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Friday Five with Runa Klock

Designer Runa Klock was raised on the western coast of Norway and now calls Oslo home, running her studio from the city’s center. Klock received her Masters Degree in Design from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts and continued Entrepreneurship Studies through the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Oslo. Her playful nature-inspired designs are fueled by her interest in both materials and crafts, leading to her work with brands like Areaware, Nola, Leclettico, and Trefjola. She regularly exhibits her work alongside contemporary designers, including at this year’s Structure exhibition in Milan, which showcased a range of Norwegian designers. For this week’s Friday Five, Runa Klock shares what keeps her happy and inspired as a person and as a designer.

1. Shotoku glass
I visited these amazing glass blowers in Tokyo last November and was lucky to bring home some of their beautiful and carefully hand-crafted glasses, called “Usuhari”. These are well known glasses; super thin, clear and born from the same techniques as making light bulbs. It’s my absolute favorite glass; the feel of it in my hands is just amazing.

Photo by Sharon Odegaard

Photo by Sharon Odegaard

2. Windows
In school, at work, when travelling; ever since childhood I have always had a need to sit by the window. Looking out, daydreaming, observing; it’s essential to me, I prefer looking out instead of into my phone. Now I have my desk straight in front of a huge, old paned window in my studio, and I like how each panel frame divides and has a separate view.

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3. Acts of kindness
If you look around you´ll see acts of random kindness everywhere; especially lost items put up in trees, on fences, etc. to make it easier for the owner to find them. I started taking pictures of these strange and literally misplaced objects years ago; they make me happy and give me hope for the future.

4. Traveling
The world is my oyster. I travel for business and pleasure whenever possible and relevant. And when traveling I bring my beautiful TRAVELER’S notebook. It has a beautiful leather cover and I love the weathered look that comes with use and passage of time, imparting a personality to it. Last but not least I cherish the memories, ideas and thoughts captured inside.

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5. Måslia (mountain)
Cross country skiing is a passion, and my favorite place to do it is back home on the West Coast of Norway, where the mountains meet the fjords. I long for these mountains, and the experience of silently moving through the calm and quiet winter nature. It’s good for both body and mind, with the beautiful scenery serving as an inspiring backdrop.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.