One-Stop (Design) Shopping
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.14.06
Potassium is a design store that makes shopping a cinch. Featuring house and personal wares and happily celebrating its first year in business, the founder, Karim Ladak, was formerly the buyer for the much-missed Cabane stores in Canada. He decided to return home and open a store that would show that good design can be ethical, beautiful, luxurious and ecological. The range of goods is fascinating--from Ecuadorian tea-towels of recycled white flour sacks, decorated with crocheted strawberries or limes or carrots along the bottom, to a wine rack made out of wood rescued from a church. He is particularly proud of his own Potassium brand soya candles. They are hand-poured in Canada, made by an organisation promoting a return-to-work for physically and mentally challenged individuals. The containers are recyclable aluminium tin and burn for 25 hours. They are available in lovely,natural scents such as ocean, moss and red berry, mint and wild rose.
These good looking handbags come in classic styles and have exceptional detail—they are made in Italy by an English company, from organic Serbian leather. The mountain cows have been fed on natural grasses and grains so the quality of the leather is thicker then usual leathers. The tanning process uses natural vegetable dyes; not the harsh chemicals that ordinary leather production employs. For men, WAS bags, made from recycled billboards, this time from New Zealand--indestructible and sure to stop traffic. A sushi board is a great looking addition to the kitchen--made from discarded rubber wood and british steel. Two boards slide underneath the steel plate and come complete with chopsticks and soy sauce holders. There are beautifully packaged natural soaps by Claus Porto—the oldest soap-making company in Porto, Portugal. And last, but not least, for those cold winter nights, a faux fur holder for your hot water bottle. So many choices. :: Potassium
This article reminds me of the catalog scene from Fight Club.