With a name like Bjørkje Slaghek, and a web shop full of fresh and cheerful (home) accessories like hers, you’d swear she was Scandinavian and that she had just stepped out of the pages of a Danish lifestyle magazine. But in actual fact, Bjørkje’s Dutch. Bet you didn’t expect that…
Surely, we’re not the first to think you’re Scandinavian?
“No, and it’s actually quite fitting to my character. We regularly go to Denmark and Sweden, and I buy a lot of stuff from the charity shops there. I have a monthly Danish magazine, BoligLiv, delivered to my door, from which I get a lot of inspiration, and I’m addicted to Scandinavian blogs. After all these years, I have become such a fan of these countries that you would actually think I came from there. My neighbor across the street is Danish and always says, ‘You are more Danish than me.’ I have a passion for everything that comes from the north.”
Can you tell us something about your designs?
“I’ve been making handmade jewelry with a Scandinavian twist for more than eight years now. My favorite cities are Stockholm and Copenhagen, and when I’m there, I’m brimming with inspiration. My designs are mostly made using ceramics, leather and wood. I love simple, manageable materials. And I like to change the collection to coincide with the seasons. I design and make all the jewelry myself in my studio in Bussum, where I have pots full of beads and materials and I can put everything together with love.”
Do you pay special attention to your packaging?
“Yes, I have nice little sliding boxes with my logo on them. I also have a gift wrap service, and on my website it shows how I wrap the presents with pretty paper.”
