TOP SHOP: Tas-ka

loopfietsgeelWARNING. YOU MAY FIND it hard to resist Tas-ka’s textile toys and soft furnishings. Certainly, co-directors Jantien Baas and Hester Worst of the textile house based in The Hague, the Netherlands, have their own designs at home: Hester the hand-made white ‘birdlight’ (pictured bottom in the gallery) made of clusters of handmade paper cranes, and Jantien their charismatic fabric monster on her couch. And she doesn’t even have kids. 

All that is to come. For now, the duo who formed Tas-ka whilst at design college at the Royal College of Art in the Hague and morphed the project into a proper business post their studies - becoming full-time in October of last year - have a growing line of textile products on their minds.  

Jantien & HesterThe textiles themselves are all inspired by the theme of house and home - particularly European domestic architecture - and their initial two patterns are available in four happy, upbeat colours. Each textile is also designed and produced in the Netherlands, and since the end of last year Tas-ka have offered them for sale in their e-shop.

The shop not only sells Tas-ka’s own products, which apart from their designs for children (little bags, soft toys, soft ‘house’ cushions/toys/objets), include table cloths, tea towels, oven gloves, notebooks, printed tape, bedding, and the perkiest of buttoned cushions, but - for added charm - the girls have added vintage toys, games and furniture and home accessories they’ve found on their travels to the mix. “Basically everything that we think is beautiful and special - so you feel as if you’re in a candy store.” 

Our favourites? The little ride-on (pictured top, Euros 250) that reminds us of the wee ones we had as children back in the day; the vintage mosaic wooden puzzle, just 6.50 Euros, and the mini monster soft toy, 19.50 Euros. Resist if you can. 

*Tas-ka: www.tas-ka.nl