Every time I look to add a new craftsman to our Southern Artisan Collection it makes my heart happy. So after I became fast friends with Loran over at Polder’s Old World Market over on Instagram I knew there were good things to come.
There are few things I connect with more than the hand carved spoons I grew up having in our kitchen, that still are used today. The pieces they craft are a collective effort by their entire family, made on their farm in the hills of Tennessee, and they truly couldn’t be more beautiful or thoughtfully crafted.
We’re introducing two special pieces as part of our collaboration …
The Mother + Daughter Wooden Spoon Set, which was truly inspired by the notion of handing down made-from-scratch cooking skills to the next generation side-by-side in the kitchen. This is such a special set to me.
The Wooden Coffee Spoon was more inspired by a hole I found in my kitchen. Having a cup of coffee to me is a part of my daily routine, a comforting thing I look forward to. This beautiful piece has become a staple in my own kitchen, from measuring my grounds to stirring a splash of almond milk into my coffee. A simple piece that is suddenly elevated by the beautiful hand carved details and unique marks that let you know each piece is one of a kind.
So you can get to know a little bit more about this talented family, where their inspiration comes from and how their pieces are crafted, here’s a little Q&A with Loran Polder.
Q. The name of your business is Polder’s Old World Market, previously Old World Kitchen. What does “Old World” mean to you?
A. Old World brings many different things to mind for us. It means quality, first of all, but it also has a sense of rustic elegance combined with practicality. It brings to mind visions of culture and meaningfulness and beauty in the ordinary.
Q. What made you think of making spoons initially?
A. We were seeking a simpler lifestyle and dreaming of farming. We had been bringing baked goods, seedlings and honey from our beehives to local farmer’s markets. Our first wooden spoons were made by my father, as his contribution to the wares we brought to market. This idea, and our lifestyle dreams, ended up birthing a whole brand concept.
Q. How do you select the wood for your spoons?
A. We salvage fallen hardwoods from the forest floor around our farm. It is exciting and incredible to see the gorgeous wood inside a fallen log that would otherwise rot and go to waste. We get a lot of satisfaction out of turning that wood into beautiful, useful items.
Q. What inspires the designs of your “Dreamware” line?
A. I would say it is a combination of things. We’re very inspired by the rustic, gourmet culture of rural Europe, by the way the people of Europe celebrate everyday moments so well. But I also feel that all of the personalities in our family team greatly influences the variety of style we incorporate into our designs.
Q. What family heirlooms inspire your designs?
A. My mom inherited a beautiful handcrafted bread board from her great grandmother years ago. That board inspired us to create our line of cutting boards and bread boards. Beyond that, I would say our Old World heritage on my dad’s side, more than any physical item, inspires us in our crafting.
Q. What is your favorite thing about working on this business as a family?
A. Definitely just being able to work together right on our farm. We value that opportunity and we don’t take it for granted.
I’m so thrilled to have these gorgeous, hand carved pieces as part of our Southern Artisan Collection. I’d love to know what you think
