My kids still think I’m cool – #105

My kids still think I’m one of the coolest people. (For now.)

I was reminded of that again today when I went to the cinema with my son to watch The Mandalorian. He still wants me next to him. Still wants the shared snacks. Still wants the whispered commentary.

I know that won’t always be true.

So I’ve been thinking a lot about time, work, family, and the problem of living a perfectly reasonable life that has started to feel a little too tight around the edges.

I wrote a longer piece about it this week, inspired by Paul Millerd’s The Pathless Path.

You can read it here.

Anyway.

If you’re new around here: Every week, I share 5 of the nicest products from Europe I’ve discovered in the past 7 days.

I scout, you explore.

With love 🌞
Jakob

P.S.: Missed the last edition? The French suitcase that turns into a mobile desk or wardrobe from Chapoget was the most-clicked item.

There is a tragic shortage of smaller European countries in this newsletter. Not because they don’t make great things, but because they’re harder to stumble across when your research process is basically 43 open tabs and mild concern.

So I’m always very happy when readers send me suggestions. Recently, Gergana from Bulgaria wrote with a few ideas, and together we dug around for products I’ll share over the next weeks. First up: Halfbike.

Three wheels, no saddle. You ride it standing up, steer with your body weight, and pedal in a motion closer to running than cycling. Built by Kolelinia in Sofia and assembled one at a time. It folds down, weighs 9.5 kg, and probably takes a few sessions before you stop looking like a confused flamingo in activewear.

BLESS is the hard-to-place design duo of Désirée Heiss and Ines Kaag, with roots somewhere between Paris, Berlin, fashion, furniture, art, and “wait, is this genius or am I being tricked?” Their N°26 Cable Jewelry Multiplug has three outlets, a 1.4 m black cord, and wooden beads running along the length of it. It hides nothing. That’s the whole point.

Made by Vienna’s MOWO Studio in collaboration with design studio ante up, Aera Curve consists of two curved elements. Place them one way and they form an arc. Flip them around and they become a wave. The seat is made from woven molded beech plywood that flexes under weight.

Amsterdam-based designer Annebet Philips first made the Carte Blanche teapot from cardboard. When Serax put it into porcelain production, the fold lines stayed. So did the slightly sketch-like black details. It looks like a drawing that escaped the notebook. Better on the table than hidden in the cupboard, obviously.

The TWIKE 5 has three wheels, two seats, and pedals that feed power back into the battery while you drive. TWIKE has been chasing this very specific future since 1986, which I respect deeply. The top version reaches up to 190 km/h and more than 600 km of range, according to TWIKE’s own asterisks. It can also push power back to the grid.