Our Favorite Fireplace Tools That Have Oprah's Seal of Approval

The chill is here, folks! Some welcome the briskness by layering with their favorite camel coats but here at Lekker we're welcoming the fresh air by bringing out the trusty fireside companions. We head into every holiday season focusing on and sourcing designs that will bring ritual, comfort, and warmth to our spaces as we spend more time inside.

A year round staple that creates those moments of warmth and togetherness is a fireside brand dear to our hearts called Eldvarm. You may have seen Eldvarm on the blog last year when we spotlighted niche gifts that hailed from all our nordic friends + they were also featured in this month's issue of Oprah Mag, which made our lives.

Eldvarm's Story

Firmly rooted in Scandinavian tradition and culture, Eldvarm's focus is to foster pause points in life that allow us to connect with others, and in those relationships slow down and relax. And there's no better place for all of that then around the fire.

Featuring Emma Wood Basket and Emma Fireplace Tool Set

Eldvarm was founded by Louise Varre who grew up in Scandinavia, a place with weather contrasts that have a dramatic flair. Balancing time between Norway and Sweden, the role of fire was important for Louise and part of her familial traditions – fire kept her childhood home in Norway warm during harsh winters and fire pits became a place of socializing at her grandparents house during the summers. Eldvarm actually means Fire Warm in Swedish!

"We Scandinavians have a unique relation to light and fire. In ancient times, people worked outdoors all summer while the long dark winters were spent together in front of the fire, telling stories while crafting, polishing and perfecting objects."

Featuring the Emma Wood Basket and the Emma Firescreen

Louise was working in the fireplace industry for many years and was often asked by friends where to find nice fireplace accessories and after months of searching on her own for designs that could be both functional and the central part of the home, none were to be found and Eldvarm was born!

The design of these fireplace tools is close collaboration between Louise and Eldvarm's head designer Emma Olbers. Emma is a Swedish designer who graduated from the Beckmans School of Design, has her own fruitful design studio, and prides herself on being “a furniture designer with an eco heart”.

Featuring the Emma Lantern

The meeting between Louise and Emma was quite serendipitous – Louise had been friends with Sandra Asplund (one of the founders of another Swedish brand Asplund) since she was a teenager. Louise was introduced to Emma at a birthday party for Sandra one year and hit it off! The rest is history and they have been collaborating ever since.

All Eldvarm's products are crafted with powder-coated steel and leather made from Swedish tannery Tärnsjö. Louise spends a lot of time in factories understanding all the different trades and constantly updating Eldvarm's ecological footprint from product lifecycle, eliminating leather waste using 3D printing, or sourcing organic materials for every part of production.

Featuring the Emma Wood Basket

Eldvarm's newest design is a bench named after Louise's grandmother Ninne, who was a source of inspiration for a lot of creative endeavors throughout Louise's life. The Ninne Bench was conceived for wood storage, as an alternative to the Emma Wood Basket, but we also love it as a bench for the end of the bed or a chic entryway.

Featuring the Ninne Bench and Emma Companion Tool Set

"My grandmother, Ninne, taught me that beauty isn’t shallow, but a deeper, timeless quality — that the objects we surround ourselves with must stand the wear of the eye. She educated me in the art of creating an ambiance of tranquility, harmony and coziness in the home."