Finnish design house Iittala revealed a new collection that was immediately added to my wish list. Kuru, by Canadian designer Philippe Malouin, is a sculptural series of vases and bowls.

Their sleek, minimal and refined shape gives them enough personality to stand alone as a beautiful object, while also look great when combined. The collection includes handcrafted ceramic bowls in three different sizes, a smaller glass bowl, as well as a hand-blown vase, in a color palette ranging from dark green to beige and light grey. They were created to be stylish receptacles for sunglasses, keys, coins, knickknacks and other small objects, for a more harmonious, organized home.

“The initial brief required us to create a set of “home displays” – objects that are both sculptural and functional,’ says Malouin. “The home displays can be experienced as a sculptural item or used in order to collect your personal effects. (…) Elevating the items from the surface adds value to these objects and gives them the respect they deserve. I wanted to design a collection that helps people create centres of gravity in their homes and provides a place for precious objects and memories, regardless of the size of their living space,” he added.

Kuru, meaning ‘gorge’ in Finnish, refers to “the empty geometric space in the Kuru pieces,” Malouin explained. The designer spent months working with Iittala’s craftspeople to experiment with glazes and silhouettes.

“It was important to develop a design language that was our own as well as matching Iittala’s. The important thing to keep in mind was the quality and colours of the materials used by Iittala over the years. (…) The textured glaze is new to the brand, yet I believe it adheres to its design ethos. It is such a challenge to design something new for such a strong and big design company. We are pleased it was possible to do.” The Kuru collection will be available from January 2020.