Point of View: The Coffee Mug

Behold the one-and-only container that is held so dear by so many around the globe: the coffee mug. Yet, is the coffee mug of one and only one purpose to merely exist as a coffee mug? Sip on that for a moment.

My now six year old son, whose brain is configured as if built by an engineer, has been playing with Lego City since he was three. It never ceases to amaze me how much he enjoys constructing meticulously for hours on end with no lack of patience to position the itty-bitty pieces in place. As I help him separate the parts and I chip my fresh mani in the process, he spouts out all his inventive concepts that he plans to whip up next. He is a fountain of innovation as he reimagines what else he can design. After three years playing Lego City, wouldn’t the new ideas dry up? Nope. When all I see are disconnected pieces of Lego City scattered on the ground, he envisions the foundation of his next dream house, followed by a speed boat, then a train station, and so on. From my son’s fresh perspective on what something could become, I gained the inspiration of this new blog theme called “Point of View,” which will be all about how things are seen.

Taking a grouping of Hazel Coast’s pinched mugs, which are available in three sizes and a load of color options (shop here), I started to stage different areas in my home. The reimagined coffee mugs quickly began to transform something ordinary to extraordinary by integrating the beauty of the handmade Tunisian ceramics in quaint corners while also elevating the display of functional items, such as office supplies, into something attractive. Pops of marigold orange, aqua blue, and teal blue give a retro, yet luxe vibe to a desktop storage area of paper clips and Sharpies or pens and pencils. The contrast against the glossy black KAISER idell desk lamp further enhances the style. Omitting the marigold and just pairing the tone-on-tone spa blues, children’s toothbrushes and dental flossers go from sloppy to slammin’ and makeup brushes and pencils go from drab to glam presentation.

Need more design inspiration? Visit our online store here to browse our handmade products and ideas. Perhaps you have something sitting around your house that could be repurposed or reimagined to both make use of what you already have and to also stylize your space. It’s all about your point of view.