather than reflective materials that floated and fumbled in response to air currents. This breakthrough meant that the sculpture could take on a myriad of forms depending on the air around it and soon became a piece that ‘revolutionised sculpture’ according to Tate online. Calder continued making kinetic art for four and a half decades following the emergence and popularisation of the mobile. 

The creation of the mobile may not have been possible without the inspiration of windchimes that had been around for thousands of years before. Ancient civilisations of Asia used wind chimes as early as 1100 BC in religious ceremonies. These chimes, called fengling, were considered to invite the positive energy of good spirits and ward of evil. Appreciated immensely for their beautifully musical tones, these chimes were hung above temples and shrines to establish a serene and peaceful aura. Similar chimes are still used in the popular art of Feng Shui and during meditation in many parts of the world. Check out this article to find out more about their history. 

The Disco Ball

The disco ball is the ultimate symbol of the untouchable 70s disco era. Hanging above a room of dizzy dancers like a territorial mark of fun. Dancing in the moonlight, Night Fever, Super Trooper; all classics played for masses of sweaty, cheesecloth-clad disco disciples under this behemoth glistening symbol. But although its prime was in the 1970s through to the 80s, the ‘myriad reflector’ had been around for decades before.

The first recorded sighting of the disco ball - also known as the mirror ball and glitter ball - was in 1897 in Boston. It wasn’t until 1917 that a man by the name of Louis Bernard Woeste patented what he called a ‘myriad reflector’... doesn’t quite have the same ring to it. Woeste didn’t invent the glitterbug that was to dazzle its way into jazz bars, dance halls and ballrooms throughout the 20s. He did, however, play a big role in advertising the statement ball as recalled by The Vintage News. 

“The newest novelty is one that will change a hall into a brilliant fairyland of flashing, changing, living colours – a place of million-coloured sparks, darting and dancing, chasing one another into every nook and corner – filling the hall with dancing fireflies of a thousand hues.”

If only a disco ball could talk, then I bet New York’s famed Studio 54 disco ball would have a few stories to tell. Studio 54 was a hotspot for selected celebs to mingle and move to the 70s beats. It was closed in 1980 due to tax evasion claims; leaving everyone to question what really went down in Studio 54? It must have been good if it drove Nile Rodgers to write ‘Le Freak’.

Dried Flowers

Dried flowers are one of the biggest global interior trends, allowing consumers to admire their favourite flowers for much, much longer than their fresh counterparts. Dried flowers are something Hannah adores within the home, noting that they give her thriving vase collection a perfect purpose.

Although it was the Victorians that brought the preservation of flowers to the modern fore, the history of dried flowers can be traced all the way back to ancient Egypt. The oldest dried flowers were found in a Roman Tomb and are 2 thousand years old. Although unspecified which types of flowers were found, Papyrus and Lotus were the most common flowers to be used in ancient Egypt; representing life, death and gratitude. Many wreaths and bouquets have also been found around the necks of the departed in similar tombs indicating Egyptians as well as Greek and Roman ancestry as the proud innovator of styled wreaths and garlands today. Thanks, guys.

During the 16th century, Oshibana became a saught-after art form in Japan. Oshibana is the process of picking, drying and pressing flowers before setting them to rest on washi paper; thus creating nature-inspired artwork. As trading increased between regions in the 18th century, the traditional and impactful process of Oshibana made its way to Europe, taking pride of place in many Victorian homes. 

Oshibana’s newfound popularity in Victorian England saw a surge in the use of dried flowers; which began being used for garlands and wreaths, artwork, framed decor and even in fashion by being imprinted into fans, gloves and jewellery. During this time, women and men alike grew a fond relationship with flowers, using it as a means of communication. Flowers soon became a symbol of emotion and meaning. It’s this point in history that we can thank for roses resembling the intense emotion of true love.

The Meditation Pillow

This beautiful little cushion emblazoned with a candy-coloured ying-yang is by Kaschuba hommage. Kaschuba creates these zafu cushions by hand, using natural materials and vintage fabrics. When materials such as leather are requested, Kaschuba are devoted to only using such materials that are completely recycled.

This little cushion looks sweet to the eye, but it actually has a long history of mental and physical wellbeing benefits. The round cushion with its neatly gathered sides was designed solely for the purpose of meditation. The curve of the cushion allows you to sit in a healthy, upright position with legs crossed and your knees naturally falling below your hips. This position is meant to support your spine to maintain its natural curve as you drift off into a thoughtful abyss. 

Zafu cushions originate from China and translate to ‘sewn seat’. The Zafu cushions traditional design sees a heap of reedmace fill the miniature bean-bag like structure. Over time, different styles of the Zafu have seen kapok (from the Ceiba tree) or buckwheat hulls fill the beneficial item giving it it’s comfortable and plump texture.

Zafu cushions are used for sitting meditation (yep that’s right, the meditative art of simply sitting correctly… I do that every day???) The act of focusing on your spine without any support from your usual office chair targets both your posture and your mental health. It’s believed that by taking part in this meditative exercise every morning you can become that little bit more energised and alert as you enter the day.