Our Story
Anders
[adjective, adverb]
Dutch for "different"
Our buying criteria
- 01| Designed (and preferably made) in Europe
- 02| Modern aesthetic
- 03| European 'heritage' brand, a brand with a rich history
- 04| Socially responsible production
- 05| Not available in the U.S*
*We don't think it's fair to force the small businesses we buy from into market exclusivity agreements, so occasionally a product will make it's way over the ocean into another shop. However, you will never find them at a national retailer or on Amazon.
Social responsibility
The small European suppliers we source from show that caring about social & environmental impact can be done by any company. They help people, the planet, organic food production and more. So it’s not just a pretty gift, but a good one too!
Nice to meet you!
Mike Russell
FOUNDER
Mike was born in Lawton, OK, but lived all over the place being an army brat. Now an American army veteran, his career brought him to Germany, where he lived for over 20 years. His love for design was ignited by the difference between Europe and the U.S. in architecture, product design and fashion. As well as a different lifestyle that’s generally less work-centric. With Anders he wants to bring some of the best design ideas from Europe to the U.S.
Jarno Oostingh
FOUNDER
Jarno is originally from a small town in the Netherlands called Klazienaveen. As a creative kid he always longed for the exciting city life. So he ended up living in Amsterdam, The Hague and even Madrid and Barcelona for a short time. After a marketing and advertising career (that was more spreadsheets than creativity), Anders is a great way to put beautiful products and stories together.
Mike was born in Lawton, OK, but lived all over the place being an army brat. Now an American army veteran, his career brought him to Germany, where he lived for over 20 years. His love for design was ignited by the difference between Europe and the U.S. in architecture, product design and fashion. As well as a different lifestyle that’s generally less work-centric. With Anders he wants to bring some of the best design ideas from Europe to the U.S.
Jarno is originally from a small town in the Netherlands called Klazienaveen. As a creative kid he always longed for the exciting city life. So he ended up living in Amsterdam, The Hague and even Madrid and Barcelona for a short time. After a marketing and advertising career (that was more spreadsheets than creativity), Anders is a great way to put beautiful products and stories together.
We travel to discover the best European design
This hidden gem on the Nine Streets is actually right in the middle of city. It’s tiny inside, but the bench outside is great for people watching (that’s Jarno on the bench, watching his tea though) http://www.pluk-amsterdam.com/en/
Brussels has so much to offer! This particular chocolate shop across from the (AWESOME) Taschen bookstore has closed since then, but there’s plenty more chocolate in the city!
Helsinki is a beautiful city and a great shopping destination. There’s a great independent shop in every street, with typical stylish and practical Scandi-design. The Monocle is a great source for more curated travel advice: https://monocle.com/travel/helsinki/
Although Lisbon might be more familiar, Porto is arguably an even better destination. Not just because it’s close to the ocean (take the old wooden tram along the river) and all the port wineries! The city is also restoring a lot of it’s old buildings, mixing modern and classic, with cool shops and restaurants popping up everywhere.
In Stockholm, don’t miss out on the Mälarpaviljongen. A beautiful waterside terrace with great food, drinks, views and people. http://malarpaviljongen.se/
Our first trip together was to Prague! It was COOOOLD y’all. But so beautiful too. Besides the food and the beer, they have great shops with crafts and we enjoyed a dance performance at this beautiful Art Deco theater. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g274707-d539414-Reviews-Obecni_Dum-Prague_Bohemia.html