Still mentally in Taipei. Here are 5 things from Europe. #92

Welcome back to the latest installment of what’s hot in brands and products.

Nine days ago we were in Taiwan. And we're not over it.

There's a Threads thread going around about Post-Japan Depression — that specific feeling after coming back from a place that just works. Magical, clean, aesthetic, punctual, peaceful... and then boom, back to reality. One reply suggests the only real cure is moving there. I'm starting to think they're right.

Taiwan left a mark.

The food markets at midnight, the neighborhoods you could walk for hours, the coffee shops that looked like someone actually thought about them. I wrote more about our favorite spots over on the blog — go there if you're planning a trip or just want to live vicariously. (I've never saved as many pins on Google Maps anywhere as I did in Taipei.) Oh, and there are photos too.

For now: five European things I found while still mentally in Taiwan.

If you’re new around here: Every week, I share 5 of the nicest products from Europe I’ve discovered in the past 7 days.

I scout, you explore. Let’s get to it!

With love 🌞
Jakob

P.S.: Missed the last edition? The colorful power socket by Avolt was the most-clicked product.

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Geneva Time 🇨🇭
The bedside table, finally sorted

Your alarm clock, your speaker, and your phone charger — in one object that actually looks good. Geneva Lab (the Swiss brand WIRED once called the "Steinway of audio") built this: an analog clock with a proper Hi-Fi speaker and a 20W wireless charging pad on top. It auto-shuts off after you fall asleep. One volume knob. Glowing hands. Eco-leather shell.

YKRA Laptop Case 🇭🇺
Handmade in a Budapest bar basement

Cotton canvas outside, thick German wool felt inside, copper snap stud. No synthetic padding, no logo. YKRA started in 2011 in the basement of a Budapest bar and still makes everything by hand in eastern Hungary — canvas from Czech Republic, felt from Germany, metal from Hungary. Each silkscreen print is slightly different.

Botané Wild Poppy Dance 🇩🇰
For the rare moments when real ones won't do

Real flowers are always better. But for the office corner, the rental apartment, the spot where they'd just die anyway — Botané makes the best case for artificial I've seen. Copenhagen-based, founded 2023, used by Audo House. The Wild Poppy Dance is 8 bendable stems — soft pastels, bold oranges, coral — styled loosely, like someone just came home from the market.

Castil Ada BD 🇮🇹
Italian metalwork you actually sit in

A rocking bergère from a company that's been bending metal for 30 years in northeast Italy. High backrest, winged sides, tubular steel frame in 17 powder-coat colors. Designed by Atelier Nanni, made entirely in-house. The kind of chair you move three times before you find its spot, and then it stays there forever.

Zuriga E2-S 🇨🇭
Two buttons. Built in Zurich. For people who want great espresso, not a hobby.

Made by hand in Zurich, one at a time, on order. Beloved by people who want great espresso with minimal fuss — heat up in around five minutes, pull your shot, get on with your day. Hand-blown glass tank, walnut portafilter, two buttons. Designed to be repaired, not replaced — parts available for 20+ years. A machine you save up for, then keep.

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