Author: Mimi Oldenhave

From my early childhood we went every weekend to our country house in Bergen, an old shed/hay barn that was renovated by my father on weekends. This rebuild lasted for decades, while my father did the carpentry, I was baking and cooking, my everlasting hobby…. When my mother died, the house was sold and the household kitchenware divided or thrown away. A few bowls and dishes were left with various hand-painted patterns. 

Did I want it?

I took them because of the memory of the thousands of pancakes and desserts and doughs I had made in them, I had used them, without ever really looking at them. At home I put the dishes and bowls on the table… and I looked… how beautiful they were! A friend of mine collected a certain pattern of this Regout service and that’s how I got the idea to buy the different types that I have, on the internet and markets. When I share with people that I use these 100-years old plates daily and even put them in the dishwasher they look at me with bewilderment.

Tableware should be used, regardless if it’s antique or modern

The dinnerware grew, some collections are only used at Christmas with matching hand painted tablecloths. In my kitchen I have a closed cupboard, so one day I decided to ask my husband Jim to carry out my glass-cupboard for a special place in my kitchen. Now everyone can see the tableware well. I do enjoy it every day.

My most famous sofa is the ‘Gioconda’ sofa designed in 1995. Self-cut from foam and wood in full size. While I  was  working in the production, so days and days welding… blacksmithing…Designing was while I was standing behind my welding desk.. Doing my job almost on the ‘automatic pilot’… Thinking about a friendly form… where to put your arms..

A couch like an embrace

My business  companions were on vacation for a week, which was lovely, I knew I was free but there was also haste behind it. I cut into the foam and there she stood. I tried and tried.. cutting away the foam like a sculpture.

Like a sculpture

Suddenly there was the form, it became an embrace, and also the back of the sofa,  very important. So it became a couch excellent for free standing in space… useful for lobby’s or just like a sculpture in private homes…

The back of the couch is also worth designing…

When the prototype was ready, with help of an excellent upholstery lady while I was looking the name came into my mind, free after Da Vinci, the Mona Lisa also called la Gioconda, just like the portrait: is she smiling or looking  seriously?